Love Can Kill: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Abusive relationships can end in death. Literally. It is important for the government, and society as a whole, to recognize the impact that domestic violence has not just on women but individuals overall. Of course, it is recognized that abuse affects victims psychologically, physically, economically, and more; that is not an issue. The issue is that the government has done little to no modification of already passed laws that are supposed to support all identifying victims and gives no aid in advocating for victims when they are finally pushed to end their abuse by killing their abusers. Victims of domestic violence–especially women– are not seen as sufferers of years-long abuse in the court of law and this is rooted in the poor advocacy made by the government.
When do you hear lawmakers speak and address these inequalities? Or represent the victims who have found safety or are currently still being abused as we speak? Besides Senator Dianne Feinstein–who unfortunately passed away on Friday, Sept. 29– a woman who has been described as the icon for women in politics as she was a contributor to the first ever act passed by Congress to advocate against violence towards women, we see little advocacy coming from lawmakers.
According to Shelter House, a domestic and sexual violence center, “There are 16,800 homicides and $2.2 million worth of (medically treated) injuries due to intimate partner violence annually.” This data synonymously makes up 72 percent of murder-suicides done by an intimate partner. Yet, it feels like the government is not doing enough to reduce these numbers.
As stated by the United States Attorney’s Office, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994, which recognizes that domestic violence–a pattern of abusive behavior that one partner uses in a relationship to gain or maintain power and control over the other involved intimate partners– is a national crime. Congress also made changes to the Gun Control Act during 1994 and 1996 which concluded that it would be a federal crime– in certain situations– for a domestic violence abuser to possess any firearms.
For service provider benefits, in 1984 Congress passed the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act which is a primary source of federal funding for direct service providers for domestic violence. They also passed the Victims of Crime Act, which was designed to assist and compensate victims and survivors of crime with “federal criminal fines, forfeited bonds, forfeiture of profits from criminal activity, additional special assessments and donations by private parties.” Included is the compensation for “crime-related losses including medical and counseling costs and lost wages.”
It is of great benefit that these laws and acts have been put into place but, the question now arises, are they enough? Are these legislative decisions benefiting the overall prevention and treatment of victims who are abused and killed?
The first issue with the primary act for advocacy against abuse is that the Act has been, and continues to be, aimed toward women. It is true that women are found to be killed more often by an intimate partner than men; however, men should not be overlooked from the Act or prevention and treatment overall. It is stated that “On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.” The data presents that abuse is incredibly common in the United States, with both men and women being on the receiving end of it. This data does not include the other forms of abuse that fall under the umbrella of domestic violence, like; emotional, sexual, economical, psychological, stalking, and even threats, which can manifest for a woman or man.
When domestic violence is highlighted, there is an assumption that it does not impact men when it undoubtedly does. According to Family Crisis Centers, one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. The disassociation that men may become victims of abuse may be a result of the alleged normalization of hypermasculinity. Hypermasculinity is rooted in men normalizing their “macho”, and presenting themselves as protective, physically strong, and aggressive–which may also be the fault for abusive behavioral patterns in the first place. With this reinforced norm among men, it is difficult for people to grasp the idea that men can be harmed, abused, and possibly killed by a partner. It is important to add that the data concerning the number of men having been abused could be lower as men may not come forward with their experiences. Another socialized catastrophe is men feeling the need to repress emotions as it can be used and seen as a weakness. Clearly, men can be affected in both ways; they are abused or speak up but are not taken seriously and diminish themselves and their experiences of abuse, and only continue to put themselves in danger. Both outcomes show the same consequence, they still are victims of abuse. This is why it is of high value for Congress to modify the primary act of Violence against not only women but all domestic violence victims.
Another poor course of action of the government advocating for victims of abuse is the sentencing measures enforced on victims who kill their abusers. As mentioned earlier, Congress passed the Victims of Crime Act which should aid those in court for domestic assault cases. When a victim kills their abuser, in court, however, the system now treats them as perpetrators of murder, not as initial victims.
In 1996, a woman named Beatrice Taylor was threatened with death and was physically abused by her ex-boyfriend. She called the police to ask for help (this was the second day in a row she called officers). When officers arrived they found her ex-boyfriend suffering from stab wounds in the chest. Taylor was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life without parole. Another instance was a woman named Nicole Addimando. Addimando was convicted of second-degree murder and possession of a handgun for shooting her husband after being threatened with a gun. Prior to her defense, she had been facing physical and sexual abuse from her husband for years. In 2019 a law in the state of New York passed which could make her eligible to reduced sentencing but, in 2020 a judge denied her eligibility as she did not meet the requirements for the reasoning that she had opportunities to leave her abuser.
But in 2017, when a man in North Carolina was convicted of stabbing his pregnant wife to death, he was released from prison only seven years later. Similarly, in June 2017, a New Jersey man was sentenced to 15 years for the murder of his wife. History searches showed she was planning on leaving him. Lastly, a Nebraska man who was found guilty of severing his wife’s head was rejoined in the community with supervision after he spent just five years in a psychiatric facility. Yet, for women like Taylor, Addimando, and Marissa Alexander who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot at a wall near her husband after he projected his desire to strangle her with his hands around her neck, they are given far more harsh sentencing when they are victims of years-long abuse. They are embodying self-defense yet, in the court system, it is not considered “woman-like”. Nora V. Demletiner, a professor of law at Washington and Lee University School of Law in Virginia, stated, “Women aren’t supposed to be violent, and data indicates that they rarely are, compared to men. Women are supposed to reconcile, seek out others for help, and mediate. The more violent the killing may be, the more women defy this stereotype, setting them up for a high sentence.” Beyond abuse, women are still victims of the never-ending gender norm of being submissive and delicate, so, even if abused, they are not taken seriously and are victim-blamed.
It is disheartening that not much has been taken up by the government to advocate for domestic violence victims. Yes, there are Acts established which are a great start, but more modifications in legislation are needed to address all gender differences between identifying men and others as being harmed, besides women, and the discrimination and inequality towards women in the courtrooms compared to men. Not much has changed since 1984 and that needs to change. Advocacy and fighting for modifications and further progression are needed. Victims are crying for change behind bars and closed doors but, as a society, we need to hear these cries and make a difference.
If any student on campus is experiencing abuse from an intimate partner or is a witness to relationship abuse, resources are available. Besides calling Campus Safety at 562.907.4911, there are other hotlines like the National Domestic Violence Hotline which is 800.799.7233, and centers or shelters in Los Angeles County that offer their crisis lines or residency: Project Sister at 909.626.4357 for a rape crisis and 626.966.4155 for child abuse, 1736 Family Crisis Center at 562.388.7652, Su Casa at 562.402.4888, Women Shelter of Long Beach at 562.437.4663, Women’s and Children’s Crisis Shelter at 562.945.3939, and Radiant Futures at 877.531.5522. Importantly, all sites have a close browser tab for safety reasons. But, support is all around and is accessible to those that need it.
Photo Courtesy of WIFR.
