The 'Dark Side' Of The Family - Domestic Abuse

Question 1

Domestic Abuse

Answer 1

Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling coercive and threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 and over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
It can be psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse.
It is caused by social factors and women tend to be the victims

Question 2

Wilkinson 
Richard Wilkinson (1996)

Answer 2

See's domestic violence as a result of stress in family members caused by social inequality 
Inequality -some families have fewer resources, lower incomes, housing etc
- live in low incomes or in overcrowded accommodation experiencing high levels of stress
- reduces chances of maintaining a stable and caring relationship and increases conflict and violence 
Found out that not all people are equally in danger of suffering domestic violence 
Lower class people have greater hardships and higher levels of stress
It doesn't explain why women are more the victims compared to men 
They fail to explain the abuse in middle class families

Question 3

Pickett
Kate Pickett (2010)

Answer 3

Domestic abuse is caused by stress that is caused by social inequality
Wilkinson and Pickett’s theory is useful in showing how social inequality produces stress which triggers conflict and violence within the family
Pickett has the same idea as Wilkinson - the lower class has more hardship therefor more stress and more abuse

Question 4

Miller and Firestone (1970s)

Answer 4

They were radical feminists
Argue that all societies have been founded in patriarchy.
Division in society between men and women.
Men are the oppressors and exploiters of women - women are most exploited in the family
Men will always be the enemy of women
Domestic abuse is inevitable is a patriarchy society- used by men to maintain patriarchy - always a possibility or a threat of it happening

Question 5

Millet and Firestone

Criticism

Answer 5

• not all are domestic abusers- many men are opposed to domestic abuse
• women can also be abused of men and women
• Radical Feminists fail to explain why some women are at a greater risk of domestic abuse (low income, younger women, long term sickness, high levels of alcohol and drugs)

Question 6

Dobash and Dobash
(Husband and wife)
(1980s)

Answer 6

Actual research into domestic abuse.
Interviewed women who ran away from home - refugees from Scotland.
Operated in secret so the husband doesn’t find out .
Most women were hit or abused at least twice a week.
Nothing psychologically wrong with men - they abuse when their authority is threaten-men wanting control over women so that they can preserve a sense of authority and power
They abuse when their authority is threatened ( coming home late, looking at another person, jealousy, housework not done properly)

Question 7

Marxist theory - Wilkinson and Pickett

The accuracy of the Official Crime Statistics

Answer 7

2 reasons
1) Victims are unwilling to report her abuse to the police
25% of women victims-actual number is much higher
Fear of reprisal - embraced by other people’s opinions, have society judge you, frighten that social services might take their children away, denial-don’t think the father is a bad father, tradition in ethnic minorities as they don’t want to bring shame to the family honour
2) police may be reluctant to help and investigate
They don’t want to get involved with people’s private matter
There are 3 reasons why they don’t want to get involved:
- family life is private
- individuals are free agents-demand of husband financially
- ignore the dark side of the family - they believe they can sort it out themselves