Domestic violence

1. Womens aid foundation describes domestic violence as:

physical, psychological, sexually or financial violence that
takes place within an intimate relationship or family-type
relationship and forms a pattern of coercive and controlling
behavior. May involve partners, household members or other
relatives.
2. Stereotypical view of individuals being sick is challenged:
Far too wide spread to be by individuals
Accounts for a sixth of violent crimes.
Catriona Mirrless-blacks survey of 16,000 people
estimates there are 6.6 million people domestically
assult a year with half involving injury.
Does not occur randomly follows patterns
Kathyrn Coleman found that women were more likely
than men to have experienced intimate violence
across all four type of abuse.
Mirrless- Black found that most victims were women,
99% of all incidents against women are committed by
men
One in four women has been assaulted some point in
their life.
Marriage legitimates violence against women by
conferring power and authority on husbands and
dependency on wives.
Official Statistics
Stephanie Wiltshire found that on average a woman suffers 35
assults before she makes a report.
Police are reluctant to record or investigate the case because there
are not prepared to be involved in the family according to David
Cheal (1991)
Police make three assumptions about family life:
1. Family is a private sphere.
2. Family is a good thing so agencies neglect the darker side of
family life.
3. Individuals are free.
The radical feminist explanation
Kate Millett (1970) and Shulamith Firestone (1970) argue that
societies have been founded on patriarchy.

Key division in society and men are the enemy: oppressor and
exploiters of women.
Radical feminists see that family is the key institution of patriarchal
society.
Within the family men dominate the women through domestic
violence or the threat of it.
Widespread domestic violence is an inevitable feature of patriarchal
society.
Faith Robertson Elliot (1996) rejects the radical feminist claim. Not
all men are aggressive and most are opposed against violence.
They fail to explain female violence including child abuse by women
and violence against male partners.
Mirreless Black found one in seven men have been assaulted.
Other groups at risk

Children and young people

Those in lower social classes
Live in rented accommodation
Low income/financial difficulty
High levels of alcohol consumption and drug users.

Wilkinson: domestic violence inequality

Richard Wilkinson sees domestic violence as the result of stress of
family members caused by inequality.
Wilkinsons approach is useful in showing not all people are equal
and how it can produce stress and triggers conflict.
Does not explain why women are the men victims .