Intimate Partner Violence: Defining Moments

Prior to the 1800’s, the majority of legal systems regarded ‘wife beating’ as a way in which a husband could assert his dominance and authority over his wife. Within the 1970’s, attention to domestic violence began with the woman’s movement, principally through the introduction of feminism and women’s rights. In recent years however, the way domestic violence is viewed has changed. Previously, domestic violence only occurred within marriage, predominantly against wives and therefore formalised through the use of a marriage contract. Within modern society, domestic violence can now refer to

Throughout the 1800’s in the United States, state laws and cultural practices continued to support a husband's “right” to discipline his wife. It wasn't until 1895 that women were given the right to divorce their husbands no matter the conditions (Dryden-Edwards MD, 2012). Another stride in unveiling the taboo and private nature of domestic violence was made through the Battered Women's Movement, which was a by-product of the Women’s Liberation Movement from the 1960’s. Greatly supported by the Feminist theory, this movement was frequently credited for unmasking the extent of intimate partner violence and agitating for social change (Meyer-Emerick, 2002).

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

Domestic violence wears many different masks and is even accepted in some societies. Many different cultures around the world have been and continue to be affected by the results of domestic violence. The term, “domestic violence,” was first

The United States has a long history of domestic violence. Nearly six million American women will be battered by their spouses every year (United Way, 1998). Tradition gives men the right to control their family including their wife. Violence

Domestic violence is an ongoing epidemic affecting people around the world. Over the years, the problem of domestic violence has raised an abundance of questions: how serious is the issue, and what actions could be implemented to prevent it? In the article “Domestic Violence Has Been a Problem Throughout U.S. History”, it explains how the issue of domestic violence has been going on for decades; however, did not get address until recent years. The author, Cathy Young, points out there has been programs and shelters implemented, but the issue of domestic violence still remains a serious problem today. “Prevalence of Domestic Violence in the United States”, provides a

Violence against women has existed for centuries and women experience violence in many setting; however, domestic violence is the most prevalent. Abela and Walker (2014) explain that the women’s right movement took place because women were maltreated and oppressed (78). They state that the victimization of women was the reason why the second wave of the feminist movement arose. They also explain that during this time, laws in the Untied States allow men to hit their wives (Abela & Walker 79). Women from different cultures and different economic status have been victims of domestic violence. In this paper, I will focus on domestic violence against women from different cultures. I will present information about the history of domestic violence

Although there are now laws against domestic violence, the issue still seems to be present in the 21st century. Once given an blind eye to is existence for decades people are now forced to face the fact that domestic violence is an major issue no matter when and where it may occur. In this essay I will be addressing the issues of:

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 (DV) is a critical social issue that negatively impacts not only our own culture in America but as well as all other cultures around the world. Domestic Violence is a global issue reaching across national boundaries as well as socio-economic, cultural, racial and class distinctions (Kaur & Garg 2008). Domestic Violence is a serious problem that can be seen around every society from families of both developed and underdeveloped countries and of different backgrounds. Although there are various cases of domestic violence against men, children and the elderly; women account for the majority percentage of victims of Domestic Violence. This violence can take the form of physical assault, psychological abuse, financial abuse or sexual assault (Kaur & Garg 2008). Domestic Violence is a trend that is on the rise and will continue to plague our society if nothing is done on time to address this social issue.

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

Domestic violence is defined as an act of violence within the household. The aforementioned is one of the most underestimated and underreported crimes in the United States today. Abuse within the home represents the single most, greatest cause of harm to women, and affects over thirty percent of American women each year. Domestic Violence may start when one partner feels the need to control and dominate the other, Abusers may feel this need to control their partner because of low self-esteem, extreme jealousy, difficulties in regulating anger and other strong emotions, or when they feel inferior to the partner in education and socioeconomic background. Some men and women with traditional beliefs may think they have the right to control women, and that women aren’t equal to them. This domination then takes the form of emotional, physical or sexual abuse (Swisher, Karin L. and Carol Wekesser 19-20).

Domestic violence against women is a global issue that is happening all across national boundaries as well as socio-economic, cultural, race, and class distinctions. It is a problem without frontiers. Not only is the problem happening all across the world, but it’s incident is also large, making it a typical and accepted behavior because it happens a lot. Domestic violence is not an individual event but a repeated behavior that the batter uses to gain control and power over the victim. Domestic violence isn’t always physical abuse but also mental abuse. Batters use psychological terrorism, isolation, sexual abuse, threats against their children, economic methods, and brainwashing techniques to keep them in violent relationships.

The subordinate status of women in America began with the premise of English common law within Colonial America; these English social constructs within Colonial America were adopted into the American legal status, thus playing a vital role in intimate partner violence against women in America due to the implementation of the English doctrine that husbands are legally able to physically discipline their wives and children if deemed necessary (Garcia, 2010; Gelles, 1997). Among the many constructs of the English law, the separate women’s sphere ideology, which designated a woman’s place within her family as a private sphere (i.e. home and family), while a man protected and provided for her through the public sphere (i.e. work and politics) (Garcia, 2010). Although wife battering laws have been passed since the Revolutionary War, they have been loosely upheld and indifferently enforced due to the idea that wife discipline was a private affair and did not require the authorities (Straus and Gelles, 1989).

Wife beating is an act that is entirely intolerable and scrutinized by all members of society, the law, and essentially by those who are beaten by their husband or significant other. However, during the era of the 19th century, the United States was in a low point, by today’s standards, when it comes to the abuse and mistreatment of the wife. As men were treated higher up in societal standards, women were treated as lesser members of society when it amounts to the marriage of man and wife. During most of this century, women gave up their abilities to “fight in court against their husband” due to their legal status merging with their spouse; furthermore, this allows the husband ability to verbally and physically abuse their spouse to an extent known in this period as “chastisement” (Reva Siegel). Not only was this acceptable in the terms of society but as well as the law; men were “masters of the household” and were allowed by law to give “corporal punishment” to their wife to establish and maintain “domestic harmony.” The socio-legal vulnerability of wives to domestic violence was to an extreme and was more common among the lower-class citizens of society. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat” (1843) thematically posits two causes of wife-beating in early 19th century America: male intemperance and male patriarchal insecurity.