Domestic Violence Against WomenEssay Preview: Domestic Violence Against WomenReport this essayIntroductionViolence in the home is a subject of increasingly public concern. According to Davis in the Encyclopedia of Social Work, “The most affected victims, physically and psychologically, are women, including single and married women and women separated or divorced from their partners” (Davis, 1995, p.789). For years violence against women has been excluded from everyday conversations for many reasons. Women of all races and social levels are victims of violence in the home. There are many theories as to why this problem has been ignored for centuries with no focused attention. Violence is clearly a problem. Most agree that the solution to violence against women is to prevent it completely from ever occurring through measures which include harsher laws such as policies and procedures.
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Domestic Violence Against Women
Domestic violence attacks and rapes are a problem as well. In fact, in 1993 alone 1,700 women were raped and 1,600 were injured in American homes. As per the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates, 629,832 women were physically assaulted or raped. According to estimates, approximately 23% of all domestic violence victims were sexually assaulted or molested or assaulted. According to the Government Accountability Office, the number of domestic violence witnesses declined from 3,800 in 1976 to 5,200 in 1985. As the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 also was enacted, this number represents a reduction of about 1,000 sworn and certified witnesses. For the most part, this figure decreases as the number of victims increases with the use of the program. The Department of Homeland Security notes the increases in the number of witnesses, which are not necessarily statistically significant. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida’s Office of Victim Identity Protection, the number of witnesses increased by 5% in 1986/87 (Table 1). In addition, witnesses increased from about 80,000 in 1980 to 2,700 in 1987/88. A study by the Centers for Social and Economic Research in 2013 found that the physical or sexual assault of any single person involved increases or decreases as perpetrators become familiar with the needs and behaviors of the victim group or their immediate family.
Domestic violence assault is not just an event. In fact, it is commonly reported as such when two or more people face the same family member—whether as a victim or a perpetrator. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are over 5,000 documented victims of domestic violence and over 200,000 additional victims of domestic violence each year.
Table 1: Number of Domestic Violence Victims and Recent Victims of Violence, 1980-2013 Estimates and Trends (Avalanche of Victim Data)Based on Federal Statistics from 1976 – 1988 Source: Centers for Disease Control, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, USA Today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Health and Natural Resources, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Labor, Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Energy, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Peace, Justice, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Center for Disease Control, Department of Homeland Security, Center for Disease Control Services, Center for Justice, Center for Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Labor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security, Center for Crime Control and Counterterrorism, Department of Justice, Homeland Security, Justice Science and Technology, Department of Homeland Security, Human Trafficking, National Institute for Victims of Crime (NESRC), Center on Disease Control and Public Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services , U.S. Department of Labor, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Hazardous Substances Directorate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NCHHS), American Society of Sexual Health Professionals, and Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Human Trafficking, National Institute for Missing
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{#L-Spi1-Pst1}}
Domestic Violence Against Women
Domestic violence attacks and rapes are a problem as well. In fact, in 1993 alone 1,700 women were raped and 1,600 were injured in American homes. As per the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates, 629,832 women were physically assaulted or raped. According to estimates, approximately 23% of all domestic violence victims were sexually assaulted or molested or assaulted. According to the Government Accountability Office, the number of domestic violence witnesses declined from 3,800 in 1976 to 5,200 in 1985. As the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 also was enacted, this number represents a reduction of about 1,000 sworn and certified witnesses. For the most part, this figure decreases as the number of victims increases with the use of the program. The Department of Homeland Security notes the increases in the number of witnesses, which are not necessarily statistically significant. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida’s Office of Victim Identity Protection, the number of witnesses increased by 5% in 1986/87 (Table 1). In addition, witnesses increased from about 80,000 in 1980 to 2,700 in 1987/88. A study by the Centers for Social and Economic Research in 2013 found that the physical or sexual assault of any single person involved increases or decreases as perpetrators become familiar with the needs and behaviors of the victim group or their immediate family.
Domestic violence assault is not just an event. In fact, it is commonly reported as such when two or more people face the same family member—whether as a victim or a perpetrator. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are over 5,000 documented victims of domestic violence and over 200,000 additional victims of domestic violence each year.
Table 1: Number of Domestic Violence Victims and Recent Victims of Violence, 1980-2013 Estimates and Trends (Avalanche of Victim Data)Based on Federal Statistics from 1976 – 1988 Source: Centers for Disease Control, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, USA Today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Health and Natural Resources, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Labor, Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Energy, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Peace, Justice, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Center for Disease Control, Department of Homeland Security, Center for Disease Control Services, Center for Justice, Center for Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Labor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security, Center for Crime Control and Counterterrorism, Department of Justice, Homeland Security, Justice Science and Technology, Department of Homeland Security, Human Trafficking, National Institute for Victims of Crime (NESRC), Center on Disease Control and Public Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services , U.S. Department of Labor, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Hazardous Substances Directorate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NCHHS), American Society of Sexual Health Professionals, and Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Human Trafficking, National Institute for Missing
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{#L-Spi1-Pst1}}
Domestic Violence Against Women
Domestic violence attacks and rapes are a problem as well. In fact, in 1993 alone 1,700 women were raped and 1,600 were injured in American homes. As per the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates, 629,832 women were physically assaulted or raped. According to estimates, approximately 23% of all domestic violence victims were sexually assaulted or molested or assaulted. According to the Government Accountability Office, the number of domestic violence witnesses declined from 3,800 in 1976 to 5,200 in 1985. As the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 also was enacted, this number represents a reduction of about 1,000 sworn and certified witnesses. For the most part, this figure decreases as the number of victims increases with the use of the program. The Department of Homeland Security notes the increases in the number of witnesses, which are not necessarily statistically significant. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida’s Office of Victim Identity Protection, the number of witnesses increased by 5% in 1986/87 (Table 1). In addition, witnesses increased from about 80,000 in 1980 to 2,700 in 1987/88. A study by the Centers for Social and Economic Research in 2013 found that the physical or sexual assault of any single person involved increases or decreases as perpetrators become familiar with the needs and behaviors of the victim group or their immediate family.
