Socioeconomic and Psychological Factors Leading to Domestic Violence

This paper identifies and discusses the socioeconomic and psychological factors leading to domestic violence starting from an international perspective down to Australia. It also analyses the consequences of domestic violence.

Running head: NRSG 210 1
Mental health Nursing
Student’s Name
University Affiliate

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Introduction
Domestic or intimate partner violence is a form of abuse where a person controls
his/her spouse either through verbal or physical assault (Herman, 2015). It is a global
phenomenon affecting all nations and is witnessed in families. Abuse can either be physical
like a sexual assault, psychological or emotional. Although women are the not only victims of
domestic violence, they account for a higher percentage followed by children, the elderly, and
men in that order (Cosh & Carslaw, 2016). Studies show that about 10 million people across
the globe have suffered from domestic violence, and 33% of women compared to 25% of
men have been victims. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of family breakups
and injuries particularly on women ranging between 18 and 45 years of age (Berns, 2017).
Statistics show that about 20% of all violent crimes are family related and 18% of them
involve a weapon. What is horrible is that presence of guns increases the risks of homicide by
about 500%, and almost 12,000 women are killed each year due to domestic violence. Other
than family breakups, domestic violence negatively impacts mental health plus the wellness
of a person (Berns, 2017). Victims of domestic violence have experienced physical,
emotional as well as psychological damage leaving them with bruises, fractured bones and
post-traumatic stress disorders which affect their overall wellbeing. This paper identifies and
discusses the socioeconomic and psychological factors leading to domestic violence starting
from an international perspective down to Australia. It also analyses the consequences of
domestic violence.
Socioeconomic factors and how they influence domestic violence.
The three primary socioeconomic factors that influence domestic violence are alcohol,
education illiteracy and gender inequality.

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1. Alcohol and drug abuse
Alcohol and drug abuse are the leading causes of domestic violence in Australia and
contributes to about 72% of physical assaults. According to a 2010 domestic violence survey
done in South Wales, alcohol was the leading cause of domestic assaults with a rating of
41%. This figure has escalated to about 65% in the remote areas of the state. Victorian data
also shows a steady shift in the rate of alcohol-related domestic violence incidents from 12 to
24 incidents per 10,000 people over a ten year period. The risks of violence increases in a
family when alcohol is involved causing injuries and breakups. Children are most affected
during domestic violence, and in the end, they risk being neglected, abused or being
emotionally disturbed (Cattaneo, & Goodman, 2015). In addition, alcohol leads to domestic
murders. As per the Australian Institute of criminology, about 43% of all homicides reported
between 2004 and 2006 were alcohol-related. Such a rate is much higher for the Aboriginal
Islanders where the intimate partner deaths as a result of alcohol are 13 times more than that
of non-indigenous Australians (Hanmer & Itzin, 2013). Sadly, a majority of these victims are
women.
2. Education illiteracy
Almost 75% of the world’s illiterate adults are women, as per the report evaluating
progress towards gender equality (Jahanfar et al., 2013). The study also shows that for people
of 65 years and above, 19 % of men are illiterate compared to their female counterparts with
a higher margin of 30%. It is assumed that education illiteracy especially that involving a
woman is a key factor that causes domestic violence. As uneducated women are viewed
being less productive economic wise, it is the same way they are seen to have little
bargaining power in the family (Howard et al., 2013). Individuals with little or no education
are at higher risks of being victims of domestic violence than those that are literate. In
addition, those with education literacy are to an extent victims of domestic assault; the

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difference is that the level of incidence is low. Since education is an essential tool in
contemporary society, the level of education a person receives determines his/her lifestyle in
the society. Income is also linked with education level (Johnson, 2016). A person of high
education literacy can secure good employment and receive great rewards in terms of salary.
As a result, the dependency on others lessens thus lowering the cases of domestic violence.
3. Gender inequality.
The relationship between gender and domestic violence remains to be complicated.
Norms within a society shape the different behaviours and roles of males and females. Social
expectations dictate fitting behaviour for men plus their counterparts. Differences in gender
roles between a man and a woman at times create inequalities thus empowering one gender
on behalf of the other (Leavitt & Fox, 2014). In most societies, women are seen as
subordinate to men and that they have a lower status. The latter makes men in charge of
everything and have greater decision power. Gender inequality has a significant and wide-
ranging impact on society. For instance, it can lead to gender inequalities in health as well as
access to health care, employment opportunities, promotion, political representation as well
as education to mention just a few. Differences in gender increase the risks of gender
violence by men against women (Pallitto et al., 2013). For example, there is a traditional
belief that men have the mandate to control women. Such thinking makes women vulnerable
to domestic violence. Statistics show that between 15% and 75% of women are targeted for
domestic violence in their lifetime with a high percentage reporting their husbands as the
culprits. Health consequences of domestic violence causes emotional distress, physical
assault and health problems.

