Domestic Violence among Women

Running head: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG WOMEN
Domestic Violence among Women
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1Domestic Violence among Women
Introduction:
One of the major health concern of the women of the society, today, is the mental and
physical health issues related to the domestic violence that they are perceived with, or that
they experience in their daily life. Domestic violence or domestic abuse refers to the violence
the violence that is committed by one against the other within a domestic setting, such as
family or marriage. This is essentially refereed to violence against women. According to the
United States of Justice Office on Violence against Women, the system of abusive behaviour
of any forms and in any relationship by one member against the other to exercise control, is
referred as Domestic Violence. According to the researcher, the abusive behaviour entails
upon the power relationship. The forms of abuses can take many forms, such as, physical
abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, abuses through social media,
economic abuse and the like (Axford et al. 2014). However, in Australia, the number of
domestic violence is increasing. As compared to the other countries of the contemporary
times, it is observed that Australia and New Zealand are the two countries that are on top of
the violence against women chart. Therefore, in the following essay the abusive behaviour
that the women of the country Australia are perceived with and how they have drawn
strengths and positivity form these abusive situations and relationships are discussed. The
aim of the essay is to show how women over time have used their crisis situations as a means
to strengthen themselves and have outgrown from the situations. To assess the same, the
essay initially has focused upon the literature that are available, which show certain situations
where the women have effectively dealt with their situations and have outgrown from them.
On that note, the essay has also included certain theoretical understandings that illustrate
upon the same.

2Domestic Violence among Women
Literature Review:
Battered Women’s Syndrome: Illustrated by Walker, this work was seen as the pioneering
feminist work focusing on the psychological impacts on the women due to domestic abuse on
the women. The study first entailed upon the concepts of Victimisation and the coercive
techniques that were perpetuated against the women, stating that there is an underlying power
relation behind the practice of domestic abuses and that the women are dependent upon their
male counterparts and their family for their basic needs, which gives the later the capability to
exercise power and control upon the former in order to maintain their power (Matthews et al.
2016). However, this particular theory had many loophole and is generally regarded as
having a reductionist approach.
Male Pathologies: the Male pathology theory states that the men who indulge in the abusive
behaviours or commit domestic violence, are psychologically disturbed, and the researcher
are of the opinion that the family background or the upbringing system process of these men
had been a disturbed and improper one that have impacted upon their mental health and
influence their present behaviour and situation. According to the Adult attachment cycle, that
the violent or abusive men have an increased interpersonal dependence with the abused is the
consequence of detachment or insecure attachment or a lack of care giver in the childhood
that has influenced the present behaviour of the person (Berns. 2017). Further, the theory has
claimed consumption of alcohol is another reason for such behaviour. However, it is been
observed that the men who do not consume alcohol or did not have disturbed childhood, also
practices such abusive behaviour on their female counterparts or on their girl child.
Women Blaming Explanations: This theory entails upon the belief that, women are needed to
be controlled or deserve to be chastised. The claim is that there are certain normative
behaviours, regarding the domestic and sexual duties and gender roles, which women must
abide by and if they do not follow the normative behaviours they are said to be deviating

3Domestic Violence among Women
from the rules of the society, which are unacceptable, and hence they deserve to be punished
(Kahmguilu. 2018).
Feminist Theory: With the emergence of political feminist movements, the Feministic
Theories entailed upon the causes and forms of women oppression and wished to illustrate it
from the perspectives of race, gender, class and sexual preferences. Since the concept of
Feminism described the system of society as patriarchal and have claimed to break the
societal norms that have impeded women, historically, the claim is that the power
relationship that governs this patriarchal society are the root cause for the domestic violence
(Coccia. 2017). Women oppression and wife beating, women abused, battered women, all
these notions are related to the inequal power relationship that governs the society and the
claim is that these are all a part of the systematic oppression of women that is being
continued since history, and not really are individual cases with individual root causes. The
notion is that, the oppression is the part of the systematic and structural patriarchal control
over the body and mind of women, built around the concept of male superiority and women
inferiority and stereotypes sex roles or gendered roles that are defined by the society and the
dependency of women regarding economic and social behaviour (Berns. 2017). The theory
not only upholds the patriarchal social structure and the power relationship, but also focuses
upon the gendered structure and the gendered roles.
Family System Theory: According to the Family System Theory, the family plays a great and
huge role in shaping the roles and attitudes of the children. It is observed, as according to the
Family system Theory, that the process of socialization and the process of gendered role
differentiation, as done by the family, play an important role in determining the future
behaviour of the children. From the perspective of the Family System Theory, the family
conflicts and conducts, the family behaviour and understandings, the factors of disobedience,
stress, economy and violence all contribute to the formation of the conception regarding