Final Project Victimology: Domestic Violence

Final Project Victimology Name Institution Final Project Victimology Crime takes various forms and can either be violent or nonviolent although in both cases it is punishable by law. Violent crime is the type of offense that involves the use of force to threaten or inflict physical harm on an individual. These types of crimes include, but are not limited to, rape, domestic violence and murder. In the United States, cases of domestic violence are on the rise with a majority of the spouses suffering in the hands of their partners. Notably, when it comes to this type of violence the women end up being the victims, although this does not ignore the fact that in a few cases the men become victims too. This brings in the idea of gender-based violence because various researches have supported the fact that the majority of the victims of this crime are the women. In the present case, a young woman by the name Charlotte Rooks was a victim of such violence that was perpetrated by her partner Craig Thomas. Just like in many other cases, the relationship began with her partner acting so caring and concerned. However, after moving in together the abuses began and involved the infliction of pain in various forms. For instance, Charlotte was forced to sleep while standing up, was constantly punched, and made to eat pictures of her loved ones that had long died, was stabbed and exposed to numerous other forms of torture. All this was done while she was pregnant, a fact that did not prevent Thomas from repeatedly stumping on her stomach. Even with this being termed the worst case of domestic violence, Charlotte was afraid to seek for help due to the fear that her family, particularly her son would be harmed or killed. She was also trying to be cautious not to offend the perpetrator so that whatever help he was giving her would not be withdrawn. Inarguably, Charlotte’s case is a typical representation of what usually happens to most women who are battered by their partners. A majority of women choose to suffer in silence because threats are made on their lives or those of their loved ones or because they need some kind of support from the perpetrator of the crime. Choosing silence gives the perpetrators more power because they feel they have total control over the other person’s life. Gender-based domestic violence is the worst form of crime that can lead to lifetime injuries and even death. Demographics In domestic violence, there is reason to believe that gender plays a major role in the vulnerability of the victim. For instance, Joro (2016) points out that the primary perpetrators of domestic violence are men while the primary victims of the same are the women. Nevertheless, the study also considers that there are a good number of male victims, but show reluctance to report such cases. According to the research, the issue of gender and gender roles define what the men and women in society are expected to do, and how they are supposed to carry themselves. Traditionally, men are associated with the roles of being the providers, protectors and they own property. On the other hand, women are expected to be dependent on the man, to be a nurturer and show great obedience. These gender roles usually result in men thinking that women are part of their property and because they view women in this objective way, they feel that women have no rights of their own. For this reason, most men revert to violence when their authority is questioned or anything else about their lives. In relation to the above case, this is very true considering that the perpetrator, Thomas, is said to have taken advantage of Charlotte because he was providing for her and even helped to pay for her rent and other bills. He saw torture as the best way to make her pay for all he had spent on her without considering that she too had contributed to the relationship in various ways. The fact that Thomas was the provider also explains why this type of crime took place. As a man, he felt entitled to everything since he was paying for most of it, which led to wrongfully assume that he even owned the life of the victim in question. Concerning the experience of the victim with the Criminal Justice System, Hester notes that various factors are considered. According to her study, there are incidences where cases of domestic violence are dismissed, especially if the perpetrator of the crime and the victim are well known to each other (Hester 2013). However, in situations where there is evidence of physical abuse, then arrests can be made and the perpetrator convicted of the crime. These two factors will determine the victim’s experiences with the Criminal Justice System. Victim-Offender Relationship The victim-offender relationship can be said to be that of cohabitants since the man and the woman in question were not officially married. This relationship type contributed to the violence because women in cohabiting relationships are not as protected by the law as those in legal marriages. In this regard, Davis, Lurigio and Herman (2013) affirm that the rates of domestic violence and homicides are much higher in those situations where partners are cohabiting compared to actual, legally recognized marriages. According to the study, couples who stay together as cohabitants always live with the knowledge that the relationship is not permanent, a fact that leads to many not to commit to such relationships totally. As a result, any slight instance of conflict can easily turn into the use of violence as a means of solving the differences. Furthermore, it is a known fact that social isolation is a common experience for the cohabiting couples. This means that in case of a conflict or any problems they may not solve such issues properly due to lack of proper support systems, hence also making the use of violence a solution for them. All these factors contributed to the case of domestic violence above. In the Charlotte situation, it is clear that the perpetrator had access to the victim’s house and at some point, the victim also stayed at the perpetrator’s place. Just like in many other cases of domestic violence, this one also took place at home and was performed by the person closest to the victim. The location usually determines the type of weapon that is used. Since this was at home with so many weapons at the disposal of the perpetrator, it explains why a crude weapon such as the hammer was used to hit the victim. Ropes were used to tie the victim before other atrocities were performed on her. All the above factors serve to prove the point that gender-based domestic violence is the worst type of crime and that the female victims in such cases suffer the most. Effects Gender-based domestic violence usually leaves the victims scarred for a very long time and these effects can be psychological, social or emotional. While some effects are only short term, others are long-term and continue affecting the victim many years later. Short-Term effects Domestic violence causes physical harm to the victim whereby such individuals sustain injuries that could need medical attention. The society is also affected by cases of domestic violence. Evidently, nearly $4.1 billion are spent in providing the needed healthcare for the victims both those with physical and mental issues (Davis et al., 2013). The productivity level goes down because the victims have to spend time outside home or employment to seek medication and recovery. Long-Term Effects As Ferdman (2014) notes, women who are victims of domestic violence often experience traumas and diseases because of the violence. Statistically, the report points out that there is an 80% chance for such women to suffer strokes, their chances to have heart diseases is 70% and the likeliness to revert to heavy drinking is high for them. Domestic violence can al...