DV

Home Office (2013) — definition of DV

• Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse:

  • psychological

  • physical

  • sexual

  • financial

  • emotional

Home Office (2013) — definition of controlling behaviour

• Range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.

Home Office (2013) — definition of coercive behaviour

• Act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.'

Social causes of DV?

• DV is too widespread to be solely psychological and done by only a few people therefore must have social causes

Women’s Aid Federation (2014) — proportion of all recorded violent crime that is DV

• 1/6 to 1/4

CSEW (2013) — number of people that reported being victims of DV in 2012

2m

Coleman et al (2007)

• Women more likely than men to have experienced intimate violence such as partner abuse, family abuse, sexual assault and stalking.

Coleman and Osborne (2010) — number of women/week killed by a (former) partner

2

Coleman and Osborne (2010) — % of female homicide victims killed by a (former) partner

33%

Dobash and Dobash (1979; 2007) — research

• Research done in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  • Police and court records

  • Interviews with inhabitants of women’s refuges.

Dobash and Dobash (1979; 2007) — DV w/in marriage

• Found that wives were/are slapped, pushed about, beaten, raped and killed by their husbands

Dobash and Dobash (1979; 2007) — catalyst for violent behaviour

• ‘Challenges to the husband’s authority’

  • E.g. wife asking their husband why he was late home for a meal

Dobash and Dobash (1979; 2007) — conclusion

• Marriage legitimates violence against women by conferring power and authority on husbands and dependency on wives.

CSEW (2020) — % of women that experienced DV in 2019

7.3%

CSEW (2020) — % of men that experienced DV in 2019

3.6%

Walby and Allen (2004)

• Women much more likely to be victims of multiple incidents of abuse and sexual violence

Ansara and Hindin (2011)

• Women suffered more serious violence and control, as well as more serious psychological effects.

• Women more likely than men to be fearful of their partners.

Dar (2013) - counting DV incidences

• Can be difficult to count separate DV incidences as abuse can be continuous

  • E.g. living under constant threat

  • E.g. may occur so often that the victim cannot reliably count the instances

Yearnshire (1997)

• DV violent crime least likely to be reported

Yearnshire (1997) — average number of assaults suffered before making a report

35

Dar (2013) — DV reporting

• Victims are less likely to report DV as they believe it is too trivial, or not a matter for the police, or because they fear reprisals

Cheap (1991) — reason for police and prosecutor’s reluctance to record/investigate/prosecute DV

• Not prepared to become involved in the family due to assumptions about the family

  • The family is a private sphere and therefore access by state agencies should be limited

  • Family is good (therefore the ‘dark side’ is neglected)

  • Individuals are free agents so women are free to leave abusive situations

    • This is false as male violence is often coupled with economic power so abused women are financially dependent on their husbands and therefore unable to leave

2020 — % of incidents reported to police that were DV

7%

Cause of DV — Wilkinson and Pickett (2010)

• Stress on family members caused by social inequality

  • Not all people are equally at risk of DV

Materialist explanation of DV — Wilkinson and Pickett (2010)

• Some families have fewer resources than others

  • Low income, overcrowded accommodation leads to higher stress and decreased chances of stable, caring relationships and therefore an increased risk of conflict and violence

    • Worries about money/jobs/housing leads to domestic conflict due to frayed tempers

    • Lack of money and time leads to a smaller social circle which means there is less social support for those under stress

Millet (1970) and Firestone (1970)

• All societies have been founded on patriarchy

• Key division in society: male | female

• Men: enemy, oppressors and exploiters of women

3 rad. fem explanations of DV

1. Family & marriage key institutions in a patriarchal society and main source of women’s oppression as men dominate women through (the threat of) DV

• Patterns of DV link to social norms about marriage

2. DV is inevitable because the patriarchy preserves all the power men have over women

3. Reluctance of police and courts to deal with DV is explained by the male domination of state institutions

• All men benefit from violence against women

CRITICISM of rad. fem. — Elliot (1996)

• Not all men are aggressive and most are opposed to DV

3 CRITICISMS of rad. fem.

1. Wrongly assumes all women are at equal risk of patriarchal violence

2. Fails to explain which women are most likely to be victims

3. Fails to explain female violence

• Child abuse by women

• Violence against male partners

• Violence in lesbian relationships

ONS (2014) — 10 groups most at risk of DV

1. Young

2. Low social class

3. Living in a deprived area

4. Low income

5. Financial difficulties

6. Shared and/or rented accommodation

7. Alcoholics

8. Drug addicts

9. Long-term illness

10. Disabled

CSFEAW (2020) — % of men that have experienced DV since the age of 16

13.8%

Marxist feminist explanation of DV — Ansley (1972)

• Inequality causes DV

• Wives are ‘takers of shit’ - DV is product of capitalism

  • Male workers exploited at work and take frustration out on their wives

2 CRITICISMS of Marxist fem.

• Fails to explain why not all male workers violent towards partners

• Doesn’t account for female DV