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Couples
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Domestic violence
- Home Office (2013) defines DV and abuse: 'any incident or pattern or incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those ages 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality' - include psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional violence or abuse
- Common view = DV work of few disturbed or sick individuals and its causes are psychological rather than social - challenged:
- DV too widespread - Women's Aid Federation (2014) - DV accounts for between a 6th and a quarter of all recorded violent crime. Crime Survey for England and Wales (2013) - two million people reported having been victims of domestic abuse during the previous year
- DV doesn't occur randomly - Coleman et al (2007) - women more likely than men to have experienced 'intimate violence' across all four types of abuse (partner, family, sexual assault, stalking). Coleman and Osborne (2010) - two women a week, or 1/3 all female homicide victims, killed by partner or former partner
- Dobash and Dobash (1979: 2007) - research in Scotland, based on police court records and interviews with women in women's refuges - cite examples of wives being slapped, pushed, beaten, raped, killed by husbands
- Found violent incidents could be set off by challenge of authority. Argue marriage legitimises violence against women by conferring power and authority on husbands and dependency on wives
- Crime Survey England and Wales (2013) - relatively narrow gender gap: 7.3% women compared to 5% men reported experience of domestic abuse.
- Walby and Allen (2004) - women more likely to be victims of multiple incidents of abuse and sexual violence
- Ansara and Hindin (2011) - women suffered more severe violence and control, with more serious psychological effects. Women more likely than men to be fearful of partners
- Dar (2013) - can be difficult to count separate DV incidents, abuse may be continuous or occur so often victim cannot reliably count amount
Official statistics:
- Understate extent of the problem:
- Victims may be unwilling to report it to the police. Yearnshire (1997) - on average a woman suffers 35 assaults before making a report. DV violent crime least likely to be reported.
Dar - victims of DV less likely than victims of other forms of violence to report it as they believe it is not a matter for the police or it is too trivial, or fear of reprisals
- Police and prosecutors may be reluctant to record or prosecute cases reported to them.
Cheal (1991) - reluctance due to police and other state agencies not prepared to become involved in the family. Make three assumptions about family life:
- family is a private sphere, access to it by state agencies should be limited
- family is a good thing and so agencies tend to neglect darker side of family life
- individuals are free agents, women free to leave. Male violence often coupled with male economic power = financial dependence
- Lack action by police and prosecutors - cases prosecuted = tip of iceberg - 2006-11, conviction rates stood mere 6.5% of incidents reported to police
Explanations of DV
Radical Feminist explanation:
- Millett (1970) and Firestone (1970) - all societies founded on patriarchy. Key division in society. Men are the enemy - oppressors and exploiters of women
- Family and marriage key institution in patriarchal society and main source of women's oppression - men dominate women through DV or threat of it
- Widespread DV inevitable feature of patriarchal society and serves to preserve power men have over women
- Patterns of DV link to dominant social norms about marriage
- Male domination of state institutions helps explain reluctance of police and courts to deal effectively with DV cases
Evaluations:
- Robertson Elliot (1996) - not all men are aggressive and most are opposed to DV - radical fem ignore this
- Fail to explain female violence (child abuse by women, violence against male partners, in lesbian relationships) - Crime Survey (2013), 18% men experienced DV since age 16
- Fail to explain which women most likely to be victims. Office for National Statistics (2014) - women from some social groups face greater risk of DV:
- Young women
- In lowest social class and living in most deprived areas
- On low income or in financial difficulties
- etc
Some groups overlap - stats show children from lower social classes appear higher risk of abuse and violence
Materialist explanation:
- Wilkinson and Pickett (2010) - DV result of stress on family members caused by social inequality
- Low income or crowded accommodation likely to experience higher levels of stress - reduces chances maintaining stable, caring relationships - increase risk of conflict and violence
- W + P findings - not all people are equally in danger of suffering DV - those less power, status, wealth or income at greater risk
Evaluation:
- Don't explain why women rather than men are main victims
- Marxist feminists - inequality causes DV. Ansley (1972) - wives = 'takers of shit' - DV production of capitalism - men exploited at work and take frustration out on wives
- Help explain why DV is male violence against women. Fails to explain why not all male workers commit acts of violence against partners and doesn't account for cases of female DV
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