Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Violence in the United States
Victims of domestic violence are all too often either stigmatized or glorified through the eyes of media. On the one hand, the media almost romanticizes abusive relationships through news stories such as the Rihanna and Chris Brown incident of 2009, portraying it as a dark and twisted love story as opposed to its reality. While on the other hand, when the actual brutality of this injustice is too hard to comprehend, the media shuts down and addresses it as a private family matter, furthering the stigmatization of women seeking refuge, and discouraging those who find a way to escape their abusive situations.
Domestic violence, as defined by the United States Department of Justice, is 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”. Domestic violence is one of the most complex injustices to occur in the United States. Due to the sensitive nature of the act, domestic violence is often kept under the covers or hidden from public view. This often causes perpetrators to go unpunished, and continues the vicious cycle of abuse throughout households. In fact, the act of domestic violence was not even considered a serious crime in the country until the 1970s. Instead, it was categorized under a “private family matter”, and stigmatized when brought up in public settings. This comes across as strange, considering that “about 4,000 women die each year due to domestic violence, and about 75% of the victims are killed as they attempt to leave the relationship or after the relationship has ended.”
The rate of domestic violence is extremely high nationwide. However, neither the rate of incarceration for the perpetrators, nor the post-care statistics for the victims, match the numbers of the injustice committed. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. However, despite this alarming statistic, domestic violence remains one of the least covered topics. This is due to several societal factors, primarily revolving around the relationship between the victim and the abuser.
Due to the nature of the dynamic between the victim and perpetrator, most domestic abuse cases are never reported. The lack of reporting happens for several reasons, some of which include fear, or the wrongful assumption that the dominant individual in the relationship should in fact have that kind of power over the submissive. In many patriarchal cultures, the male is considered the dominant member of a relationship. This dynamic can work to almost brainwash a woman into thinking that any treatment imposed upon her by her spouse is acceptable, thus leading to a low report rate of domestic abuse among such cultural groups. Furthermore, an individual regularly subjected to abuse by their partner might also avoid reporting the crime, or ending the relationship due to fear of the consequences. A lack of education on the topic and easily accessible support groups, encourages the silencing of such injustices and creates an unwelcoming environment for those seeking refuge out of their abusive situations.
Due to the sensitive nature of domestic violence, it is imperative that victims are provided with proper care, counseling and education on the subject in order to not only prevent pursuing similar relationships in the future, but also to become a resource for others experiencing the same thing. While aid for victims does exist, it is not nearly as accessible and prevalent as it should be. There needs to be a stronger support system in place to encourage women to report their abuse, and seek shelter in a safe space. Furthermore, there should be a heavier focus on preemptive education for teenagers and young adults about the warning signs of domestic abuse. Like sex-education, more courses should be developed to teach people about healthy relationship dynamics and the support systems available in case someone finds themselves in a toxic relationship.
Domestic abuse is a serious injustice experienced by people of all demographics, and it is crucial that more focus is placed upon education and counseling in order to reduce the rate of victims abused nationwide.
