Discuss About The Longitudinal Predictors Of Domestic Violence Perpetration And Victimization.
Domestic violence is the family abuse or domestic abuse by one person against another in a domestic setting such as a family. It may involve physical, psychological, economic, social and sexual abuse. Studies which have been conducted indicate that women, children and the elders in the society are more exposed to domestic violence. Domestic violence may include acts like forced marriage, human trafficking, rape and sexual assaults (Doidge, Higgins, Delfabbro & Segal, 2017). Domestic violence is a type of abuse which involves injuring a spouse or a partner but can also be a kid or a person from another family. It affects millions of lives across the globe (Leach, Poyser & Fairweather?Schmidt, 2017). Women are more exposed to domestic violence because studies which were conducted indicated that one of every four women in the world is exposed to domestic abuse and that the most significant percentage of people suffering from domestic violence are women (O’Neal & Beckman, 2017). Despite this abuse by partners, only a few cases are reported to the authorities, and that has led to the death of the victims if the abuser is not warned to stop the malicious behavior.
Domestic violence against women is a significant obstacle while fighting for gender equality in Australia and only a few nations seem to embrace it. Domestic violence against women, children and elderly refer to the acts which are commitment violently against them and they can cause harm to their bodies. Many factors cause domestic violence (Krnjacki, Emerson, Llewellyn & Kavanagh, 2016). Family perspective is the first factor which indicates that the behavior or actions of a family member are influenced by the responses which he/she gets back from other family members. Children who are brought up by violent parents may end up adopting this action in the future and thus abusing their partners because to them it is normal (Eriksson & Mazerolle, 2015). Longitudinal Predictors Of Domestic Violence Perpetration And Victimization Discussion Paper The feminist perspective is another factor in which women are exposed to family violence as men think they are superior compared to women. In this factor, women are believed not to have equal rights with men, and they do not have any powers in the society, and instead, they are considered as inferior, subordinate, and in some communities, men view them as their property (Jewkes et al., 2017). Women are much more exposed to domestic violence in still-developing countries because the government in this countries do not have policies and rules which protect them. Patriarchy is another factor in which men hold power over children and women in the household and women do not have any say, and they are not involved in the decision making of the family. According to Wolke, Tippett & Dantchev (2015), violence against women is believed to have rooted in a patriarchal system in which men keep women as their subordinate.
For years there has been significant evidence which links socioeconomic factors and domestic violence. Statistics have indicated a graded relationship which means the higher the social position of an individual the more they abuse the partner and that can negatively affect their mental health. Intimate partner violence is the most common form of domestic violence which is experienced across the globe (Costa et al., 2015). This violence increases the rate of unwanted pregnancies in the society as a result of sexual abuse. This occurs when a partner does not respect the opinion of the other one. The spread of sexually transmitted infection rate has also increased due to increased rape cases. Social-economic factor such as poverty has profoundly contributed to domestic violence in many countries across the globe (Vaughan et al., 2015). This happens when the breadwinner of the family is not able to provide for the basic needs of the family such as food, shelter, clothes, education and medical care (Smyth, Hunter, Macvean, Walter & Higgins, 2018). This can lead to misunderstanding in the family, and the men feel disrespected and end up performing violent acts against their female partners because in many countries including Australia it is their role to provide for the family.
Poverty which in most cases is caused by unemployment has negative impacts on mental health (Hemphill, Tollit, Kotevski & Heerde, 2015). This is because an individual cannot take care of their hospital bill and therefore in most cases, they don’t seek medical attention which can worsen their health condition or lead to death. Another socioeconomic factor which has greatly attributed to domestic violence is early marriages in which young girls are forced to marry older men because of their harsh economic background (Costa et al., 2015). These women experience a hard financial situation which leaves them with no option but settle with old men who can cater for their basic needs. These young girls are most likely exposed to domestic violence because the men partner take them as their properties exposing them to all sort of physical and sexual abuse. Women who enter to early marriages do not have any say in the family and they have to submit to anything the husband asks of them. Illiteracy is another critical socioeconomic factor which significantly influences domestic violence (Straus, Gelles & Steinmetz, 2017). As compared to developed countries, developing countries such as Australia have a high illiteracy rate. For communities like the aboriginals women are only taught how to take care of their husbands and home by performing simple domestic chores, and they don’t get the opportunity to go to school and be in a position to learn other new things in education institutions like how to fight for their rights when their husbands domestically abuse them. They also don’t get the opportunity to socialize with people from other societies. Education is very essential in every aspect of life; this is because it enables people to understand what is expected of them and they can make a quick decision regarding a specific health condition. Studies conducted also indicated that educated men understand the rights of their partners and children and they cannot abuse them as compared to non-educated ones.
