Domestic Violence Research Paper

Words: 534
Pages: 3

One of the most explosive issues facing the criminal justice system today is how to react to and control interpersonal violence. Until recently, primary attention was placed upon the control of violence committed by strangers. Such acts were properly seen not only as inflicting serious harm, if not fatalities, on their victims but also as challenging the essence of a public order committed to nonviolent resolution of disputes. Within the last two decades, attention has also focused on what is statistically the greater problem: violence within family structures. As awareness grew of previously unreported incidents of brutal attacks upon intimates and elderly relatives, concerns that first arose over abused Children were expanded to encompass other family members.
Domestic Violence is a pattern of intentional coercive behavior, which serves to maintain power and control over family/household members, including children, intimate partners or ex-partners. This pattern may include physical, emotional, psychological, economic. and/or sexual abuse and may escalate in frequency and severity over time. Coercive behavior can include criminal acts such as assault, sex
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People are abusive because they are taught that it is an effective, acceptable response to stress, frustration, and anger. Men, specifically, may be socialized to believe that aggression equals power and that abuse and control can be justified. Domestic violence occurs in people of all ages, sexual orientation, ethnic, religious, and social groups. The actual extent of domestic violence may not differ much across social and cultural groups but the rate of official reporting and identification does. It is clear that both male and female children are affected when they grow up in an abusive environment. The symptoms exhibited by children who witness domestic violence can be similar to those of children who are physically