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Psychological factors and how they influence domestic violence.
1. Depression
Studies show that a majority of people involved in murder-suicides suffer from mental
illnesses. A 2009 literature also show that between 19% and 65% of people that commit
murder-suicide suffer from depression and other mental illnesses. High rates of depressive
symptoms are visible in specific populations at risk for domestic violence (Letellier & Island,
2013). A person can be depressed because of deteriorating health condition or financial
hardships thus expressing anger to their partners in forms of violence. Stress can also lead to
depressive symptoms and cause destruction. However, by recognising that depression cause
domestic violence, people should make some changes in their living conditions that will
prevent depression from re occurring (Root & Brown, 2014). Overall, the consequences of
depression like assault require a firm commitment from the other partner and the society at
large which involves freeing the victims of depression from destructive intergeneration cycles
of abuse as well as depression.
2. Mental health problems
Mental health problems do not cause domestic violence but increase the risk of
abusive patterns. Mental disorders affect all sectors of a person’s life including personal
relationships (Malchiodi, 2014). A new research from Britain shows that the cases of
domestic violence are more pronounced among people with mental health conditions than in
the general population. The study also shows that mentally disabled women are three times
more likely to go through domestic violence. Also, those with PSTD are eight times more
likely to go through the same than those without any mental health condition (Oram et al.,
2013). The cases are similar to men. These studies show that domestic violence can result in
mental health problems and persons with mental health conditions are vulnerable to it. PTSD

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affects millions of people across the globe and occur in people that have gone through life-
threatening situations like domestic violence. However, the highest incidences of PTSD are
among victims of battering or rape, particularly the women (Pallitto et al., 2013). More
essential, victims of domestic assault are the victims of mental disorders.
3. Jealousy
Jealously in marriages is a definite issue people hear about and it determines if a
relationship will be healthy or unhealthy and result to abuse/violence (Root & Brown, 2014).
Episodes of domestic violence are due to jealousy as well as accusations of infidelity. A high
number of cases of homicidal as well as the harmful effects of domestic violence are from
pathologically jealous husbands against their female partners (Root & Brown, 2014). Men are
capable of acting out of rage as well as express powerful emotions more violently than
females. Jealousy kills a thoughtful relationship piece by piece especially when it becomes an
obsession. The more a person gets obsessed with something, the more imagination takes over
distorting reality as well as rational thinking. Jealousy can lead to domestic violence and
eventually psychosis (Straus, Gelles & Steinmetz, 2017). Therefore, one should note that
domestic violence not only expresses itself physically but emotionally. Jealousy is an
emotional feeling, and sometimes it can be more painful than being battered. Cheating in a
relationship can cause envy and lead to domestic violence as the other person feels less
important (Straus, Gelles & Steinmetz, 2017). However, it does not necessarily mean that
jealousy can be real that a person is cheating on his/her partner, so it would be ideal to
understand the other person and take necessary actions if the perceptions are true.
Critical thinking
The consequences of domestic violence are more than a person may think, as victims
of violence along with their families and friends can be affected. Regarding intimate partner
violence, there is enough evidence of the negative impact on children (Berns, 2017). The

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society can suffer economically, regarding the use of resources as well as productivity of a
person because of fear and injury. However, understanding the ramifications of violence is
vital for planning as well as implementing strategies to deal with such implications. On the
other hand, victims of domestic violence exhibit psychological symptoms that are common to
the person suffering from trauma or PTSD. Children in families where domestic violence
occur are at great danger of physical as well as sexual assault (Johnson, 2016). They can
develop high levels of aggression and antisocial, along with fearful and inhibited behaviours.
Conclusion
Domestic violence has been a world phenomenon that has affected people particularly the
women since time immemorial. The problem is aggravated by issues such as socioeconomic
factors and psychological factors leading to great ramifications for the victims such as broken
marriages, sexual assault, fractured bones, and PTSDs to mention just a few. To counteract
this problem, there should be gender parity in all fields and strict laws put in place to deal
with the perpetrators of domestic violence. As some of the victims of domestic violence do
not report cases of assault, they should adopt others ways like education which can make
them dependable in life which is a major cause of domestic violence.

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