Domestic violence in the United States
Encyclopedia
Domestic violence in United States, experienced by 22-25% of American women in their lifetime, is part of a dynamic of control and oppression, often with multiple forms of physical and non-physical abuse. 60% of Native American women are physically assaulted in their lifetime by a partner or spouse. Women are nearly three times more likely to be killed by their partner than men and more likely to be killed during pregnancy. More than 50% of homeless women were subject to domestic violence.
Men are also subject to domestic violence, such as in situational couple violience, but are less likely to be physically hurt. Intimate terrorism, an ongoing, complicated use of control, power and abuse is what generally results in most of the violence against women.
The U. S. Office on Violence Against Women
(OVW) defines domestic violence as a "pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power
and control over another intimate partner". The definition adds that domestic violence "can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender", and can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional, economic, and psychological abuse.
, Secretary-General of the United Nations, declared in a 2006 report posted on the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) website that:
, emotional
, economic
, physical
and sexual abuse
. All forms of domestic abuse have one purpose: to gain and maintain control over the victim. Abusers use many tactics to exert power over their spouse or partner: dominance, humiliation
, isolation
, threats
, intimidation
, denial
and blame
.
The dynamics between the couple may include:
Women are subjected to domestic violence more often and more severely than are men.
A large study, compiled by Martin S. Fiebert, shows that women are as likely to be abusive to men, but that men are less likely to be hurt. However, he noted, men are seriously injured in 38 percent of the cases in which "extreme aggression" is used. Fiebert additionally noted that his work was not meant to minimize the serious effects of men who abuse women. Women are far more likely to use weapons, such as throwing a plate or firing a gun.
The National Institute of Justice
contends that national surveys supported by NIJ, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics that examine more serious assaults do not support the conclusion of similar rates of male and female spousal assaults. These surveys are conducted within a safety or crime context and clearly find more partner abuse by men against women.
Violence during pregnancy
The United States was one of the countries identified by a United Nations study with a high rate of domestic violence resulting in death during pregnancy.
Domestic violence during a woman's life
Injury
For women between 15 and 44, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury, more than rapes, muggings, and car accidents combined.
Rape
1 in 33 men and 1 in 6 women have experienced an attempted or completed rape against a partner. More than one in three American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped in their lifetimes.
Murder
Women are more likely than men to be murdered by an intimate partner. Of those killed by an intimate partner about three quarters are female and about a quarter are male. In 1999 in the United States 1,218 women and 424 men were killed by an intimate partner, and 1,181 females and 329 males were killed by their intimate partners in 2005.
Dating violence
Dating violence is often a precursor to domestic violence. 22% of high school girls and 32% of college women experienced dating violence in a 2000 study. 20.6% of women experienced two or more types of dating violence and 8.3% of women experienced rape, stalking or physical aggression while dating.
Regarding ethnicity, socio-economic standing and other factors often have more to do with rates of domestic violence. When comparing the African American population to European Americans by socio-economic class, the rates of domestic violence are roughly the same. Since there are more poor African Americans, though, there is a higher incidence of domestic violence overall. It is not possible to evaluate the rate of domestic violence by ethnicity alone, because of the variability of cultural, economic and historical influences and the forms of domestic violence (situational couple violence, intimate terrorism) affecting each population of people.
in the United States
reports that:
surveys conducted between 1992 and 1994. The study found that the lowest reported rates of domestic violence occurred among active conservative Protestants (2.8% of husbands committed domestic violence), followed by those who were religiously unaffiliated (3.2%), nominal mainline Protestants (3.9%), active mainline Protestants (5.4%), and nominal conservative Protestants (7.2%). Overall (including both nominal and active members), the rates among conservative Protestants and mainline Protestants were 4.8% and 4.3%, respectively. Examining Wilcox's study, Van Leewun finds that the parenting style of conservative Protestant fathers is characterized by features which have been linked to positive outcomes among children and adolescents, that there is no evidence that gender-traditionalist ideology of the "soft patriarchal" kind is a strong predictor of domestic physical abuse, and that "gender hierarchialist males" who are frequent and active church members function positively in the domestic environment.
Another 2007 study by Christopher G. Ellison found that "religious involvement, specifically church attendance, protects against domestic violence, and this protective effect is stronger for African American men and women and for Hispanic men, groups that, for a variety of reasons, experience elevated risk for this type of violence."
