Chapter 5: Violence in Family Flashcards
Myths about extent/nature of family violence
- family violence is rare
- only poor people are violent
- abused children always become abusive parents
- battered women “ask” for it; women who are raped on a date, “were asking for it”
Defining Family Violence
2 elements
1) type of family relationships
2) form of violence
Defining Family Violence
Types of Abuse
- physical
- sexual
- verbal
- emotional
- financial victimization
- neglect
Child Abuse
History
- spans entire history of our nation
- children traditionally viewed as “property” until the 1900’s
- 1874 - case of Marry Ellen Wilson
- mid 1960’s - enactment of child protection laws
Types of Child Maltreatment
4 types
- physical
- emotional
- sexual
- neglect
Child Abuse
Risk Factors
- children living in single parent homes
- children in large families
- children from families with an annual income less than 15k
Child Abuse and Neglect: Characteristics of Victims
Gender
Gender
- minor physical abuse - equal risk for abuse
- major physical abuse - males at slightly higher risk (54-64%)
sexual abuse - majority of reports are female; male sexual abuse may be underreported
Child Abuse and Neglect: Characteristics of Victims
Age
Age
- the younger the child, the higher the risk for physical abuse
Prepubsecence ages 7-12 most vulnerable for child abuse
Characteristics of Perpetrators Relationship to victim
- relationship to victim
- parents most likely perpetrators of physical abuse (82% of cases)
- Male CSA victims; friend, acquittance, stranger
Female CSA victims; family member
Characteristics of Perpetrators
Psychological Characteristics
Psychological Characteristics
Emotional/Behavioural Difficulties - anger, low self esteem. rigidity Family/Interpersonal Difficulties - martial issues, isolation. abuse Parenting Difficulties - unrealistic expectations, negative bias toward child, used to meet adult needs
Effects of Physcial Child Abuse
- initial responses
- medical/physical effects
- psychological effects
- pain
- fear
- confusion
- poor self image
- disrupted attachment
- dissociation
- acting out aggressively with siblings
Family Violence Against Children & Youth:
What the Data Suggests (2018)
most common type of police reported family violence against children/youth
- physical assault
- physical assault was highest among victims aged 15-17
second common type of police reported family violence against children/youth
- sexual offences
- sexual offences peaked among those aged 12-14
Family Violence Against Children & Youth:
What the Data Suggests (2018)
-police reported family related sexual offences were nearly 5x higher for female children and youth than male
Family Violence Against Children & Youth:
What the Data Suggests (2018)
- family violence increased with victim age: 159 victims aged 5 and younger per 100,000 population
379 victims aged 15-17 per 100,000 population
Family Violence Against Children & Youth:
What the Data Suggests (2018)
-majority of child and youth victim of police-reported family violence live with the person who victimized them
Elder Abuse
- America is youth oriented culture
- Elder abuse has gone generally unrecognized until recently
- 1975 - “granny battering” first described in the literature
Elder Abuse in Canada: The Department of Justice
- defining abuse of older adults cited under 3 circumstances:
1) abuse of older adults who are either living alone or with family members or other in private residences (including other adults in long term care home)
2) abuse of older adults who are living in institutions
3) self-neglect by older adults
Family Violence against Seniors:
What the Data Suggests (2018)
- For both family (47 victims per 100,000) and non family violence (80), physical assault highest rate for seniors
- family violence higher for senior females (74 victims per 100,000), senior males (60)
non family violence, with males experiencing violence at a rate almost double - majority of senior victims of police-reported family violence live with person who victimized them
Family Violence against Seniors:
What the Data Suggests (2018)
- regardless of sex of victim, violence higher in rural areas (93 per 100,000) urban (60)
- rates of family violence were longer among seniors living in Canada’s largest cities
- Among CMA’s the rate of family violence against seniors was highest in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (114 victims per 100,000)
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Patriarchy: The Root of the Problem
- patriarchy: form of social organization in which males dominate females
patriarchy comes from Greek word meaning ‘father as ruler’
Patriarchy: The Root of the Problem
Androcentricity
approaching the topic from a male-only perspective
Subordination of Women (15th century)
- during medieval European feudal system, women subordinate and homebound
Subordination of Women (15th century)
renaissance writes saw women as more virtuous and less worldly than men
Intimate Partner Violence:
Historical Context
- similar to children, wives were seen as property to their husbands
- “rule of thumb” men given societal sanction to use a stick (no wider than thumb) to corrects wife’s behaviour
Intimate Partner Violence:
Identifying Risk Factors
- family history of parental violence
- one or both spouses abused as children
- low self-esteem
- unequal power in martial relationship
- substance abuse
- inadequate coping skills (anger/hostility)
- low SES (<20k), youth (18-24) and pregnancy
Socio-Economic Factors
- violence appears all social classes
- lack of economic opportunities
- higher rates of domestic violence among minority populations
- economic factors are taken out of the equation, race is no longer a significant factor
Theories of Family Violence
Feminist Model
male power/control
Theories of Family Violence
Exchange Theory
benefits outweigh costs
Theories of Family Violence
Developmental
insecure attachments
Theories of Family Violence
Social Learning/Trauma Models
generational transmission
Intimate Partner Violence in Canada: Official Police Data 2018
- women have higher rates of intimate partner violence than men
- rates of police reported intimate partner violence in Canada increased by 2% from 2017-2018
- intimate partner violence occurred most often at private residence
- half were victimized in a home they share with their accused
Family Violence Against Intimate Partners: What Data Suggests 2018
- adults in their 20/30’s experienced the greatest risk of violence victimization by an intimate partner
- 6 in 10 spousal homicide preceded by a known history of family violence
% Of Increased Family Related Homicide Among Seniors
32%
Intimate Violent Partner (IPV)
Most likely to be victims
- women
- girls
Intimate Violent Partner (IPV)
Most likely to be victims
Indigenous Women
Indigenous women most likely to be victims of IPV but also severe forms (choking, beating, assault, threat with weapon)
Intimate Violent Partner (IPV)
Most likely to be victims
Lesbian/Bisexual
Lesbian / Bisexual more likely victims of IPV
11% lesbian/bisexual vs. 3% heterosexual
Child Specific Offences in Criminal Code
- failure to provide necessities of life
- child abandonment
- sexual offences against child
Socio-Economic Factors
- Violence appears among all social classes
- Lack of economic opportunities
- Higher rates of domestic violence among minority populations.
- Economic factors are taken out of the equation, race is no longer a significant factor.
