Violence Against Women Chapter 3 Analysis

Jackson Katz argues the increase in violence perpetuated by men - on women, children, and other men - are tied to an outdated definition of manhood in our culture. Instead of blaming victims of violence, it is necessary to address the reasons men abuse others and the roles various institutions in our society play in producing these perpetrators. Katz believes this shift can be accomplished by the bystander approach, which essentially states men must act as leaders, speak up, and challenge other men who attempt to prove their manhood by being abusive - verbally and physically - to others. Silence, he argues, is to consent to these attitudes and perpetuate violent behaviors. In

“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.

Facts: Christy Brzonkala enrolled in Virginia Tech in 1994. After enrolling she was sexually assaulted by two football players including Morrison. She became so emotional distressed after the hearings which made her drop out of school. She then finally sued Morrison and the university in Federal District Court.

Chapter 3: The Laws and Policies of Domestic Violence and the Services Available to Male Victims.

into law. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2014, from National Network to End Domestic Violence: http://nnedv.org/policy/issues/vawa.html

For centuries domestic violence has been perceived as a private matter private of which the government has not been concerned about nor was it considered the government’s business to intervene on behalf of a battered spouse. The unlawful nature of this failure for state or federal government intervention against this crime contributed to the systematic abuse of women in the family. The traditions, customs, and common law found in both British and American societies continued right up until the last decade of the 20th century and left the battered wives and very frequently, her children, at the mercy of the husband. It wasn’t until the 1990’s when the government began to do something to protect mothers, wives, and lovers from intimate

Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, containing a provision for the federal civil remedy to victims of gender-based violence, even if no criminal charges had been filed against the alleged perpetrator of that violence. Then, this statute was challenged in the Supreme Court by Morrison alleging that parts of the Violence Against Women Act were unconstitutional, therefore void, because it exceeds congressional power under the Commerce Clause. Leading up to this, Christy Brzonkala a freshman at Virginia Tech was assaulted and raped by Antonio Morrison and James Crawford. An investigation was followed up in which Morrison had admitted having sexual contact with her, despite her telling him “no” twice. A state grand jury, not

Prior to the passing of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, previous bills tried to eliminate various aspects of human trafficking (Polaris Project, 2015). In 1910, Congress signed The Mann Act of 1910 into action. The act made it illegal for anyone to transport a girl or woman across state, or country lines, for the purpose of prostitution. Then, in 1930, The Tariff Act of 1930 made it illegal to import products that were made by forced laborers. However, neither of these acts addressed the full magnitude of human trafficking (Polaris Project, 2015).

Millions of adults each year in the USA are affected by intimate partner violence (IPV). “The National Violence Against Women (NVAW) survey conducted from November, 1995 to May, 1996 indicates that each year an estimated 8.5 million intimate partner victimizations occur among the US population ages 18 and older” (Fang & Corso, 2008, p. 303). “As recognition of IPV as a serious societal problem increases, more attention has been directed to risk and protective factors for IPV perpetration, especially the link between child maltreatment, victimization and future perpetration of IPV” (Fang & Corso, 2008, p. 303). More than 80 percent of all victims are maltreated by one or both parents. Several studies have found that children who have experienced child maltreatment (neglect, physical abuse, or sexual abuse) are more likely as adults to conduct IPV. Of these children, 54 percent suffered neglect, while almost a quarter, 23 percent, suffered physical abuse and nearly 12 percent of the victims were sexually abused (Fang & Corso, 2008).

Janine Latus’ If I am Missing or Dead is a true story that incorporates various aspects of both family violence theory and feminist theory. Although one could argue that overall, the story emphasizes many more aspects of a family violence theory, aspects of the feminist theory are undeniably present throughout the book as well.

Every day, women experience violence at the hands of men. Somehow, in our society, even rape and assault have fallen into a moral grey area. With the controversy surrounding [that], few pay much thought to the less extreme, but far more common acts of molestation. While smaller attacks are considered innocuous by many, they too can have long lasting effects of and we as women have no way to ever escape.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is the foundation of our country's reaction to household and sexual viciousness. A solid bipartisan bill to reauthorize VAWA (S. 47) went in the Senate on February 12, 2013 (78-22) and in the House of Representatives on February 28, 2013 (286-138). President Obama marked the bill into law on March 7, 2013.

Domestic violence has been a main issue throughout history and all over the world; it can evidentially affect children, the elderly, women, and even men. Although abuse can affect many individuals, a significant portion of domestic abuse cases are against women. Globally, women are constantly facing physical, social and mental abuse by men and/or their significant others. In past years, the issue of domestic violence has gained the attention of researchers. In fact, studies have shown that it is a global issue negatively impacting the social and health status of individuals, particularly women. A survey of domestic abuse in Canada signifies that 29% of married women have been abused by their partners at least once (Nwosu, 2006). Many argue

The topic this policy analysis assignment will focus on is violence against women in the United States. Seven in ten women experience some form of violence in their lifetime (Unite, n.d.). To curtail violence against women, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 created the first U.S. federal legislation acknowledging domestic violence and sexual assault as crimes, and provided federal resources to encourage community-coordinated responses to combat violence (nnedv.org, n.d.). A question to be pursued for this project is how much has violence against women improved over the last decade? According to CBS News in 2013, “Rates (of rapes and sexual assaults) declined from a peak of 5 per 1,000 women in 1995 to 1.8 per

On March 7, 2013, President Barack Obama signed the reauthorization Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) into law. The statutory changes made by VAWA requires institutions of higher education to compile statistics for certain acts that are reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies including incidents of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. Additionally, all institutions of higher education are required to implement certain policies, procedures, and programs pertaining to these acts. Since 1994, Congress recognized the need to establish a national strategy to combat violence against women while construing a comprehensive approach to hold offenders accountable while providing programs and services