Domestic Violence The ‘Dark side’ of family life

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Interview with Rihanna m/watch?v=O- wyhPK81Io&feature=rel ated m/watch?v=O- wyhPK81Io&feature=rel ated Watch this clip and make notes. Do you feel sorry for Rihanna? Did she bring this on herself?

Chris Brown’s response m/watch?v=p5DQ8qh1s lQ&feature=related m/watch?v=p5DQ8qh1s lQ&feature=related Do you think Chris Brown is remorseful? Do you feel sorry for him?

What is domestic violence? “Physical, psychological, sexual or financial violence that takes place within an intimate or family-type relationship and forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. It may involve partners, ex partners, household members or other relatives.” Taken from the Women’s Aid Federation (2008)

Victims of domestic violence Pamela Anderson Lorena Bobbit

net/top-10-celebrities- who-suffered-domestic- violence/ net/top-10-celebrities- who-suffered-domestic- violence/ Lorena fights back! Are Lorena’s actions justified?

The British Crime survey (2007) Domestic violence accounts for almost a sixth of all violent crime. It is estimated that there are 6.6 million domestic assaults a year, about half involving physical injury.

Mirlees- Black found that: Most victims are women 99% of all incidents against women are committed by men. Nearly one in four women has been assaulted by a partner at some point in her life time, and one in eight repeatedly so.

Dobash and Dobash (1979) Interviewed women in women's refuges in Scotland and used police and court records to research domestic violence. Dobash and Dobash found that violent incidents could be set off by what a husband saw as a challenge to his authority. They argue that marriage legitimates violence against women.

Gender Kathryn Coleman (2007) found that women were more likely than men to have experienced ‘intimate violence’ across all four types of abuse – partner abuse, family abuse, sexual assault and stalking.

Official Statistics Official statistics understate the true extent of domestic violence. Why?

Victims may be unwilling to report it to the police. Stephanie Yearnshire (1997) found that on average a woman suffers 35 assaults before making a report. Domestic violence is the violent crime most likely to go unreported.

Police and prosecutors may be reluctant to record, investigate or prosecute those cases that are reported to them. David Cheal 1991 found that this reluctance is due to the fact that Police and other state agencies are not prepared to become involved in the family. They make 3 assumptions about the family...

1) The family is a private sphere so access to it by the state agencies should be limited. 2)The family is a good thing and so agencies tend to neglect the ‘darker side’ of family life. 3) Individuals are free agents, so it is assumed that if a woman is experiencing abuse she is free to leave.

Radical Feminist view point The evidence from Dobash and Dobash is evidence of patriarchy according to Firestone and Millet. The key division in society is between men and women. The family is the main source of female oppression. Women are dominated through domestic violence or the threat of it.

Domestic violence is a way of exerting dominance in a patriarchal society. Additionally male domination in state institutions helps to explain the reluctance of the Police and courts to deal effectively with cases of domestic violence.

Criticism Faith Robertson Elliot 1996 rejects radical ideals of patriarchy in the family. Not all men are aggressive or violent. Radical feminists tend to ignore this.

Radical feminist’s fail to explain female violence including child abuse by women and violence against male partners. Mirlees-Black found that one in seven men has been assaulted and one in 20 repeatedly so.

Other groups at risk... Mirlees –Black identified other social groups at a higher risk of domestic violence: Children and young people Those in lower social classes Those who live in rented accommodation Drug users and those with high levels of alcohol consumption

Richard Wilkinson (1996) Domestic violence, inequality and stress. Domestic violence is the result of stress on family members caused by social inequality. Inequality means that some families have fewer resources than others such as income and housing.

Those on low income or living in overcrowded accommodation are likely to experience higher levels of stress. This reduces their chances of maintaining stable, caring relationships and increases the risk of conflict and violence....

Worries about money, jobs and housing may spill over into domestic conflict as tempers become frayed.

Lack of money and time restricts peoples social circle and reduces social support for those under stress.

Wilkinson and Mirrlees-Black show that not all people are equally in danger of suffering domestic violence. Those with less power, status, wealth or income are often at greatest risk.

However, unlike the radical feminist approach, Wilkinson does not explain why women rather than men are the main victims.

Films on Domestic violence Nil by Mouth Sleeping with the Devil Dangerous Intentions Burning bed

Rihanna ‘Man Down’ m/watch?v=sEhy- RXkNo0 m/watch?v=sEhy- RXkNo0 ‘Man Down’ is about domestic abuse. In this video Rihanna was sexually abused by her boyfriend. The song depicts her retaliation.