Straus and Gelles found that in couples reporting spousal violence, 27 percent of the time the man struck the first blow; in 24 percent of cases, the woman initiated the violence. The rest of the time, the violence was mutual, with both partners brawling. The results were the same even when the most severe episodes of violence were analyzed. In order to counteract claims that the reporting data was skewed, female-only surveys were conducted, asking females to self-report, and the data was the same. The simple tally of physical acts is typically found to be similar in those studies that examine both directions, but some studies show that male violence may be more serious. Male violence may do more damage than female violence; women are more likely to be injured and/or hospitalized. Wives are more likely to be killed by their husbands than the reverse (59 percent to 41 percent per Dept of Justice study), and women in general are more likely to be killed by their spouses than by all other types of assailants combined.
, which declared that a married woman should be "free from bodilie correction or stripes by her husband."
Political agitation during the 19th century led to changes in both popular opinion and legislation regarding domestic violence within the United Kingdom
and the United States
. In 1850, Tennessee became the first state in the United States to explicitly outlaw wife beating. Other states soon followed suit. In 1878, the Matrimonial Causes Act
made it possible for women in the UK to seek separations from abusive husbands. By the end of the 1870s, most courts in the United States were uniformly opposed to the right of husbands to physically discipline their wives. By the early 20th century, it was common for the police to intervene in cases of domestic violence in the United States, but arrests remained rare.
Modern attention to domestic violence began in the women's movement of the 1970s, particularly within feminism
and women's rights
, as concern about wives being beaten by their husbands gained attention. The first known use of the expression "domestic violence" in a modern context, meaning "spouse abuse, violence in the home" was in 1973. With the rise of the men's movement
of the 1990s, the problem of domestic violence against men has also gained significant attention.
Three Violence Against Women Act
s (VAWA) (1994, 2000, 2005) United States federal laws have been signed into by the President to end domestic violence, sexual assault, dating
violence, and stalking. The law helped victim advocates and government agencies to work together, created prevention and victim support programs, and resulted in new punishments for certain violent crimes, which by 2005 resulted in:
Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
(FVPSA) provides federal funding to help victims of domestic violence and their dependent children by providing shelter and related help, offering violence prevention programs, and improving how service agencies work together in communities.
Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban
The Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban
is a United States federal law enacted in 1996 to ban firearms and ammunitions to individuals convicted of misdemeanor
domestic violence
, or who are under a restraining (protection) order for domestic abuse in all 50 states.
Supervised release of domestic violence offenders
The United States federal probation and supervised release law:
The first Theological Education and Domestic Violence Conference, sponsored by the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, was held in 1985 to identify topics that should be covered in seminaries. When church leaders first encounter sexual and domestic violence, they need to know what community resources are available. They need to focus on ending the violence, rather than on keeping families together.
One of the Salvation Army
's missions is working with victims of domestic abuse. They offer safe housing, therapy, and support.
Men's groups against domestic violence and forced rape, found around the world, take measures to reduce their use of violence. Typical activities include group discussions, education campaigns and rallies, work with violent men, and workshops in schools, prisons and workplaces. Actions are frequently conducted in collaboration with women's organizations that are involved in preventing violence against women and providing services to abused women. In the United States alone, there are over 100 such men's groups, many of which focus specifically on sexual violence.
Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (Duluth Model)
The Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (Duluth Model), featured in the documentary Power and Control: Domestic Violence in America
, was the first multi-disciplinary program designed to coordinate the actions of a variety of agencies in Duluth, Minnesota
dealing with domestic violence
for a more effective outcome and has become a model for programs in other jurisdiction
s. A nationwide study published in 2002 sponsored by the federal government found that batterers who complete programs based on the "Duluth Model," are less likely to repeat acts of domestic violence than those who do not complete any batterers' intervention program.
Organizations
Topics
Men are also subject to domestic violence, such as in situational couple violience, but are less likely to be physically hurt. Intimate terrorism, an ongoing, complicated use of control, power and abuse is what generally results in most of the violence against women.
Definition of Domestic Violence
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition, domestic violence is: "the inflicting of physical injury by one family or household member on another; also: a repeated or habitual pattern of such behavior."Governmental definitions
Section 3(a) of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 defined domestic violence for the purposes of that subchapter of the US Code:The U. S. Office on Violence Against Women
Office on Violence Against Women
The Office on Violence Against Women , a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, provides national leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act ....
