Problem of Violence against Women

Violence against women refers to physical, psychological and sexual acts which are subjected to women causing suffering on them. This problem is widely considered as a public health issue across the world as it is believed to be an act of violating human rights. Women violence is a risk issue as it affects the mental and physical health of affected individuals. Societies need to understand the nature and magnitude of various types of women violence and acquire necessary information on this problem. The information and knowledge will help people to differentiate and overlap ways in which this issue occur and implement methods of preventing it as well as knowing how to respond to this issue when it happens. The community and individual respond to the occurrence of women violence cases in various ways such as reporting women violence to the police and taking care of abused women. This paper examines the problem of violence against women which is facing the justice system, individual and society responses to this problem as well as alternatives solution to women violence. 

The problem of Violence against Women, Its causes and Effects 

Violence against women is divided into various groups including interpersonal, collective and self-directed violence depending on who commits the act of violence. Interpersonal violence has been a universal type of women violence as it is determined by another person to a woman and is usually occurs in all communities (Flood & Pease, 2009). Interpersonal violence against women can occur as a family conflict which refers to an assault occurring at homes between related individuals or community conflict which is a conflict between unrelated people in the society. Violence against women can occur in different forms such as physical, mental, psychological and sexual and affects women differently. Physical abuse occurs when women are subjected to physical torture like kicking, beating, biting and slapping. Although people in society may neglect physical violence, injuries women sustain can cause severe suffering and even death. Mental or psychological violence refers to acts of humiliating and controlling women by denying them the right of seeing friends and relatives and economic restrictions. Sexual abuse refers to the act of forcing women into sex by use of physical force, intimidation and threats on women. Cases of sexual violence in women have recently increased with the young adolescent girls being victims. 

Women in society are considered weak and vulnerable-making them be in a position of abuse by men. Many communities and cultures have accepted violence as something which happens to women and should be solved by the parties involved. Although committing violence is a choice individual make, domestic violence can be initiated and perpetuated by various factors that including religious, cultural, political and economic situations which surround an individual. Macro-system forces such as culture and social norms are essential aspects in a community, but they contribute to gender-based violence especially domestic abuse because people believe domestic violence to be personal and should not be reported to police and criminal justice courts. This encourages women violence in communities as the perpetrators know they would not be punished by the law. Individual-level variables like children observing violence between parents during their growth and development can contribute to the development of similar forms of violence. Usually during gender violence, women suffer gender imbalance due to the difference in size and energy. In many communities, women are socialized into various duties making them poorly equipped to protect themselves hence suffer from abuse. For example, societies with a patriarchal power structure and rigid gender duties do not provide women with equipment for protecting themselves during 

Violence against women affects abused not only women but also their families and friends as well as the community. In cases where women violence occurs between intimidating partners, children can be psychologically and emotionally affected. Violence against women has short and long-term effects such as psychological problems, physical injuries, illnesses, economic difficulties and even death to the affected individuals (Flood & Pease, 2009). Women who have encountered rape and sex assaults may sustain both physical and genital injuries especially the young and senior women. Rape assault can lead to a contradiction of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and syphilis and unwanted pregnancies. The victims of violence experience psychological symptoms such as denial, shock, fear, disbelief, withdrawal and confusion. Assaulted individuals can permanently become dependent making these women have difficulties when making decisions and planning. 

Sexual violence against women especially rape cases cause distress and low-esteem problems among affected victims. In cases of family conflicts in which women are assaulted, children are at risk of sexual and physical abuse because they lack maternal care. The children are at risk of becoming antisocial in future because they become aggressive and can develop anxiety, depression and temperament issues. Violence against women leads to the development of fear of crime in the society with women being victims of this fear. In most cases women develop the fear of being raped which they consider being a more serious offence than murder. The problem of violence against women has caused financial constraints on justice systems as courts, and the government need costs for ordering women protection, child custody, divorce cases, prosecution for women assaults and supporting court proceedings. 

Responses to Violence against Women 

Criminal justice has shifted their attention to protect women and young girls against violence by positively responding to reported cases of violence against women. Although criminal justice has developed concern on fighting women victimization, many women self-assaults especially spousal violence do not report their incidents to the criminal justice system because of fear of their spouse and publicity. Women seem to have turned into informal ways such as friends and families to get support. Reporting women violence to the police results into criminal charges to the suspected individuals and this helps in reducing violence cases. Societies have resolved to offer social services such as providing shelter to victims of women violence to support them and protect them from more abuses. 

