Explanation of Topic
Domestic violence is a behavioral pattern that encompasses various forms of abuse against an individual within a domestic setting. Crimes of domestic violence consist of threats and physical abuse between individuals in a social or close familial relationship, and are punishable by law (Ashworth, 2010, p. 58). Acts of abuse exist in a variety of forms that include sexual, religious, economic, emotional, verbal, and physical, and can range between marital rape, acid throwing, and female genital mutilation that may result into disfigurement and death. Various acts of domestic violence are evident in children, women, and men, with the largest percentage of the incidences being towards women and children (Finley, 2013, p. 764). However, women tend to experience the extremes of domestic violence owing to various statutory and cultural norms in their disposition, which renders them inferior and submissive to their husbands and the society as a whole. Men, on the other hand, are always at a lower risk of experiencing incidences of domestic violence owing to the society’s expectations of them as the head, which grants them the superiority sensation towards women and children (Davis, 2008).
Several states term crimes within the ambit of domestic violence as distinct, such that they may charge a domestic violence propagator with the respective violent act in addition to battery and assault (Mohamad & Wieringa, 2013, p. 69). Conviction of an act or crime associated with domestic violence may imply reference to a mandatory sentence to jail in addition to various kinds of restraining orders. However, despite various states and stakeholders’ efforts in mitigating incidences and crimes associated with domestic violence, there exists a series of challenges and problems that tend to slow down the initiatives.
Challenges and Problems in Criminology and Crime
Acts of domestic violence range between the spherical framework and concept of a crime, which tends to attract various queries associated with criminology. An analysis of the challenges and problems in crimes associated with domestic violence provides a wide overview of the challenges that exist in criminology as a general concept. Therefore, challenges such as a victims’ failure to forward or report an incident of domestic violence pose grave impacts to criminology as a concept, since the concept seeks to identify and provide solutions to various forms of crime (Mohamad & Wieringa, 2013, p. 65). Additionally, various victims and witnesses of violent crimes tend to restrain from testifying against attackers, which may compromise the administration of justice to the victim. Furthermore, statutory and societal norms vastly contribute to the propagation of crimes associated with domestic violence in various countries. Inadequate legislation, on the other hand, also poses as a great challenge to crimes within the ambit of domestic violence, which tend to be on the increase in the entire world (McCue, 2008, p. 200).
Various historical issues contribute to the challenges and problems of criminology. A victim may hope that an incident of domestic violence was a mere mistake and that it would not happen again. Consequently, the passionate sensation would lead to their failing to forward the incidence, which would in turn attract a series of similar acts from the propagator (Davis, 2008). Additionally, the attachment between a violent individual and a victim of domestic violence explains the restraint towards reporting an incidence of abuse, which equally attracts a negative feeling towards the person’s conviction (Garcia-Moreno, Jansen, Heise, & Watts, 2006). On the other hand, the society feels the need to establish heads and leaders and bestow respective powers to them, towards the subjects. Therefore, the society drafts statutory and societal norms in favor of social heads and leaders, which in turn implants a sensation of superiority against the respective vulnerable group. Equally, a country and society’s negative perspective towards the concept of domestic violence explains its failure to draft adequate rules and legislation to mitigate the incidences.
Stakeholders’ contribution in Problems in and Solutions in Criminology and Crime
Various stakeholders, both external and internal, widely contribute to the problems and solutions in criminology and crime. A propagator of a violent act and the victim themselves are the internal stakeholders in the problems associated with domestic violence. Consequently, the victim develops a fearful sensation towards reporting a violent instance, while the propagator unleashes various kinds of threats against the victim (Mohamad & Wieringa, 2013, p. 66). On the other hand, external stakeholders of problems of criminology and crime include the state and society, owing to the state’s failure to exert adequate efforts to prevent chauvinism, and the society’s failure to acknowledge both genders and ages as equal (McCue, 2008).
Equally, internal stakeholders have a great role in solving problems associated with domestic violence, since the victims are capable of putting a halt to the incidences by reporting, while the propagators are capable of observing human rights and equality towards the victims. On the other hand, the state has a role of drafting adequate rules and penalties towards abusers, while the society is in a position to observe equality towards all genders and ages (Davis, 2008). Information and Data on Domestic Violence
Instances of domestic violence occur in the entire world. According to Finley, (2013) the percentage of females experiencing acts of domestic violence in a country ranges from 10% to 69%. On the other hand, laws associated with domestic violence vary from a country to another, with little emphasis on the incidence witnessed in developing countries. Additionally, according to Mohamad & Wieringa, (2013) 62.4% of females justify husbands’ incidental beatings to their wives, and support the idea of submissiveness to one’s husband and the women’s mandatory observation of conjugal rights to their husbands. Equally, a majority of individuals experiencing instances of domestic violence tend to not to report, in favor of the abuser (Ashworth, 2010, p. 108).
The fact that a large number of victims of domestic violence are females explains their failure to report and testify against the incidence because of their feeling of fear and submissiveness towards their husbands (McCue, 2008 p. 206). Additionally, women wish to have a family head and fatherly figure to their children; hence, they are afraid of their husbands’ conviction. On the other hand, states’ adverse perspectives on the concept of domestic violence explain their failure to draft adequate laws and penalties against the propagators of domestic violence (Garcia-Moreno, Jansen, Heise, & Watts, 2006). In addition, women and the overall society’s perspective regarding men’s superiority explains the manifestation of societal norms, which tend to prioritize men (McCue, 2008 p. 203). Therefore, various solutions are paramount in order to prevent further incidences of domestic violence.
Solutions to Challenges and Problems in Criminology and Crime
Various solutions are paramount in order to prevent further propagation of incidences of domestic violence, which pose as serious threats to criminology (Ashworth, 2010). States should draft educational and counselling programs towards victims of domestic violence, in order to inform them of their rights and instill the required confidence for reporting crimes associated with domestic violence (Davis, 2008). Additionally, it is the roles of the state to observe the constituents of the Human Rights Charter towards each citizen, and not to administer favors to a given group (Mohamad & Wieringa, 2013, p. 68). Consequently, the state should ensure the observation of human rights by drafting and incorporating relevant laws with respective penalties to the constitution, which would imply adequacy in legislation and generate an observation of human rights. Conclusively, Society leaders should instill the sensation of security to their subjects by demonstrating and preaching equality towards individuals, which will in turn motivate societal members to observe the doctrine of equality and restrain from acts of domestic violence.
References
Ashworth, A. (2010). Sentencing and Criminal Justice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Davis, R. L. (2008). Domestic Violence: Intervention, Prevention, Policies, and Solutions. New York: CRC Press.
Finley, L. L. (2013). Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence and Abuse (2 Volumes). Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Garcia-Moreno, C., Jansen, H. A., Heise, L., & Watts, C. H. (2006). Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence. The Lancet.
McCue, M. L. (2008). Domestic Violence: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Mohamad, M., & Wieringa, S. E. (2013). Family Ambiguity and Domestic Violence in Asia: Concept, Law and Process. East Bourne: Sussex Academic Press.
