Studies have proven that one in four women will experience domestic violence at some point in her life. This is a starling fact from safehorizon.org, a leading website that provides much information to the public about domestic violence. This can be described as, "Domestic violence occurs when a person uses physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation, stalking, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or economic abuse to control another partner in a relationship. Domestic violence can be a single act or a pattern of behavior in relationships, which encompass dating, marriage, family and roommate relationships. ." Anyone with any close relationship defined by law typically being a spouse, significant other, or child would fall into this category. Why does this happen? What has the American government done to decrease this problem? How can we as individuals make a difference? Questions that must be answered and will be detailed in the following essay.
Why does domestic violence occur? There could be any number of reasons, including family dysfunction, bad communication skills, provocation by women, stress, chemical dependency, lack of spirituality, and economic hardship . Abusers adopt and maintain abusive behavior patterns because these patterns allow them to gain and maintain control over another person. Batterers typically don't suffer adverse consequences as a result of these behaviors. Domestics our considered by law a crime of control just as the law described rape as a crime of control. Perpetrators normally aren't happy with one's lives, and feel little, so the only way they feel like they can gain that power and control back into there lives is if they are able to feel overpowering of another human being. An article on the Huntington post states."There are two emotional dynamics that contribute greatly to domestic violence. One involves a destructive thought process (or "critical inner voice") that abusers experience both toward themselves and their partners, thoughts like "You're not a man if you don't control her," or "She is making a fool out of you.