Domestic violence: causes, impacts, and intervention strategies

Domestic violence and domestic abuse is a world-wide epidemic. The prevalence of the occurrences of domestic violence is attributable to several variables: cultural differences between partners, alcohol and drug abuse, poverty, and mental issues of aggression, impulse, and character. Psychologists and sociologists have attempted to prove which of these components has the most important impact on whether or not a man will become abusive to his spouse. I say male not to dismiss the occurrences of female physical abuse of males, but because the studies analyzed in the following all consider male abuse of female. Each analyst makes a solid point about how their research indicates that the factor they are examining is the preeminent source of eventual violence. The only logical conclusion that can be drawn is that each of the four factors can contribute to a scenario where a partnership has the potential to escalate into physically violent altercations.

Cultural Conflict:

In the article "No Way Out: Divorce-Related Domestic Violence in Israel," Madeline Adelman (2000) states that in many situations, a woman who tries to leave a violent relationship can actually initiative further acts of violence from her partner. In her study, Adelman interviewed 49 battered women, as well as several people who work with battered women in order to formulate her hypotheses about domestic violence. She found that whereas in the U.S. one in 10 women report battery by a spouse, the situation in Israel is that one in seven are abused (Adelman 2000). The variables she utilized in the experiment were that she used interviews from different classes and social standings to try to get the greatest and most far-reaching perspective.

The Middle East is ripe with these kinds of situations because there are so many cultures living in such a relatively small area. Researchers Marshall and Furr (2010) examined the cultural conflict of women who were suffered from domestic violence in the country of Turkey. They were interested in exploring the tolerance of intimate partner violence (IPV) both from the battered women themselves and from the society in general. Abuse in Turkey affects roughly 20% of the population, which is significantly higher than most other nations. That culture, like much of the Middle East, is patriarchal, even to the point where men pay their wives' families for the bride, making the woman akin to a product which can be purchased (Marshall 2010). When this is the primary mentality, females who debate male position or challenge male dominance are subject to mistreatment with few if any societal repercussions for the abuse. Turkish cultural issues were also explored by Ozcakir (2008) but from the perspective of the abusers. 1,150 married men were interviewed and it was found that half of the men studied has suffered abuse themselves. Fully 17.9% of men surveyed said that they had the right to beat their wives. This shows that the attitude of the Middle East is simply different than that of the Western world. In that culture, the abuse of a spouse by her husband is not the crime it is in other parts of the world.

There are, of course, other cultural conflicts to consider. Edelson (2007) studied the interactions within Latino relationships and how Latina women and non-Latinas respond to this culture, which is another patriarchy. Again, the methodology was interviews of women; however these particular researchers only included women who had children between the ages of six and twelve. This limits the researchers' data to domestic violence issues in homes where children are present. Besides the inclusion of multiple races, researchers also used a variable of classes and monetary levels to get an over-arching level for analysis. As can be expected, the results found were that women suffering abuse, though no longer with the man who was causing their suffering, were psychologically dysfunctional because of their past abuse. This, of course, is not limited to a single ethnic group but all scenarios where men abuse their spouses or significant others.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse:

Another potential causation of domestic violence is the abuse of drugs or alcohol by one or both of the partners. To assess this, David Snow and his associates (2006) made a questionnaire and posed it to 147 men that were in a court-mandated program for domestic violence offenders. The researchers were able to determine that men who drink are three times as likely to abuse their partners as men who abstain from drinking (Snow 2006). Snow examines the different coping techniques used in the relationship to attempt to keep balance. Men use avoidance and denial to pretend that they do not have a problem. Women use coping mechanisms in order to avoid conflicts which they know will result in further abuse.

Poverty:

It has been noted that many instances of domestic violence and spousal abuse occur in low income areas. This may have something to do with more prevalent drug and alcohol abuse in these areas. Ellen Bassuk (2006) states that another reason for increased abuse is the stress of living below the poverty line which can have a stressful enough effect on the psychology of individuals that it can increase discord in the relationship, which then leads to scenarios where abuse takes place. Contrary to popular belief, most women do escape abusive relationships. The percentage of women who stay in these partnerships are generally from low income areas and have experienced abuse in another form at some time in their lives, either witnessing another family member being abused or themselves suffering from abuse at an earlier age.

Similar research was performed by Gregory Stuart and Amy Holtzworth-Munroe (2005) wherein they examined the correlation between violence and impulse. In a test of 86 men, the researchers questioned how satisfied the men were within their marriages and the consequent physical violations of their wives. Utilizing several measurement techniques, it was the final determination of researchers that psychological and physical abuse stemmed from the same basis: aggression and impulsivity of the subject.

Mental and Personality Issues:

In their study "Does Controlling Behavior Predict Physical Aggression and Violence to Partners?" author Graham-Kevan and Archer (2008) took data from women's shelter residents, male and female students, as well as male prisoners to look for a correlation between non-violent but controlling behaviors and eventual physical aggression and violence. This research measured physical aggression, injuries received, and controlling behaviors in the relationship. What they determined was that there was a marked difference between acts of violence which stemmed from conflict in the relationship and that of continued domestic violence. Domestic abuse was consistent with the patriarchal need for control over the female. This aggression would often begin with mental control endeavors and would escalate into actions of violence over time.

Conclusion:

One of the problems with all of these studies is that they are dependent upon the honesty of the individuals being interviewed. Since humans are fallible it is impossible to prove empirically which factor, if any has more importance in the eventual physicality or abuse over any of the other components.