Domestic Violence

a. Topic: Refer to the Final Research Paper guidelines for your topic selection. Confirm your topic, and identify how this selection relates to your academic and professional pursuits. Review the feedback from your topic choice presented in the Week One discussion. How did your argument stand up to the examination of your peers?

b. Thesis: Write a direct and concise thesis statement, which will become the point or perspective you will argue or prove in the Final Research Paper. Refer to the Ashford Online Writing Center for information on how to develop a solid thesis statement.

c. Annotated Bibliography: To help prepare for your final paper, you will be writing an annotated bibliography to indicate the quality of the sources you have read.  Please make sure to cite each source using APA style.  After each citation, write a brief paragraph (around 150 words) summarizing the source and examining how it will support you in defending your argument.  For more information and example of an annotated bibliography, please refer to section 7.7 in the Ashford Writing Center within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar in your online course..  Keep in mind the Academic Research standards for all Ashford University Papers.

a. Week one discussion: After reviewing the week five final paper options, the three potential research topics that I found interesting are obesity, family relations, namely physical abuse and immigration. One method that I will use to help determine which topic to use is to find which one may have the most reliable sources to provide information. Another method I could use is to research what the impact these topics have on society. The third method that I will use to choose my topic is which one is closest to my heart. I chose the topic of family relations, physical abuse, because it is a topic that I personally relate to as I was in an abusive marriage in the past. One very insightful scholarly source I found dealt with the reasons for why there is physical violence in college age relationships. This source is a peer reviewed scholarly source making it a reliable source. The second source I found is in direct line with this topic and my experience is a psychiatric study that covers the relationship between drug and alcohol abuse in men who abuse their intimate partners. This source is also scholarly and peer reviewed

References

Hines, D. A., & Douglas, E. M. (2012). Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Men Who Sustain Intimate Partner Violence. Aggressive Behavior, 38(1), 31-46. doi:10.1002/ab.20418

Kelley, E. L., Edwards, K. M., Dardis, C. M., & Gidycz, C. A. (2015). Motives for physical dating violence among college students: A gendered analysis. Psychology Of Violence, 5(1), 56-65. doi:10.1037/a0036171

(instructor response)

These are all suitable choices, Janet, though it appears you've already chosen domestic abuse as your final paper's topic. That's a highly relevant and troubling social issue, because awareness and more effective laws seem not to have really diminished the problem as much as many would prefer. As with any social problem, it's wise to consider its root causes, since understanding those can often lead to more effective solutions. To what degree do drugs and alcohol drive domestic violence, and what other factors cause it?

Regarding policy solutions, society has taken domestic abuse much more seriously in the last few decades, with more alternatives for abused spouses and a more effective approach by law enforcement (though some still criticize police for not handling it more effectively). In your view, are the laws currently sufficient, or do sizable gaps or loopholes in law and social policy still exist?

In my experience, especially here in in NY, the laws have sizable gaps and loopholes. I can think of a time that I personally went to one precinct to file a complaint and was told that it was not their problem and that I needed to go to a precinct in another borough if I wanted to file a complaint. The police make the abused feel like they are the problem, making them feel victimized by the law. The courts don't follow through on violations of order of protection, basically the system is a joke. There is no real protection from spousal abuse nor is there real punishment for the abuser.

I also believe that drugs and alcohol have a huge impact on the problem. These are mood altering drugs that change the person's personality and usually in a negative manner releasing all the anger and violence that they keep under control. The need for more drugs and alcohol also increase the tendency for violence. Another factor that I believe impact domestic abuse is family history. If there is family history in the abuser's past, especially childhood, there is an increased chance that the person will grow to be abusive.