DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic Violence (noun) — behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other.

Will violence ever end?

Bell Hooks, author of “Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics,” states, “by far one of the most widespread positive interventions of contemporary feminist movement remains the effort to create and sustain greater cultural awareness of domestic violence as well as the changes that must happen in our thinking and action if we are to see its end.”

Hooks speaks of a feminist movement that attempts to end domestic violence by recognizing the problem. She emphasizes the issue of gender inequality and male dominance as key factors in ending domestic violence, however, she realizes that violence does not only occur between man and woman.

“Initially feminist focus on domestic violence highlighted male violence against women, but as the movement progressed evidence showed that there was also domestic violence present in same-sex relations, that women in relationships with Women were and are oftentimes the victims of abuse, that children were also victims of adult patriarchal violence enacted by women and men.”

Violence not only takes place between a male and female, but also in same sex relationships as well as parent to children relationships. Male violence against women, however, seems to receive much more attention in media than any other type of relationship. Although the media does not cover much of same sex and parent to children violence, it does not mean that it does not happen as frequent as male to female violence.

So how can we begin to end domestic violence?

We must recognize that male dominance is an issue.

“Men are socialized by ruling-class groups of men to accept domination in the public world of work and to believe that the private world of home and intimate relationships will restore to them the sense of power they equate with masculinity.”

We have fed men power. They have been taught to be the most successful and powerful, whether it’s at the household or at work, and they have learned to crave that authority. When they do not have that power, it makes them feel stressed, powerless, and sometimes angry.

For example, a man, who was the CEO of a company, has recently been demoted while another more qualified employee has taken his position. He comes home to his nagging wife, making her seem like the dominant one in the house. Now not only does he feel powerless at work but also at home. This causes stress on a man who is so use to power. In order for him to relieve this stress, he must regain dominance either at the household or at work. In this case, it would be easier for him to regain dominance at the household since the only person making him feel powerless is this “weak female” who is his wife. When it comes to men versus women, men almost always win physically, so he chooses that route instead of verbally overpowering her.

It almost seems impossible to end domestic violence, especially for women against men. I believe that domestic violence can be hindered but it will never go away. Until the day that females are able to be as physically strong as a males, domestic violence will continue to exist and remain an issue in society.