This paper will examine an in-depth critical analysis of domestic violence as a social concern. It arises from my involvement in the aspects of health or social care delivery. The paper will follow a coherent and logical plan which will round off the essay as well as tie up any loose ends. Moreover, the paper will critically analyze domestic violence and account for contemporary changes in social care. And finally, this paper is going to asses how far recent development in social theory (with regard to domestic violence) can contribute to understanding these changes.
Definition of Domestic Violence
The forms of domestic violence can encompass physical aggression (such as throwing objects, hitting, restraining, kicking, beating or shaving), or covertpassive abuse sexual abuse economic deprivation emotional abuse stalking domineering or controlling and intimidation. It may not or may make up a crime depending on the duration of specific acts, and local statues. Domestic violence can be defined as a pattern of offensive by both or one partners in a relationship that is intimate such as cohabitation, marriage, friends, dating or family. It can also be referred to as child abuse, spousal abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV) or domestic abuse.
As per the definition of The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in the UK in its Domestic Violence Policy, domestic violence is a range of abusive and violent behaviours that can be defined as behavioural patterns that are characterized by abuse of power and control by one individual over the other who have been or are in a relationship that is intimate. It can take place in same-gender relationships or mixed relationships and has deep impacts for the lives of communities, individual, families and children. It may be psychological, physical, sexual andor emotional (Dutton and Donald 2006, pp. 24).
Why domestic violence happened
Often, domestic violence is associated with mental illness and alcohol consumption that enables an individual to gain and sustain a total-control over the victim. When a man is not able to support his wife economically, and maintain control, he may turn to crime, misogyny, and substance abuse as a way to express his masculinity which will eventually resort to domestic violence. As Dutton and Donald (2006, pp. 28) assert, they are 3 approaches of examining the probable reasons for domestic violence between those individuals who have been or are involved intimately.
The first approach focuses on the traits of persons in a relationship. It studies characteristics that are psychological, and that are associated with the victim and the violent individual. An attribute by itself can not inescapably explain the traits of a victim or an abuser. All attributes combined will assist foresee which persons may become a victim of violence or may be predisposed to be violent. With regard to this theoretical approach, as Hampton, et al. (2006, pp. 39) observes, the traits that are associated with persons who abuse their spouses may encompass a desire for control and power self-esteem a manipulative nature and isolation from social power. These persons are normally not able to deal with stress have feelings that are extreme which are of possessiveness and jealousy, are not willing to be responsible for their own actions have certain psychological or mental disorders and depends on the victim excessively. Moreover, those individuals that are violent are likely to abuse alcohol or drugs.
Most abusers decide to behave violently in order to gain control and achieve what they want. Often, their behaviour instigates from a sense of entitlement which in most cases is supported by discriminatory attitudes such as homophobic, sexist, and resist. Domestic violence against partners is caused by abuse of control and power within a milieu of male privilege. Male privilege functions on societal and an individual echelon to sustain a situation of male-dominance, where men consider themselves as being more powerful than children.
What is the change as a result of Domestic Violence
It is not only complex to determine the cause of domestic violence, but determining its impacts on children is also challenging. These traits that are associated with domestic violence victims explain why individuals will remain in a relationship or be involved with an abusive person. The features that are associated with the victim of domestic violence may encompass self-blame mental-illness such as depression low self-esteem guilt isolation from social-support and feelings of shame. The victims of domestic violence may experience feelings of helplessness that will typically prevent them from terminating the relationship, as they believe that they are not able to break out the relationship, and decide to remain in the atmosphere that is violent after repeated failures of escape. Nevertheless, domestic violence can be deemed as a consequence between women and men that is deeply rooted in traditions that are patriarchal that encourages men to think they are entitled to control and power over their partners (Hampton, et al., 2006, pp. 56).
Why Domestic Violence happened to social care
Domestic violence has occurred across the globe, in diverse cultures, and it affect individuals across community irrespective of their organization. The rate of minors being assaulted by women is 78 per 1000 couples with comparison with that for men which is 72 per 1000. Most victims of domestic violence are women and children who usually reside together in a shelter. Most cases of domestic abuse and violence go unreported for trepidation of reprisal by the victimizer. It usually takes place within the milieu of traditional power relations. The perpetrators of that violence are usually responsible for the violence, despite any influences that are societal and that can be drawn so as to understand the milieu of the behaviour. Furthermore, domestic violence is a behaviour that is learnt other than the outcome of a dysfunctional relation, stress, substance use, or individual pathology. More so, perpetrators of domestic violence avoid being responsible for their bad behaviour. They blame their violence on something or someone else, minimizing their behaviour or denying that it occurred at all. The belief systems that are in our societies make it difficult for children and women and children to be assisted as they perpetuate attitudes that are abusive. These may encompass Treating domestic abuse as a matter that is private blaming the victim for the violence privileging men over the needs of children and women putting the family before the children and womens safety and tolerating the use of violence.
