Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence

1. Statistics

   • Too widespread to be behaviour of 'a few disturbed individuals'.
     • BCS estimated 6.6 million assaults per year. Mainly by men against women.
     • Nearly 1 in 4 women assaulted by a partner.
       • Yearnshire - 35 assaults before reporting abuse.
   • UNDER-REPORTING - Domestic violence = violent crime least likely to be reported.
   • UNDER-RECORDING - Police unwilling to record, investigate or prosecute DV because reluctant to become involved in the 'private sphere' of family - individuals are free to leave if unhappy.
     • Cannot leave partners - women and children financially dependent.

2. RADICAL FEMINISM

   • Men benefit from women's unpaid domestic labour and sexual services. DV = form of control - so inevitable in patriarchal society.
   • Men dominate the state - explains why police and courts fail to take DV seriously.
     • Dobash and Dobash - found violence was triggered when husbands felt their authority was being challenged. They conclude that marriage legitimates violence by giving power to men.
   • Elliot - men do not necessarily benefit from DV.

3. Inequality - Women not the only group at risk.

   • Children and young people, the poor and lower classes, and alcohol and illegal drug users.
   • Wilkinson - these patterns are result of stress on the family caused by social inequality. Families that lack resources suffer more stress and this increases the risk of violence.
     • Wilkinson does not explain why women are the victims of violence rather than men.