Family Violence Essays - Abuse, Domestic Violence, Crimes, Family

Family Violence Those who study or work with Family Violence will better understand family violence if they consider the problems and circumstances that cause the violence to occur. Most studies are not completely accurate because the studies only involve those people who have sought help to stop the violence or who have resorted to their own tactics of stopping the violence. To understand why violence occurs each individual abuser and victim must be examined. Violence in families is as individual as the people involved. Most victims who resort to their own tactics are not aware of their options; therefore, they may do something illegal and/or unexcusable. Sometimes, these acts are carried out because there is/was no other options they could take. Family Violence is one of the most frequently occurring and unreported crimes of today. The violent occurrences between spouses, parents and children, and siblings have been described as symptomatic of the breakdown of social control in contemporary America. (Peter C. Kratcoski, Attacking Family Violence, USA Today 114 no. 2484 (September 1985), p. 98.) The family is the most loving and supportive human group or institution, yet it is also by far the most violent except for the police or the military during wars. (Sandra Stencel, Violence In The Family, Editorial Research Reports (April 27, 1979), p. 308.) Professor Murray A. Straus at a meeting of the American Psychological Association in Toronto, August 29, 1978, said, Violence in the home is a far more serious problem than violence in the streets, in the classroom, or anywhere else. Violence has always been present in American family life. It was tolerated and condoned until recently where family violence is thought as immoral and unlawful. (Kratcoski, p. 98.) In general, the rule in the family is that if someone is doing wrong and wont listen to reason, it is OK to hit. (Stencel, p. 316.) Page 1 of 5 FAMILY VIOLENCE ANGELA DETTER JANUARY 13, 1987 Factors that contribute to family violence are: (1) selfish, self-serving attitude, and actions of adults, (2) lack of social involvement, (3) inability of churches and other community institutions to strongly influence intra-family relations, and (4) new freedom demanded by women. (Kratcoski, p. 98.) Although family violence occurs in all regions, races, religions, incomes, education levels, and population rates, Sociologists Murray A. Straus, Richard Gelles and Suzanne Steinmetz discovered that there are some differences. Southerners have the lowest child abuse rate while the Midwest has the highest rates of child and husband abuses. Sibling and wife abuse is common in the rural areas and cities, although, areas of over a million in population have the highest rate of child and spouse abuse. Jews have the lowest rates of abuse in all forms except in husband abuse where the Protestants had the lowest. Minority religions (not Catholics, Protestant or Jewish) have the highest rate of all types of abuse. Family Violence occurs most often among racial minorities, although, blacks are more abusive toward their wives. Spouse abuse is lowest among white families while sibling violence is lowest among black families. Parental violence is the same among black and white families. Women with some college education or High School dropouts and men with some college education have the most violence among siblings. The most violent males and mothers are High School graduates, although, the most violent wives are High School dropouts. The most violent income group is those with $5,999 or less and the least violent being $20,000 or more. While blue-collar workers have the highest rate of spouse and child abuse, blue- collar women have the least sibling violence and blue-collar men have the most sibling violence. (Murray A. Straus, Richard Gelles and Suzanne Steinmetz, Violence; The Wars in American Homes Atlanta Journal & Constitution (May 11, 1980), p. 2-A.) There are many types of family violence including Spouse abuse, Child abuse, abuse of Elders, and Sibling abuse. There are also many variations of these types of abuses. Although some cases may belong in each variation, every case is as individual as the families involved. There are two main types of spouse abuse: wife and husband. Wife abuse is the most known about of spouse abuse cases. Wife abuse has been around every since man has believed that ... a married man should