Family Law: Paralegals and Victims of Domestic Violence

“Domestic violence is a type of abuse by one or both partners in marriage, friends, family, dating or cohabitation” (Aziz & Mahmoud, 2010). There are many forms of abuse from verbal and emotional to physical that often escalates over time in intensity for the victim. Data from the criminal justice system, hospital patient medical records and mental health records, police reports, surveys and social services reports of thousands of women revealed that many are injured and killed as a result of violence from someone close to them. “The US Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender” (Robertson & Murachver, 2009). Researchers and the criminal justice system have not been able to agree on a clear definition to domestic violence which can range from physical injury, stalking, verbal abuse and humiliation, denial of shelter and access to money, and intimidation through aggressive behaviors. The definition of domestic violence may vary but the results from physical injury, mental and emotional trauma, and sometimes even death can last a life time.

Domestic violence, alternatively referred to as Intimate Partner Violence, is defined by the Department of Justice as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” While domestic violence is commonly thought of as only physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence can also be emotional, economic, or psychological. Domestic violence has remained constant in society throughout history, even though over time society’s response to the issue has changed. While domestic violence affects everyone regardless of race, gender, age, etc. it is estimated that approximately 90% of all victims are women. For the purpose of this paper, I will be focusing on

There is a certain mystery which surrounds domestic violence, with various stereotypes and myths clouding the truth of the matter. They hinder a true understanding of the problem and serve as obstacles to those suffering in situations of intimate partner violence. While each individual domestic violence situation is unique, many qualities are often shared, and many victims often endure similar experiences at the hands of their abuser. Importantly, despite the fact that intimate partner abuse is a form of crime which is predominantly private and family-oriented, it is a universal issue. Hopefully, by breaking down some of the stereotypes and myths about domestic violence, more solutions will come with better

Everyone is different with a unique set of values which shapes our beliefs and views that affect our personal behavior. Domestic violence can happen to anyone no matter the race, ethnicity, or social economic status. According to Babcock, Gree, and Robie (2004), domestic violence is a learned behavior and is defined by the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2014) as “ … a pattern of domination in which perpetrators intentionally choose to cause fear, injury, and/or pain in order to gain and maintain power and control over their partners.” When defining the parties involved in domestic violence disputes, a batterer and/or victim can be male or female. For the purpose of research results we will discuss the batterer being male and the victim as female. The process of understanding domestic violence includes understanding societal norms, the batterer’s perspective and the victim’s perspective. We will also examine the use of power and control, characteristic of a batterer, …process of understanding domestic violence from a batterer’s and victim’s perspective, societal norms, and services offered for the batterer and victim.

Domestic violence used to be considered a private family matter and was not considered a societal problem until feminists in the 70's started pushing the matter. Beginning in the 1970’s, social policy toward female victims of domestic assaults focused on improving legal response and

According to statistics found by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Every nine seconds a woman is abused by her husband or intimate partner. At least 1 in every 4 women and 1 in every 9 men have been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in their lifetime. Most often the abuser is one of their own family. Domestic violence is a problem that somehow affects every one of us in this room at some time and is actually the leading cause of injury to women -- more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.

This article provides an overview on domestic and intimate violence against women. It outlines the different cycles of domestic violence that a victim experiences whether if its emotionally, physically, and/or sexually, and how the cycle rehashes its self until the victim finally reaches out and seeks help. The article also expounds on being a victim of domestic violence can affect you mentally, and emotionally. It explains how it makes women afraid of men when they are victimized by them. Some women do not leave because they believe that the abuser loves them, and at some point in they are going to change. In most relationships, the abuse begins emotionally and later becomes physical if the victim does not recognize the abuse early on.

Millions of women in the United States are physically, and emotionally abused by an intimate partner each year. Domestic violence is a situation that harms and kills most particularly women, children, and families members. As a result, battering of women is one of the foremost causes of injury to women. The growing awareness of how pervasive and destructive this situation is in our society, and the violence that accompanies it, has created a wide variety of programs, shelters, educational endeavors, law enforcement initiatives, and other efforts to prevent the development of this well-known trend. Fortunately, most victims of domestic violence today have one or more ways out, if they know there are available opportunities exist and able to use them accordingly.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) or domestic violence (DV) reportedly affects more than 5 million Americans each year (Goodley & Fowler, 2006). IPV is the most common cause of nonfatal injury to women it the United States (U.S.). It is an ongoing issue that was first widely recognized as a major societal concern in the 1970’s (Nicholls &Hamel 2015). It is a significant problem with critical consequences for an individuals overall health and well-being. IPV not only has acute effects but lifelong implications as well. It is not limited to one group but crosses all barriers, it has an effect on both genders, people of all ages, all races, all cultures, all educational levels and all socio-economical backgrounds. Although, IPV affects both genders, this paper will focus primarily on women. It will seek to examine the repercussions of IPV on the victim’s health as well as children exposed to IPV. This topic is important to discuss in order to reduce the occurrence of IPV and to be able to better support victims of IPV. It is not a problem that can be solved overnight or with one specific intervention, but must be addressed through a collaborative effort from individuals within a community.