Individual Responses 

Victims of women violence take actions to fight for their rights in the community and reduce cases of women abuse in society. Victims of women violence report their claims to the police for action to be taken against the assaulters. Women report violence cases to seek protection from the police because they are in fear of being assaulted and their children falling victims of violence. However, incidents of intimidation partners’ violence usually go unreported to the police because many women think spousal conflict is a family matter. According to Johnson & Dawson, (2011) spousal victimization reports in Canada have decreased from 36% in 2004 to 30% in 2009. This indicates that willingness of women experiencing spousal assaults to report their cases to police has reduced due to some factors such as fear of publicity and spouse and lack of confidence with the criminal justice system as well as considering the assault as a personal matter. 

Women with low educational level are likely to report spousal assaults to the police because they consider the government as the only place they can be protected. Women report violence cases to the police because of their desire to end women violence in the community. A study by Mahony, (2010) indicated that 95% of victims of women violence report their cases to the police because of their desire to end women violence in the society to protect their children from becoming victims. When women instances of violence are reported, police should visit crime scenes to collect any form of evidence, arrest the assaulters and send a warning to individuals threatening the affecting women. 

Victims of women violence used restraining orders to seek justice and prevent violence against women in societies. Many violence victims report their cases to criminal and civil courts to get protection through restraining and protective orders against the perpetrators. The restraining orders aid in protecting victims fearing for their safety and the safety of their people. The restraining orders constitute of various measures such as restraining contact and communication of perpetrators to the victims, restricting perpetrators from frequenting some places and out-or-placements especially for suspects of spousal violence. According to Mahony, (2010) in the year 2009, restraining orders were issued to 15% of women violence cases reported ensuring the safety of the violence victims. However, when there is a reoccurrence of violence cases involving the same person especially on spousal violence, restraining orders are not used. 

Victims of women violence also use social services such as reporting to family and friends to seek help for their assaults. Most women undergoing victimization like spousal violence share their cases with friends and family for support. A study by Johnson & Dawson, (2011) shows that eight in ten women experiencing spousal violence reports seek the informal backing of their victimization from family and friends. Johnson and Dawson, (2011) claimed that 91% of women who experience non-spousal violence like rape discuss their victimization case with someone to get social and moral support. Some violence victims may resolve to seek the right help from their spiritual leaders especially women experiencing spousal conflict. Victims can consult social service providers in the community including counselors, society centers, support groups, society lines and women centers to get support. 

Social Responses 

Community assists and support victims of women violence by providing shelter to those who have lost their homes. The community shelters offer residential services and support to abused women and their kids running away from violent situations. The accommodations are aimed at providing temporary and safe residence for abused women and their children to help them overcome their violence trauma. Number of shelters for abused women is increasing as shown by the study by Burczycka & Cotter, (2011) which indicates there has been an increase of 17% of the number of shelters since 2000 in Canada. This shows that communities are concerned about the issue of women violence and people are fighting it. The number of women and children living in community shelters has increased with the increase in women assaults in communities. This growth shows that the government, criminal and civil courts should take actions on women perpetrators to reduce women violence. 

Most of the women escaping into community shelters are running away from abuse especially spousal assaults from their partners or because of inability to get an affordable shelter after a violation. Due to the rise of women violence in a community, mothers can decide to move into society shelters to seek protection of their children from suffering or witnessing assaults. Health issues especially mental problems and drug and alcohol abuse can make women move into shelters provided. These shelters offer culturally sensitive programming for aboriginal women from other communities through offering traditional treatment methods and inviting spiritual leaders to offer teachings on the cultural language to the people. 

Police help in dealing and preventing violence against women through investigating and taking action on perpetrators of violence. For example, in 2011, police in Canada cleared 71% of women violence cases reported to them without involving criminal and civil courts. The cops can resolve the issue by charging the accused or using departmental discretion such as giving warning to the accused individuals or sending them to a society-based program. Sometimes the complainant can request police not continue with formal charges but instead use departmental discretion especially on cases of spousal violence. Methods police use in clearing cases of women violence varies depending on the victim’s relationship with the accused individual. The rates of clearance of the women violence cases are high when the accused individual is best known to the victims like in spouses, dating individuals and family members. Criminal charges laid by the police when violence case is solved also depend on the relationship of the accused to the affected woman. Cases of dating and spousal violence against women are in most cases solved by laying criminal charges on the accused, but in cases of non-spousal violence, the accused individual is less likely to get a criminal charge. 

