Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is defined as behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners maybe married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. Or domestic violence could be among members of the family. Domestic violence can either be physical or psychological.

No matter what form it takes, domestic violence is hardly ever a one-off incident. It is more a pattern of violent and controlling behavior through which the abuser enforces power over the victim. Domestic violence occurs across society, regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, wealth, and geography. Research however shows that it consists mainly of violence by men against women and very often children are also affected. Not only are many traumatised by what they witness, there is also a strong relation between domestic violence and child abuse.

Sociological Perspective

Domestic violence is regarded as a deviant behavior in all societies. From a conflict view point we can see that domestic violence is caused by the bourgeoisies (abuser) trying to oppress the proletariat (victim) .Even though men are sometimes victimized, it is most common that women and children are the victims of domestic violence. The physical power that males have over females and children could be one reason which explains this. Most societies are patriarchal societies where men dominate women. Research shows that spouses or ex spouses repeatedly victimize women and even white collar professional men do it too.

Children in homes with domestic