Domestic violence is one of the primary causes of homelessness for women. Women who are financially dependent upon their violent partners often face an untenable choice: remaining in dangerous situations or becoming homeless. This choice is undeniably more difficult for women with children, for they are making decisions with consideration for their children’s safety and
In understanding gender socialization and gay male domestic violence, it is important to recognize that domestic violence is not strictly the purview of heterosexual couples. In making the connection between gay male domestic violence and gender socialization, there are a number of important issues of which to be aware. First, in contemporary American society, ‘‘men
The Social Construction of Gender The social construction of gender is central to the study of domestic violence. Ideas about gender permeate the culture in which domestic violence is staged. The identities of both victims and perpetrators are gendered. Given the hegemonic structure of gender relations, patriarchal constructions of masculinity and femininity position women and
The United States is a culturally diverse society, and the problem of domestic violence needs to be examined across all of its different cultures. When discussing domestic violence in relation to Native Americans, it is important to remember that only generalities can be used, as there is great diversity within this broad ethnic label. There
The Trend toward the Medicalization of Society The medicalization of domestic violence is part of a more generalized trend toward the medicalization of society. A definition of the term ‘‘medicalization’’ may be in order at the outset: The term suggests that the field of medicine is used as a foundation for providing a conceptual framework
The rural setting for domestic violence can be a stark contrast to its large-city counterpart. For instance, in the 70,665 square miles of North Dakota live just over 600,000 people, among the lakes, forests, rivers, wooded bluffs, and prairies—fewer people spread across that much territory than reside in Chicago alone. Rural areas may differ from
Origins of the Rule of Thumb Historically, the physical punishment of wives has been encouraged by most cultures. The legal and social mandates for appropriate punishment are attributed to the patriarchal basis of most civilizations. In patriarchal societies, males were the designated leaders of society and the home. Wives and children were relegated to inferior
Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, violence against women has been identified as a serious social problem in the United States. It is estimated that almost 2 million U.S. women a year will be physically assaulted and more than 300,000 will experience a completed or attempted rape (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000). More recently, the
Domestic violence courts (DVCs) are specialized court settings that deal predominantly with cases involving domestic violence. They have emerged in different state, regional, and national contexts, giving rise to different operational styles and models. For example, courts may sit full or part-time and deal with different levels of offense seriousness and all or various aspects
The Domestic Violence Screening Instrument (DVSI and DVSI-R versions) was designed to assess the risk of repeated domestic violence in the future on the basis of information available at the time of use. The DVSI was originally created by the Division of Probation Services in Colorado. It was crafted as a short, easy criminal records