Chapter 6  – Family Violence

Family Violence

• Family Violence outlined in this chapter covers four types of violence that occurs most often in families from all socio-economic classes, educational levels and racial families. This chapter covers popular myths while providing statistical realities of how, where and whom are perpetrators and victims of domestic family violence.

Myths about Family Violence          

• Myth 1: Family Violence Hits the Poor only.
  • Reality: Poor families have higher chances of experiencing family violence. However, not all poor families are involved in family violence compared 13.4% blue-collar husbands and 10.4 % white-collar husbands.
• Myth 2: Violence and Love Cannot Happen Together
  
  • Reality : Parents often use violence as a means of discipline their children and spouses cause violence as a means of displaying control or love against their spouse.
• Myth 3: Most Abuse Children Grow Up to Be Abusive Parents
  
  • Reality: Studies have confirmed that people that are abused as children will continue the cycle of abusing their own children, but the majority of abuse children will not abuse their children as adults.
• Myth 4: Alcohol and Drugs Are Involve in Most Family Violence
  
  • Reality: Alcohol and drugs do play a role in family violence, but majority of the problems that lead to violence are other contributing factors such as financially or personal problems.

The Extent of Family

• There are many forms of family violence, the focus on this chapter covers the following type of violence Sociologist is most interested studying: marital rape, women abuse, child abuse, and elder abuse that involved violent physical or sexual abuse.
• Violence against women, children and elders range in percentages and are only given an estimate because many incidents often are not reported due to the privacy of family homes. Financial exploitation is also a form of abuse, but family violence of the most common and considered a serious social problem.

Marital Rape

• The rape of a woman by her husband is the most common form of rape occurring to women.
• The nature of Marital Rape involves physical violence of the threat of physical violence. Most rape incidents involved anal penetration, other forms of violence include a married woman being raped in front of her children, rape with insertion of objects or rape after given birth.
• Causes of Marital Rape are attributed by at least three reasons, the husband’s sexist belief of entitlement of wife belonging to him as property, rape as a means of punishment for attempting to leave the relationship or for humiliating the husband. The patriarchal culture justifies this violent behavior towards women.

Wife Beating

• Family violence that involves the husband physically injuring his wife is known as wife bating. It is indicated that one-third of married women are assaulted by their husbands in the US.
• The Nature of Woman Abuses that women are more likely to abuse their husbands in a more playful less violent manner. However, women are more likely to assault men. Men are more likely to abuse women violently and often spin the rational by stating the following: Blaming the victim, reducing the harm done, and creating an excuse for their violence.
• Why Don’t Some Battered Wives Leave? Most women do leave their abusing husband after several years of ill treatment. Many women seek the help from professionals such as social workers, police or some type of refuge. It is more difficult for women that depend of their husband for financial means to seek help. Also women who do not have emotional support can find it difficult to obtain help. Women whom are unemployed or have low educational means might also struggle to get away from their abusing husbands.
• Causes of Women Abuse is attributed to a patriarchal, sexist nature in our society. Other contributing factors include loss of employment, drug abuse, alcoholism, and a state of constant poverty. Having fewer resources at hand can contribute to the stress of men unable to control their women or life circumstances.

Child Abuse

• Child abuse is considered the most shocking or serious form of family violence, which affects millions of children in the US each year. Child abuse consists of two forms, sexual and physical.
• The Nature of Child Abuse that is most occurring is at the hands of fathers or stepfathers against their daughters. 10-20% girls and 1-3% boys are abuse each year. However that most common form of abuse is physical abuse by mothers. Mothers physically abuse children the most due to the higher opportunities mothers have being with their children rearing them. There is a law that was enacted in 1974 as a means of protecting children from sexual, physical abuse or neglect. This law allows professionals such as teachers, medical personal or police to get involved if their suspect a child is being abuse in any form.
• Causes of Child Abuse involves factors such as parents abusing their children as a form of learned behavior from childhood. Another factor is using violence a as means of coping with stress or marital problems. Child abuse is also brought forth by parents towards children because of the belief that children need to be taught a lesson of respect and discipline by physical punishment. In addition, parents who lack parenting skills, have stress or are unable to cope with children with disabilities are also likely to cause abuse.
• Female Genital Mutilation is also referred as “female circumcision” is a practice of cutting off female genitalia occurring mostly in African cultures. This mutilation is perform on adolescent girls as a means of controlling their virginity and bring honor to their families. Families create celebrations after the surgery has been performed, but many problems often occur. Some of the problems women face are infections, loss of sexual pleasure or death.

