Urban development and sociological patterns

Domestic violence has been around for as long as many cultures can remember, however, that's not an excuse for its continuance. Although some see women and children as mere property, their rights and safety should be protected. Whether they suffer from physical, sexual or emotional abuse, thankfully there are an increasing number of programs for these victims to turn to. These programs work hard to take the steps necessary for America to become a domestic violence-free society.

Stopping Domestic Violence in America

Although domestic violence is often thought of in terms of physical violence or even sexual violence, it goes beyond that, beyond the cuts, the bruises, the scrapes, the broken bones; it's a control issue. "Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive control that one person exercises over another in order to dominate and get their way." ("Voices Set Free," n.d.) In addition to physical and sexual abuse, it can, and often does, include emotional abuse. It's an epidemic that, although has been brought to the attention of the public in recent decades, has been occurring throughout the ages.

Due to the nature of domestic violence, and the secrecy that surrounds it in many cases, concrete statistics are sometimes difficult to come by. In a Department of Justice report, in 1998, it was estimated that there were 960,000 incidents of violence perpetrated by a spouse or significant other, while a Commonwealth Fund report, for the same time period, stated that approximately 3 million women were physically abused. This same report noted that a spouse or significant other at some point in their lives had abused approximately 31% of American women. And, Lieberman Research discovered that 30% of Americans knew someone who had been abused by their spouse or significant other. (As cited in "Get the Facts," 2003)

Tragically, the violence often escalates to homicide when a woman stays in an abusive relationship and there is no intervention. Statistics show that current or past intimate partners murder nearly three women every day. Over 1,200 women were murdered in 2000 by their current or previous spouse or significant other. These accounted for more than a third of all murders of women, during this same time frame. (As cited in "Get the Facts," 2003)

Although most people understand the harm that comes to women who are the victims of domestic violence, their children are victims too, even if they weren't the direct abusee.

The trauma they suffer in witnessing the violence is very real and can affect their entire lives. Children who are raised in a violent home have challenges in every aspect of growth and development. They are likely to have difficulties in forming relationships with other children, and are much more likely to fail academically. Health problems are a common symptom of violence in a child's home, and these health problems can last their entire life.

The one bright spot in this depressing scenario is the increasing awareness and number of programs for victims of domestic violence. Organizations around the country help women and children make the decision to get out of an abusive situation, as well as promote legislation to protect victims of domestic violence. The increased support by community members, business leaders and politicians is the most effective step in bringing about the end of domestic violence.

These programs use several approaches to help prevent domestic violence, as well as help those who find themselves in violent situations. Educational programs are a very effective tool to be used to this end. Men's educational programs, public education, and culturally targeted programs all take steps to a domestic violence-free society. Focusing on the community child welfare systems to help combat the interrelated child abuse, domestic violence and youth violence issues is also crucial. In addition, organizations need to improve institutions' response to domestic violence. Programs such as the National Health Initiative on Domestic Violence, the National Workplace Resource Center on Domestic Violence, and the annual National Work to End Domestic Violence Day are all ways businesses can help end domestic violence.