Domestic Violence: Literature Review
Violence has always been the way in which humans have dealt with their
differences or settled their disputes.
There have been countless battles and major wars throughout history that
have claimed the lives of men and women for the sake of money, religion, race,
and ultimately power and control over the many by the few.
What if that need to dominate or have power and control is occurring not
at the macro level, as in disputes concerning foreign affairs or international
relions, but at the micro levels of American society?
There are men, women and children who are under attack in their own homes
not by an enemy who is a stranger or someone that lives in a foreign land. They are the members of the same family
that are husbands, wives, intimate partners, mothers, fathers, and brothers and
sisters. They come from every walk of life, socio-economic status, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Domestic violence is a major concern
throughout American society. To further examine domestic violence this literature review will answer the
following questions.
1. What is domestic violence and what are the underlying factors that contribute to
this phenomenon?
2. Who is most likely to be a perpetrator of
domestic violence and who are the primary victims? How does this maltreatment
affect the victims
3. Does domestic violence contribute to juvenile delinquency and violent crimes in American
society as a whole?
4. What are the laws that determine what constitutes domestic violence? Do they vary from state
to state?
What
is domestic violence and what are the underlying factors that contribute to this
phenomenon?
Domestic violence can
be defined as a pattern of behaviors in any relationship that is used to gain or
maintain power and control over an intimate partner.
This abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological
actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any
behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate,
blame, injure or wound someone. There are several different classifications of Domestic violence which
include murder, rape, stalking, assault, battery, and assault with a dangerous
weapon, and aggravated assault (Gosselin, 2005). Domestic
violence is also known as domestic abuse, spousal
abuse, family violence, and intimate
partner violence. Historically domestic violence was seen largely as a private matter.
In the 1870’s for instance, husbands had the legal right to beat their
wives. However, through women’s movements due to the emergence of feminism, legislation and efforts to educate
the public have changed the ways in which the issue of family violence is viewed
in the United States. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed in 1994 is an example of a fundamental shift to
domestic violence becoming a criminal offense (Harway and O’neil,
1999). There are a number of
different theories that attempt to explain domestic violence with respect to
answering the questions that address the dynamics within the framework of
domestic relationships. Social scientists acknowledge that social interactions are not random acts but are
rather learned patterns of behavior which are passed from generation to
generation (Gosselin, 2005). The classical school of thought suggests that individuals choose to engage in
criminal behavior. It entails more than a person simply responding to social pressure but instead choosing to
engage in deviate behavior by calculating the cost and benefits before
offending. In other words people have a free will and have the ability to reason and decide whether or not they
will abuse another individual. The problem with this theory lies in the fact that it assumes that everyone who
decides to victimize another individual is equal in terms of the ability to
avoid criminal activities. Other theories include the positive school which uses biological and social factors to
explain domestic violence as well as the strain and gender theories.
Each of these theories will be examined in depth later in this
review. Regardless of the theory,domestic violence dynamics are based in power and control, the perpetrator who
has the power and control and the victim who does not.
The following chart is called a power and control wheel which depicts the
cycle of violence that is demonstrated in chronic domestic violence
cases.
Who is most likely to be a perpetrator of domestic violence and who are the primary
victims? Does this maltreatment affect the
victims?
As previously mentioned, domestic violence crosses all social, racial, and economic
boundaries. There are however certain factors that could contribute to the likelihood that an individual will
either be a perpetrator of domestic violence or a victim of it.
Though men and women are capable of violent behaviors within domestic
relationships, men are typically the perpetrators of abuse towards their female
partners. Furthermore, men who experienced child abuse or witnessed battering behaviors when they were children
were more likely to abuse their partners when in adult domestic relationships
(Gosselin, 2005). This is not to say that all men who have either been victims themselves or witnessed violence
within the home when they were children will become batterers.
It does however increase the likelihood that he will become a
batterer. The danger with children both male and female who either witness or fall victim to abuse when they are
young is that he/she well learn that violence is an acceptable way of expressing
anger or settling a dispute. Moreover, even if a child does not actually see the abuse, he/she is
usually well aware of it. There are some jurisdictions within the United States that consider exposing children
to spousal abuse as a form of child abuse (Kemp, 1998).
These children who witness family violence frequently experience
cognitive impairment and their social and emotional development is negatively
impacted. Those with a mental or
physical disability as well as the elderly are at a greater risk of becoming
victims of domestic violence. In the first study done of the elderly found that 32 elders per 1000 were victims
of maltreatment (Gosselin, 2005).
Does domestic violence contribute to juvenile delinquency and violent crimes in
American society as a whole?
ach year, millions of children and adolescents in the United States are exposed to violence in
their homes. Boys from homes where domestic violence is present are: 4 times more likely to abuse in dating
relationships, 25 times more likely to commit rape as an adult, 6 times more
likely to commit suicide, and have a 74% more chance of committing crimes
against others (https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227744.pdf).
According to Gosselin, “Adolescents who had witnessed family violence as
young children and those who had been directly victimized may be at greater risk
of abusing their mother, other vulnerable family members or pets”.
In addition, for male high school students the risk of using physical
abuse against their partners was over three times greater among those with a
history of maltreatment compared to students without a history of abuse
(Gosselin, 2005).
References
GOSSELIN, D. K. (2010). HEAVY HANDS: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE
CRIMES OF FAMILY VIOLENCE(4TH ed.). UPPER RIVER, NJ: PEARSON
EDUCATION.
Harway, M.,& O'neil, J. (1999). What causes Men's
Violence Against Women. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications
Inc..
