Domestic Violence
Key Questions:
Why should we examine domestic violence through a gendered lens?
How can we use the continuum of violence against women to characterise domestic violence?
Domestic violence is not a private matter, but occurs in the broad context of social,
economic and cultural norms which reflect and reinforce inequalities between men and
women.
The gendered character of interpersonal power and relationships does not develop in a
vacuum.
Compelling evidence from around the world demonstrates that violence against women is
severe and pervasive. It takes many forms, and is experienced in diverse domains or settings.
The Intolerable Status Quo: Violence Against Women and Girls UNICEF 1997 – stated that
violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation in the world
today.
Name 4 major reasons why domestic abuse should be located within a wider gendered framework
1. Need to understand the roots:
An understanding of the roots, causes, meanings and consequences of domestic abuse is not
possible if the issue is considered a discrete family problem separate from the broad cross-
cultural realities of male privilege and female inequality.
2. Need to understand the wide complex abuse:
Policy and service responses will fail to account for the complex experiences of women’s
victimisation by perpetrators of violence in different context.
A narrow focus won’t recognize that women’s attempts to cope with or escape one form of
abuse can leave them vulnerable to others.
(For example, a young woman fleeing an abusive father or husband may develop mental
health problems, addictions, and/or become homeless. All of these factors will put her at
increased risk of sexual exploitation.
3. Recognising domestic terrorism as a threat to women’s rights:
An integrated framework that recognises domestic abuse as intimate terrorism is a major
violation of women’s human rights and liberties takes seriously the statutory and community
obligation to provide appropriate support, but also address the root causes and social
legitimisations of such violation.
4. Target the attitudes that allows domestic violence to continue:
Recognising domestic violence is where women’s lives are constrained, threatened and
harmed by men, will ensure the attention is paid to the behaviour and culpability of
individual men.
It will also prioritise the need to address the problematic social attitudes, structures and
constructions of masculinity which normalize and tolerate gender-based inequality.
Name more reasons for gendered analysis:
It is vital to locate domestic abuse within a wider framework, acknowledging the continuum
of gender-based violence against women. There are four major reasons for doing so.
, 1. A comprehensive understanding of the roots, causes, meaning and consequences of
domestic abuse is not possible if the issue is considered as a discrete ‘family problem’
separate from the broad cross-cultural realities of male privilege and female inequality.
2. Service responses and the police in response to domestic violence fail to account for the
complex experiences of women’s victimisation in different contexts.
A narrow focus may not recognize that attempts to cope with or escape one form of abuse
can make women vulnerable to other forms of abuse.
For example, a young woman living with an abusive father may develop mental health
problems or addictions in an attempt to cope. These factors may subsequently increase her
risk of sexual exploitation.
3. An integrated framework which recognises that domestic abuse as both a cause and a
consequence of gendered discrimination will in turn ensure that statutory and community
obligation not only to provide appropriate support services, but also to address the root
causes and social legitimisations of such violation.
4. Lastly, strong public recognition that the domestic domain is a context where women’s
lives, opportunities and rights may be constrained or harmed by men will ensure attention is
paid to the violent behaviours and culpability of individual men
Prevalence of Domestic Violence
One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute.
On average, 2 women a week are killed by a current or former male partner.
How accurate are the stats? What do they miss out?
One misleading statistic, which is often repeated, is that - while one in four women
experience domestic violence - so do one in six men. These figures are, however, based on
single incidents, of a criminal nature, and without regard to:
severity of violence
whether or not it was repeated - and if so, how often
the complex pattern of overlapping abuse of various kinds
the context in which it took place.
the suffering experienced by the victim
The 3 main sources of crime data don’t work well because:
Police Statistics – DV is underreported to the police and may be ignored by them when it is
reported
Crime Surveys – DV victims may not want to talk about it to surveyors – use of computer
assisted techniques helping.
Other services’ statistics – women may be unwilling or unable to make use of such services,
plus when they do the data are confidential
Continuum of Domestic Violence (Liz Kelly)
Sees violence against women as a continuum
A continuum is ‘a basic common character that underlies many different events’ – the many
forms of coercion, abuse and assault that are used to control women (Kelly, 1987)
It is also ‘a continuous series of elements or events that pass into one another and cannot be
readily distinguished’ – sexual harassment/assault/rape; smuggling/trafficking
Key Questions:
Why should we examine domestic violence through a gendered lens?
