Domestic Violence And The Legal Ramifications Of The United States

Domestic violence is a devastating social problem. “Domestic violence is about one person getting and keeping power and control over another person in an intimate relationship. It is a pattern of behavior in which one intimate partner uses physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation and emotional, sexual or economic abuse to control and change the behavior of the other partner (Despres,2009). Domestic violence is not just hitting or fighting or an occasional mean argument. It is a chronic abuse of power and a need for control. In every state there are laws that prohibit domestic violence but they vary from state to state. Domestic abuse is widespread and

Domestic violence is a crime that occurs regularly within the United States. It claims millions of victims each year. There is not a specific cause to establish why domestic violence occurs. However, it has been documented that domestic violence is a product of physical, emotional, sexual, psychological, and any other forms of torture or torment that the particular abuser wishes to employ to gain control or power over their victims (Gosselin, 2005). Due to the complexity of this crime, many criminologists and socialologists have studied its causes and the effects in order to determine social policies and additional theories to better understand the causation of domestic violence. The social policies and theories that are developed from

Domestic violence is an epidemic in our society with dramatic, negative effects on individuals, families and communities. Domestic violence is a crime that knows no economic, racial, ethnic, religious, age or gender limits. Women who are victims of domestic violence most likely are also victims of sexual assault and, stalking. A domestic violence victim may experience systematic rape in addition to physical and psychological abuse. According to Backman, (p.54) nearly one in every four women are beaten or raped by a partner during adulthood. Three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner each day in America, on average women are at an increased risk of harm shortly after separation from an abusive partner.

Domestic violence became a realization and a serious concern in the mid 1970’s for many Americans. “This realization is due to the women advocating on behalf of the battered women movement”

Domestic violence can affect anyone. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another through emotional attack, fear, and intimidation. Domestic violence or battering, often, includes the threat or use of violence; this violence is a crime. Battering occurs when one person believes he/she is entitled to control another. Domestic violence affects people in all social, economic, racial, religious, and ethnic groups; whether the couple is married, divorced, living together, or still dating. Another reality is that abusers and their victims can be gay, strait, young, or old. Violence develops from verbal, physical, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse. Most domestic violence victims are women by

The issue of domestic violence has become a widely debated topic in modern society. Domestic violence has been a serious situation in the criminal justice system for much of history, however, until approximately the last twenty years, it was largely ignored by society. In the United States, significant political pressure resulting in valuable legislation being passed at a federal and state level has worked to protect victims of domestic violence, and prosecute those who commit such acts. While the United

Domestic violence is especially prevalent in America, and it can affect individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. Althought, it seems like emotional abuse and controling can be the main component of abuse there are many more deeply rooted patterns of dominance. Most of the time it causes physical injury, psychological trauma, and sadly even death. These consequences of abuse patterns can run in families and perhaps last a lifetime.

Domestic violence is a serious social issue, yet often overlooked by society due to insufficient knowledge and misconceptions. It has prevailed for years, and current interventions have not succeeded in eliminating it. One of the biggest myths is that: “Domestic violence is not common,” while in reality, the number of domestic violence incidents annually ranges from 960,000 to 3 million (Collins et al 169.) According to Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, it is believed to be the most common, but least reported in the United States (It Shouldn’t Hurt 6.) In order to fully analyze domestic violence, the term first has to be clearly defined as there are several different names and interpretations of “domestic violence.” The most useful definitions determined by the author of this research paper was developed by the Oregon Domestic Violence Council: “Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior used by one person to control and subordinate another in an intimate relationship. These behaviors include physical, sexual, emotional, and economic abuse. Tactics of coercion, terrorism, degradation, exploitation, and violence are used to engender fear in the victim in order to enforce compliance.” (McCue 3) Domestic violence can cut cross class, age, religion, ethnic groups, genders and sexualities; anyone could be a victim of domestic violence. However, this research paper mostly discusses female survivors since they are consistently the majority of the group worldwide

Domestic violence is an epidemic and an imperative social problem. It occurs in all age crowds and ethnic groups. According to the United States Department of Justice, domestic violence is illegal and defined as a routine or a pattern of abusive behaviors in any relationship. It is portrayed by one partner to achieve or maintain control above another. Some of the common abuse forms are physical, emotional, sexual, economical and psychological (DOJ pg.1 2014). The Center for Disease Control states that approximately 1.3 million individuals are physically abused each year in the United States and every

Violence against women has been, and continues to be, a problem in the United States. Domestic violence especially is a large part of today’s society. It accounts for 21% of all violent crime (Truman & Morgan, 2014), and one in three women have experienced physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner in their lifetime (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Three women lose their lives to domestic violence every day (Lee, 2015). While domestic violence also affects many men, the prevalence of female victims is much higher. It is not anywhere near a novel problem in society, yet it is not even close to being solved.

Domestic violence happens in every socio-economic level and to people from all walks of life. It is also the single largest cause of violence in United States (Sherman, Schmidt, Rogan,1992). Despite this alarming reality, a general response to domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) by the public is in line with what is consider unacceptable and with what the law considers legally wrong. It should come as no surprise that the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention currently classifies IPV and DV as a social health problem (CDC, 2014).

Domestic Violence can be described in many ways to us. Many of describe domestic violence as misused power in a relationship or non-relationship. We often identify domestic violence as the establishment of fear and being in controlling in a relationship through other forms and violence . Domestic violence exists in all over the world in ethnic, ages, and cultures groups. It can also occur within many different groups as couples that’s married, unmarried, living separately, and in urban areas. This has always been a global issue that is reaching across the national boundaries as well as class distinctions, racial and social economical class. This type of violence can and will reach forms of psychological, financial, and social abuse.

Domestic violence can often go unnoticed, unreported and undeterred before it’s too late. What most people don’t know is that is also the single largest cause of violence in United States (Sherman, Schmidt, Rogan,1992). Unfortunately, public outcry has only come in the aftermath of high profile cases being magnified through the media. Despite this post-measured reality, a general response to domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) by the majority of the public is in line with what most consider unacceptable and with what the law considers legally wrong. Consider by many, more than just a social discrepancy, the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention currently classifies IPV and DV as a social health problem (CDC, 2014).

Domestic violence is a serious and grave social concern. Domestic violence essentially affects everyone. It is not merely a personal or private problem in families. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, a woman is beaten every 15 seconds somewhere in the United States. (www.bjs.gov). According to the AARDVARC 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend each year to 4 million women who are physically abused by their husbands or live-in partners each year. (AARDVARC.org) The National Domestic Violence Hotline has received more than 700,000 calls for assistance since 1996. (National Domestic Violence Hotline.)

The battered woman, it has been said, lives in a world of terror and her home is her prison (Barnett 35). For many hundreds of years people were not worried about domestic violence. In fact, a popular journal, the Journal of Marriage and Family, did not include a single article on domestic violence from 1932 to 1969 (Barnett 54). Suddenly, more women came out and told of