Domestic Violence

• Problems with Statistics on DV:

  > often not reported - Yearnshire found that a woman suffers around 35 assaults before making a report, and Dar argues victims are less likely to report because they believe it is too trivial or not a matter for police

  > often not recorded - Cheal found that the police may be reluctant to record reported cases because they are not prepared to become involved in the family
• Explanations for DV - Radical Feminism:

  > Millett and Firestone - men use violence, or the threat of it, to dominate women

  > Dobash and Dobash - one of the major causes of assault was the husband's perception that the wife was not performing domestic duties to his satisfaction, because society still accepts a traditional domestic division of labour

  > since women are financially dependent on men, they may be unable to leave an abusive relationship
• Explanations for DV - Materialism:

  > Wilkinson and Pickett see domestic violence as being the result of stress on family members caused by social inequality
• Explanations for DV - Marxist Feminism:

  > domestic violence is the product of capitalism, not patriarchy, as male workers are exploited at work and take their frustration out on their wives

  > Ansley describes women as 'takes of shit'