In 2007, Catalano estimated that one in four women has experienced some form of IPV in her lifetime (compared to one in seven men). These findings show that while women do abuse, most often the abusers are men.įrankly speaking, researches have shown that women are the primary victims of intimate partner violence. A 2007 research study from Etter and Birzer determined that while approximately 80.8% of accused abusers were, only 19.2% were female. “ In the United States, it is estimated that between two to four million women are victims of domestic violence every year.” This quote means every 18 seconds someone is a victim of domestic violence. Domestic violence has reached an alarming stage in our society. That is, sociologists should be able to provide reasons and genuine solutions that can prevent this social problem in our society.įrom a sociological perspective, domestic violence is a significant social problem in the world and sociologists have created the term intimate partner violence (IPV) to include unmarried, cohabitating, and same-sex couples, family. Therefore, domestic violence should be at the center of attention for sociologists. Sociology is the study of society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture that surrounds everyday life. This means that domestic violence is neither race, gender, age, class or religion specific. It matters not if one comes from upper-, middle or lower-class families. Domestic violence occurs without regard to race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. According to researchers Etter and Birzer, this includes sexual abuse of children and physical abuse of elderly parents. Further Defining Domestic Violenceĭomestic violence is defined by the National Domestic Violence Hotline as a forced “pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an individual.” Domestic violence is further defined as physical or sexual violence within the family. Therefore, if the above is carried out at home or in an intimate relationship, it is called domestic violence. Hence, one can conclude that violence is the intentional, harmful and unwanted societal behaviour perpetrated by a person or group of people that may result to physical, sexual, psychological or emotionally abuse. In a 1999 book on school bullying, experts state that violence/violent behavior is “an aggressive behavior where the actor or perpetrator uses his or her own body as an object (including a weapon) to inflict (relatively serious) injury or discomfort upon an individual.” Additionally, in a 2017 article, Hamby noted that a comprehensive definition of violence includes 4 essential elements, including behavior that is: Violence is the use of physical and extreme force. In this article I define language such as ‘violence’ and ‘domestic violence,’ demonstrate how domestic violence is a social problem, outline the different sociological perspectives, and summarize sociological solutions. Each of these theories posits its own view on preventing domestic violence. Sociological theories are often grouped into the “Big Three”: Conflict Theory, Structural Functionalism, and Symbolic Interactionism. Can we use sociological theories to help prevent domestic and intimate partner violence?
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