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Domestic Violence

Chapter · April 2015

DOI: 10.4135/9781452206905.n228

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 The SAGE Encyclopedia of
Economics and Society
Domestic Violence

Contributors: Scott Nicholas Romaniuk

Edited by: Frederick F. Wherry & Juliet B. Schor
Book Title: The SAGE Encyclopedia of Economics and Society
Chapter Title: "Domestic Violence"
Pub. Date: 2015
Access Date: April 3, 2016
Publishing Company: SAGE Publications, Inc.
City: Thousand Oaks,
Print ISBN: 9781452226439
Online ISBN: 9781452206905
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452206905.n228
Print pages: 572-573
©2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.
This PDF has been generated from SAGE Knowledge. Please note that the
pagination of the online version will vary from the pagination of the print book.
SAGE SAGE Reference
Contact SAGE Publications at http://www.sagepub.com.[Page iv]

Domestic violence is physical or nonphysical (i.e., psychological) abuse committed by

one or more persons against an individual or individuals irrespective of characteristics
such as gender, sexual orientation or identity, political views, religious denomination,
and socioeconomic status. Domestic violence can take place at any time and in any
society or community. Domestic violence is defined as an act of violence that takes
place specifically within an intimate relationship (i.e., perpetrated against a spouse or
partner). In most cases, domestic violence refers to or receives attention as an act or
acts that are committed by men against women. Men, however, can also be victims of
domestic violence, and most acts of domestic violence perpetrated against men usually
take place in public settings or are committed by other men.

A particularly disturbing aspect of domestic violence is that this form of abuse and
violence usually takes place within the home or in places that are supposed to be
considered “safe” places that provide protection for families and loved ones. Domestic
violence can result in minor or serious injury to the victim or victims. Therefore, part of
the broader understanding of domestic violence requires consideration of the social
setting, triggers of violence, perpetrators and victims, legal interpretations, privacy of
the victim, and social and economic pressures of reporting domestic violence activity to
authorities or bodies that are able to provide protection, such as the police and the
criminal law system.

Domestic violence is usually considered a crime. Therefore, police forces have well-
trained men and women who are able to deal with domestic violence situations
professionally. Police services are available to respond to all forms of family and
domestic violence behavior that results in physical, sexual, and/or psychological
damage/trauma, including forced social isolation, dispossessing an individual of
economic security, or other forms of acts or behavior that result in creating fear in an
individual at the time or in the future.

Dealing with domestic violence requires communication in which the nature and level of
danger are expressed. Detail-specific statements include whether or not imminent
danger exists, what form of danger it is, and any particular means of force that
have/can/could be used. In some cases, it is necessary for the victim or potential victim
to flee the scene. In such cases, the victim needs to seek refuge in a temporary safe
haven until the proper law enforcement authorities arrive. Some examples of safe or
secure sanctuaries include women’s shelters. If medical care or treatment is required,
then the individual in question should be taken to a hospital.

In matters of domestic violence that involve the police, individuals are required to make
a report and record important details of the incident or incidents. Although people have
the right to make verbal or written reports, reports can generally fall into any of the
following four categories:

1. Information is recorded, but no action is taken.

2. A crime that has been reported is investigated, with information recorded, and
some form of action follows.
3. A crime that has been reported is investigated, and some form of intervention
occurs, such as a police officer pursuing or apprehending a suspect.
4. An officer initiates his or her own investigation because he or she witnesses an
act or has reasonable and probable grounds to believe that an offence has

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SAGE SAGE Reference
Contact SAGE Publications at http://www.sagepub.com.[Page iv]
occurred.

The victim, bystanders, or even the police officer can submit a report if he or she
witnessed any such acts—and in some cases may be legally required to submit a
report. Law enforcement authorities are required to provide information regarding an
individual’s rights to the victim or to bystanders who are submitting the report.
Identification numbers also accompany cases. Filing a report about domestic violence
is probably one of the most important steps that can be taken in dealing with such acts.
Previous, current, and future fear of possible domestic violence events is an important
component of the report that enables the law enforcement community and supporting
services to take action.

Court protection is available for victims of domestic violence. In the case of women and
children, courts are able to assist in their protection by arranging for temporary family
homes depending on the country and the jurisdictions within countries. In some cases,
nonprofit agencies play a major, even leading, role in these types of rescue activities.
Enhancing the protection of a victim of domestic violence is made possible through
further action such as the courts issuing general court orders for protection, making
arrangements for child custody, and the potential suspension of any rights that are held
to gain access to children who would be in a vulnerable position.

The primary aim of protection is to shelter direct and indirect victims of a family or
household from further or possible abuse in any of the forms noted previously. When
measures are taken to restrict an individual’s access to possible victims, he or she
could become deprived (depending on the type of order—some may include a “no
contact” condition, and some may not) of the legal right to make (un)announced visits to
the victim’s home, place of employment, place of education or place of the victim’s
child’s or children’s education or to make nonphysical contact by sending text
messages or e-mails, or making phone calls.

Victims are entitled to receive indemnity or compensation following instances of

domestic violence. Indemnity payment, for example, can take the form of recompense
of pecuniary costs such as medical bills and payments (i.e., short-term and long-term
treatments and hospitalization), financial liabilities due to injuries that prevent the victim
from working or carrying on with normal activities that allow the individual to provide for
herself or himself or for family members, as well as the costs associated with clothing,
property, and other material items damaged as a result of the domestic violence.
Compensation eligibility depends on a number of factors, such as victim gratification as
well as the personal suffering of the victim or victims in relation to physical and
emotional pain, suffering, and shame. These can be complex processes that take time
and require necessary steps within a legal process.

When a home and the people living within it encounter domestic violence, there can be
(sometimes) unforeseen consequences or consequences that do not fully take into
consideration the other party involved. For example, there are matters directly
concerning the welfare of indirect victims, such as children or minors living within the
home at the time of the violence. Accordingly, issues such as parental care, custody, as
well as child access and surrender become matters of common or civil law processes.
In such cases, effort needs to be made to work toward an amicable arrangement, often
involving advisory services that can guide necessary child care through education or
facilities. Courts can order mediation or counseling as part of an amicable arrangement
and take the necessary steps toward releasing a temporary order if there is a failure to

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 SAGE SAGE Reference
Contact SAGE Publications at http://www.sagepub.com.[Page iv]
reach an amicable arrangement. In cases of domestic violence, child welfare (usually)
assumes priority over all other family matters, with the necessary steps being taken in a
timely manner.

See alsoWomen's Groups; Women's Movement

Scott Nicholas Romaniuk

http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452206905.n228
10.4135/9781452206905.n228
Further Readings
Berry, Dawn. The Domestic Violence Sourcebook. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill
Education, 2000.
Gil, Eliana and John Briere. Helping Abused and Traumatized Children: Integrating
Directive and Nondirective Approaches. New York: The Guildford Press.
Herman, Judith L. Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence: From Domestic
Abuse to Political Terror. New York: Basic Books, 2015.
Kurst-Swanger, Karel and Jacqueline L. Petcosky. Violence in the Home:
Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Psychology). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

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