Domestic Violence in Global and Australian Context

This essay focuses on the issue of domestic violence in a global and Australian context, how domestic violence impacts the physical and the mental well-being of a person. The essay would further examine how the socio-economic and the psychological factors influence the incidence of domestic violence.

Running head: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
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Domestic violence in global context and Australia
Domestic violence can be defined as any abusive action or violence against a person in
domestic setting. Domestic violence does not necessarily means physical violence alone, but also
to psychological torture done in order to gain authority or control over an individual (Motz,
2016). Abusive behaviour is a learned behaviour and is necessarily not caused by anger or
mental problems. A large number of actions can be considered as domestic violence such as
physical assault, threatening or intimidating, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, criminal
damage, mental and sexual harassment (Motz, 2016).
This essay will focus on the issue of domestic violence in a global and Australian context,
how domestic violence impacts the physical and the mental well-being of a person. The essay
would further examine how the socio-economic and the psychological factors influence the
incidence of domestic violence.
Statistics on domestic violence
Women and children are the most vulnerable groups to any kind of violence at home.
Domestic violence is an issue that can be found globally irrespective of the ethnicities and
nationalities (Hoyle,2012). It is a serious problem that can be seen in every society of both the
developed and the underdeveloped nations. Although domestic violence can be seen against men,
but the women, children and the elderly account for most of the cases of domestic violence.
According to Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety
(ANROWS), one in every 11 people (1927899) have been a victim of domestic violence for
since the age of 15. Breaking down the results- one in six women and the one in every 20 men
(White ribbon Australia, 2018). As per the statistics on an average at least one women a week is

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being killed by a partner in Australia, One in five women in Australia have demonstrated sexual
violence, one in four Australian female have faced with emotional abuse by the current or the
former partner. Women are more susceptible to suffer from domestic violence from an intimate
partner. Young women between the age group (15-44) are likely to suffer from emotional or
physical abuse than the women in older age group. According to the reports the cost of
healthcare and social welfare involving domestic violence has been found to be $21.7 billion a
year, suggesting that if no further actions are taken, the cost might accumulate to $323.4 billion
(Australian institute of health and welfare, 2018)
Socioeconomic status and domestic violence
Socioeconomic status can be identified as one of the risk factors to domestic violence. It
should be noted that SES does not only encompass income but also attainment of education,
subjective viewpoint about social classes and status and financial security (Adams et al., 2013).
Families with lower SES are likely to experience domestic violence. Families with low
SES lack a nurturing environment for the growth of a child and as a result low SES children are
more likely to experience adverse experiences than their counterparts with high SES. Economic
status of a person is linked to domestic violence in many ways (Adams et al., 2013). Poorer
women or those women who are financially dependent on their partners are likely to suffer the
most and are more likely to return to the abusive partners. The degree of the economic
dependence of the women is associated with the severity of the abuse (Motz, 2016). Increased
dependence on partner is associated with greater abuse. Furthermore a person can also be harmed
to undermine his/her ability to become financially independent. A poor household is associated
to low capacity of spending, lower ability to cope up with the increasing economic needs, which
may give rise to depression in abusive partners, who can hit their partners at rage (Hearn, 2013).

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It should be remembered that low SES correlates to low educational achievement, poverty and
poor physical and mental health. And people with lower education are more likely to hit their
partners.
Psychological factors contributing to domestic violence
One of the factors behind domestic violence is disorganised family patterns and
interactions created under stressful conditions, for which both the spouses might be responsible.
Certain psychological factors such as critical inner voice that involves a destructive inner voice
directing him to abuse his partner (Velea, Truţescu & Curcă, 2015). Inferiority complexes, which
is the shame triggered by the concept that they are appearing to be weak can trigger some people
to act violently or become enraged.
Marital domestic violence is the most common form of violence seen worldwide. apart
from the critical inner voice there lies a fantasy bond between a partner, where both the partner
feels that they cannot lead their life on their own without each other and this gives rise to a
perception of merged identity between the two partners that inhibits the from breaking free from
a relationship even after it has become dangerous or hostile (Velea, Truţescu & Curcă, 2015).
Abusive childhood has been reported to be a factor or retarded psychological growth of
the abusers. According to the studies, people having abusive and unhealthy childhood are more
likely to get indulged in such outrageous activities (Hearn, 2013). It is their past experience that
makes them to hurt others.
Children who have been the victim of domestic violence often suffer from emotional and
psychological trauma as they grow up in an ambience filled with tension and anxiety (Hardesty,
Haselschwerdt & Johnson, 2012). Children who have been the victim to domestic violence are