(OVW) defines domestic violence as a "pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power
Power (communication)
Power can be described as the capacity of an individual or a group to exert their will over another or others or influence the goals of a relationship. Power is not a characteristic of any one individual, rather, it is defined in terms of relationships and transactions between people...
and control over another intimate partner". The definition adds that domestic violence "can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender", and can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional, economic, and psychological abuse.
A global problem
Kofi AnnanKofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, Secretary-General of the United Nations, declared in a 2006 report posted on the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) website that:
Violence against women and girls is a problem of pandemicPandemicA pandemic is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region; for instance multiple continents, or even worldwide. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are getting sick from it is not a pandemic...
proportions. At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime with the abuser usually someone known to her.
Forms of domestic violence
Domestic violence may include verbalVerbal abuse
Verbal abuse is best described as a negative defining statement told to you or about you; or by withholding any response thus defining the target as non-existant...
, emotional
Psychological abuse
Psychological abuse, also referred to as emotional abuse or mental abuse, is a form of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another to behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder...
, economic
Economic abuse
Economic abuse is a form of abuse when one intimate partner has control over the other partner's access to economic resources, which diminishes the victim's capacity to support him/herself and forces him/her to depend on the perpetrator financially....
, physical
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...
and sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
. All forms of domestic abuse have one purpose: to gain and maintain control over the victim. Abusers use many tactics to exert power over their spouse or partner: dominance, humiliation
Humiliation
Humiliation is the abasement of pride, which creates mortification or leads to a state of being humbled or reduced to lowliness or submission. It can be brought about through bullying, intimidation, physical or mental mistreatment or trickery, or by embarrassment if a person is revealed to have...
, isolation
Solitude
Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation, i.e., lack of contact with people. It may stem from bad relationships, deliberate choice, infectious disease, mental disorders, neurological disorders or circumstances of employment or situation .Short-term solitude is often valued as a time when one...
, threats
Coercion
Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. In law, coercion is codified as the duress crime. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way...
, intimidation
Intimidation
Intimidation is intentional behavior "which would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities" fear of injury or harm. It's not necessary to prove that the behavior was so violent as to cause terror or that the victim was actually frightened.Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or...
, denial
Denial
Denial is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.The subject may use:* simple denial: deny the reality of the...
and blame
Blame
Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, making negative statements about an individual or group that their action or actions are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for doing something wrong their action is blameworthy...
.
The dynamics between the couple may include:
- Situational couple violence, which arises out of conflicts that escalate to arguments and then to violence, is not connected to a general pattern of control, generally infrequent, and likely the most common type of intimate partner violence. Women are as likely as men to be abusers, however, women are more likely to be physically injured, require police intervention and become fearful of their mates.
- Intimate terrorism (IT), involves a pattern of ongoing control using emotional, physical and other forms of domestic violence and is what generally leads victims, who are usually women, to women's shelterWomen's shelterA women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape, and domestic violence....
s. It is what was traditionally the definition of domestic violence and is generally illustrated with the "Power and Control Wheel" to illustrate the different and inter-related forms of abuse. - Violent resistance (VR), or "self-defenseSelf-defenseSelf-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
", is violence perpetrated by victims against their abusive partners. It is generally used infrequently because men are usually able to physically overpower women. Michael Johnson finds that "Most women who resist violently soon turn to other means of coping with their abuse." - Common couple violenceCommon couple violenceCommon couple violence is a type of domestic violence identified by researcher Michael Johnson as a relationship dynamic "in which conflict occasionally gets ‘out of hand,’ leading usually to ‘minor’ forms of violence, and rarely escalates into serious or life-threatening forms of violence.”...
, where both partners are engaged in domestic violence actions. - Mutual violent control (MVC) is a rare type of intimate partner violence that occurs when both partners act in a violent manner, battling for control.
Incidence of domestic violence
Gender aspects of abuseWomen are subjected to domestic violence more often and more severely than are men.
A large study, compiled by Martin S. Fiebert, shows that women are as likely to be abusive to men, but that men are less likely to be hurt. However, he noted, men are seriously injured in 38 percent of the cases in which "extreme aggression" is used. Fiebert additionally noted that his work was not meant to minimize the serious effects of men who abuse women. Women are far more likely to use weapons, such as throwing a plate or firing a gun.
