Domestic Violence

• STATISTICS

  • 1 in 4 women will be a victim of DV in their lifetime.
  • On average, 2 women a week are killed by their current or former male partner.
  • 1 incident of DV is reported to the police every minute.
• Domestic violence


  Physical, emotional & sexual abuse in couple relationships or between family members.

  Incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading & violent behaviour by partner or ex-partner.
• RADICAL FEMINIST VIEW:


  • Men= enemy: oppressors & exploiters of women.
  • Family & marriage= key institutions in patriarchal society & main source of women's oppression.
  • Men dominate women through DV or threat of it.
  • Widespread DV= inevitable feature of patriarchal society=preserves power men have over women.
• CRITICISM TO RADICAL FEMINISTS

  ELLIOT= Not all men are aggressive and most are opposed to DV.
• MATERIALIST VIEW


  • Inequalities in income & housing= why some groups are more at risk than others.
  • Inequalities= fewer resources than other families=likely to experience high levels of stress.
  • Reduces chances of maintaining stable, caring relationships= increase risk of conflict and violence.
  • WILKINSON & PICKETT=DV= result of stress on family members caused by social inequality.
• CRITICISM TO MATERIALIST VIEW

  Fail to explain why women rather than men are the main victims.
• Why do statistics underestimate the true extent of this social problem?

  • Victims may be unwilling to report it.
  • Police, prosecutors may be reluctant to record, investigate or prosecute the cases reported to them.