Domestic violence in same-sex relationships: the Javier Escondido case

¶ … Domesitc Violence I resource cited I provided source: To access book online website: www.coursesmart. Login info. Username: latoyamnichols@yahoo. Password: Lj101509 Directions: Once logged MY BOOKSHELF link top corner book titled Heavy Hands Scenario: BEHS453 FINAL PAPER Javier Escondido a 68-year Mexican-American man living Los Angeles.

The case of Javier Escondido's death and the injuring of his partner, Pablo, has generated much controversy as a consequence of the circumstances of the incident. Both the authorities and the general public have mixed opinions concerning the event, with the victim's sexual orientation making things somewhat divisive for some. The reality is that the contemporary society still contains homophobic elements and many are hesitant about discussing with regard to the topic on account of how the masses are yet to fully accept homosexuality as an active part of the social order.

Background

In order to gain a more complex understanding of the case, one should focus on Javier's history with the perpetrator -- Manny. The two men lived together for several years in spite of the fact that the latter had caused much harm to the former. When regarding Manny's attitudes toward Javier, one can see a pattern of violence and a general tendency to persecute him. Javier himself was insecure and had little to no power in their relationship. This influenced Manny to extend his influence over the household and to force Javier to accept his presence in spite of his partner's reluctance to do so.

Javier was obviously afraid of Manny and felt like the best thing for him would be to put an end to the relationship. However, consequent to coming into contact with the authorities on a series of occasions and seeing that they were hesitant about actually doing anything to penalize Manny, Javier gradually came to accept his position. Even after the relationship ended, he felt like it would be pointless for him to attempt to talk to someone about Manny's vindictive behaviors.

As emphasized in Chapter 7 (161-162), a person going through the occurrences that Javier came across is likely to suffer greatly. Horror, depression, or post-traumatic stress syndrome are just some of the issues that are likely to appear as a consequence of staying in an abusive relationship. Suffering can extend beyond the relationship between the two individuals, as it can affect the victim's life as a whole. Javier risked losing most of his friends and losing interest in activities he enjoyed as a consequence of the suffering he experienced as Manny was present in his life.

Manny's perspective

Manny was well-acquainted with the fact that his relationship with Javier was not going anywhere. As a consequence, his frustration materialized into violence and he started to abuse his partner as a means to prove both to himself and to Javier that he was in control of the situation and that things would stay 'normal' for as long as he wanted to. Eventually being forced out of the relationship and of the house had left a deep mark on Manny, as he felt cheated and considered that it was once again time to use force as a means to get what he wanted. The fact that he threatened Javier on numerous occasions before going through with the murder demonstrates that he was uncertain about the attitude he should take. It is surely difficult to determine whether he committed the crime because he still had feelings for Javier or whether he did so because he wanted revenge.

The murder itself was just another response that Manny provided to Javier's actions. While early responses involved a limited use of violence and a general type of persecution, the fact that Manny was now no longer in a relationship with Javier and that the latter moved on by befriending Pablo has had a critical effect on the abuser. He felt that this time he needed to do something that would be greater than all of his previous actions -- he was in a position in which he needed to act in accordance with his thinking. Doing otherwise would simply mean that he would overcome his feelings and that he would accept Javier as the person who eventually gained control over their relationship. He thus chose to commit murder in order to emphasize his perspective. The fact that he did not kill Pablo proves that he was solely interested in Javier -- he did not consider that Pablo had had any kind of interest on his former partner and believed that killing him too would be pointless.

Manny was pushed to commit the crime from several sides as his drug use probably clouded his thinking and made it difficult for him to effectively understand the situation he was in. "Substance abuse is a risk factor that has consistently been identified in IPV for all perpetrator categories and was significantly related to physical abuse in LGBT IPV." (Kindschi Gosselin 2013, p. 199)

Manny's crime can be addressed from a perspective involving a social disorganization theory. One must consider the circumstances Manny was in at the time when he committed the crime. He lacked basic resources as a result of the lifestyle he chose and the couple's sexual orientation put them in a position where they could do very little with the purpose of expressing their feelings openly. This meant that Manny was frustrated with his condition and saw violence as a means to escape his limitations. It would be difficult to consider poverty a main concept in the relationship's issues (given the limited information available), but it's safe to say that the victim's sexual preferences his perpetrator's were influential in the overall state of affairs.

It would be too much to say that society made Manny take on such thinking. Even with this, it is important to understand how he felt that it would be difficult and almost impossible for the relationship to get better without his control. His final act in the relationship demonstrates that he wanted to have control over Javier -- he acknowledged that not doing anything would somehow translate in him losing power over his life and over Javier's.

Conclusion

All things considered, the steps that led to the crime are clear and both Javier and the authorities should have changed their perspective on the matter in order for Manny's actions to be prevented. Society as a whole played a significant role in making the crime possible, taking into account how it indirectly encourages homophobic behaviors.

Works cited:

Kindschi Gosselin, D. (2013). Heavy Hands: An Introduction to the Crimes of Intimate and Family Violence. Pearson Education, Limited.