Violent men are likely to perpetrate violence while responding to their own possessiveness and sexual jealousy in order to demonstrate the authority of men and respond to their demands for domestic services. Most individuals who take drugs or drink too much do not abuse their families or partners (Jackson and Nicky, 2007, pp. 15).
Why was the choice of domestic violence and children change
Despite the fact that most individuals argue that domestic abuse and violence is not due to the perpetrator loss of control over his behaviour. Indeed, abusive violence and behaviour is a choice that is deliberate, and that is typically made by the abuser so as to control the victim. Various tactics are used by abusers to exert their power and manipulate their victim. They include
Blame and denial Perpetrators normally make excuses for the unforgivable. Their violent and abusive behaviour will be blamed on their victims of abuse, a bad childhood, or even a bad day. The partner who is abusive may deny that the abuse took place or may minimize the abuse. Often, he will shift the responsibility on to the victim that his abusive and violent behaviour is the fault of the victim.
Dominance Most perpetrators like feeling in charge of their relationships. The decisions for the family as well as the victim will be made by them. They expect their victim to obey them with no query as they tell them what to do. A victim can be treated as the abusers possession, servant, or child.
Intimidation Various tactics of intimidation can be used by the abuser to scare his victims into submission. The tactics may encompass putting weapons on display making gestures or looks that are threatening hurting your pets smashing things in front of you and destroying property. Thereby, if the victim does not obey, the consequences will be violent (Jackson and Nicky, 2007, pp. 20)
Humiliation A perpetrator of domestic violence will do anything to ensure that the victim feels bad or defective in some way. If someone believes that heshe is worthless, he is less likely to leave. Public put-downs, insults, shaming and name calling are weapons of domestic violence that are eroded to make one feel powerless and erodes his self-esteem.
Threats Abusers of domestic violence scare their spouses into dropping charges pr threaten from leaving. He may threaten to kill or hurt his victim, other family members or even his children. Also, he may threaten to file charges against his victims, commit suicide or report her to child services.
Isolation A partner who is abusive will cut of his victim from the outside world so as to increase the dependence of his victim on him. He may hinder his spouse from seeing her family or friends, or even keep his victim from going to school or to work. The victim ought to ask for permission before doing anything, see anyone or go anywhere.
Issues that cover legislative policy with regards to domestic violence and its effects on the child change such as behavioural or psychological change
It is widely accepted that the calls for domestic disturbance were deemed as the most dangerous type for responding officers, who arrived to an emotionally and highly charged situation. The FBI accepted this belief which turned-out to be flawed, in view of the fact that domestic disturbances was grouped by with all other types of disturbances such as brawls at bar. The statistics on the incidences of domestic violence assisted to elevate the public of the increase in activism and awareness of the problem. In most cases, the police had intervened nearly 85 percent of spouse-homicides (Jackson and Nicky, 2007, pp. 20).
Battered women and feminists advocacy groups were requesting the police to consider domestic violence as a serious crime and change the strategies of intervention. Legal actions were taken by these groups against police departments to allow them deal with domestic violence cases as a legislative policy. They argued that police officers assigned a low-priority to deal with domestic violence. Moreover, a mandatory arrest strategy for spousal violence situations with a possible cause should be adopted. A mandatory arrest policy was enacted for a domestic-assault without warrant, in cases whereby the officer has the possible cause and in spite of whether or not the crime was witnessed by the police officer.
Criminologists suggest that abusers, who have ties in the community and are employed, may at first fear punishment, although as a legal policy, they do not make it all through the criminal justice process. During investigation, if a victim is not co-operative during investigation, the prosecutor may decide to proceed with the case. Suppose the case is pursued through the criminal-justice system, the resulting sentence can be minor. Accordingly, any trepidation that the abuser should be dealt with may have diminished.
