Domestic Abuse in the US
Domestic abuse in the United States is a large-scale and complex social and health problem. The family is perhaps the most violent group, with the home being the most violent American institution or setting today. Sadly enough, the majority of people who are murdered are not likely killed by a stranger during a hold-up or similar crime but are killed by someone they know. Not surprisingly, the Center for Disease Control and prevention has identified interpersonal violence as a major public health problem (Herman, 1997). Current estimates suggest that three to four million women are the victims of physical abuse by their intimate partners (Herman, 1997). According to the FBI, some form of domestic violence occurs in half of the homes in the United States at least once a year (Walker, 1984). In reality in one out of every six marriages the wife is physically abused. Every fifteen seconds a women is battered in the United States. Daily, four American women lose their lives to th!eir husbands or boyfriends, equaling more than one-third of all female homicide victims (National Institute of Justice, 1996). These numbers report that too much violence is directed toward women. Historically, domestic violence has been downplayed and, of
Walker, L. (1984). The Battered Woman Syndrome. New York: Springer Publishing Company. y is not an accurate predictor of future violence, the patients safety should be discussed before leaving the physician's office or treatment center; Being aware of local resources to make appropriate referrals; A physician who treats a victim and does not inquire about domestic abuse or accepts an unlikely explanation for the injury could be held liable if the victim returns to the abuser and is injure again. Aside from medical and psychiatric treatment for injuries, potential victims of abuse can be given information and counseling form the health care provider in order to prevent further victimization episodes. Patients can be informed about the risk factors involved that would increase the chances of serious harm to them. Psychological counseling, administered by either the primary care provider or a mental health professional, can assist the patient in ending personal relationships with abusive individuals. Additionally, the patient can be provided with telephone numbers ! mes at the hands of their husbands and fathers? In a politically correct world too many of us still view women and children as inferior, as property. The media portrays women as sex symbols and often with a very noticeable lack of intelligence. Often doctors turn their backs on damage left as the result of abuse because of the fear of embarrassing their patients (National Institute of Justice, 1996). It is time to declare war on domestic violence. Domestic violence will always be a part of our culture. Women are still not considered equal and historically it was acceptable to beat your wife if she was out of line. With today's broken marriages and extensive abuse of alcohol and drugs, the matter will only get worse. If strong initiatives are not instilled now, there will be many unnecessary deaths due to the rise in abuse. Langley, R, & Levy, R. (1977). Wife Beating: The Silent Crisis. New York: Pocket Books. ce, 1996). In addition, the American Medical Association (AMA) published guidelines for Health care professionals to use in identifying domestic violence victims. Violent families are easy to describe but difficult to explain. Research on family abuse has, on a consistent basis, found that the phenomenon is associated with intergenerational transmission, low socioeconomic status, social and structural stress, social isolation, and personality problems or psychopathology (Giles-Sims, 1983). Traditional theories on the causes of domestic abuse focus on such factors as people's individual characteristics and life experiences, including the presence of problems such as social and structural stress, social alienation, unemployment, poverty, substance abuse, past child abuse, personality disorders, psychopathology, and depression (Giles-Sims, 1983). However, theories centered on these variables fail to explain why the majority of the population that does not experience domestic abus! , many victims have been, or are currently, misidentified or met with apathy by health care professionals. This phenomenon is due to many factors, the most common of which includes inadequate training (many training programs do not even discuss domestic abuse) and tendencies toward feelings of "victim blaming". Many health care professionals adopt the stance that domestic abuse is a problem that falls outside the spectrum of their job description. These professionals view the ideology of the family as a private domain and believe difficulties inside the home can and should be settled by the family members themselves (Langley and Levy, 1977). Assessment of abuse, whether in female or male, requires a high degree of suspicion during the assessment of the patient. Sadly enough, physicians fail to always recognize and/or acknowledge the source of repeated injuries. One study found that 35 percent of female emergency room patients are treated for symptoms related to ongoing abu
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Approximate Word count = 3133
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)
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