Family violence: causes, impacts, and prevention strategies

Sociology

Family Violence

Unfortunately, in our society there are many different types of family violence, from Battered Child Syndrome (BCS) to dating violence and domestic violence. Family violence also includes neglect, abuse, and even parental abuse of aged parents. Perhaps the most important thing to remember about family violence is that it affects the entire family, not just the people involved in the violence. One researcher writes, "It not only affects the victims, it touches the lives of their parents, children, co-workers, and friends. It emotionally and physically influences so much more than we ever thought" (Dalpiaz xv). Thus, when a family is involved in family violence, the ripples from that violence spread farther than many people recognize or acknowledge.

Family violence may be defined as violence against another family member or loved one, but it can also occur during dating, and it includes forms of abuse that some people do not think about, such as neglect or mental abuse. Family violence does not have to have physical violence as a component, mental abuse and neglect can be just as damaging as physical abuse, and because this type of abuse can go unrecognized much longer, it can be even more damaging to the victim and the entire family.

Some of the hardest violence to contemplate is physical and mental violence against a child, and yet it occurs all too frequently. Battered child syndrome, shaken baby syndrome and child abuse of any sort is difficult to understand, as the victims are young and incapable of fighting back or defending themselves at all. Family violence is difficult to comprehend, but violence against children seems to be the most heinous form of violence, and it should be the type of violence punished most heavily by the law. However, any form of family violence is wrong, and it tears families apart.

The biggest question about family violence is what causes it to begin with. Statistics indicate that many people involved in family violence experienced it themselves at some point in their lives. It is hard to understand how someone who was a victim of family violence becomes an abuser, and that is the biggest question it seems, that remains unanswered about family violence.

Another question is why so many victims do not report family violence. Some are afraid, certainly, but others seem to make up stories or excuses for the abusers, as if they, the victims, somehow "deserve" the abuse. This can affect mediation and reconciliation, if that is possible. Another writer notes, "[M]ediators are often unaware of the subtle power imbalances that exist between abuser and abused, mediations can be captured by the manipulative abuser to place pressure on the abused" (Woolford). These power balances explain why so much abuse goes unreported, but does not help explain why so many victims seem to feel as if they deserve the abuse, and keep on taking it because of these feelings.

Another writer notes, "The cyclical nature of family violence dictates that most battered women will return to their abusers multiple times before they finally leave" (Bell). This is difficult to understand as well, and evokes numerous questions. Of course, most couples enter into a marriage or relationship because they love each other, but how does that love turn to violence, and why do people stay in abusive relationships? What triggers the violence is certainly one question, but what keeps the other there is entirely another. Also, there is another aspect to family violence that is hard to understand or accept. In the case of child abuse, one parent must stand by and see it, or ignore it, and how is that possible, especially in situations that continue unchecked, often until death or severe injury to the child. How can a parent ignore the abuse of their own child? These are all unanswered questions that puzzle and perplex.

The chapter material complements the class discussions by helping to give the discussions focus and knowledge. This gives the discussions a chance to interact and react to new ideas and thoughts about the abuse, which adds important details and experiences to the class discussion. For example, there are responses from people who have had personal experience with family violence, and people that work in the field, so they have very personal responses to add to the discussion, and help others see what this vicious cycle is really like.