SOCL 240 CH 13: Family Violence and Abuse

Child Abuse & Neglect

"Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation"; or "An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm." The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) (42 U.S.C.A. § 5106g), as amended by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 Definition includes both (1) Deliberate acts (abuse) (2) Failure to protect or provide for children (neglect).

intimate partner violence

(a.k.a. domestic violence) - violence between partners who are (or were) involved in a sexual or romantic relationship

survey data

(confidential) - ask respondents to recall events

sexual violence and the issue of consent

-All sexual assault involve the issue of CONSENT. -Why the social and legal ambiguity around the idea of consent? --Historically, marital rape was not even covered by rape laws. --Married women governed by coverture (women did not exist under law separate from their husbands), so women had no legal protection from rape by their husbands until around the 1970s

measuring studying family violence

-Cases of family violence are notoriously underreported. -So how can we accurately get a sense of the prevalence, patterns, or trends of this problem? -Use multiple sources to gather information: 1. Survey data 2. Official crime reports -If the patterns in one source are corroborated by patterns in the other, then we can be confident that a particular trend/pattern is real.

Reasons for the decline of family violence

-Increase in shelters and hotlines for abused women and children; -Increase in domestic violence legal services; -Women's increased economic independence and the greater acceptance of divorce have made it easier for many women to leave abusive relationships. -A decline in the number of married or cohabitating adults may have reduced violence by simply reducing the number of people exposed to potentially violent partners.

Violence in Lesbian & Gay relationships

-Little data, but federal government has begun collecting data on violence in same-sex relationships. -Available data indicates that intimate partner violence is similar for homosexuals and heterosexuals: --BOTH lesbian and straight women are more likely to experience violence than gay or straight men. --1/3 of lesbian women who report having experienced intimate partner violence say it was perpetrated by a male partner. -Preventing and punishing violence among same-sex couples is made more difficult by hostile stance against homosexuals: --Some laws may *not cover same-sex relationships* or *explicitly exclude them.* --Specific services for victims of violence may not be available to those in same-sex relationships.

Declining family violence in the U.S.

-Since 1990s, the U.S. has experience sharp decreases in violent crimes including decreases in family violence based on BOTH official police reports and confidential surveys -Intimate partner violence, especially against women, dropped by more than 50% in the 1990s and another 25% since then --*Trend has occurred across all ages and among all racial-ethnic groups* -For children, the proportion living in households experiencing violent attacks has fallen by more than 2/3 since the early 1990s --From its peak in mid-1990s, there was an almost 20% drop in homicide rate among children under age 5 (across different racial-ethnic groups)

individuals most at risk for IPV

-reported violence is more common among American Indians and African Americans than among whites and Asians -We know that poverty and substance abuse, which contribute to family violence, are more prevalent in American Indian and black populations. -Also, some groups are less likely to benefit from resources directed at preventing and/or addressing violence: --*Research shows that there are more domestic violence shelters, hotlines, and counseling services in some areas than others (e.g., wealthy areas, college towns, and places with a higher percentage of whites)* -When blacks and whites in similar social setting are compared, the rate of domestic violence in the two groups is virtually the same. -*Intersectionality* (from Feminist Perspective) - not race/ethnicity alone but its intersection with gender and class -Black women and family violence NOT TRUE that black men are inherently more prone to violence. RATHER: --Black families are more likely to live in disadvantaged areas with less resources. --Black families often have reason to distrust police or other figures of authorities research suggests that police are LESS likely to make an arrest in response to a domestic violence call when those involved are racial or ethnic minorities. --Black families (for better or worse) may not want to contribute to the problem of incarceration that affects a disproportionate number of black men. -Latina women, along with some of the above reasons, may also not report violence or abuse to authorities because they fear provoking immigration authorities to investigate their families (true for all immigrant families, not just Latinos)

Elder Abuse

-the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of old people by someone with whom they share an intimate or caring relationship. -Often takes place in the home or institutional care facility

Family Violence elements

1) Intimacy 2) Care Relationship

primary reasons not reported

1. Fear of reprisal or getting the offender in trouble. 2. Dealt with personally 3. Police wouldn't or couldn't help 4. Other reason 5. Not important enough to report

Children most likely to experience abuse

1. Those who live with parents who have mental health problems, poor impulse control, low-self-esteem, and/or a history of violence 2. Those in households where domestic violence occurs between adults. 3. Those in poor families or poor neighborhoods. 4. Those in families with weak support systems.

Findings from National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey

2010-Large, confidential phone survey -Found that 18 % of women and 1% of men in the U.S. have been raped at some point in their lives. Rates in college higher -> 20-25% of females experience an attempted or completed rape while in college. Although rare, rape for men does exists -> however, most likely to occur when they are children

intimacy

a type of relationship in which people know each other very well and interact in private

official criminal reports

filed with the police

rape

forced vaginal, anal, or oral penetration or attempted penetration of a person without his or her consent

sexual assault

general term describing unwanted penetration or touch, by force or threat of force WITHOUT CONSENT

care relationship

one person is responsible for another's care

incest

sex (forced or not) between close relatives (parents, children, siblings, but close relatives may include aunts, )