Chapter 11: Domestic Violence
How does class status affect child abuse?
-Child abuse is more common in families from lower class status -Parents with low incomes or who had not graduated from high school or who participated in a poverty program had rates of maltreatment that were 5 times higher than children whose parents had none of these characteristics
What are the effects of child abuse for children?
-Greater risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties -Severe neglect or abuse are sometimes placed in foster care -Lower self esteem, lack of trust and depression -Brain injuries and growth of retardation -Aggression and increased risk of getting arrested for violence
What socio-demographic factors increase risk?
-Low-income class -Cohabitation
How prevalent is intimate partner violence?
-Men who had lived with male partners were more likely to have experienced violence than men who had lived only with women, while women who had lived with female partners were less likely to have experienced violence than were women who had lived only with men -Women who had been victimized by intimates were more likely to have been injured than were men who were victimized. -Women face a higher risk for being injured by someone they know well than men -Most assaults on college campuses are committed by someone the victim knows
What are the two prominent models of domestic violence?
-Political model >Men's power to control the behavior of women >Based on laws and customs that reinforce male dominance -Medical model >Domestic violence is seen as an illness and a source of injuries, perhaps due to a history of abuse as a child, alcoholism, or mental illness >Both the victims and the perpetrators of violence suffer from various "syndromes," illnesslike complexes of symptoms, injuries, and attitudes, that need to be treated
What are the two kinds of intimate partner violence? What characterizes each?
-Situational couple violence >Usually involves the less serious kinds of aggression >Typically occurs when a specific dispute leads one partner to get angry and to lash out at the other, rarely escalates into serious violence or injury >Men and women are about equally likely to initiate it >Results from ANGER rather than control -Intimate terrorism >Involves a pattern of violence such as repeatedly beating one's partner >More likely to cause injuries Entirely perpetrated by men - trying to control women's behavior: whom they see and talk to, when they leave the house, where they go, etc. >Men keep wives/girlfriends economically dependent >Results from wanting CONTROL rather than mere anger
What are the three theoretical explanations for domestic violence?
-Social Learning Perspective >Individuals learn behavior they will later exhibit by observing what others do and seeing the consequences of these actions >Children from violent homes will learn that violent behavior is acceptable and a successful way of controlling others and getting what you want. -Frustration-Aggression Perspective >Aggressive behavior occurs when a person is blocked from achieving a goal >Example: Economic inequalities that cause men and women to work for low wages, high unemployment rates make it hard to find a job, or racial discrimination limits the opportunities for people from racial ethnic groups. Because of this the spouse may place anger on their partner -Social Exchange Perspective >People calculate whether to engage in a particular behavior by considering the rewards and costs of that behavior and the rewards of alternatives to it >Reward examples: he can control her, let out his anger and frustration >Cost of violence examples: she might seek divorce
How can domestic violence be seen as a public issue?
Public policies that protect the victim restrict men's use of their superior physical force and therefore decrease the power of men over women.
What types of interactions are included in the definition of domestic violence and who is included?
Violent acts between family members or between women and men in intimate or dating relationships