This research paper focuses on the prevalence of domestic violence in the United States. Domestic violence impacts the lives of people from various age cohorts, sexual orientation, educational levels, ethnicities, and socioencomic backgrounds. Studies have revealed that domestic violence impacts the live of one and every four women, in comparison to one in every seven women. Women and children are primary victims of domestic violence when compared with men. Victims of domestic violence often experience devastating effects, such as suffering from extreme cases depression, developing Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD), and dissociation. There are physical scares, such as black eyes and bruises, which remind them daily of their victimization.

It is estimated that 3 to 4 million women are assaulted each year, which would make that every 9 seconds a woman is beaten (Domestic Violence Intervention Program, 2015). Domestic violence is the most significant reason for the injury of women, and violence in marriages, and it accounts for two-thirds of all marriages (Domestic Violence Intervention Program, 2015). Women that derive from all cultures, age, race, occupations are assaulted by their husbands, significant other, lovers and partners (Domestic Violence Intervention Program, 2015). The same rates of domestic violence occur among whites, black and Hispanics. Professional men are among those that batter women, they are the ones that get professional help. More than 50% of women that

Domestic abuse is now a big issue around the world. The two keys of domestic abuse are, physical violence and sexual abuse. In the non-profit program called Community against domestic abuse (CADA), Katie and Natalia our speakers for the day went through a presentation on their mission to help the female victims of household abuse. They gave support for victims that had went through domestic and sexual violence and provided them with a safe environment. The program provides education, advocacy, and shelter for the victims and opportunities for them to speak freely about their thoughts. Katie and Natalia talked about their job in working with the female victims and the stories of how they went through to help the people with their issues of abuse.

Domestic Violence in America Domestic abuse in the United States is a large-scale and complex social and health problem. The family is perhaps the most violent group, with the home being the most violent American institution or setting today (Lay, 1994). Sadly enough, the majority of people who are murdered are not likely killed by a stranger during a hold-up or similar crime but are killed by someone they know. Not surprisingly, the Center for Disease Control and prevention has identified interpersonal violence as a major public health problem (Velson-Friedrich, 1994). Current estimates suggest that three to four million women are the victims of physical abuse by their intimate partners (Harris & Cook, 1994). According to the FBI, some

Normally what comes across our minds when we think of domestic violence is the physical tirade most women go through. But physical signs of abuse aren’t the only signs of domestic violence. The physiological wounds of domestic violence leave longer and stronger scares on the women in these situations. Physiological trauma is described as an emotional response to a terrible event which interferes with a person’s ability to function normally. Many victims have reported that the physical violence they suffer is less damaging than the relentless psychological abuse that cripples and isolates them. For most women fear of retaliation from an abusive partner crawls inside their heads and burrows itself in their subconscious. Fear is constantly on the minds of women experiencing domestic violence, constantly on edge wondering what will happen next. This has a strong physiological impact that will haunt victims for the rest of their lives and can prevent them from seeking much-needed assistance. Fear of social embarrassment and shame strongly hinder a woman from speaking out about their situation. Lack of emotional support can lead to heightened fear, depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, post-traumatic stress and anger. Women can lead toward the use of illicit drugs, alcohol dependence, and even suicidal ideation. Physiological impacts such as these haunt victims for many years and rob them of the ability to live a rich, full life. These wounds are completely undetectable by x-rays and physical tests which allows it to often go untreated and unnoticed, even to the victim themselves. It is clear that the psychological and emotional wounds of domestic violence are devastating. *Short film from Sutherland shire family services about the effect of emotional abuse, allowing the audience to view a visual representation of physiological

The problem of domestic violence is on the rise and causing more harm than ever to its victims and their family. Even though there are so many domestic violence cases in the world today, there are still many people in the United States today that are unaware of how serous this crime has become. The explanation for this may be that there are many households that have not ever experienced any type of violence in their home. Many victims of this type of abuse have been misleading by their abuser that they do not even realize that they are victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence causes