Impact of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence (DV) also referred to as intimate partner violence (IPV), is a
serious problem, and affects more than 12 million people every year (Black et al., 2011).
It is a crime based on behavior to maintain power and control over their intimate partner.
It affects all races, genders, and sexualities. (Black et al., 2011; Smith et al., 2017), it has
no boundaries and that is why it is such an issue. Certain risk factors to DV and IPV
include alcohol and drug abuse, stress, and power and control. These risk factors alter
how an individual responds to certain events, and if the response is negative, it can
increase the chances of domestic violence. These same risk factors are found in police
officers who deal with stressful situations and have certain aspects of power and control
in their jobs. Police officers are also a population with high amounts of reported intimate
partner violence (Zavala & Melander, 2019). An increased amount of risk factors is seen
within police officers, which can explain why police officers have higher rates of
committing acts of DV.
The police sub-culture has been shown to increase domestic violence
(Blumstein et al., 2012), yet acts of police led IPV are under reported; possibly due to
what Inciardi (1990) noted as the “blue wall of silence”: A phenomenon where
officers only confide in other officers and do not publicly address these issues. The
police sub-culture is characterized by three components; authoritarianism, cynicism
and burnout (Blumstein et al., 2012; Johnson et al., 2005; Anderson & Lo, 2011;
Rose & Unnithan, 2015). These three components impact domestic violence within
police officers; as it affects officers’ attitudes, power and control and mentality, and
when dealing with their spouses can result in increased amounts of IPV. The police
sub-culture and the risk factors found in domestic violence, increase an officer’s
chances of letting the pressure take over their everyday lives, and eventually spilling
over into home life and leading to these high rates of DV found within law
enforcement families.
Limited research is available that specifically focuses on domestic violence
within law enforcement families. For that reason, the proposed study will try and expand
on why the police sub-culture has been found to increase IPV within law enforcement
families. The data gathered from this study will help understand the impact that police
sub-culture has in law enforcement families.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence (also referred to as intimate partner violence (IPV), dating
abuse, or relationship abuse) is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain
power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship (Black et al., 2011).
The U.S. Department of Justice (2020), legally defines domestic violence as:
felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former
spouse or intimate partner of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares
a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with
the victim as a spouse or intimate partner, by a person similarly situated to a
spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the
jurisdiction receiving grant monies, or by any other person against an adult or
youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or
family violence laws of the jurisdiction.
However, domestic violence does not only include physical assaults that result in
visible injuries. This is only one type of abuse in the broad spectrum of domestic
violence. The Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (ACESDV)
(2019) note there are several categories of abusive behavior, which if involved with
physical abuse may place the victim at higher risk. The categories include:
• Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse is using sex in an exploitative fashion or forcing sex
on another person. Sexual abuse may involve both verbal and physical behavior.
• Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse is any behavior that exploits another’s
vulnerability, insecurity, or character. Such behaviors include continuous
degradation, intimidation, manipulation, brainwashing, or control of another to
the detriment of the individual.
• Verbal Abuse: Verbal abuse is any abusive language used to denigrate,
embarrass or threaten the victim.
• Economic abuse: Financial abuse is a way to control the victim through
manipulation of economic resources.
Domestic violence is a crime that does not discriminate, all person regardless of
race, gender, or sexuality, can become victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence
stems and grows from a partner’s desire to hold power and control over their partners
lives and feelings. This abusive behavior is learned and developed in various ways:
through the abusive partners life course either witnessed in their own home growing up
or being a victim of abuse, learned from peers and friends, or from their culture and
society (Black et al., 2011). Domestic violence not only takes a toll on the partner
suffering from the abuse, if the partners have children or persons have witnessed the
violence it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining for all the parties
involved (Black et al., 2011).
Impact of Domestic Violence
In general, intimate partner violence (IPV) alone affects more than 12 million
people every year. On average 1 in 3 women experience domestic violence in their
lifetime (35.6%) and 14.8% of women in the U.S. have been injured as a result of IPV by
a partner (Black et al., 2011). Walby (2004) further expands domestic violence statistics
by noting a fifth of all violent crime occurs in the course of, or at the end of, a long-term
relationship between two people. This is increasingly dangerous as feelings, emotions
and children can be used to coerce a partner into withstanding the abuse. “One in four
women will experience this kind of violence during their adult lives. And, even more
saddening one hundred and fifty people are killed each year by a current or former
partner” (Walby, 2004, p.7).
If race is taken into consideration the statistics on domestic violence are even
more alarming. Black et al., (2011) notes 45.1% of Black women experienced physical
violence, sexual violence, or stalking from their intimate partner. Showing that African
Americans are disproportionately affected by this issue. Meanwhile, Smith et al.,
(2017) notes about 1 in 3 Latinas (34.4 %) will experience IPV during her lifetime and
1 in 12 Latinas (8.6%) has experienced IPV in the previous 12 months. Minority
women are highly affected by domestic violence, and the risk factors surrounding it
further increase their chances of becoming a victim.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2003) found “the cost of
domestic violence to exceed $5.8 billion each year, nearly $4.1 billion of which is for
direct medical and mental health care services”. As well, this total costs of IPV included
$.9 billion in lost productivity from paying work for victims of nonfatal IPV and $.9
billion in lifetime earnings lost by victims of IPV homicide (p.2). These enormous
monetary values, shed light on the issue of domestic violence and what it has become.
The psychological cost of domestic violence can take a tremendous toll on the
victim. Alejo (2014) notes, “some of the mental health problems that can occur from
domestic violence, including depression, alcohol or substance abuse, anxiety, personality
disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, sleeping and eating disorders, social dysfunction,
and suicide” (p.84). As well, Alejo (2014) also notes “domestic violence negatively
affects mental health, and mental health issues make a woman vulnerable to
victimization. The women’s suffering becomes a vicious cycle” (p.91). This was
previously found in Catalano (2012) who noted, for women ages 18-49 most victims of
IPV were previously victimized by the same offender (76-81%). This repeat violence
then plays into increasing the physical cost of domestic violence. Berrios and Grady’s
(1991) research found most victims from their study (86%) had suffered at least one
previous incident of abuse, and about 40% had previously required medical care for
abuse.
Domestic violence can cause short- and long-term physical problems.
Alejo (2014) notes:
some of the physical injuries that can occur include cuts, bruises, bite marks,
concussions, broken bones, penetrative injuries such as knife wounds,
miscarriages, joint damage, loss of hearing and vision, migraines, permanent
disfigurement, arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, and sexually transmitted
infections including human papillomavirus, which can lead to cervical cancer and
eventually death (p.84).
Berrios and Grady (1991) examined data from standardized interviews with 218
women who presented to an emergency department with injuries due to domestic
violence. They found that “domestic violence often results in severe injury; 28% of the
women interviewed required admission to hospital for injuries and 13% required major
surgical treatment. The typical presentation was injuries to the face, skull, eyes,
extremities, and upper torso. A third of the cases involved a weapon, such as a knife,
club, or gun” (p.133). Rothman et al., (2007) conducted in-depth interviews with 21
women employed by a large health care organization. They found that “between 21-60%
of victims of intimate partner violence lose their jobs due to reasons stemming from the
abuse”.