Criminal and civil courts respond to cases of violence against women by laying charges on accused individuals or sending those found guilty to supreme courts for further judgments. In many countries, various courts have implemented courts to deal with various types of women violence especially spousal and sexual violence in societies. Courts implemented to prevent women from violence vary in jurisdictions from one community to another. However, these courts have similar objectives in fighting violence against women. The courts aim at offering mechanisms implemented to respond to unique forms of domestic violence and encourage early intervention and prosecution for assaults made for family members. The courts aim at offering support to victims of abuse and enhancing accountability of offenders to ensure justice for affected individuals. Violent men are subjected to treatment programs both by the society and courts. For example, individuals convicted with partnership violence can be subjected to a treatment program to help them change their behaviors. For instance, in Canada, traditional and court treatment programs have been used since 1984 by the public health agency of the country to prevent cases of violence against women (McCormick & IRWIN, 2016). 

Alternative Solution 

Violence against women can be prevented through passing and implementing effective policies and laws protecting women (García-Moreno et al., 2015). Although public policy frameworks and legal systems are concerned with the issue of women violence in societies, they have failed in protecting rights and well-being of women in communities as they do not punish perpetrators due to social biases in many communities which tolerate violence of women. Spousal abuse has increased in many societies, and despite it being harmful and causing severe injuries and even death, traditional practices of many cultures consider it as a private matter hence no action is a taken for perpetrator,s. Implementation of laws and policies can offer a foundation for a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to violence against women. Although some countries have developed laws and policies of violence against women, their implementation is taking long making the rules and procedures unused in the states. 

Countries should implement measures which would help in strengthening their laws and policies to protect women effectively. These measures include training experts who handle cases of women violence and developing mechanisms which will aid in monitoring and evaluating impacts and accountability and good coordination. Countries should commit enough human and financial resources which will be used in the implementation of their laws and policies as well as in criminal justice systems to fight violence against women. Laws and policies play an essential role in changing long-term attitudes and behaviors which are accompanied by complementary approaches such as raising awareness on unending women violence. When rules are implemented and enforced in a country, they communicate a strong message that women violence is punishable and cannot be tolerated and every woman has a right to live a free violence life. 

Conclusion 

Violence against women is an issue facing the criminal justice system today. Women are subjected to different forms of abuse including physical, psychological or mental and sexual assault. Women violence is divided into three categories depending on the individual committing the violence. Interpersonal violence is a universal type of violence affected many women across the world. Women can be subjected to physical violence where they are physically assaulted through beatings, kicks, biting and slapping. Many people take physical assault lightly, but it can cause severe injuries which may lead to death. Sexual violence involves forcing women into sex by use of threats, intimidation and physical forces. Criminal justice systems have established concern on fighting women violence and protect women and young girls. Abused women should report their cases to the police and criminal courts for action to be taken. Many women especially those involved in domestic violence should abandon the use of informal services and emphasize using formal ways of fighting violence and ensuring perpetrators are punished. Countries should focus on developing and implementing laws and policies to protect women and create severe punishments for violence perpetrators. Violence against women has increased and is harmful to women and should, therefore, be prevented and women and kids protected. 

References 

Burczycka, M., & Cotter, A. (2011).    Shelters for abused women in Canada, 2010 . Statistics Canada. 

García-Moreno, C., Zimmerman, C., Morris-Gehring, A., Heise, L., Amin, A., Abrahams, N., ... & Watts, C. (2015). Addressing violence against women: a call to action.    The Lancet ,    385 (9978), 1685-1695. 

Johnson, H. L., & Dawson, M. (2011).    Violence against women in Canada: Research and policy perspectives . Oxford University Press Canada. 

Mahony, T. H. (2010). Police-reported dating violence in Canada, 2008.    Juristat: Canadian s 

McCormick, A. V., & IRWIN, M. C. (2016). Intimate partner violence in Canada: policies, practices, and prevalence. In    Domestic Violence in International Context   (pp. 42-62). Routledge. 

Flood, M., & Pease, B. (2009). Factors influencing attitudes to violence against women.    Trauma, violence, & abuse ,    10 (2), 125-142.