Domestic violence assault is not just an event. In fact, it is commonly reported as such when two or more people face the same family member—whether as a victim or a perpetrator. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are over 5,000 documented victims of domestic violence and over 200,000 additional victims of domestic violence each year.
Table 1: Number of Domestic Violence Victims and Recent Victims of Violence, 1980-2013 Estimates and Trends (Avalanche of Victim Data)Based on Federal Statistics from 1976 – 1988 Source: Centers for Disease Control, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, USA Today, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Health and Natural Resources, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Labor, Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Energy, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Peace, Justice, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice, Center for Disease Control, Department of Homeland Security, Center for Disease Control Services, Center for Justice, Center for Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Labor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security, Center for Crime Control and Counterterrorism, Department of Justice, Homeland Security, Justice Science and Technology, Department of Homeland Security, Human Trafficking, National Institute for Victims of Crime (NESRC), Center on Disease Control and Public Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services , U.S. Department of Labor, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Hazardous Substances Directorate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NCHHS), American Society of Sexual Health Professionals, and Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Human Trafficking, National Institute for Missing
Domestic Violence against women reaches all socioeconomic levels. Domestic Violence is not prejudice. However, most women whom suffer from domestic violence have come from a life of poverty and little or no education. There are many factors that play in part for a woman to become a victim of domestic violence.
The question of why a woman would stay in an abusive relationship is of concern too. There are many factors as to why a woman would choose to stay in an abusive relationship or marriage. Most stay due to lack of finances, living stables, lack of education and for their children. For the most part, women whom do leave an abusive home must resort to government assistance as a means of support: Which often fails and many times forcing them to return. From half to two thirds of women receiving public assistance are victims of domestic violence (Barusch, 2002).
Some women may stay in an abusive marriage due to the lack of laws to protect them from harm or in the event that another person will threaten harm. In recent years, laws have been improved on to assist women in this area. Policies and procedure by the courts and law enforcement have been making improvements as well. For some, the belief of harsher and stricter laws and punishment will be the only way to put an end to domestic violence against women.
Women who are abused in the home by their spouses should understand that it is not the couples problem. Marriage counseling will not fix “his” problem. Women need not blame themselves. It is a problem which “he” needs to fix. Violence against any woman, no matter who the deliverer of the violence, is a form of crime (The National Womens Health Information Center, 2002). There are many factors to be considered in determining why batterers batter and will be discussed later in this paper.
Awareness of the problem is leading to more and more research on the matter. Women, to begin with, need equal rights in order to rid society of this problem. Beginning in the late 1970s, women who were concerned and many of whom were once victims of domestic violence themselves have developed services in assistance to help other victims of violence. They have been active in bringing the publics attention to this problem and also have been active in the effort of receiving funds (Davis, 1995).
In the Encyclopedia of Social Work: Domestic Violence, Davis states that “Federal policy, thus far has been restricted to providing support for the emergency and short-term needs of victims and their dependants. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act of 1984 have provided funds for states to allocate primarily to support temporary shelter for battered women. The Victims of Crime Act (1984) has given priority to victims of spouse abuse for compensation for crime related costs. The Violence Against Women Act, introduced in 1991 but not yet out of committee, is designed, among other things, to increase substantially the amount of federal funds available for states to support domestic violence programs and to allow federal dollars to support statewide coalitions of organizations for battered women”(1995, p.786 ).
Also, according to George, listed in Violence: North America, “The Passage in 1994 to the Violence Against Women Act, provided $1.8 billion, greatly expanded efforts in the United States to implement programs to prevent violence against women. Colleges and universities in Canada and the Unites States have begun incorporating classes on violence prevention in orientation courses. In addition, the proliferation of womens studies programs has increased research into the causes of such violence and into methods to prevent the various forms of physical oppression. Meanwhile, private groups such as the U.S. National Organization for Women (NOW) have sponsored programs in elementary and high schools to educate young people on issues of violence and sexual harassmentThe U. S. Government raised amount of grants allocated to prevent violence against women from $26 million in 1995 to more than $172 million by 1998” (2000, p. 2010).
Davis (1995), in the Encyclopedia of Social Work, states that the term “domestic violence” was introduced in the 1970s by the first active feminist. The terms purpose was to bring the publics attention to the awareness of abuse toward women in the home, a place that was supposed to be happy and peaceful. Other terms used by feminist that are commonly used today, include: “abuse”, “spouse abuse”, “intimate violence”, and “relationship violence” (p.780).
Types of AbuseIf one suffers insults, ridicule, jealousy, or name calling, just to name a few, by her spouse, she is suffering from verbal abuse. There are four other types of spouse abuse, sometimes referred to as partner abuse. There is “Environmental abuse [which] includes throwing, pushing, or breaking things … Physical abuse includes: confining one to a certain place, shoving, hitting, slapping, pulling hair, choking, kicking, scratching, or hurting you with a weapon… Sexual abuse includes: Forcing undesired sexual acts, mistreating sexual parts of your body, and rape… Emotional abuse includes: Threatening to utilize any of these types of abusive behavior is also considered to be abuse” (Types of Abuse, n.d., Government Publication).
Historical OverviewViolence against women was an acceptable part of society in the early years of America. Many religious sanctions expected it from certain families as a way to maintain a stable relationship between a man and a woman. Some boundaries were set such as the rule of thumb, as to where a man may not strike his wife with anything bigger or rounder than his thumb (Barusch,