Introduction
Everywhere across the globe, people are being affected by domestic violence. No precise target group can be changed because an individual of any culture, age, religion, and sex can be a victim. As days pass, the issue of domestic violence is increasing, and from the looks of it, it seems like it’s not stopping anytime soon. For many years, domestic violence has been associated with male dominance, as males have always been the aggressors and the women the victims. This has resulted in society thinking of men overpowering women both physically and mentally each time they think of domestic violence. The objective of this paper is to coherently discuss how domestic violence affects the society as a whole.
A Brief History And Nature Of Domestic Violence
For one to understand how domestic violence affects our society today, it’s important to look at the life and history of this issue. For starters, wife and partner abuse has always been considered as usual in an intimate relationship. To many, domestic violence has always been an experience every woman deciding to enter into a marriage should expect and tolerate. During the 70s era, domestic violence was at its peak, and as a result, it began being considered a crime (Kulkarni, Racine & Ramos, 2012).
Domestic conflict typically escalates as a result of verbal abuse, violence, and threats. While one may only view and think of physical injury as the ultimate danger, there may be the severity of the emotional and psychological repercussions of domestic violence. An individual’s self-worth may be destroyed as a result of an abusive relationship, thus leading to anxiety and depression, which creates a feeling of helplessness and loneliness. No one should stand this type of pain and mistreatment, and it is, therefore, a necessity for one to recognize an abusive relationship as the first step in exiting it (“Domestic Violence against Men,” 2016).
There are arguments that domestic abuse is a series of sexual, psychological and economic oppression of one partner in any relationship that results in physical assaults and credible threats. For quite some time, women have been portrayed to be the victims and be viewed as the abusers. The way society sees domestic violence has resulted in people fearing to report cases of domestic violence as the victim will feel embraced and ashamed. The way the culture is shaped has resulted in victims preferring to keep quiet and not report the abusers rather than feeling embarrassed and being judged by society (Grossman & Lundy, 2011). In other instances, women who are being abused and still have a family with the abuser often feel the need to protect their children’s father and thus never report their abusers. Men, on the other hand, who undergo domestic violence rarely say their wives as they know they don’t fear for their lives and they are well aware of how society will view them.
To many, domestic violence is considered to be a cultural universal because its historical roots are prehistorical as they are deeply rooted in society. By looking at marriage in the olden days, one cannot help but blame the community for everything going on in today’s weddings. This is because children were brought up knowing that in any marriage, the man was the head of the house and was responsible for taking care and supporting his family, while the wife was expected to be submissive and stay at home while taking care of the household (Collins, Crowther, Whatley & Natarajan, 2015). As a result of this teaching, women were made to be dependent on men while men began feeling superior. The fact that women are dependent on men made men see their women as property rather than partners. To them, their wives were their property, and they could do anything and treat them anyhow.
The government, therefore, needs to spend the revenue on the establishment of institutions which will help people get educated on matters pertaining to equality. From the organizations, the people will also be counselled on the violence they undergo. This will assist them in overcoming trauma and psychological torture, thus coping with emotions.
Many people tend to assume that domestic violence only affects married individuals. What people do not know is that it changes the society as a whole and has its effects. For starters, domestic violence can be defined as the partner’s aggressive behaviour present in an intimate or personal relationship. For some, engaging in violence helps establish a sense of control in the house and over other people. Domestic violence is known for never taking into consideration age, race, gender or sexual orientation. It also never considers how much money a person has in their account. With this in mind, it is right to say that domestic violence doesn’t affect the person undergoing it directly, but it changes society as a whole, including friends, family members, and co-workers. No individual in their right mind can stay around a violent person regardless of the fact that he is your friend or colleague. A wife is the only person who can stay with an abusive husband in the name of “love.” Revenue and the taxpayers’ money will, therefore, be used in the education of people on their rights and encouragement to report or express themselves whenever they are threatened or confronted by such situations (Collins, Crowther, Whatley & Natarajan, 2015).
In most instances, these cases of domestic violence often end up involving law enforcement agencies, treatment facilities, hospitals and doctors, the courts and the entire personnel and other services. All these services are of importance, considering domestic violence can take any form, including physical abuse. The time used to offer services to the victims of domestic violence can be used to deliver services to something else that might require their attention. All of the above named above are needed in any society as a society cannot thrive without them. It is clear to see just how much domestic violence, in a minimal way, can affect and become harmful to society. Through the taxes, there can be the establishment of human rights organizations which will be at the forefront of fighting and advocating for human rights (Sweetnam, 2013).
In many cases, victims of domestic violence have a higher chance compared to ordinary folks having physical problems such as PTSD, depression, heart and social issues. Every domestic violence incident is likely to create individuals who will later struggle to fit into society 5. It might also be creating people who will never be productive in the nation, as domestic violence can lead to death. People might think that two people are not enough to affect society or make the community worry about them, but what they forget is that domestic violence is happening in thousands of households. The use of taxpayers’ money will help in curbing such incidences thus preventing other likely diseases such as those mentioned above (Coker, 2016).
The effect received in workplaces and on the entire economy is very large. It has been noted that most abusers and victims of domestic violence always struggle in their place of work. In most cases, they are unreliable as they have trouble when it comes to concentrating and small things get them angry and agitated. In some cases, they can be aggressive, and this becomes hard for another employee to work with them. Most of the time, these individuals are terminated due to the behaviour that they have stemmed from their home environment. This not only puts pressure on an individual but also on the entire business. This is because the company has to pay wages to an employee who is unreliable, and once the employee is terminated, they have to go back to the drawing book to employ new employees. All the time wasted dealing with the unreliable employee and beginning the hiring process again could have been put to good use, which will ensure the company grows and the economy thrives (Sweetnam, 2013).