The National Institute of Justice
National Institute of Justice
The National Institute of Justice is the research, development and evaluation agency of the United States Department of Justice. NIJ, along with the Bureau of Justice Statistics , Bureau of Justice Assistance , Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention , Office for Victims of Crime ,...
contends that national surveys supported by NIJ, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics that examine more serious assaults do not support the conclusion of similar rates of male and female spousal assaults. These surveys are conducted within a safety or crime context and clearly find more partner abuse by men against women.
Statistics
Domestic violence within a year- 1% of all women (age > 18) who participated in a UN national study in 1995-6, who may or may not have been married or partnered, were victims of domestic abuse within the previous 12 month period. Since this population included women who had never been married or partnered, the prevalence of domestic violence may have been greater.
- About 2.3 million people are raped or physically assaulted each year by a current or former intimate partner or spouse.
- 3-4 million women are beaten each year by their husbands, male lovers, or ex-husbands.
- Physically assaulted women receive an average of 6.9 physical assaults by the same partner per year.
Violence during pregnancy
The United States was one of the countries identified by a United Nations study with a high rate of domestic violence resulting in death during pregnancy.
Domestic violence during a woman's life
- According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The National Institute of Justice, nearly 25% of women experience at least one physical assault during adulthood by a partner.
- 22% of the women had been subject to domestic violence during some period of their life, according to a United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
study. Since this population included women who had never been married or partnered, the prevalence of domestic violence may have been greater. - According to a report by the United States Department of JusticeUnited States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, a survey of 16,000 Americans showed 22.1 percent of women and 7.4 percent of men reported being physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, boyfriend or girlfriend, or date in their lifetime. - 60% of American Indian and Alaska Native women will be physically assaulted in their lifetime.
Injury
For women between 15 and 44, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury, more than rapes, muggings, and car accidents combined.
Rape
1 in 33 men and 1 in 6 women have experienced an attempted or completed rape against a partner. More than one in three American Indian and Alaska Native women will be raped in their lifetimes.
Murder
Women are more likely than men to be murdered by an intimate partner. Of those killed by an intimate partner about three quarters are female and about a quarter are male. In 1999 in the United States 1,218 women and 424 men were killed by an intimate partner, and 1,181 females and 329 males were killed by their intimate partners in 2005.
Dating violence
Dating violence is often a precursor to domestic violence. 22% of high school girls and 32% of college women experienced dating violence in a 2000 study. 20.6% of women experienced two or more types of dating violence and 8.3% of women experienced rape, stalking or physical aggression while dating.
Socio-economic impacts
While domestic violence crosses all socio-economic classes, Intimate Terrorism (IT) is more prevalent among poor people. When evaluating situational couple violence, poor people, subject to greater strains, have the highest percentage of situational couple violence, which does not necessarily involve serious violence.Regarding ethnicity, socio-economic standing and other factors often have more to do with rates of domestic violence. When comparing the African American population to European Americans by socio-economic class, the rates of domestic violence are roughly the same. Since there are more poor African Americans, though, there is a higher incidence of domestic violence overall. It is not possible to evaluate the rate of domestic violence by ethnicity alone, because of the variability of cultural, economic and historical influences and the forms of domestic violence (situational couple violence, intimate terrorism) affecting each population of people.
Homelessness
According to the authors of "Housing Problems and Domestic Violence," 38% of domestic violence victims will become homeless in their lifetime. Domestic violence is the direct cause of homelessness for over half of all homeless women in the United States.Economic impacts
The National Coalition Against Domestic ViolenceNational coalition against domestic violence
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence is an organization founded in 1978 in Washington, D.C. with a goal to “organize our collective power by advancing transformative work, thinking and leadership in communities and individuals who seek to end violence in our lives.” The organization not...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reports that:
- 25% - 50% of victims of abuse from a partner have lost their job due to domestic violence.
- 35% - 56% of victims of domestic violence are harassed at work by their partners.
- More than 1.75 million workdays are lost each year to domestic violence. Lost productivity due to missed workdays and decreased productivity, with increased health and safety costs, results in a loss of $3 to $5 billion dollars each year.
