Family Violence Against Women

Prevalence of family violence against women
Intimate partner violence against women comes in different forms. They include physical
such as hurting or threatening to hurt the victim, sexual abuse such as marital rape, and
emotional abuse such as controlling one’s movements (Benokraitis 396). The problem of family
violence against women is a fairly common one. 36% of women in the US have reported facing
violence either from their boyfriends or husbands at some point in their lives (Benokraitis 396).
Each year around a million Americans report experiencing intimate partner violence. 86% of
these victims are women (Benokraitis 396).
Social and cultural factors that contribute to incidence of violence against women
Social and cultural norms are expectations or rules of behavior in a given social or
cultural group. These norms influence the way men behave towards women in their relationships
or marriages. There are many cultural norms that contribute to violence against women by their
partners either in relationships or marriage. One of these cultural beliefs is that men have a
responsibility to discipline women using all means possible, including physical violence (Husnu
& Mertan 3735). As a result of this belief, many men have been brought up to believe that there
is nothing wrong with subjecting their partners to violence.

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Another social norm that contributes to violence against women is belief that such
domestic violence is a private affair (Husnu & Mertan 3735). The perpetrators of the violence,
therefore, commit it knowing that they will not be held to account for their actions. The belief
also prevents the affected women from opening up about what they are going through and even if
they share their experiences with friends and family, the friends and family may be reluctant to
intervene because they believe it is none of their business. Due to such beliefs, men find it easy
to abuse their wives and girlfriends.
Apart from belief that violence against women by their partners is a private affair, the
belief that sex is a man’s right in a relationship or marriage also contributes to violence against
women in relationships and marriages, particularly sexual violence (Husnu & Mertan 3735).
With such belief, men do not feel they are doing wrong when they rape their girlfriends and
women. Lastly, it is the belief that physical violence is acceptable as a way of solving domestic
problems (Husnu & Mertan 3736). It is common for relationships and marriages to have
problems. When men believe that using violence is acceptable in solving such problems, they
begin employing the method often. Thus, this belief contributes significantly to violence against
women in marriages.
Myths about violence against women by their spouses
There are many myths that surround family violence against women which also
contributes to the violence. One of these myths is domestic violence occurs because men cannot
control their anger (Husnu & Mertan 3738). This is a myth because men can control their anger
and even if they are angry it does not mean that they subject their spouses and partners to
violence. Violence against women is, therefore, a matter of choice. Another myth is that
domestic violence is a private domestic matter (Husnu & Mertan 3738). This is, however, not the

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case. Family violence against women is not just a serious human rights violation but also a
crime. It is, therefore, not a private matter.
Coping strategies for victims
There are many challenges that victims of family violence go through. These challenges
include self-blame, feeling unsafe, shock of being victimized, and dealing with courts and the
police (Foster 285). In facing these challenges, victims adopt various coping strategies. The
strategies can be positive or negative. Positive coping strategies make the victim feel better about
their situation while negative ones leave the victim feeling worse off. Positive coping strategies
include seeking social support, engaging in activism, and taking part in activities that help the
victims to regain control (Foster 285). With regards to seeking social support, women victims
may seek professional assistance from the clergy, lawyers, and police. They may also seek
support from family and friends. As for activism, they may use their experience to become
advocates of societal change. The goal of such activism is to have fewer women victims of
domestic violence (Foster 285). Lastly, activities that they may engage in to regain control
include enrolling for self-defense lessons and laying charges against their boyfriends or
husbands. These positive coping strategies are desirable because they help the woman to regain
her dignity and make her feel better about herself.
There are also negative coping strategies that women who are victims of domestic abuse
may adopt. One of these strategies is use of drugs and alcohol. Such a strategy is considered
negative because it introduces other problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse and leaves
the woman feeling worse about herself (Foster 285). Another negative coping strategy is
withdrawal. This is where the victim reduces social interactions and spends most of her time
alone. The mechanism is considered negative because it keeps the victim away from people and

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institutions that would have helped her (Foster 285). Lastly, the victim may resort to self-harm. It
includes denying oneself food, not caring about one’s hygiene, and cutting oneself. An extreme
form of self-harm is committing suicide. All these negative coping strategies are discouraged
because instead of solving the problem, they make it even worse.
Website that provides authoritative information on violence against women
Canada’s Department of Justice runs a website whose ‘Reports and Publications’ section
provides well-researched publications in gender based violence against women. In particular, its
2015 report labelled ‘Working with victims of crime: A manual applying research to clinical
practice’ provides a lot of well-researched information on the subject in addition to tens of peer
reviewed articles that one can further read for a better understanding of the issue. On matters
such as myths on violence on women and coping strategies that women victims of gender based
violence adopt, the report provides authoritative information that person interested in the subject
will find helpful.

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Works Cited

Benokraitis, Nijole Vaicaitis. Marriages and families: Changes, choices, and constraints. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2015.
Department of Justice. “Working with victims of crime: A manual applying research to clinical
practice (second edition)”. https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cj-jp/victim/res-rech/toc-
tdm.html . 2015.
Foster, Erin L., “Coping with intimate partner violence: Qualitative findings from the study
of dynamics of husband to wife abuse.” Families, Systems, & Health 33.3 (2015):
285.
Husnu, Shenel, and Biran E. Mertan. “The roles of traditional gender myths and beliefs about

beating on self-reported partner violence.” Journal of interpersonal
violence 32.24 (2017): 3735-3752.