Introduction
Domestic violence is one of the most alarming subjects on the United States legal and policymaking agendas. Legally, it is defined as any form of physical or psychological violence expressed by a partner in an intimate relationship towards other partner or a family member. Thus, although the scope of this definition is somewhat volatile across the different states, a common approach taken by the courts that the violence is ‘domestic’ if is directed against a family member, a spouse or cohabitant, or other person, who permanently reside with the assailant. The overwhelming majority of domestic violence cases has substantially disproportional gender dimensions. In particular, Coker (2016) argued that almost 23% of all women and 7% of men suffered from some form of physical assault from current or former partner in the United States in 2013. Robets and Springer (2007) highlighted that there is a 14% chance for a woman to be physically or psychologically abused by her cohabitating partner or husband during her lifetime. In contrast, only 5% of men are subject to this form of unlawful treatment (Roberts & Springer, 2007).
The problem of domestic violence against women has taken so egregious dimensions, that the Congress of the United States adopted the Violence against Women Act 1994 (Bettinger-Lopez, Lapidus & Ward, 2014). Among other issues, that act significantly increased the federal budget fund, directed to investigate domestic violence crimes against women, as well as it created the Office on Violence against Women, which investigates the most egregious cases of violence against women, conducts research on this issue and develops recommendations for the Congress (Sapkota, 2012).
It is natural that various feminist societies placed their attention on this problem. However, the research also revealed that liberal and radical feminist scholars provide rather different interpretations, and consequently, offer different solutions to it (Rolin, 2004). The purpose of this is to analyze these feminist approaches to understanding and solving the problem of gender-based domestic violence in the United States of America.
Domestic abuse in the United States – the worst case
Together with cybercrime and massive drug addiction, domestic violence is one of the most serious problems of the United States society. However, several cases of domestic maltreatment are especially notable for their cruelty, callousness and unprecedented cold-blooded contrivance of the perpetrators.
The story of Suzanne Thomas is one of the most outstanding cases in this regard. After a break-up with her boyfriend, whom he asked to leave her apartments after a short period of cohabitation, Suzanne experienced the cruelest form of domestic abuse – physical assault. The convict, Jason McLean, in a state of extreme nervous agitation stamped the victim on her head, while she was defenselessly lying on the floor. Later, the McLean poured a kettle of boiling water over her head, stomach and legs. Fortunately, the friends of Suzanne managed to call the police, but the extent of her injuries was so severe, that even the seasoned hospital staff members were taken aghast. Eventually, the miscreant was taken by the police, but for Suzanne, years need to pass for a complete recovery (Rose-Gale, 2015).
Feminist interpretation of domestic violence
Two feminist theories are particularly vocal on this subject. Radical and liberal feminist schools specifically focus the problems associated with domestic violence against women, and offer various strategies, which, in their view, should be applied by the community to cope with the growing problems.
Firstly, radical feminists argue that in order to minimize the cases of domestic abuse in the United States, as well as worldwide, the society should be substantially reorganized (Roberts & Springer, 2007). Sapkote (2012) argues that one of their key argument is that all forms of patriarchal dominance should be abolished by means of overhauling the existing structure of the society, as well as by changing its norms. In other words, their viewpoint is that the only way to eradicate the rate of domestic abuse cases is to change the ideology of the society by uprooting the ingrained principle of male supremacy. Changing the laws is not sufficient in this context – the community must change its values, attitudes and beliefs regarding the role of women and their status in the society (Martinez, 2011). Coker (2016) speculated that in a practical dimension, the community should launch well-funded, affirmative policies focused on eradication sexual objectification of females, as well as by increasing awareness of the public about egregious rape and domestic violence statistics.
Secondly, the liberal feminists are more inclined to follow individualistic approach of feminism (McKinnon, 1989). In particular, the advocates of liberal feminism argue that the females are capable of maintaining equality with the men by controlling their own actions, and by making correct decisions in life (Bettinger et al., 2011). In addition, one of the key postulates of this ideology is that the society is wrongly opined that the females are less intellectually and physically developed than the males, which results in purposeful discriminatory practices against the first category (Martinez, 2011). In the view of liberal feminists, domestic violence is nothing, but the most extreme form of this evolutional discrimination, which was based on a false belief about the women’s mental and physical capabilities (Rolin, 2004). Liberal feminist theorists also argue that there is no possibility of changing the society by overhauling its social principles. In contrast, they assume that the best approach in this regard is for women to unionize and start developing effective protection techniques through personal development and legal action. In practice, the best form of protection against domestic violence in liberal interpretation is attending martial arts classes and unionizing with other women to change the legal landscape of the country to make the liability stricter.
Conclusions
References
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