Elder Abuse

• Elder Abuse involves a small percentage of elders unable to care for themselves and depend heavily on family member or professional caregivers for assistance. Many elders require long-term care enabling caregiver’s access for abuse.
• The Nature of Elder Abuse is set in the form of neglect, emotional abuse, financial exploitation or physical abuse by their caregivers. Elder abuse is most often cause by family members such as adult children or spouses. Socio-economic background has been proven to have no difference in occurrences of abuse towards elders.
• Causes of Elder Abuse involve factors such as stress from adult children caring for their aging parents and young children at the same time. Elder abusers tend to suffer from severe personal problems such as alcoholism, financial problems, drug addition, unemployment, antisocial behavior or emotional instability. Adult children are more often financially exploiting elder parents. Men are more likely to abuse their parents compared to women due to the nature of their upbringing, where women are raised to be more gentile and caring.

Social Profile of Family Abusers

• A Social Profile of Family Abusers has been researched to be occurring most with these characteristics.
• Age- young husbands are more likely to violently abuse spouses or children
• Class- all levels of socio-economic backgrounds experience family violence, however, it occurs more in lower educated individuals because of the lack of access to opportunities of resources.
• Gender- Men are more likely to cause violence toward women and children and women are more likely to cause harm toward children than men.
• Stressful Life- people with more stress in their lives due to financial difficulties, women whom are pregnant or single mothers or have sexual difficulties are more likely to be abusive.
• Social Isolation- people with less social contacts are more likely to leave an abusive relationship.

A Global Perspective on Family Violence

• Family violence occurs worldwide. Most occurring form of violence is:
• Pushing
• Shaking
• Slapping
• Hitting with an object
• Twisting arms

Other forms of common abuse are emotional such as:

• Humiliation
• Scolding
• Being put down verbally

The US has had significant positive changes thanks to the feminist’s movements demanding laws enacted for protecting women. However, other countries still struggle to make changes such as Russia and Romania. The social belief in patriarchy continues to prevent social change around the world. Patriarchy prevents social equality between men and women. Patriarchy also protects men’s abusive behaviors towards women.

Theories of Family Violence

• Families have a common experience of having stress contribute to family abuse. Social environment also cause violence behavior to be displayed. Family violence is learned and continues to the next generation.
• Social Learning Theory -states that family violence is were family members are being exposed to violence behavior and as a result children eventually will also inflict violence towards others.
• Stress Theory- states that people with high levels of stress are more likely to cause harm or violence to family members.
• Exchange Theory- states that the theory is base on the cost and benefits of family violence, for instance is the violence behaviors punishment a deterrent or considered a reward.

Social Responses to Family Violence

• US condemn violence towards women, children and elders. However, family violence is often tolerated due to the privacy and sacredness of family. Violence abusers are therefore not given punishment for their violent behavior.
• Protecting Women- The US has enacted laws protecting women from marital rape, however they are rarely enforced. Law enforcement pass judgment on women for previously haven had sex with husband to considered marital rape an offense. New laws have provided protection and support enabling women to escape their abuser. Men who seek counseling are more likely to end abuse towards spouses compare to men who do not seek help.
• Protecting Children- Laws created in the 1970s requiring teachers, medical professionals and law enforcement to report suspected child abuse have help children throughout the US. Children are either place in foster homes or with relatives once determined the child is being abuse.
• Protecting Elders- the US does not have laws protecting elders from abuse reporting, but most US states still mandate governmental agencies to report suspected abuses. Elders receive assistance in medical care, counseling, legal service and housing among other things once it has been established they need assistance from getting distance for being abuse.