Escaping Intimate Partner Violence

How Domestic Violence Became the No. Cause of Homelessness for Women In LA

The main social problem discussed in the article is intimate partner violence. The article discusses women's struggles when they decide and manage to leave an abusive partner (Paskin, June 28, 2021). Most women find themselves homeless without anyone to assist them, and they have to survive on the streets as they try to get assistance from the relevant departments. However, the women discover how hard it is to receive support or even shelter, forcing them to live on the streets. When a woman finally decides to leave and manages to leave an abusive relationship or home, they will leave with nothing because they cannot carry their clothes to ensure the abuser does not suspect their intentions to leave (Paskin, June 28, 2021). It is usually an escape, and one cannot collect items they most need when they leave. The exit is rushed, and there is normally a small window. Therefore, they cannot manage to carry anything.

A sociological aspect is present in the article where the authors demonstrate how hard it is for women to leave an abusive relationship and how hard it is for them to get shelter once they leave an abusive partner. A conflict occurs where the women are torn between leaving and starting life afresh or staying and being abused continuously. When the woman decides to leave, she has to leave everything behind, including her extended family, work, house, and clothes. She finds herself without any social support. Further conflict arises when they try to get shelter in shelter homes. They are denied since they have not registered with any government agency to indicate they are homeless. The shelters available do not cater to women running away from domestic violence in other cases. Shelters too deny women access because they have to protect their shelter rules. Some of the rules are too harsh for the women, and they find it hard to adhere to them. Shelters can be controlling to ensure the safety of the residents. However, these controls can become emotional trauma triggers for the women, causing them to relive their trauma.

Strain theory, defined as pressure from social factors like a lack of income or quality education, can drive a person to commit a crime (Agnew, 2020). Concerning intimate partner violence, strain theory comes to the fore to explain why most women find it hard to leave abusive households. We can improve the article's context by focusing on why women will take too long and suffer so much before they decide to leave. In most cases, the women are jobless, meaning they do not have a source of income. Therefore, leaving without any means to provide for themselves becomes hard to bear. The American dream discriminates against those who have and those who do not have (Agnew, 2020). We can see how hard it is for the women to leave and how difficult it is to find shelter once they decide to leave. Improvements can be made on the content by focusing more on why most women choose to stay instead of leaving. Strain theory gives good reasoning behind the reasons for the women staying. Surviving with children on the streets will be difficult, and the women opt to stay with an abusive partner for the sake of the children.

Strain theory improves the article's analysis of intimate partner violence by showing the strain the women face when they think about leaving. Given the choice and support, most women would readily leave an abusive partner. However, there is never support for most women, and they cannot imagine leaving without their children. The abuser uses the children to instill fear in the woman, forcing her to stick around (Paskin, June 28, 2021). A majority of the women are jobless and do not have a source of income. They rely on their partner to provide for them and their household. If they choose to leave, they will have nothing, and they realize it will be hard to survive alone without money or a home. The article should focus more on how women who find themselves in the same situation can receive support from organizations willing to take in the women and their children when they escape from their abuser.