Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Explained
This paper examines the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013), signed into law by President Obama on March 7, 2013, as part of the 113th Congress's legislative agenda. The paper traces the law's origins from its 1994 passage, outlines its key provisions addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and explains how it expanded protections for Native American women, LGBT individuals, and undocumented immigrant women. It also discusses the law's grant-funded community coordination programs, presents supporting evidence of declining intimate partner violence rates, addresses counterarguments from critics who oppose the law, and concludes with an assessment of VAWA's broader significance for addressing intimate partner violence in the United States.
- Introduction: Overview of VAWA 2013 and its significance
- Brief Explanation of VAWA 2013: Provisions, supporters, and legislative background
- Arguments in Support of VAWA 2013: Evidence and rationale for supporting the law
- Counterargument: Critics' objections to VAWA as federal overreach
- Rebuttal: Response to counterarguments with broader evidence
- Conclusion: VAWA's lasting impact on women and IPV policy
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper follows a clear argumentative structure — presenting the law, making an affirmative case, acknowledging opposition, and then rebutting it — which gives the essay logical coherence.
- It grounds its argument in concrete evidence, citing a 53% decline in intimate partner violence between 1993 and 2008, and drawing on peer-reviewed sources to support claims about grant efficacy and therapeutic interventions.
- The paper addresses multiple affected groups (Native American women, LGBT individuals, undocumented immigrants) rather than treating VAWA as a single-issue policy, which demonstrates breadth of analysis.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates the classical argumentative essay technique of presenting and then rebutting a counterargument (the "concession-refutation" move). By acknowledging critics who view VAWA as federal overreach or ideologically flawed, the author shows awareness of the debate before dismantling the opposing position using evidence about the multi-causal nature of violence against women. This technique strengthens the paper's credibility by showing the author has engaged with dissenting views.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized into six sections: an introduction that establishes context and previews the argument; a background section explaining VAWA 2013's provisions and legislative history; an arguments section making the affirmative case with data and policy details; a counterargument section presenting critics' objections; a rebuttal responding to those objections; and a conclusion synthesizing the paper's findings. This structure mirrors a standard policy analysis essay and is appropriate for undergraduate-level political science or law writing.
Introduction
The 113th United States Congress is among the most recent sessions of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The following study focuses on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 — particularly its history, congressional activity, and the developmental stages that led to its ratification (VAWA 2013). The legislation of the 113th Congress is relevant to grants consolidation, as it addresses intimate partner violence (IPV). VAWA 2013 was signed into law by President Obama on March 7, 2013, and it recognized those tribes that were faced with inherent power when exercising "special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction" (SDVCJ) over certain defendants. The legislation is also relevant to strengthening healthcare systems in their response to various forms of violence, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Passing the law meant that certain tribes and groups — including Native American women, the LGBT community, and undocumented immigrant women — were allowed to exercise SDVCJ sooner.
VAWA is an invaluable piece of legislation because it granted certain tribes and groups sovereignty in exercising powers such as investigating, prosecuting, convicting, and sentencing. This was directed at non-Indian and Indian communities in America, particularly those who assaulted their spouses or dating partners, or those who violated protection orders stipulated under Indian law (Modi, Palmer, and Armstrong 255). Moreover, VAWA 2013 clarified the scope of power sovereignty and the enforcement of civil protection orders against non-Indian and Indian communities alike. VAWA was initially introduced and passed by Congress in 1994, serving as a landmark recognition of the widespread cases and effects of domestic violence at the federal level. For Native Americans specifically, the law meant an expansion of their protection.
This paper first addresses the law in brief and how it has changed the situation for Native American women and other groups living in America. It then examines why some opposed the law, before evaluating the flaws in those counterarguments and offering final thoughts on the law's implications.
Works Cited
"Violence against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013." One Hundred Thirteenth Congress of the United States of America. (2014). Retrieved 23 Nov. 2017 from https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s47enr/pdf/BILLS-113s47enr.pdf
Ball, Molly. "Why Would Anyone Oppose The Violence Against Women Act?" The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 23 Nov. 2017.
Hackett, Shannon, Paula T. McWhirter, and Susan Lesher. "The Therapeutic Efficacy of Domestic Violence Victim Interventions." Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 17.2 (2016): 123–132.
Modi, Monica N., Sheallah Palmer, and Alicia Armstrong. "The Role of Violence against Women Act in Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: A Public Health Issue." Journal of Women's Health 23.3 (2014): 253–259.
Sacco, Lisa N. The Violence against Women Act: Overview, Legislation, and Federal Funding. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 23 Nov. 2017 from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42499.pdf
The White House. The Council on Women and Girls: Violence against Women Accomplishments, 9 June 2016. Web. 23 Nov. 2017.
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