Domestic Violence: Causes, Effects and Remedies

This paper discusses the causes, effects and remedies of domestic violence. It includes case studies, theories and possible solutions to alleviate the pain of victims.

Running head: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1
Domestic Violence
Name
Institution

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Domestic Violence
According to World Health Organization (2012), domestic violence entails all kind of
mistreatments, which occurs to people in heterosexual or homosexual relationship either adults
or adolescents. However, the term can also encompass child abuse by other family member of a
household. Domestic violence also referrers to intimate partner violence (IPV). The rates of
partners’ violence over the years have increased ranging from sexual abuse, physical violence,
emotional violence, and controlling behaviors. Therefore IPV outlines the harmful relationship
habits, which cause stress, injury to the victims in a relationship. Nevertheless, through some
case studies, this paper tries to clearly identify the causes of IPV, effects on the victims, and
possible remedies used to alleviate their pain. Disagreements are inevitable due to the changes in
life and partners should learn to be accommodative of each other to reduce the high numbers of
domestic violence in the society.
In the video ‘Behind Closed Doors’ produced by True Vision Production (2015), shows
the violence crimes, which occur in families but some go unnoticed as the victims are not willing
to press charges. According to this video, the majority of the victims are women, who get abused
by their husbands. In the first case study, Sabrina and her husband Paul Hopkins are married for
5 years. It is disturbing to note that for all the 4 years Paul has been abusing her without being
charged. Sabrina does not sue him for the physical violence, which includes slapping, hitting,
kicking, and beating he gets from his husband. She ignores the abuses and due to her great love
to him she does not wish to report him. However, it is until April 20th 2015, when the police
intervene to save Sabrina from his husband after being physically abused for about six hours.
Despite, the police hearing the whole incident, she is still not willing to admit that it was his
husband, who abused her. According to DI Larry form the Domestic Abuse Investigation unit,
about 43% of the cases they deal with are repeated cases as a result of women withdrawing the

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charges despite being abused by their spouses. This case of Sabrina was one of the repeated
cases. The abuse made by Paul resulted to him being sentenced for 13months. Luckily, this time
round Sabrina was able to move on with her life without him.
The second case is between Helen and his 10 years husband Lawrence. She was
undergoing physical, emotional abuses and controlling behavior from his husband. They had
lived well without conflicts until they got a son. However, Lawrence started to control her by
making demands to her and being angry for nothing, which ended up to him beating, slapping,
hitting, and kicking her. She reported the issue to the authorities and was given a restraining
order. However, her husband was stubborn and did not obey the court orders. He kept o sending
her insulting messages, calls humiliating her. He used the excuse of checking on his son to
pretend they were in good terms, when she reported the abuse to the police. He was unable to be
arrested as Helen met with him in a hotel prior to pressing charges. During this time the
Domestic Violence and Abuse unit helped her to get justice, which led to Lawrence being found
guilty of harassment with violence. He was imprisoned for 4 months with a fine of 1000pounds.
Finally, the case of Jemma and Dwayne her Ex-girlfriend showed the animosity among
partners due to anger and frustration of failed relationship. She was abused physically by her ex-
boyfriend, who despite being informed by her that the relationship was over kept on coming to
her house anytime he wanted. The incident made Jemma afraid of what might happen to her
children if he abuses her in front of them. According to Durand, Schraiber, França-Junior, &
Barros (2011), IPV affects children behaviors during their growth and development. Therefore,
she hired an expert to help them know how to protect themselves. The abuse made him get
sentenced for 7 years in prison for Grievous body harm to her with intent. According to Breuer,
& Elson (2017), they talked about the Frustration–Aggression Theory as a cause of domestic

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violence. Human beings have set goals, which they intent to achieve in every occasion. In case
this goals are not achieved, they get frustrated, which in turn results to aggression. Therefore, the
victim of frustration experiences physical and verbal behavior intended to hurt the other. In the
case of Jemma, it could be aggression, which led to his ex-boyfriend to abuse her as he was not
willing to accept the situation of losing her and move on.
Generally, the above cases are as result of minor or no family issues. It is evident that
men are abusing women without no proper reasons. According to the feminist theory by Price &
Shildrick (2017), men and women are equal and the feminist try to campaign against domestic
violence where women are coerced and oppressed with no power to question. Additionally, the
power theory shows that men abuse women because they are stronger. Women are unable to
defend themselves hence they become vulnerable to abuse. Sabrina and Helen are abused by
their husbands with no good reasons. They love, caring and submissive yet abused and hurt
badly (Allen, 2018). According Hyde-Nolan, the family system theory suggests that our families
encourage women abuse. Men in families are given too much power and in some communities
their partners are their properties hence can use them as they desire. These notions make women
weak in the eyes of the men giving them power to control them.
Despite women experiencing domestic violence they seem to have no power to divorce
their husbands. They easily forgive their partners, who continuously hurt them in the hope they
will change one day. Some women don’t leave violent partners is the fear of losing custody of
their children like the case of Helen. Also, others dependent on their husbands for economic
support. Finally, some have no support from families to fight against domestic violence. It is
clear to understand that the ecological model proposes that the causes of violence are as a result
of individual, relationship, community and societal factors. However, IPV have severe

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consequences to the victims as it causes physical and mental injury to the victims (Younger,
2011).
Finally, according to the attachment theory by Holmes (2014), partners must be attached
to each other and reciprocate love to each other. At no point should partners abuse each other on
any grounds. They should take great care of each other. The civil and criminal legal frameworks
should be reformed to ensure that abusers face the full force of the law. The media should raise
awareness on campaigns against IPV. Rights regarding to women rights related to divorce, child
support and custody, property should be strengthened. Government and the civil societies should
work together to campaign against domestic violence by promoting social and economic
empowerment to girls and women. Schools should have programs that campaign against female
abuse. Additionally, men and boys should be taught on how to live with women and girls without
engaging in violence. Women should learn to speak out when faced with domestic violence to be
helped before it is too late. It is very important for the society and family to have behavioral
order to ensure peaceful coexistence among all the members.

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References
“Behind Closed Doors” (2018). (BAFTA AWARD NOMINATED DOCUMENTARY) - Real
Stories. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZS1JSwBNKM
[Accessed 30 Jul. 2018].
Allen, A. (2018). The power of feminist theory. Routledge.
Breuer, J., & Elson, M. (2017). Frustration–Aggression Theory. The Wiley Handbook of
Violence and Aggression, 1-12.
Durand, J. G., Schraiber, L. B., França-Junior, I., & Barros, C. (2011). Impact of exposure to
intimate partner violence on children's behavior. Revista de saude publica, 45(2), 355-
364.
Holmes, J. (2014). John Bowlby and attachment theory. Routledge.
Morris, S. C. (2007). The causes of violence and the effects of violence on community and
individual health. Global Health Education Consortium and Collaborating Partners.
Price, J., & Shildrick, M. (2017). Feminist theory and the body: a reader. Routledge.
World Health Organization. (2012). Understanding and addressing violence against women:
intimate partner violence.
Younger, R. B. (2011). The Effects of Domestic Violence: The Male Victims Perspective.