Religion
One 2004 study by William Bradford Wilcox examined the relationship between religious affiliation, church attendance, and domestic violence, using data on wives' reports of spousal violence from three national United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
surveys conducted between 1992 and 1994. The study found that the lowest reported rates of domestic violence occurred among active conservative Protestants (2.8% of husbands committed domestic violence), followed by those who were religiously unaffiliated (3.2%), nominal mainline Protestants (3.9%), active mainline Protestants (5.4%), and nominal conservative Protestants (7.2%). Overall (including both nominal and active members), the rates among conservative Protestants and mainline Protestants were 4.8% and 4.3%, respectively. Examining Wilcox's study, Van Leewun finds that the parenting style of conservative Protestant fathers is characterized by features which have been linked to positive outcomes among children and adolescents, that there is no evidence that gender-traditionalist ideology of the "soft patriarchal" kind is a strong predictor of domestic physical abuse, and that "gender hierarchialist males" who are frequent and active church members function positively in the domestic environment.
Another 2007 study by Christopher G. Ellison found that "religious involvement, specifically church attendance, protects against domestic violence, and this protective effect is stronger for African American men and women and for Hispanic men, groups that, for a variety of reasons, experience elevated risk for this type of violence."
Straus and Gelles found that in couples reporting spousal violence, 27 percent of the time the man struck the first blow; in 24 percent of cases, the woman initiated the violence. The rest of the time, the violence was mutual, with both partners brawling. The results were the same even when the most severe episodes of violence were analyzed. In order to counteract claims that the reporting data was skewed, female-only surveys were conducted, asking females to self-report, and the data was the same. The simple tally of physical acts is typically found to be similar in those studies that examine both directions, but some studies show that male violence may be more serious. Male violence may do more damage than female violence; women are more likely to be injured and/or hospitalized. Wives are more likely to be killed by their husbands than the reverse (59 percent to 41 percent per Dept of Justice study), and women in general are more likely to be killed by their spouses than by all other types of assailants combined.
History
Prior to the mid 1800s, most legal systems accepted wife beating as a valid exercise of a husband's authority over his wife. One exception, however, was the 1641 Body of Liberties of the Massachusetts Bay colonistsMassachusetts Body of Liberties
The Massachusetts Body of Liberties was the first legal code established by European colonists in New England. Compiled by the Puritan minister Nathaniel Ward, the laws were established by the Massachusetts General Court in 1641...
, which declared that a married woman should be "free from bodilie correction or stripes by her husband."
Political agitation during the 19th century led to changes in both popular opinion and legislation regarding domestic violence within the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1850, Tennessee became the first state in the United States to explicitly outlaw wife beating. Other states soon followed suit. In 1878, the Matrimonial Causes Act
Matrimonial Causes Act
The Matrimonial Causes Act is a stock short title used for legislation in the United Kingdom relating to marriage law.-List:* The Matrimonial Causes Act 1857* The Matrimonial Causes Act 1858* The Matrimonial Causes Act 1859* The Matrimonial Causes Act 1860...
made it possible for women in the UK to seek separations from abusive husbands. By the end of the 1870s, most courts in the United States were uniformly opposed to the right of husbands to physically discipline their wives. By the early 20th century, it was common for the police to intervene in cases of domestic violence in the United States, but arrests remained rare.
Modern attention to domestic violence began in the women's movement of the 1970s, particularly within feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
, as concern about wives being beaten by their husbands gained attention. The first known use of the expression "domestic violence" in a modern context, meaning "spouse abuse, violence in the home" was in 1973. With the rise of the men's movement
Men's movement
The men's movement is a social movement that includes a number of philosophies and organizations that seek to support men, change the male gender role and improve men's rights in regard to marriage, child access and victims of domestic violence...
of the 1990s, the problem of domestic violence against men has also gained significant attention.
Laws
Violence Against WomenThree Violence Against Women Act
Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 is a United States federal law. It was passed as Title IV, sec. 40001-40703 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, , and signed as by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994...
s (VAWA) (1994, 2000, 2005) United States federal laws have been signed into by the President to end domestic violence, sexual assault, dating
violence, and stalking. The law helped victim advocates and government agencies to work together, created prevention and victim support programs, and resulted in new punishments for certain violent crimes, which by 2005 resulted in:
- 49.8% reduction of non-fatal, violent victimizations committed by intimate partners.
- In the first six years, an estimated $14.8 billion in net averted social costs.
