… victims possess low self-esteem caused by repeated abuse, both physical and emotional, and believe that they don’t deserve help. Finally, the pure fact of being embarrassed or ashamed may be sufficient reason for the victim to stay. The term domestic violence against men causes many Americans to react with disbelief. Abused husbands are a frequent topic for jokes.
Family abuse is directly linked to status in the family and socialization. There are many serious effects of society’s reluctance to consider the potential for by female. In our society, a large number of girls are told to slap a boy if he gets “fresh.” Movies and television programs display scenes of women punching and slapping men with complete impunity, while the viewer usually reacts with support for the women’s character. While a slap is usually a harmless act, it is important to consider that a slap is still a violent act.
A common question exists when examining domestic abuse against men: if men are usually bigger and stronger than women, then why don’t they try to protect themselves: It is important to look at this issue from a child development standpoint. At the same time that girls are being taught that it is acceptable to slap a boy, boys are being told to never hit a girl. The number of cases and the severity and pattern of the violence used against the victims are the major factors differentiating men’s violence against women from the violence of women against men. The civil protection order and the criminal court process are effective tools for protecting almost all heterosexual male victims because women rarely attempt “separation violence,” the violence that results as the victim attempts to leave the abuser (Pence & Pay mar, 1995). Why do men stay? Although they may not be victimized if they leave their spouse, there are many reasons why abused men stay in their violent homes. Abused men, like abused women, fear that if they leave their spouse, the abuse that they have encountered may be directed against their children.
Additionally, many men are hesitant to leave since women get physical custody of children in a large majority of divorce cases. They may also fear that the courts will limit children visitation and access. Deciding to leave an abusive relationship is just one part of the problem for an abused male. Another part is choosing where to go since very few shelters exist for them to find refuge. A variety of programs exist to help abusive men control their violence more effectively, however, finding comparable programs that exists for violent women is an extreme challenge. Resources and facilities that deal with combating domestic violence are scarce due to the limited funding of social services.
Therefore, it has been suggested that some women’s groups are fearful that the small amount of funds that exist for assisting abused women may be further lessened if the American public recognizes that men are also abuse victims. Recognizing men’s victimization does not mean that we must deny that women are victims. In fact, groups and agencies that assist abused women could also extend their services to aid battered men and vice versa. The health care system can play an important role as an intervention point. As changes take place in the manner by which health care is delivered, health service researchers have begun to examine ways of reaching out to individuals who require special attention or care, that are unable to obtain it. This approach has also been applied to domestic abuse victim health services.
With the number of injuries hat domestic abuse causes annually, the health care system has begun to see itself as an important link in helping ht victims. The health care profession is in a position to identify abused victims, administer the proper care they require, and refer them to necessary social services. Unfortunately, numerous articles report that many health care professionals do not perform these services for battered women, especially in the emergency room. Using ethnographic techniques, Sugg and Inue (1992) concluded that physicians who explored for domestic abuse in the health care setting felt the procedure to be similar to “opening Pandora’s box”, in fact, 18 percent of the physicians interviewed used that actual phrase.
The physicians participating in this study (the majority of whom were family practice specialists) reported such problems as lack of comfort in dealing with the issue, fear of offending the patient, a sense of powerlessness, loss of control, and time constraints, all of which constitute barriers to domestic abuse recognition and intervention in cases of domestic abuse seen in the primary care setting (Sugg and Inue, 1992). Analyzing research that investigates health professionals’ perspective of domestic abuse helps to confirm the startling reality that exists for victims seeking assistance. Sadly enough, as severe a health threat domestic abuse poses to women, 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 member themselves (Davison & Count, 1997). 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 abuse, but only approximately 5 percent of the women are identified as victims of domestic abuse (Bowers, 1994).
In 1992, the American Medical Association published Treatment Guidelines on Domestic Violence. Aside from assessment, suggestions for the physician to follow in the interview of the victim are mentioned as well. These include: Physicians must ask direct, specific questions to determine the occurrence or extent of abuse since many women do not recognized that they are battered; Consider the possibility of assault when a victim’s explanation of an injury does not seem plausible, or when the victim has delayed medical treatment; The patient may appear frightened or nervous or exhibit stress-related symptoms in addition to physical injury; Maintaining a complete and detailed description of the event, in the victim’s own words if possible and of resulting injuries, including photographs if applicable; Being aware that the severity of current or past injury 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 (American Medical Association, 1992). 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 and encouraged to contact existing community resources such as crisis centers, shelters, protective service agencies, or the police department if there is fear of injury (“Guide to Clinical Preventive Screening,” 1995). It’s amazing to me that of all crimes in today’s society; domestic violence is the one that is still on the rise. It is time to take domestic violence seriously and combat it aggressively. In order for “positive change” to occur, our legal system needs to protect the battered and not the batterer. A majority of battered women are murdered if they try to leave an abusive situation.
Why is that? Because they don’t have the protection they need. The criminal justice system needs to start a victim relocation program for domestic abuse victims. This would ensure their safety and allow them enough courage to leave a horrible situation. In a nation that detests racism and protests animal cruelty then why are women and children still subject to torture and violence in their own homes 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 (WAC, 1994). 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.