Domestic violence in the United States
Domestic violence is a very serious matter that occurs in the United States every day. It is not limited to physical abuse but can be committed in many different ways. Most cases go unreported due to fear and insecurity. Domestic violence is most common in intimate relationships and the victims are most of the time women. Some people are in abusive relationships without knowing that they are being a part of domestic violence. There are many effects on abused people which could change their lives forever. There are also different reasons why abusers commit these horrible acts on others.
Domestic violence can be defined as a pattern of controlling behaviors and tactics used by one person to gain power and control over another. It is not limited to physical abuse; different types of abuse include physical and sexual abuse, intimidation, threats, psychological abuse, threats, and emotional abuse. Psychological and emotional violence means intense and constant degradation, creating isolation, and controlling the actions or behaviors of the partner through intimidation. Domestic violence occurs in heterosexual, same-sex partnerships, and crosses all ethnic, racial, and socio-economic types.
A serious possible cause of domestic violence amongst women is the shift in power from men to women, according to Reihan Salam in his passage The Death of Macho. “The era of male dominance is coming to an end” (Salam 629). A possible scenario could be for example, a man in a relationship was used to being the financial provider and had all the power and control over money and spending, then all of a sudden he got laid off of his job and his partner got a job better than the one he had. I can see this being a situation where the man will abuse her to take control over her and show her that he has all the power.
Statistics of domestic violence in the United States show that three to four million women are beaten by their lovers, husbands, or ex-husbands every year. It is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44, more than muggings, car accidents, and rapes combined (The Clark County Prosecuting attorney). In Michigan, there were 54,258 reported victims and 30 reported murders related to domestic violence in 2004 (Michigan State Police).
People that are in risk of being victims of domestic violence may be individuals that were previously in an abusive relationship, unemployed, isolated socially from friends and family, and are in a poverty or poor living situation. These people have an increased chance of being abused. There are also things that could put people in risk to be abusers. For example a person that was