The Social Origin of Domestic Violence.
Domestic violence is the use of physical force within a home in any form of abuse mainly to women. For years, many women have been victims of the conjugal aggression which is a serious issue in today's society, and it is often overlooked. This social problem has taken place in our society since men were considered to be superior to women, regarding economic, legal and religious power. This has given men the belief that women were inferior to them. .
First, it has been argued that a women minority group are poor and economically dependent on their husband. They are accustomed to living in violence, so their fearfulness and passivity are emphasized above all. Although some battered women do fit this description, some research proves them to be false stereotypes. For instance, most battered women have highly lucrative jobs such as doctors or lawyers, corporation executives and nurses. Most are heavy set women whose assets are controlled by their husbands and cannot defend themselves physically.
Furthermore, legal abuse of women was permitted and continued to exist in many Western cultures until the late nineteenth century. Early Roman societies deemed a wife the property of her husband, and therefore, subject to his control. According to early Roman law, a man could beat, divorce, or murder his wife for offences committed by her which belittled his honour or threatened his property rights. Indeed, Roman society considered enforcement of such rights of control essentially a private matter, and thus failed to subject the husband to either public scrutiny or disapproval. .
It could further be asserted that both the Old and New Testament attest to the belief in early teachings about the obedience of women. Indeed, Eve's creation from the rib of Adam provided an excuse for early preaching regarding women's submissive role within the family. According to the teachings, a woman's virtues included obedience, chastity, and passivity.