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the ones who are forced to worry about their future instead of letting them grow in an
emotionally and physically safe environment nurtured with love and care (Howard et al., 2013).
According to the report undertaken by Queensland Domestic Violence Taskforce 1988, 90 % of
the children present in houses where domestic violence has occurred, have viewed vehemence
against their mother (Australian institute of health and welfare, 2018). These kinds of fearful
experiences can have deep impact on a child’s mind and can contribute to aggressive behaviour
in future (Patterson, DeBaryshe & Ramsey, 2017). These children may get involved in domestic
violence in future with their partners (Herrenkohl et al., 2012). A child may get involved in the
middle of an attack by accident or intentionally. Infants can get injured while being held by their
mothers when the perpetrator attacks (Norman et al., 2012). Some of the impacts of domestic
violence on child are depression, withdrawal, abuse of parents, taking on the role of the
caretakers prematurely in order to protect the family member, entering into early relationship or
marriage in order to escape from the family. According to Hardesty, Haselschwerdt & Johnson,
(2012), daughters are more likely to suffer from domestic violence other than the sons.
Daughters are also exposed to sexual violence in abusive families. According to Norman et al.
(2012), where a male is the main perpetrator of the child abuse, it has been found that there had
been a 70 % chance that the injury is serious. 80 % of the child abuses in a family are because of
the father or the father surrogates.
As reported by most of the victims, the main cause of the domestic violence have been
found to be substance abuse, alcoholism, financial problems within the family where the person
have to go through hardships for making the end meet, extramarital relationship of one partner
that can be outrageous to the other partner (Stanley, Miller & Richardson Foster, 2012). While
reporting about child abuse, the victims have reported that children are likely to face abuse while

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witnessing their mother getting abused or due to their inability to meet up to the expectation of
the parents. Factors such as inability to get higher grades during exams, or getting in to a
relationship without parental consent has been found to be some of the factors responsible for
physical abuse in families (Stanley, Miller & Richardson Foster, 2012).
According to a qualitative study examining the reasons why the perpetrators commit
domestic violence, most of the men believed that their violence was associated to the learned
behaviours that they have witnessed in their family (Capaldi et al., 2012). Again some of the
participants have admitted that they do not consider emotional abuse to be any form of abuse
when in reality such types of abuse can have a long term implications tan physical abuse.
Furthermore, few people also think that they possess an inherent right on their spouse or their
child and hence can treat them as per their will or mood (Capaldi et al., 2012). The participants
that were interviewed have reported that activities like praying, counselling, support from the
families have helped them in the recovery. Hence it can be understood that the main issue lies in
the mentality of the community.
In conclusion it can be said that the Children and women are the most vulnerable group to
domestic violence. Socioeconomic status and psychological issues in childhood have been
identified as the prime precipitating factors to domestic violence. However there are lot more
reasons behind the increasing incidence of domestic violence in Australia and all over the world.
Domestic violence has been found to have a negative impact of the psychological development
of the child witnessing domestic violence. However a community based approach is necessary to
decrease the prevalence of the domestic violence. Strengthening of lawsuits would not be
sufficient. A community based approach is necessary to increase the awareness on people about
domestic violence and to eradicate the problem from the grass root level.

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References
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