Discussion

Domestic violence is prevalent nationwide with statistics rising steadily over

time despite extensive campaigning and steps taken by the government and
the relevant agencies. The victims have to suffer a lot of physical and
emotional damage which makes them susceptible to further problems
throughout their life. In a lot cases, the victim is unaware that he/she is
undergoing abuse that is not necessary or required under any obligation. The
following questions will help us in understanding the dynamics of domestic
violence and formulate a strategy which will help in appreciable reduction of
domestic violence.

1. How multiple causes converge to result in domestic violence?

2. Why does the victim not report instances of domestic violence?
3. How to take effective steps to counter domestic violence?

Domestic violence is on the rise nationwide; the number of arrests has

increased nearly 70% over the past few decades which shows a marked shift
from the previous trend of ignoring the domestic violence. This is a welcome
change which shows that attitudes about domestic violence are changing
and law enforcement officers are now more willing to look into matters more
seriously rather than superficially. Due to increased vigilance and response of
law enforcement officers, an in depth understanding of the issues pertaining
to domestic violence has developed, which has helped in devising a strategy
to effectively tackle and eradicate this menace which threatens to undermine
the integrity of the family system in United States of America.
Domestic violence is not caused by a single reason, rather a multitude of
issues and reasons are responsible for its spread nationwide. There are
multiple dynamics within a relationship which may or may not result in the
relationship turning violent. The core reasons for domestic violence are
related to power and control. An abusive relationship is developed when a
partner tries to dominate and control the other partner into submission for
satisfying their need to be able to feel in control. Research has shown that
relationships are likely to turn more violent if the abusive partner feels out of
control of the partners life and decision. According to Domestic Abuse
Intervention Project, the abuser in the relationship resorts to physical and
sexual violence in order to satisfy his needs to feel superior and dominant,
through intimidation by using threatening gestures and destroying property,
through using emotional abuse by making the other person feel bad and by

humiliating and making the other person feel guilty, through using isolating
tactics which involve controlling the other persons actions and social
interaction, through using the male privilege by making all the decisions and
being the one to define gender prescribed roles, through using economic
abuse by preventing the other person from getting or keeping a job and not
letting the other person know or have access to the family income, and
through using coercion and threats in order to force the other person to drop
charges and sometimes even engage in illegal activities. ( Kathryn
Robinson)
An important thing to consider when trying to understand domestic violence
is that abuse is a learned behavior, not an inherent trait of a person, which
leads us to the next reason for domestic violence. The abuser in the
relationship may have learned this behavior from his childhood or has been
witness to several instances of domestic violence. When a person repeatedly
sees a method of control being applied and succeed, then differential
reinforcement makes that person think that using violence is an acceptable
means of retaining control in the family.
In some cases, abrupt changes in the lifestyle have resulted in the other
person turning violent due to a perception of lack of control. These sudden
changes may make the abuser feel neglected or under privileged, which in
turn results in that person trying to take control of the situation by resorting
to violence. The changes which bring about violence may vary from person
to person according to the circumstances, for example they may include

pregnancy or a family members illness. (Bewley, Susan, Mezey, Gillian C,

Domestic violence and pregnancy, National Institutes of Health
BMJ 314 (1997), 1295. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. - See more at:
http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/learn/domesticviolence/about-issue/what-are-roots-domesticviolence#sthash.484V8ugm.dpuf)
One of the major causes of domestic violence is the economic depression.
Research has shown that chances of domestic violence increase
exponentially in times of economic recession. The associated factors which
cause an increase in the stress levels may include job loss and debt.
Financial insecurity leads to make the potential abuser feel out of control and
stressed, who in turn vents this frustration onto the other person in the
relationship. The domestic violence situation improves substantially when
the abuser feels more financially secure and independent.
Despite the high degree of emotional, physical and sexual abuse suffered by
the victim, it has been seen that the victim is reluctant and hesitant to report
several instances of domestic violence. In most of the cases of domestic
violence that are reported, the violence is not occurring for the first time,
rather it is a recurring habit of the abuser, which raises the question as to
why the victim did not report the previous instances of domestic violence. To
understand this, we have to look at the various dynamics of an abusive
relationship. The abuser may go to extreme lengths to make the other
person stay. In an abusive relationship, the most difficult time is when the

victim is trying to leave the abuser, who may resort to extreme measures
like abduction and even homicide in an attempt to prevent the other person
from leaving. The victim is unable to leave because of the threats issued by
the abuser pertaining to family, kids and financial security. The intimate
relationships mean that the victim knows the abuser very well and is aware
of the lengths that the abuser will go to keep the relationship going. The
environment around the victim may mean that any person, family or friend
that tries to report the domestic violence may also be a victim of the abuser.
Other major reasons which prevent the victim from leaving may include the
fear of retribution from the abuser over attempts to leave. Sometimes, the
unsupportive attitude of family and friends is a key factor in making the
victim think that his/her life is meant to be like this. The victim is also
reticent to leave because of the realization of the financial difficulties of
trying to live alone and the difficulty in single parenting. Most of the time, the
victim is unaware that the other person is bullying, intimidating and
manipulating them due to an unawareness of their rights and a lack of
access to safety and support. The victims have no place to go which makes
the decision to leave all the more difficult. The victims are forced to consider
the harsh reality that they may have to become homeless in order to escape
the humiliating relationship in which they are involved. Sometimes, the
cultural and religious practices of people belonging to different ethnicities
and backgrounds may make the victim that it is inappropriate or unsuitable
for them to leave the abuser, or resort to other means like divorce. These

cultural and religious barriers may make the victim feel the need to stay in
the outdated and inhuman gender prescribed roles for the fear of being
alienated and outcast from the society or community.
The most effective methods to deal with domestic violence involve an even
greater participation of the police in the process. The domestic violence can
be reduced by increasing the number of victims using referral services, by
increasing the response rate of police to complaints from the victims,
increased information made available to the victims through use of media
which include local radio stations, newspapers and television, increased
medical screening of women for domestic violence victimization, reducing
the amount of time between arrest and conviction, increasing partnerships
with the researchers to design the evaluation of efforts and increased
availability of customized batterer programs and also by increased official
follow up with repeat victims and repeat offenders. (teray wala source hai
yahan)

References:
1. http://www.thehotline.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/power-andcontrol-wheel-updated-1011x1024.png

2. http://www.joyfulheartfoundation.org/learn/domestic-violence/aboutissue/what-are-roots-domestic-violence

3. http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1992-98439-000

4. http://www.ncadv.org/need-help/what-is-domestic-violence