Women Experiencing Violence At Home

Women Experiencing Violence At Home
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April 24, 2013
Women and Violence At Home
Intimate partner violence is more rampant at the home environment as compared to the public places. One partner to gain control, power and dominance over his mate (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2009) normally uses this coercive behavior. There are various ways in which violence against spouse can be executed; one form includes sexual and physical abuse verbal and emotional abuse, partner stalking economical abuse (Walby & Allen, 2004). Domestic violence is now far reaching affecting people in heterosexual and homosexual relationships. Often, the violence occurs between married partners, dating, living together, separated or divorced. Domestic violence has far reaching effects as it affects the immediate family members, co-workers, neighbor and friends generally the whole community is adversely affected by issues of domestic violence.
Innumerous researches have continually uncovered alarming and resolute levels of violence committed against women in the UK. 33% of girls aged 13-17 have experienced some form of partner violence (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2009). Every elapsing year a million women in the UK experience at least an incidence of domestic violence and nearly twenty two thousand cases of abuse are experienced on weekly basis (Michelle, 2009). Since the age of 16, their intimate partners have sexually abused 3.7 million women. There have been 377 cases where young women have been forced into marriage at the same time being sexually and emotionally abused (Home Office Records, 2010).
In the year 2003 up to 4,000 women were trafficked to be sexually exploited, a 20% of the UK women say that they have been stalked, while 66,000 women have undergone Female genital mutilation and it is estimated that 24,000 girls are at risk of domestic violence and abuse every year(Home Office records, 2011). Violence against women at home will never change until humanity eliminates all the excuses and the attitudes that permeate the vice to escalate. Those attitudes must be challenged and forever changed. For example 36% of the UK populace belief that a woman always plays part and is partly to blame for being raped(Susan & Marta, 2009).They say if a woman is drunk or poorly dressed she plays a role in becoming a victim of assault. One out of five people believe that in certain circumstances it’s acceptable to hit a female partner. One distressing finding is that one in two boys and one in three girls believe that in some given circumstances it is okay to slap a woman or coerce her into having sex(Graham-Kevan & Archer, 2007). All these findings bring out the concept that the one person who is solely to blame for violence at home is the perpetrator.
Of all the crimes recorded in the UK, domestic violence accounts for 25% of all the recorded crimes, this is an indicator that cases of domestic violence are more extensive than people anticipate. One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute according to Home office (2010). In every year, UK records 13 million cases of physical violence or threats and abuses against women by their intimate partners or former partners (Home Office records, 2004). Women are more susceptible to physical, emotional and verbal abuse as compared to the men. 32% of women who have experienced domestic violence were abused five or more times more as compare to the meager 11% of men who experienced domestic violence. Women have more probability of experiencing different types of partner abuse as compared to their male counterparts. Out of all the rape cases reported 54% of the victims are raped by their spouse or a person they are in intimate relationship (Dasgupta, 2004) .
Why women are likely to experience domestic violence
In an abusive family a climate of control and intimidation occurs, often men claim that they are not afraid of the women that they live with even if they are hit or scratched by the women (Johnson, 2005). On the other hand, women who live with abusive husbands are terrorized and live under constant fear without knowing what they should expect from their husbands. It's important to realize the climate of intimidation and control that occurs in abusive families.
The difference in physical strength and size puts women at more risk than men. By nature men are stronger than women, meaning that mean can beat, punch or push the female counterparts with ease as compared to the women (Kimmel, 2001).
Often, women depend on the men for their economical upkeep whereby the man provides for the family material needs; owing to the economic dependence women are likely to take any form of abuse just to make sure that their children are taken care of and they can afford good education (Johnson, 2005). Women have to make the tough choice of living in abject poverty or putting up with the abusive husbands.
Deep-rooted beliefs and cultural values inhibit women from deserting their abusive husbands. In some religions and cultures deserting a husband is a taboo subject. When a man pays dowry for his wife it’s expected that she should stay in his home no matter the ramifications (Kirk, 2005). Young women are often advised to stay in hope that one day the violence would come to an end. Women are often unwilling to report their domestic violence incidences in fear that they will be ashamed and labeled as battered women. Often, when the women are abused in the family context, they are blamed for the atrocity as they are seen as the people who provoked the violence in the first place (Graham-Kevan & Archer, 2007). The society in general ahs the tendency to victimize the victims of domestic violence so women tend to keep their issues to themselves.
The ability to make decisions in a family context is derived by the value of the resources that each person brings to the relationships. Often men have an upper hand when it comes to resource contribution, this diminishes the ability of the women to make any key decision leaving them at the mercies of the men (Dobash, 2002). Women have no choice but to comply by the whims of their husbands when they demonstrate any form of resistance they are likely to face violence or verbal abuse.
Many women are abused because they do not have information concerning the available alternatives for individuals in their kind of predicament. This causes women to suffer silently because they have no one to turn to (Gadd, et al, 2002). Often, women are made to belief that they deserve the kind of violence they go through. Often the women batterers warn their victims that they should not leak out the information concerning their abuse lest they suffer fatal consequences hence women are forced to remain in abusive relationships in fear of the ensuing reprisal incase they mention their case to any external party (Debbonaire, 2008).
Feminist theory
The feminist theory comprise of four major facets which illuminate into the root and escalation of women violence as perpetrated by their male counterparts who may have more physical and material strength as compared to the women(Duren & John, 2008). This facet illuminates into the societal and family strains that cultivate an environment for women to be abused by the men defenselessly. Men form the dominant class of the people who are physically and materially empowered; often women have to be sheltered by men for their basic and personal needs such as food, clothes and shelter (Debbonaire, 2008). Since men have free access to...