Domestic Violence

Essay by matojeUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, July 2004

download word file, 6 pages 4.7

I conducted research on domestic violence and discovered several points of interest. Our text book, Intimate Violence in Families by Richard Gelles, says, "Once we have completed our examination of the incidence and extent of the various types of family violence, we are left with a quite inescapable conclusion that the family is society's most violent institution, excepting only the military in times of war." (Gelles, Pg 124) Family violence is another indication that all is not well known. Police and welfare workers know the scene well: the battered child, wife, husband, parent, or even grandparent. Physical abuse is not rare manifestation of personal problems; family violence in some form occurs in more than half of all U.S. households and in every social class. "About 50 million people are victimized every year by other family members. In this paper, I wish to share several points of interest, based on research from various technical sources and identify domestic violence is a problem of epidemic proportions in our communities.

Nearly one in three American women say they have been physically or sexually abused by their husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Violence Against Women: Estimates from the Redesigned Survey, "Every day hundreds of victims of domestic violence turn to the criminal justice system for protection. The women are seeking assistance and protection from the threatening and physical abuse they encounter." (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Aug 1995) Fear from the abuser and being scared often results in the abused turning to the law for protection. The police can only act within the limits of the law. Many police find the situation as he-said she-said and cannot find fault in the case unless a previously history of criminal activity has been established. In...