- 51% increase in reporting of domestic violence and 18% increase in National Domestic Violence Hotline calls each year, evidence that as victims become aware of remedies, they break the code of silence.
Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act is a United States law, first authorized as part of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 , that provides federal funding to help victims of domestic violence and their dependent children by providing shelter and related help, offering violence...
(FVPSA) provides federal funding to help victims of domestic violence and their dependent children by providing shelter and related help, offering violence prevention programs, and improving how service agencies work together in communities.
- Formula Grants. This money helps states, territories, and tribes create and support programs that work to help victims and prevent family violence. The amount of money is determined by a formula based partly on population. The states, territories, and tribes distribute the money to thousands of domestic violence shelters and programs.
- The 24-hour, confidential, toll-free National Domestic Violence HotlineNational Domestic Violence HotlineThe National Domestic Violence Hotline is a 24-hour, confidential, toll-free hotline created through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. Hotline staff immediately connect the caller to a service provider in his or her area...
provides support, information, referrals, safety planning, and crisis interventionCrisis interventionCrisis Intervention can be defined as emergency psychological care aimed at assisting individuals in a crisis situation to restore equilibrium to their biopsychosocial functioning and to minimise the potential for psychological trauma...
in more than 170 languages to hundreds of thousands of domestic violence victims each year. - The Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancements and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) Program teaches people ways to prevent violence.
Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban
The Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban
Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban
The Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban is an amendment to the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 enacted by the 104th United States Congress in 1996...
is a United States federal law enacted in 1996 to ban firearms and ammunitions to individuals convicted of misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, or who are under a restraining (protection) order for domestic abuse in all 50 states.
Supervised release of domestic violence offenders
The United States federal probation and supervised release law:
- Requires first-time domestic violenceDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
offenders convicted of domestic violence crimes to attend court-approved non-profit offender rehabilitation programs within a 50-mile radius of the individual's legal residence. - Makes probation mandatory for first-time domestic violence offenders not sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
Christian
A contributing factor to the disparity of responses to abuse is lack of training. Many Christian seminaries had not educated future church leaders about how to manage violence against women. Once pastors began receiving training, and announced their participation in domestic violence educational programs, they immediately began receiving visits from women church members who had been subject to violence.The first Theological Education and Domestic Violence Conference, sponsored by the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence, was held in 1985 to identify topics that should be covered in seminaries. When church leaders first encounter sexual and domestic violence, they need to know what community resources are available. They need to focus on ending the violence, rather than on keeping families together.
One of the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
's missions is working with victims of domestic abuse. They offer safe housing, therapy, and support.
Domestic violence hotlines
- The National Domestic Violence HotlineNational Domestic Violence HotlineThe National Domestic Violence Hotline is a 24-hour, confidential, toll-free hotline created through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. Hotline staff immediately connect the caller to a service provider in his or her area...
is a 24-hour, confidential, toll-free hotline created through the Family Violence Prevention and Services ActFamily Violence Prevention and Services ActThe Family Violence Prevention and Services Act is a United States law, first authorized as part of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 , that provides federal funding to help victims of domestic violence and their dependent children by providing shelter and related help, offering violence...
. Hotline staff immediately connect the caller to a service provider in his or her area. Highly trained advocates provide support, information, referrals, safety planning, and crisis intervention in 170 languages to hundreds of thousands of domestic violence victims. - Loveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse HelplineLoveisrespect, National Teen Dating Abuse Helplineloveisrespect National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline was launched February 8, 2007 by the National Domestic Violence Hotline. This 24-hour national Web-based and telephone resource was created to help teens experiencing dating abuse, and is the only helpline in the country serving all 50 states,...
, launched February 8, 2007 by the National Domestic Violence HotlineNational Domestic Violence HotlineThe National Domestic Violence Hotline is a 24-hour, confidential, toll-free hotline created through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. Hotline staff immediately connect the caller to a service provider in his or her area...
, is a 24-hour national Web-based and telephone resource, created to help teens (ages 13-18) experiencing dating abuse, and is the only helpline in the country serving all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Programs to reduce domestic violence
Community activism by menMen's groups against domestic violence and forced rape, found around the world, take measures to reduce their use of violence. Typical activities include group discussions, education campaigns and rallies, work with violent men, and workshops in schools, prisons and workplaces. Actions are frequently conducted in collaboration with women's organizations that are involved in preventing violence against women and providing services to abused women. In the United States alone, there are over 100 such men's groups, many of which focus specifically on sexual violence.
Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (Duluth Model)
The Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (Duluth Model), featured in the documentary Power and Control: Domestic Violence in America
Power and Control: Domestic Violence in America
Power and Control: Domestic Violence in America is a documentary about domestic violence, told through the story of Kim Mosher, a mother of three from Wabasha, Minnesota and victim of physical and emotional abuse...
, was the first multi-disciplinary program designed to coordinate the actions of a variety of agencies in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
dealing with domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
for a more effective outcome and has become a model for programs in other jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
s. A nationwide study published in 2002 sponsored by the federal government found that batterers who complete programs based on the "Duluth Model," are less likely to repeat acts of domestic violence than those who do not complete any batterers' intervention program.
See also
Legal remedies- Address confidentiality programAddress Confidentiality ProgramAn address confidentiality program allows victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking or other types of crime to receive mail at a confidential address, while keeping their actual address undisclosed...
, some states in the United States - InjunctionInjunctionAn injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
- Restraining orderRestraining orderA restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
Organizations
- AHA FoundationAHA FoundationThe AHA Foundation is a nonprofit organization for the defense of Muslim women's rights. It was founded by Ayaan Hirsi Ali in 2007 and is based in New York, NY in the United States....
(Muslim women's rights in western countries) - Futures Without Violence
- National Coalition Against Domestic ViolenceNational coalition against domestic violenceNational Coalition Against Domestic Violence is an organization founded in 1978 in Washington, D.C. with a goal to “organize our collective power by advancing transformative work, thinking and leadership in communities and individuals who seek to end violence in our lives.” The organization not...
- National Network to End Domestic ViolenceNational Network to End Domestic ViolenceThe National Network to End Domestic Violence is a not-for-profit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia since 1995. It is a network of state domestic violence coalitions, representing over 2,000 member organizations nationwide...
- Peaceful Families ProjectPeaceful Families ProjectThe Peaceful Families Project is among the pioneering Muslim organizations working to end domestic violence in Muslim families and communities...
(Muslim organization) - Stop Abuse For EveryoneStop Abuse For EveryoneStop Abuse For Everyone is a domestic violence organization started in 1991. It is based out of Portland, Oregon, but has a national presence. Stop Abuse For Everyone advocates for what they term an "inclusive" model of domestic violence...
, inclusive of all types of domestic violence victims: age, LBGT, gender, etc. - Tahirih Justice Center
- Convicted Women Against AbuseConvicted Women Against AbuseConvicted Women Against Abuse is the first inmate-initiated and inmate-led group in the United States prison system and is located at the California Institution for Women in Chino, CA...
Topics
- Battered woman defense, a criminal defense
- Biblical patriarchyBiblical patriarchyBiblical patriarchy is a set of beliefs in evangelical Christianity concerning marriage, the family, and the home. It sees the father as the head of the home, and responsible for the conduct of his family. Notable adherents of biblical patriarchy include Douglas Wilson, R. C. Sproul, Jr. and...
- Christianity and domestic violenceChristianity and domestic violenceThe correlation between Christianity and domestic violence is subject to debate, partly because there have been few studies to correlate the two, and complicated by a culture of silence and acceptance among abuse victims. There are some Bible verses that abusers use to justify discipline of their...
- Domestic violenceDomestic violenceDomestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
- Honor killing in the United StatesHonor killing in the United StatesSeveral claims of honor killing in the United States have been documented.-History:An article in the Spring 2009 edition of Middle East Quarterly argues that the United States is far behind Europe in acknowledging that honor killings are a special form of domestic violence, requiring special...
- Outline of domestic violenceOutline of domestic violenceThe following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to domestic violence:Domestic violence – pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship, such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
- Uniform Child Abduction Prevention ActUniform Child Abduction Prevention ActThe Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act is a Uniform Act drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and submitted for enactment by jurisdictions within the United States in 2006...
- Violence against womenViolence against womenViolence against women is a technical term used to collectively refer to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women...
- Women's rightsWomen's rightsWomen's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
- External links
External links
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- FaithTrust Institute (formerly Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence), a multifaith, multicultural training and education organization in the United States with global reach working to end sexual and domestic violence.