Domestic violence and abuse

what is domestic violence

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 of family regardless of gender or sexuality

what forms can abuse take

psychological, sexual, financial, and emotional violence or abuse

what did the Crime Survey for England and Wales (2013) find

2 million people reported having been victims of domestic abuse during the previous year

what did Kathryn et al find

women were more likely than men to have experienced ‘intimate violence’ across all four types of abuse- partner abuse, family abuse, stalking and sexual assault

whats the dark side of the family

Power in some families can be very negative and the power of one person over other members of the family can be highly abusive.  

While the family may often be a warm and supportive unit for its members, it can also be a dangerous place. 

This can result in dysfunctional families where domestic violence and often child neglect or abuse is part of family life.  

Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is normal.

what did Dobash and Dobash find

violent incidents could be set off by what a husband saw as a challenge to his authority, such as his wife asking him why hes late home for dinner. they argue that marriage legitimates violence against women by conferring power and authority on husbands and dependency on wives

what was the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

it calssifed the following behaviours as abuse

• physical or sexual abuse

• violent or threatening behaviour

• controlling or coercive behaviour

• economic abuse

• psychological, emotional, or other abuse

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 also recognises children under the age of 18 years who see, or hear, or experience the effects of the abuse, as a victim of domestic abuse if they are related or have a parental relationship to the adult victim or perpetrator of the abuse.

rape in marriage

Rape is when someone is forced to have sex against her or his will, often accompanied by the actual or threatened use of violence.  

Estimates suggest more than one in four women has been raped, with most rapes being committed by men on their female partners, yet government estimates suggest that as many as 95% of rapes are never reported to the police at all.  

All about 3/4s of rapes, according to the Crime survey for England and Wales, take place in the home of the victim or offender.  Nearly half of rapes within marriage are accompanied by the actual or threatened use of violence, and 1/5 suffer physical injury.

Such sexual violence in the family, then, would appear to be disturbingly common, but it was only as recently in 1991 that rape within marriage was confirmed as a criminal offence by the Court of Appeal.

Only 6% of all reported rapes lead to a rapist being convicted, and the most difficult cases in which to prove in court that there was no consent are those of rape in marriage or cohabiting relationships.

evidence of domestic violence

• ome kind of domestic violence.  

• One call every 30 seconds to the police: for assistance for domestic violence. 

• 54.7% of rape/penetration victims since age 16 were assaulted by a partner or ex-partner. 1.9 million women (4.0%) have been victims of rape or attempted rape since age 16.

• A woman is killed by her current/former partner every three days.

• A report in 2011 from the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) found that around one in five children had been severely maltreated during childhood, with most of the ill treatment committed by a parent or guardian.  

• Childline has helped over 4 million children and young people since its launch in 1986.

• Nazroo (1999) suggests that domestic violence perpetrated by men against women tends to be more serious than that perpetrated by women on men, and women are likely to be much more fearful of the violence than men are.

why does domestic violence go unreported?

• victim is afraid it will get worse

• victim is ashamed

• victim does not think the police will take it seriously

• victim might not want to disrupt their children’s lives

• victim might be financially reliant on the abuser

• victim sees it as a private matter

what do radical feminists say about domestic violence

adical feminists, see domestic violence as resulting from patriarchy.  In a male dominated or patriarchal society, men use violence or the threat of violence in order to control women.  

what does Pizzey (radical feminist) say

Pizzey (1974) also argues that domestic violence is widely tolerated and often not seen as a serious crime.  Patriarchal values lead to female partners being seen as essentially the property of their male partners, and therefore using violence to control them is seen as partially acceptable.

what does Brookman sya

Brookman (2008) believes that the nature of masculinity is partly to blame.  

in our culture masculinity values control over others, so men can resort to violence if they feel they are losing control over their female partner.  Her research was based on in-depth interviewing with violent men.

However it does not explain the existence of domestic violence perpetrated by women against men.  

Domestic violence is now seen as less socially acceptable by the public, and more likely to result in prosecution by the police.

evaluation on Dobash and Dobash

dysfunctional families

The New Right believe that domestic violence takes place in dysfunctional families (families which do not function well).  

Violence results from the instability of families caused by factors such as increasing cohabitation and divorce, and the decline in moral standards in some families, particularly those from lower social classes.  

This view suggests that feminists exaggerate male violence and underestimate female violence.

emotional intensity and family life

Giddens (2006) argues that it is the nature of family life that makes domestic violence quite common.  

Family life is characterised by ‘emotional intensity and personal intimacy’, meaning that is it normally charged with strong emotions, often ‘mixing love and hate’.  In these circumstances, even minor arguments can escalate into acts of violence.  

The increasing isolation of the nuclear family from extended kinship networks may be increasing this intensity.

whats the Marxist feminist view

Marxist feminist emphasise structural factors as well.  

• Social deprivation (with factors like overcrowded home and low income generating stress and disputes about money), 

• Culture of violence, particularly in some parts of the working class and the generally lower status of women in society.

whats the materialist explanation

the materialist explanation of domestic violence focuses on economic and material factors such as inequalities in income and housing to explain why some groups are more at risk than others

what does Ansley say (marxist feminist)

inequality causes domestic violence as women are ‘takers of shit’ and argued DV is a product of capitalism as male workers are exploited at work and then take their frustration out on their wives