Violence has always been the way in which humans have dealt with their
differences or settled their disputes.
There have been countless battles and major wars throughout history that
have claimed the lives of men and women for the sake of money, religion, race,
and ultimately power and control over the many by the few.
What if that need to dominate or have power and control is occurring not
at the macro level, as in disputes concerning foreign affairs or international
relions, but at the micro levels of American society?
There are men, women and children who are under attack in their own homes
not by an enemy who is a stranger or someone that lives in a foreign land. They are the members of the same family
that are husbands, wives, intimate partners, mothers, fathers, and brothers and
sisters. They come from every walk of life, socio-economic status, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Domestic violence is a major concern
throughout American society. To further examine domestic violence this literature review will answer the
following questions.
1. What is domestic violence and what are the underlying factors that contribute to
this phenomenon?
2. Who is most likely to be a perpetrator of
domestic violence and who are the primary victims? How does this maltreatment
affect the victims
3. Does domestic violence contribute to juvenile delinquency and violent crimes in American
society as a whole?
4. What are the laws that determine what constitutes domestic violence? Do they vary from state
to state?
What
is domestic violence and what are the underlying factors that contribute to this
phenomenon?
Domestic violence can
be defined as a pattern of behaviors in any relationship that is used to gain or
maintain power and control over an intimate partner.
This abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological
actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any
behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate,
blame, injure or wound someone. There are several different classifications of Domestic violence which
include murder, rape, stalking, assault, battery, and assault with a dangerous
weapon, and aggravated assault (Gosselin, 2005). Domestic
violence is also known as domestic abuse, spousal
abuse, family violence, and intimate
partner violence. Historically domestic violence was seen largely as a private matter.
In the 1870’s for instance, husbands had the legal right to beat their
wives. However, through women’s movements due to the emergence of feminism, legislation and efforts to educate
the public have changed the ways in which the issue of family violence is viewed
in the United States. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed in 1994 is an example of a fundamental shift to
domestic violence becoming a criminal offense (Harway and O’neil,
1999). There are a number of
different theories that attempt to explain domestic violence with respect to
answering the questions that address the dynamics within the framework of
domestic relationships. Social scientists acknowledge that social interactions are not random acts but are
rather learned patterns of behavior which are passed from generation to
generation (Gosselin, 2005). The classical school of thought suggests that individuals choose to engage in
criminal behavior. It entails more than a person simply responding to social pressure but instead choosing to
engage in deviate behavior by calculating the cost and benefits before
offending. In other words people have a free will and have the ability to reason and decide whether or not they
will abuse another individual. The problem with this theory lies in the fact that it assumes that everyone who
decides to victimize another individual is equal in terms of the ability to
avoid criminal activities. Other theories include the positive school which uses biological and social factors to
explain domestic violence as well as the strain and gender theories.
Each of these theories will be examined in depth later in this
review. Regardless of the theory,domestic violence dynamics are based in power and control, the perpetrator who
has the power and control and the victim who does not.
The following chart is called a power and control wheel which depicts the
cycle of violence that is demonstrated in chronic domestic violence
cases.
Who is most likely to be a perpetrator of domestic violence and who are the primary
victims? Does this maltreatment affect the
victims?
As previously mentioned, domestic violence crosses all social, racial, and economic
boundaries. There are however certain factors that could contribute to the likelihood that an individual will
either be a perpetrator of domestic violence or a victim of it.
Though men and women are capable of violent behaviors within domestic
relationships, men are typically the perpetrators of abuse towards their female
partners. Furthermore, men who experienced child abuse or witnessed battering behaviors when they were children
were more likely to abuse their partners when in adult domestic relationships
(Gosselin, 2005). This is not to say that all men who have either been victims themselves or witnessed violence
within the home when they were children will become batterers.
It does however increase the likelihood that he will become a
batterer. The danger with children both male and female who either witness or fall victim to abuse when they are
young is that he/she well learn that violence is an acceptable way of expressing
anger or settling a dispute. Moreover, even if a child does not actually see the abuse, he/she is
usually well aware of it. There are some jurisdictions within the United States that consider exposing children
to spousal abuse as a form of child abuse (Kemp, 1998).
These children who witness family violence frequently experience
cognitive impairment and their social and emotional development is negatively
impacted. Those with a mental or
physical disability as well as the elderly are at a greater risk of becoming
victims of domestic violence. In the first study done of the elderly found that 32 elders per 1000 were victims
of maltreatment (Gosselin, 2005).
Does domestic violence contribute to juvenile delinquency and violent crimes in
American society as a whole?
ach year, millions of children and adolescents in the United States are exposed to violence in
their homes. Boys from homes where domestic violence is present are: 4 times more likely to abuse in dating
relationships, 25 times more likely to commit rape as an adult, 6 times more
likely to commit suicide, and have a 74% more chance of committing crimes
against others (https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227744.pdf).
According to Gosselin, “Adolescents who had witnessed family violence as
young children and those who had been directly victimized may be at greater risk
of abusing their mother, other vulnerable family members or pets”.
In addition, for male high school students the risk of using physical
abuse against their partners was over three times greater among those with a
history of maltreatment compared to students without a history of abuse
(Gosselin, 2005).
References
GOSSELIN, D. K. (2010). HEAVY HANDS: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE
CRIMES OF FAMILY VIOLENCE(4TH ed.). UPPER RIVER, NJ: PEARSON
EDUCATION.
Harway, M.,& O'neil, J. (1999). What causes Men's
Violence Against Women. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications
Inc..