domestic violence

This paper will examine the issue of domestic violence in the United States. In particular, the paper will focus upon violence perpetrated by men against their female partners.. The first part of the paper will attempt to define domestic violence, examining the various types and degrees of such violence. The second part of the paper will look at the history of attitudes towards domestic violence in the United States. This section will focus on the evolving views of domestic violence and the theories on how it should be treated. The third part of the paper will discuss the problems of the law regarding domestic violence and enforcing the law in these situations. This section will look primarily at the specialized provisions which have been enacted and the possible effectiveness of the law in this area. The last part of the paper will discuss my personal journey through domestic violence and how writing about my situation in the third person up to this point has helped me to think critically about my situation and not make decisions based purely on my emotions. I will also discuss what the legal system here in Tennessee has done to ensure he is accountable for the physical harm he has caused me, the mental anguish I have gone through and the outcome of the criminal court case.

Domestic violence, now often referred to as intimate partner violence, is an epidemic in America. The latest National Crime Victimization Survey identified more than 960,000 incidents of violence against a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend occur every year in America alone (Willson et al, 2000). About 85 percent of victims are women. Although women are less likely overall to be a victim of violent crime, they are 8 times more likely than men to suffer violence at the hands of an intimate partner.

One definition ("Domestic Violence Facts Sheet") of "battering" describes this behavior as the "�establishment of control and fear in a relationship through violence and other