Critical Analysis
The National Family Violence Survey (2000) indicates that for each subsequent year between 2000 and 2005, women were the most perpetrators of child abuse. With regard to domestic violence to children involving external factors like physical abuse, A study by (National Family Violence Survey, 2000), in the United Kingdom indicated that 78 percent of most violence occurred at home. Approximately 40 to 60 percent of women and adults who abuse adults, also abuses their children. A girl-child whose fathers abuse their mothers more often are about 6.5 times likely to be abused sexually by their fathers with comparison to those girls from non-violent homes. Considering China alone, approximately 39,000 baby girls died during their first-year of life due to the fact that they did not get proper medical care that would be offered to a male-child. In Asia, about 1 million children who are or have been held in slavery-like conditions are working in the sex trade.
Teen dating violence can be defined as a pattern whereby one teenager is in charge of the behaviour of another teenager, who is in a dating relationship. In some situations there some differences as well as many similarities to traditional domestic violence. With regard to the theories of domestic violence, by imitating their parents, teens are likely to be isolated from the peers while attempting to control the behaviour of their girlfriendboyfriend. Nonetheless, teens can compare their relationships with that of their parents and make it abusive. This is because the relationship that is abusive maybe their first-dating exposure and has never experienced a normal-dating with which to compare it.
Theories that explain domestic violence and its impact on children
There are various theories that explain the causes of domestic violence. These will encompass social theories such that deem external-factors in the environment of the offender such as social learning, family and stress, as well as psychological theories that deem the mental characteristics and personality traits of the offender. Despite the fact that there are various phenomena with regard to human experience, no single-approach seems to cover all cases.
Social theories
These theories as Barry and Hallett (1998) observes, look at the factors that are external in the environment of the offender, such as social learning, family structure and stress, and it encompasses rational choice theories.
Social learning theory This theory suggests that a child can learn from modelling after and observing the behaviour of others. The behaviour will continue if the reinforcement is positive. Children are more likely to imitate a behaviour that is violent if they observe it from their parents. If there are no negative impacts (such as a victim accepting the violence with submission) then that behaviour is expected to lengthen. Regularly, violence is transmitted from one generation to another in a manner that is cyclical.
Resource theory This theory was invented in 1971 by Goode William. Women are regarded as being the most dependent on the partner for the well being of the economy. This is due to the fact that they are the ones who take care of children, suppose they exit marriage, their financial burden will increase and thus, it is more difficult for them to leave. In view of the fact that they are dependent, they have few resources and fewer options to assist them change or cope with the behaviour of their partner. A lower incidence of conflict is usually experienced by those couples who equally share power, and are less likely to resort to violence, in circumstances where conflict arises. If one partner needs power and control in the relationship, the couple may resort to abuse. This may encompass blaming the spouse and making the situation light threats and coercion isolation intimidation economic abuse emotional abuse behaving as masters of the castle, and using children (by threatening to take them away).
Social stress When an individual (child) is residing in a family condition, with escalated pressures, hisher stress may also increase. Furthermore, tensions in a family may increase due to inadequate finances or other related problems. Stress does not always cause violence but may be a way of responding to stress by an individual. Couples and families that are in poverty are likely to experience domestic-violence, due to escalated finances and stresses about finances and other related aspects. Most of them contemplate that poverty hinders the ability of a man to live up with his idea of being a successful manhood, thereby, fears losing respect and honour. The theory further suggests that when he is not able to support his wife economically, and maintain control, he may turn to crime, misogyny, and substance abuse as a way to express his masculinity.
Psychological Theories
Generally, approximately 80 percent of elf-referred men as well as court-referred men these studies of domestic violence have displayed diagnosable psychopathology, which are normally personality disorders. In general, estimates of personality disorder in the population would not be less than 15 to 20 percent in their range. The chances of psychopathology in these mean will approach 100 in situations where the violence becomes chronic and severe (National Family Violence Survey, 2000).
Psychological theories usually focus on the mental characteristics and personality traits of the offender. Personality traits will encompass poor self-esteem, sudden bursts of anger, and poor impulse control. Most theories suggest that other personalities as well as psychopathology are factors that lead to the abuse of the child and cause himher to be as mire violent as adults. Abusers of domestic violence have a high incidence of psychopathy.
