Domestic Violence

A lot of emphasis has been placed on domestic violence by scholars who have carried out further research to provide definition the definition and culture of the topic. I have learnt lessons that were interactive and uncovered real meanings of aspects that previously, I assumed. The classes I attended were interesting and highly valuable to my ratings. The course has also raised the awareness I had surrounding issues of domestic violence which includes what it is, what is constitutes, the myths and facts, those at the highest risk as well as how they can access help. In this paper, I will discuss my understanding and my experiences thus far since I started this course.

Domestic violence is a matter any person might face whether they are lesbian, gay or straight, young or old, man or woman. The act is not restricted to any boundaries or specific social groups or race. Domestic violence evaluation presents a myriad of moral, philosophical and methodological challenges especially, the issues that are related with lesbian and gay/transgender abuse or elderly abuse. It can occurs to people across different income groups, a woman might experience the violence at least 35 times before making the decision to file a report and survivors might have to contact over 11 agencies before someone decided to come to their aid. Previously, I understood domestic violence was a woman’s issue, that is, the problem affected women and children only. Now, I am aware that there are some instances when men fall victims of domestic violence when their wives batter them. Though previously I had come across such incidences of violence, I could not class them as domestic violence (due to the fact it was embarrassing).

I have also learnt victims of domestic violence can get help from the police, get restraining order and reach out to friends for support. Victims are supposed to take pictures of the swellings and bruises then proceed to call the police. They can also attend counselling sessions for victims which are aimed at helping them stand back on their feet and live a normal life as they used to before going through the traumatic experience. Onlookers also have the responsibility of helping the victims since in most cases the victims will feel like they are at fault and the person abusing them is not on the wrong. It is crucial to note many victims will always want to pull out from relationships that are abusive but they opt to stay on in order to protect themselves from social ridicule. People should know that making the initial steps to end abusive relationship is equivalent to one being a survivor rather than victim.

This course has helped me get a better understanding of the concept of human behaviors and relationships as well as how the world at large influences them. It has also facilitated my understanding of self-relative to the environment. It has as well given me insights into my culture as well as the culture of other people, their values and how they were generated. The theory on conflict and the underlying concepts about ideology and power as well as how they are constructed socially have enlightened me and equipped me with great knowledge to explain how the social inequalities of social class, gender, ethnicity and age come about. Additionally, it has equipped me with skills for solving problems and offering solutions that are sustainable to social problems.

This course has also made me participate actively in group discussions and taught me how to interpret domestic violence data best. Now, I am particularly interested in carrying out research on why people in middle class are highly prone to domestic violence compared to those in higher and lower social class. I highly thank my instructor for the support they have given me through the course.

Being part of the change to educate others about domestic violence

The vice of domestic violence is one that affects women across numerous communities and in recent years, it was declared a crime. Though women suffer from physical, sexual, emotional and psychological violence, some tend to suffer these kinds of violence more than others as a result of their religious, cultural socioeconomic and regional dispositions. Sociological evidence reveals that empowering women helps reduce cases of violent behavior against women. Empowerment is a process that makes it possible for the women to take part in contemporary societies as autonomous individuals through education, employment as well as attaining positions that are equal to those of male counterparts (Kaya et al.423).

Sociological research through majority of countries reveals that women who are employed suffer the least level of violence compared to those who are reliant financially on their husbands. The latter women get strapped in these relationships since the husbands take care of all their needs as well as the children. Therefore, it is important for such women, especially those who are not exposed to get trained through social welfare organizations in order to help them identify their talents and urge them to use these to fend for themselves and eliminate or reduce their dependency on husbands.

Sociological research reveals an association exists between education levels of a husband and wife and domestic violence. High education levels between two partner’s leads to a decrease in cases of domestic violence since the individuals are enlightened as such, less ignorant. Studies, have however revealed that women with high education than their husbands experience higher violence levels than in cases where both parties are at the same level of educational attainment. The reason provided for this is that men in such affairs will feel intimidated by the confidence of these women and therefore they have more outbursts of anger since they feel there is a shift in the gender roles.

The evidence presented about such sociological studies have prompted policy makers, families, communities, governments and other institutions to come up with strategies aimed at ensuring girls are well educated. There is affirmative action which has ensured there is budgetary allocation of funds by the government to help towards educating the girl child and there are feminist organizations which are geared towards women liberalization from oppression by their male counterparts. The UN statute also declared that every child has the right to education and set up several strategies aimed at ensuring the girl child is retained in school.

As a sociologist, it is my responsibility to volunteer my services through social welfare activities as well as non-governmental organizations to educate women regarding issues that affect them and how to best turn their situations around. It is also important to offer teachings on safe relationships and promote awareness regarding support agencies accessible to victims and the abuser as well. The knowledge of social groups, the society, associations and institutions has gone a long way to help me govern my own life effectively.

Works Cited

Kaya, Yunus, and Kimberly J. Cook. “A cross-national analysis of physical intimate partner violence against women.” International Journal of Comparative Sociology 51.6 (2010): 423-444.