How can we use the continuum of violence against women to characterise domestic violence?
Domestic violence is not a private matter, but occurs in the broad context of social,
economic and cultural norms which reflect and reinforce inequalities between men and
women.
The gendered character of interpersonal power and relationships does not develop in a
vacuum.
Compelling evidence from around the world demonstrates that violence against women is
severe and pervasive. It takes many forms, and is experienced in diverse domains or settings.
The Intolerable Status Quo: Violence Against Women and Girls UNICEF 1997 – stated that
violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation in the world
today.
Name 4 major reasons why domestic abuse should be located within a wider gendered framework
1. Need to understand the roots:
An understanding of the roots, causes, meanings and consequences of domestic abuse is not
possible if the issue is considered a discrete family problem separate from the broad cross-
cultural realities of male privilege and female inequality.
2. Need to understand the wide complex abuse:
Policy and service responses will fail to account for the complex experiences of women’s
victimisation by perpetrators of violence in different context.
A narrow focus won’t recognize that women’s attempts to cope with or escape one form of
abuse can leave them vulnerable to others.
(For example, a young woman fleeing an abusive father or husband may develop mental
health problems, addictions, and/or become homeless. All of these factors will put her at
increased risk of sexual exploitation.
3. Recognising domestic terrorism as a threat to women’s rights:
An integrated framework that recognises domestic abuse as intimate terrorism is a major
violation of women’s human rights and liberties takes seriously the statutory and community
obligation to provide appropriate support, but also address the root causes and social
legitimisations of such violation.
4. Target the attitudes that allows domestic violence to continue:
Recognising domestic violence is where women’s lives are constrained, threatened and
harmed by men, will ensure the attention is paid to the behaviour and culpability of
individual men.
It will also prioritise the need to address the problematic social attitudes, structures and
constructions of masculinity which normalize and tolerate gender-based inequality.
Name more reasons for gendered analysis:
It is vital to locate domestic abuse within a wider framework, acknowledging the continuum
of gender-based violence against women. There are four major reasons for doing so.
, 1. A comprehensive understanding of the roots, causes, meaning and consequences of
domestic abuse is not possible if the issue is considered as a discrete ‘family problem’
separate from the broad cross-cultural realities of male privilege and female inequality.
2. Service responses and the police in response to domestic violence fail to account for the
complex experiences of women’s victimisation in different contexts.
A narrow focus may not recognize that attempts to cope with or escape one form of abuse
can make women vulnerable to other forms of abuse.
For example, a young woman living with an abusive father may develop mental health
problems or addictions in an attempt to cope. These factors may subsequently increase her
risk of sexual exploitation.
3. An integrated framework which recognises that domestic abuse as both a cause and a
consequence of gendered discrimination will in turn ensure that statutory and community
obligation not only to provide appropriate support services, but also to address the root
causes and social legitimisations of such violation.
4. Lastly, strong public recognition that the domestic domain is a context where women’s
lives, opportunities and rights may be constrained or harmed by men will ensure attention is
paid to the violent behaviours and culpability of individual men
Prevalence of Domestic Violence
One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute.
On average, 2 women a week are killed by a current or former male partner.
How accurate are the stats? What do they miss out?
One misleading statistic, which is often repeated, is that - while one in four women
experience domestic violence - so do one in six men. These figures are, however, based on
single incidents, of a criminal nature, and without regard to:
severity of violence
whether or not it was repeated - and if so, how often
the complex pattern of overlapping abuse of various kinds
the context in which it took place.
the suffering experienced by the victim
The 3 main sources of crime data don’t work well because:
Police Statistics – DV is underreported to the police and may be ignored by them when it is
reported
Crime Surveys – DV victims may not want to talk about it to surveyors – use of computer
assisted techniques helping.
Other services’ statistics – women may be unwilling or unable to make use of such services,
plus when they do the data are confidential
Continuum of Domestic Violence (Liz Kelly)
Sees violence against women as a continuum
A continuum is ‘a basic common character that underlies many different events’ – the many
forms of coercion, abuse and assault that are used to control women (Kelly, 1987)
It is also ‘a continuous series of elements or events that pass into one another and cannot be
readily distinguished’ – sexual harassment/assault/rape; smuggling/trafficking