A psychological profile of men who regularly abuse their wives was suggested by Dutton and Donald (2006, pp. 27) arguing that they have the most intransigent and severe of the personality disorders, regardless of its benevolent-sounding name (borderline personalities). These borderline personalities occur early in life. Psychological theories are limited he further reveals that other studies have shown that at not most 10 percent fit this psychological profile. McCue (2008) argues that psychopathy, personality traits or mental illness are lesser factors, while social factors are vital.
Roles played by social welfare institutions to reduce domestic violence (such as the safeguarding children
The Canadian Advertising Foundation ruled out in 1977 that a national ad campaign that featured the sister to Nicole Brown Simpson Denise the slogan Stop violence against women was indeed depicting only men as aggressors, thereby providing an unbalanced message and actually contributing to gender typecasting.
The American Psychiatric Association research and planning committees for DSM-V (12) canvassed a sequence of new Relational disorders which encompassed Marital Conflict Disorder With Violence, Marital Order Disorder, or Marital Conflict Disorder Without Violence. Partners with marital-disorders seek clinical attention because the couple a long-standing discontent with their marriage and go to the clinician on their own initiative, or are referred by a shrewd health care professional. Moreover, a serious case in violence is normally a wife being battered by her husband. In these situations, a legal authority or an emergency room is often the first to notify the clinician. The National Advisory Council on Violence Against Women (2000) insists that domestic violence is a major risk in for death or serious injuries and in most cases, women and children are at a risk of being killed or injured. Clinicians diagnosing a Marital Relational Disorder ought to encompass actual assessment of potential violence as often as they normally assess the potential for suicide in patients who are depressed. Furthermore, for clinicians in the social welfare institutions to safeguard the children, they should not relax their watchfulness after a battered-wife does not leave her husband, because the greatest period of risk for women is that that takes place immediately after a marital separation. Standardized questionnaires and interviews can be supplementing the earlier assessments of potential violence, which have been and valid aids in a systematically exploring domestic violence. Due to the fact that domestic violence remains a risk in a marriage, it is essential to treat it. The social welfare institutions cannot just watch and wait. The urgent clinical-priority is the safeguarding of the children because more often, they are at risk. Clinicians ought to be aware that if they support the assertiveness by a wife that has been battered might result to more beatings.
The role of social institutions and organizations to reduce domestic violence, thus affect the legislative policy of the state
Each jurisdiction and agency in the United Kingdom has its own SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) when it comes to handling and responding to domestic calls. In general, it has been agreed that if the victim has marks of abuse that are recent and visible, the abuser is detained and charged with the correct crime. Though, this is not a rule but a guideline. Several things have to be considered by law-enforcement officers when making an arrest that is warrantless, and they include could the abuser be lying are there any signs of physical abuse could the victim be lying were there witnesses who is the primary aggressor is it recent and was the victim assaulted by the alleged abuser.
Along with ensuring that the victims are protected, the social welfare institutions ensure that the rights of the alleged-abusers are not violated. For instance, as in the case of reciprocated combatants, it is departmental strategy that both participants be detained and the truth can be established later. This philosophy of mutual combatant is being replaced by the primary-abuser philosophy where both parties have injuries that are physical, as a legislative policy, the law enforcement officer will determine who is the primary aggressor and arrests only himher. Various social welfare institutions have researched its consequences and found that when both participants are detained, it had an adverse effect on the victim. These victims will be unlikely to trust or call law enforcement during the next occurrence of domestic violence.
How the impact of domestic violence on children has changed the political initiatives that have taken in place to stop this problem reduce and treat safeguarding
There is a strong association between abuse in all their forms and exposure to domestic violence as well as higher rates for many conditions that are chronic. The sturdy evidence originates from studies by National Family Violence Survey (2000) which illustrate associations between exposure to neglect or abuse and higher rates of chronic conditions in their adulthood, shortened life span and high-risk health behaviours. Evidence of correlation between violence against children and physical health are accumulating. Thus, it is necessary to put in mind the impacts of domestic violence on children and its psycho- physiologic sequelae on women, who are mothers of young children and infants.
Interpersonal violence related stress disorder such as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) can traumatize the best efforts of a mother while interfering with the response of a child to traumatic events such as domestic violence. Service agencies and practitioners tackling the domestic violence needs ought to consider the victims as parents and evaluate the well-being and safety of children in their homes. The National Family Violence Survey (2000) concur that exposure to abuse or violence represents a public health issue that is more costly and serious, and that should be addressed by the health care system.
The Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project was the first multi disciplinary program that was designed to tackle the issue of Domestic violence. It coordinated those agencies that were tackling domestic circumstances, by putting together miscellaneous elements of the system, from probation officers who supervised abusers, to shelters for battered women and police officers in the streets. This political initiative programs became a model for those jurisdictions that sought to address domestic violence more effectively. In many areas probationcorrection agencies typically supervise the offenders of domestic violence more closely, by paying close attention to the safety issue and needs of the victim. Most victims leave the offenders, only to return. Legal assistance can help a victim of domestic violence to establish an everlasting independence from hisher abusive partner. Legal aid can only be provided by public service that minimizes domestic violence. It can offer a fundamental safety planning support the economic position of a family through spousal or child buttress assuage fears set by the batterer with regard to loss of custody, and assist victims of domestic violence to secure government benefits.
How domestic violence has become a child protection concern, when and the implication. This will show that domestic violence is of concern to the state
The retort to marriage violence is usually a combined-effort between probationcorrections agencies, law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, and the courts. In view of the fact that domestic violence is nowadays a public concern, the role of each has evolved. In the past domestic violence to a child was deemed as a family matter and did not involve the intervention of a criminal justice or government. Police-officers were reluctant to intervene by arresting the participants. They choose to simply ask one of the partners to leave or counsel the family. The courts were unenthusiastic to impose any momentous sanctions on the victims of domestic violence, more so, because it was deemed as a transgression offence. Feminist groups and advocacy groups have initiated activism, which has resulted to an enhanced understanding of the effect and scope of domestic violence on families and children, and has led to alterations in the criminal justice systems. The voids in the justice system have been filled with the aid of several projects, as it pertains to the protection of children. The Hope Card Project attempted to antidote numerous problems through the issuance of an Identity Card to children that have been abused. The card identified the parties to be protected from domestic violence and offered more resources to children in the course of a program for services. A few jurisdictions allowed an offenders photograph to be taken during first-hearing in the presence of both parties. Also, the officer could retrieve a booking-photogram from their local jail or take a photograph in the field
Impacts of domestic violence on legislation policy of children protection in the UK
In the UK, the effect of inter-parental conflict and domestic violence is deemed as a problem of social concern. Estimates by Parton (1997) indicate that between 240,000 to 963,000 UK children are typically affected by domestic violence. Since 1930s, it has been identified that dispute between parents has a potential deliberating impact on children. Some children respond negatively while others show no or little negative impacts. Recent changes in the legislative policy are such that the definition of momentous harm originating from exposure to marriage violence has been comprehended to encompass impairment suffered from hearing or seeing the ill-treatment of another. Inter-parental conflicts comprise psychological risks for children. The legislative policy emphasizes making alterations to the external features of a childs life such as support or courses to engender a parenting that is more positive. These interventions have vital role to play in some situations as they do not directly deal with the children needs in the milieu of inter-parental conflict. In accord with the current UK legislative changes, age appropriate interventions that deem the effect of inter-parental association on children as well as the perspective of a child of conflict taking place between adults are fundamental if the needs of children are to be tackled
Apply the theory of social change on the changes that appeared on the legislative policy with regarding to child protection
The commission findings into the state of child protection and child abuse services in the legislative policy in the UK made a noteworthy contribution to understanding this highly emotive and emotional subject. Child protection practice and legislative policy in Britain has been motivated by child abuse inquiries basing on the theory of social change. These inquires defines the extent of child abuse the law, legal practice and regulation moving towards prevention promoting a child friendly society financial implications of child abuse and developing a Child Centered Professional Response. The legislative policy ensures that the government will review other policies as well as development of financial targets and indicators in order to look at the factors that are external in the environment of the offender, such as social learning, family structure and stress (Barry and Hallett, 1998).
Conclusion
Abusers of domestic violence are good at manipulating and controlling their victims. Battered and abused children are always confused, depressed, ashamed, drained and scared. Despite them being isolated from their friends and families, they require assistance to escape through picking up the warning signs and then providing support. One can assist them to begin healing by helping them to escape from an abusive situation. Social welfare institutes have a role to play in order to minimize domestic violence and this has an effect to the legislative policy of the state. Therefore, the impact of domestic violence, especially on children, has changed the political initiatives in place so as to stop this problem. Lastly, domestic violence is of concern to the state as well as a public concern.
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