Barriers & Help Seeking
beltsville
Week2lecture_BEHS453DomesticViolence.pptxBEHS453: Domestic Violence Week Two
Topic: Theories, Dynamics, and Forms of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence
“Domestic violence refers to those abusive situations occurring within or resulting from a domestic or familial partnership and will encompass physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse towards and among children, parents, and partners of various orientations.”
(Source:UMUC, BEHS453 Module 1)
Forms of domestic abuse/violence
Physical
Sexual
Verbal, non-verbal (emotional, psychological, mental)
Spiritual
Financial
Stalking, cyberstalking
How do you know it’s DV?
Deliberate efforts to:
Exert power and control
Intimidate
Frighten
Terrorize
Manipulate
Humiliate
Blame
Injure
Kill
What domestic violence is not
DV is not being abusive as a result of being out of control
DV is deliberate and purposeful
DV is an effort to gain power and control over another person
DV is not a mental illness
Abusers don’t respond well to psychotherapy or medications
DV is condoned by societal values, so the solution rests at the community level
Who are the victims?
Children
Spouses/Partners
4/10 African-American women victim of intimate partner violence (Black et al, 2011)
Teens in intimate relationships
Elderly
Persons with disabilities
LGBTQ
Low SES
Who are the abusers?
Can be anyone
Physical abuse - >90% are men
Stalking – 75% men
Not differentiated by age, education, personality
Reported more often among low SES – why?
Scope of the problem
Approximately 1 in 4 women in the US are victims of physical violence in their lifetime; 1 in 10 men
Women more likely to experience multiple forms of physical violence, while men usually experience physical violence only. All victims experience some form of emotional trauma.
DV is the 3rd leading cause of homelessness among families
One in 5 children in US are exposed to DV each year
Ten percent of all murders in the US are domestic violence cases. Two out of three female homicide victims are killed by family member/partner.
Impact on society
Total cost of DV to economy = $37 billion (Safe Horizon, 2016)
Health care: $2.3B - $7B (CDC/NCIPC, 2003)
Workplace: absenteeism, poor performance
Lost productivity = $727.8 million (1995)
7.9 million paid workdays = 32,000 FT jobs
Law enforcement: 15-50% of all calls are DV-related. (Hendricks, ed., 1991)
Impact on Society
Economic issue
Public health issue
Humans rights issue
Consider these questions:
What is “violence?”
Is it ever justified?
When does it become abusive?
What is a “victim?”
Is domestic violence a “gender” issue?
How do we explain domestic violence in the US?
Interdisciplinarity view
Levels of analysis
Individual focus
Biological explanations
Aggression = instinct
In rare cases, violence may be due to genetics, intellectual defect, head injuries, or hormones, but these people are violent in all areas of life, not just domestic situations.
Psychological explanations
Abnormal development of cognition or personality
Psychopathology only explains violence in extreme and rare cases
Social Psychological Explanations: Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis
Frustration in attaining a goal =>
Stress & Arousal => Aggression
Studies don’t support this pathway
People who become aggressive because of frustration get mad at everyone, not just one person
Social Psychological Explanations: Social Control Theory (Gelles)
Assumes that human nature is violent and kept in check by social forces such as punishment or rejection (cost vs. rewards)
Men who fear being alone or being rejected are less likely to be abusers (Lackey & Williams, 1995)
Fear of arrest and imprisonment reduces likelihood of abuse (Sherman, 1992).
Social Psychological Explanations: Resource Theory
Force is a type of resource used to resolve conflict (Goode, 1971).
Those with more resources can get their way by restricting access to resources. Those with limited resources may have to resort to force to control a situation.
May explain why low SES is associated with greater violence.
Religious perspectives: Born to be bad?
Early Christians believed that children are born with original sin.
Correction through discipline and punishment
Fathers take the lead because they are stronger and wiser. Mothers are overly indulgent.
Image source (St. Augustine): https://mapleseed.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/st-augustine-icon1.jpg
Image source (Calvin): https://riversofjoybaptist.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/john-calvin-quote-1.jpg
Systems focus
Theories that focus on the individual don’t explain or resolve most cases domestic violence
Theories that focus on the social context in which violence occurs are called “environmental” theories
Personal and Family Response Subsystem
Organizational Response Subsystem
Sociological Explanations
Conflict Theory – Marx
Conflict in society is inevitable
The struggle for economic and sociopolitical power among individuals of different backgrounds set the stage for domestic violence (Gill, 1986)
Image source: http://www.historyguide.org/images/marx-bio.jpg
Sociological Explanations
Feminist Perspective
Patriarchal organization of society is used to justify domestic violence.
Restructuring society is necessary to reduce violence.
e.g. Women as “chattel,” subservient to men
Image source: http://www.thebirdtree.co.uk/photos/women%20in%2019%20century.jpg
Image source: http://e8xi8z1itz-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/chase-sanborn-coffee1.jpg
Jackson Katz: Violence against women—it's a men's issue:
Family as social institution
Values - what is important to families
Practices – how we interact with one another
What are some values and practices that are valued in the American family?
Do any of these set the stage for domestic violence?
Impact on children
Children exposed to DV
provide violent role models
men with abusive fathers have negative views of women
creates division in families
children used as weapons or leverage
psychological, cognitive problems
behavioral problems
interpersonal problems
Spanking – Is it DV?
Why do we spank?
What is the origin of the word “discipline”?
“instruction”
Corporal punishment as discipline
Corporal punishment condoned in every state as a legitimate form of discipline: http://www.gundersenhealth.org/ncptc/center-for-effective-discipline/discipline-and-the-law/punishment-vs-abuse
"Non-Deadly Force" Limitation is Placed on the Use of Corporal Punishment Does not specifically prohibit corporal punishment, even where it results in an injury or serious injury to the child, as long as deadly force was not utilized. Alaska, New York and Texas
How do you know it’s DV?
Deliberate efforts to:
Exert power and control
Intimidate
Frighten
Terrorize
Manipulate
Humiliate
Blame
Injure
Kill
Countries that have abolished corporal punishment
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/16/us-states-legal-to-hit-kids_n_5829732.html