Domestic violence is among the common causes of trauma in individual across the globe. Psychological impacts of domestic violence can affect anyone in the society who is exposed to them. Just as people are supposed to pay attention to broken injuries and bruises which are a sign of physical abuse, they also need to address and seek medical care that a healthcare professional can discuss and give them guidance on how to go about psychological and emotional wounds which they experience from these traumatic events (Cook et al., 2017).Longitudinal Predictors Of Domestic Violence Perpetration And Victimization Discussion Paper The Australian government describes psychological trauma as an emotional response which an individual experiences from terrible or disturbing occurrences which affect their ability to function correctly and be able to perform other functions accordingly. Though the psychological effects of a person who experience a traumatic event varies from person to person, most people experience emotional distress after the exposure (Van der Kolk, 2017). Fortunately, the stress experienced by an individual can end quickly if the person receives proper and adequate support from family members, friends, and healthcare professionals.
However, individuals who are domestically abused by their partners usually undergo complex condition because they are always afraid of seeking assistance due to fear of retaliation from their partners which can worsen the situation. Male is ashamed and embarrassed by sharing their status in case the female abuses them (Stiles-Shields & Carroll, 2015). Lack of emotional support among the victims’ leads to fear, anxiety and depression which can lead to social withdraw as individuals tend to isolate themselves from other members of the society. Victims can also start using illicit drugs and drinking alcohol to ease the pain which they are going through. This substance is hazardous and harmful to their health which can lead to health deterioration among victims (Corvo & Dutton, 2015). Total failure to support them can result in suicidal ideas in which the victims decide to end their life. The psychological and emotional wound which a victim experiences from domestic violence are very devastating and they can haunt the victim for many years making them not able to make appropriate decisions which can make their life worth living and more meaningful.
Women, children and the elderly in the society are more exposed to domestic violence. Domestic violence results in physical injuries if the victim is exposed to beatings, psychological and emotional trauma (Van der Kolk, 2017). Physical injuries can lead to health complications such as severe headaches and bone fractures. Severe exposure to domestic violence can lead to lack of self-confidence among the victims making them isolate themselves from other members of the society, and they also lack the confidence to seek medical attention which can worsen their condition or even lead to death (Straus, Gelles & Steinmetz, 2017). Psychological trauma makes victims fell so powerless and hence making them not contribute to decision making because they think people will despise them.
Conclusion
Domestic violence is a global problem which is experienced by many families. Public and private organization have increased their attention to stop domestic violence as it is becoming a significant problem in developing countries. The Australian government has implemented rules and policies which are used to ensure that each member of the society is treated equally and that there is no discrimination which can lead to domestic violence. Actions should be taken against those individuals who commit these crimes in the society. Awareness measures should be implemented in the community to educate individuals on their rights and that they should report any person who violates their rights. Victims of domestic violence should be given a lot of support from family members, friends, and professional health workers.
References
Cook, A., Spinazzola, J., Ford, J., Lanktree, C., Blaustein, M., Cloitre, M., … & Mallah, K. (2017). Complex trauma in children and adolescents. Psychiatric annals, 35(5), 390-398.
Corvo, K., & Dutton, D. (2015). Neurotransmitter and neurochemical factors in domestic violence perpetration: Implications for theory development. Partner abuse, 6(3), 351-364.
Costa, B. M., Kaestle, C. E., Walker, A., Curtis, A., Day, A., Toumbourou, J. W., & Miller, P. (2015). Longitudinal predictors of domestic violence perpetration and victimization: A systematic review. Aggression and violent behavior, 24, 261-272.
Doidge, J. C., Higgins, D. J., Delfabbro, P., & Segal, L. (2017). Risk factors for child maltreatment in an Australian population-based birth cohort. Child abuse & neglect, 64, 47-60.
Eriksson, L., & Mazerolle, P. (2015). A cycle of violence? Examining family-of-origin violence, attitudes, and intimate partner violence perpetration. Journal of interpersonal violence, 30(6), 945-964. Longitudinal Predictors Of Domestic Violence Perpetration And Victimization Discussion Paper