Also, there is the issue of absenteeism for many people who are victims of domestic violence. There have been cases in which victims of domestic violence are absent from the workplace for nearly a week or even three days. This can be due to legal reasons if the parties have decided to seek justice or medical purposes if they are physically or mentally injured. In case it’s due to medical reasons, the medical costs will most likely be charged to the insurance which is covered by the employer. A person might think that the company should be responsible for their employee and should not feel bad while paying the medical costs because they pay lower wages, but remember, the more the business fails, the less money is being made, and the less employment opportunities are present. Absentee-ism might lead to the termination of the employee or even a reduction of their income. If money is not made, then there exists no money that is put back into the economy, which proves that domestic violence affects not only an individual or their workplace but also the country’s economy (Collins, Crowther, Whatley & Natarajan, 2015).
The government should spend the taxpayers’ money to ensure that there is stable funding for the organizations and bodies that have been established to fight against domestic violence. Such financing will facilitate the services offered, such as counselling and medical attention to the victims. The organizations will also be able to maintain their facilities to their victims in the sense that they will have money for upkeep. The funds can also help in training professionals who can be deployed to the field and offer skilled and professional assistance to the victims and the affected people. This can be in the form of counselling or education on how to tackle domestic violence (Kulkarni, Racine & Ramos, 2012).
The funding by the government through the use of revenue will ensure that there is an improved provision of services. This is in the sense that a large number of workers and professional personnel will be able to attend to the victims. A higher number of facilities will be set up thus increasing the range of services varying from counseling and treatment to the victims. It will also facilitate the setting up of more organizations with the aim of diversifying their service provision. It will ensure that more people are reached, including those in remotely located rural areas (Kulkarni, Racine & Ramos, 2012).
Domestic violence can lead to injuries and may even result in death. This will, therefore, call for emergency services. Such services can be provided by the government through the use of taxes and revenue collected. Examples of emergency services include ambulances, the establishment of dispensaries and health centres in the most affected regions, the setting up the domestic violence departments in major hospitals to deal with cases of domestic violence, as well as training specialized nurses and doctors who will address the victims. Through this, the community will be helped (Grossman & Lundy, 2011).
The government can also spend the funds on preventing and intervening. The processes of prevention and intervention include a variety of ways such as crisis intervention, offering safer housing and shelters, advocacy against domestic violence as well as providing educational and prevention programs. Society screening for domestic torture and violence can be executed systematically in instances of healthcare settings, animal abuse, behavioural health settings, and emergency departments, as well as in court systems. The taxes can also be used in the development of tools that can assist in facilitating the screening of domestic violence. Such means include mobile apps. There can also be the development and enhancement of programs that relate to domestic violence. The Domestic Intervention Project, also known as the Duluth Model, is a program which was initiated with the aim of reducing domestic violence, especially against women. This is a multi-disciplinary program designed and developed with the objective of addressing the issue of domestic violence through the coordination of the actions of a variety of organizations and corporations which deal with domestic conflicts (Sweetnam, 2013).
There is also a range of strategies and plans that are being employed in an attempt to prevent or reduce domestic chaos. It is significant to assess and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of an initiative which is under implementation. The taxpayer’s money can be used in these processes and roles.
The reformation of the legislation to ensure that the scope of laws and regulations underlies the issues of domestic violence is significant. This may prompt the repealing of the already established and existing statutes, which may be discriminating against women. The World Health Organization implies that in case the law permits males or husbands to physically instil discipline in their wives, the implementation of an initiative to curb or prevent intimate partner conflict may have minimal impacts (“Domestic Violence against Men,” 2016).
The marriage rules and laws are also essential. According to them, the women ought to be allowed to freely and willingly get into a marriage or exit it, to acquire financial credit as well as to possess and manage some properties and assets. The abolishment or restriction of the provision or reception of dowry and bride price, as well as the scrutinizing of the impacts of such processes and transactions on the legislative decisions regarding the domestic conflict, are significant. According to the UN Women, the legislative body ought to ensure that the domestic violence perpetrators, which include marital rape, are limited from using facts such as payment of the dowry and bride price as a defence strategy while facing domestic violence charges (“Domestic Violence against Men,” 2016).
Women may end up abused by their intimate partners as a result of gender norms and beliefs which promote the inferiority aspects in women. The World Health Organization claims that the dismantling and destructive hierarchical structures of both femininity and masculinity predicted the control and manipulation of women, and getting rid of the structural aspects which are in support of the inequalities is more likely to have a significant impact on the prevention of intimate partner and sexual conflicts and violence (Coker, 2016). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a primary strategy in the prevention of domestic disputes is the promotion and upholding of respectful, nonviolent relationships through individual people and the community, as well as societal level changes. Early intervention initiatives, such as school-based strategies to curb dating conflicts, are also efficient and effective. Children who are bought up in violent households may be led into believing that such character is a part of a healthy life. Therefore it is significant to challenge such beliefs and attitudes in case they are present among the kids (Kulkarni, Racine & Ramos, 2012).
Conclusion
Domestic violence is an issue that is continuously increasing, and unless someone or something is done to end it, the adverse effects will still be present in society. For the sake of the community and future generations, domestic violence must be eradicated, and until this happens, Chaos will still be heard in our world.
References
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Sweetnam, S. (2013). Where Do You Think Domestic Abuse Hurts Most?. Violence Against Women, 19(1), 133-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1077801212475340
