Sociological Theories On Domestic Violence

Great Essays
Introduction: The creation, interpretation, and application of laws and policies in society is guided in large part by the morals and values of the society in which they are implemented. Within this idea, however, it is necessary to realize that there are numerous perspectives from which to approach and address legal issues. This becomes especially pertinent to bear in mind when examining contentious subjects like domestic violence. This paper will examine the issue of domestic violence as a legal issue in Canada, drawing upon numerous sociological theories to analyze key contemporary laws, policies, and procedures. Through this analysis, the implications of these theories will be discussed in a critical manner, and connections to their broader implications on the issue as a societal …show more content…
This paper aims to provide valuable sociological insight into the way we understand and address of issue of domestic violence in Canada.
A Brief Overview of Laws and Policies surrounding Domestic Violence: For the purpose of better understanding the contemporary context of laws and policies surrounding domestic violence, it is necessary to briefly examine the historical context of the subject. Under English Common Law, which was adopted in Canada in the 1600s during European colonialism, a man exercised authority over his wife and children; in fact, women had the same legal status as children (Baker, 2009, p. 57). This resulted in a

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Prevent Domestic Violence

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Today the Queensland police have already dealt with 373 cases of domestic violence (Blumer, 2015). Domestic violence takes many forms, none of which are mutually exclusive. While physical violence may be the most visible, contrary to many beliefs it is not the most frequent or detrimental. Domestic violence can take form as sexual, emotional, social, spiritual and economic abuse (DVRCV, 2013). Domestic violence can take part in any relationship, and although 37% of women who suffered physical assault said the perpetrator was a current or previous male partner, this leaves a grave amount who suffer physical assault from mothers, fathers, siblings, aunts, uncles or any other significant trusted figure (DVPC, 2016).…

    • 1079 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This essay will address the question ‘Is Domestic Violence underrepresented in society?’ in particular it will focus upon the policing of Domestic Violence as well as the punishment associated with this criminal offence, including background of issues highlighted within previous assignments. These include the history of domestic violence, gender differences and generational differences. A main objective would be to address in particular whether domestic violence is underrepresented within the criminal justice system. This will be achieved by looking at how domestic violence is approached legally.…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    I became intimately aware of the challenges and apprehension families in my community face to report domestic violence, so I wanted to bridge that gaps through conversations. The standard strategies to resolve family challenges in my culture are more communal and collaborative. Through the Women on the Move leadership training program I was able to explore avenues to start conversations about domestic violence in my community. In addition to my newspaper articles which focused on my experience with domestic violence as a newcomer woman Canadian, I co-facilitated workshops and discussion groups for women and families of my community to help and inform them of what a healthy relations looks like and their right as new Canadians Emma Story (Emma is the daughter of Ritsuko)…

    • 593 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Introduction Domestic violence is everywhere around us and for some of us it is not something new. It comes in many forms physical, emotional, and psychological. The abuse is very real and when it starts we are the last to notice it. Nothing is worse then being the person on the outside looking in watching mothers, sisters, and friends go through it without being able to do anything is hard.…

    • 1505 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Masculinity In Canada

    • 243 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Domestic violence is described by Statistic Canada as a “range of abusive behaviors that occur within a relationship based on kinship, intimacy, dependency, or trust”. This definition includes many forms of violence, including physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, financial, or neglect (Statistics Canada, 2013). In 2014, there was a total of 759,665 victims of self-reported spousal or intimate partner violence. This number is significantly lower than reported in any other census, thus allowing me to form the assertion that while the number is decreasing, it is still prominent. Within this data, Quebec and Ontario had a higher amount of reported victims than in any other province and had been that way for the last five years thus allowing me to narrow my research on one of these two provinces.(Statistics Canada, 2014).…

    • 243 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    Introduction The definition of intimate partner violence, which is commonly referred to as domestic violence, can be psychological aggression, physical violence, forced acts, or sexual by an intimate partner from the present or the past (Wilson, Graham, & Taft, 2014). During the 1960s, law enforcement officers and judges viewed intimate partner violence as an insignificant crime and cases would never make it to the court rooms (Clark, 2011). This type of aggression was seemingly a common practice among many households across the nation and was viewed as a tool that men utilized often in an attempt to correct their partners. On many occasions, officials would just tell men to calm down and tell the women who were being victimized to not provoke…

    • 2084 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Brilliant Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The contemporary issue of domestic violence is currently very serious and increasing in Australia. It is defined as violent and emotional abusive behaviours used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married, heterosexual or gay/lesbian, living together or separated and lastly dating or broken up. Types of domestic violence include, name-calling or putdowns (neglect), keeping a partner from contacting their family or friends (social), withholding money (economical), stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job (social/economical), actual or threatened physical harm, sexual assault, stalking, intimidation and abduction. This report will focus on the increase of domestic violence towards children and female adults.…

    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Theoretical Perspectives and their Implications: In critically examining domestic violence as a legal issue in Canadian society, there are several identifiable sociological theories and perspectives that are reflected in the way we understand domestic violence as a society, and in how we address it as an legal issue. As outlined earlier, this paper focuses on domestic violence against women, predominantly by men, in order to offer more specific insight into the issue. As a result of this focus, the theories explored will focus on a feminist theoretical perspective, although other sociological theories will be drawn on through discussion of subsections of feminist theory. Feminist theory in general provides a valuable basic framework to explore…

    • 1558 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Domestic Abuse In Peru

    • 1742 Words
    • 7 Pages

    However, noting the steps that people and nations take – and can potentially implement in the future – is far more important in terms of destroying domestic violence in the long term. Many scholars note that the primary approach used today to combat domestic violence is the legal system (Abraham 2016; Goldfarb 2011). Criminalization is the focus of the American system, and the same can be said of Peru (Boesten 2012). Clear flaws, demonstrated simply by the fact that over one-third of women in the Americas have been victims of domestic violence (Choup 2016), show that this system is unsuccessful. Scholars have very scarcely looked into other potential solutions, such as advocating for new legal policies on domestic violence, increasing the levels of flexibility and diversity in our responses, and even pushing for international women’s rights and consequently enforcement (Goldfarb 2011).…

    • 1742 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    What is Domestic Violence? Domestic Violence is also called intimate partner violence is a serious public health concern because it affects the most important unit of society, which is the family. Unlike other forms of violent crime across social interaction, violence within the household occurs amongst individuals with intimate and trustworthy relationships. The term ‘domestic violence’ is defined as patterns of abuse in a relationship in order to gain or maintain power over the victim.…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Thesis: Domestic violence his generally defined as violent or aggressive behavior within a home, that typically involves the violent abuse of a spouse or partner (Gosselin, D. K. , 2014). Within society today domestic violence is all around us, sometimes it is visible but other times victims of this abuse fail to report such activities to authorities. Furthermore, this paper will discuss the topic of domestic violence, and the intervention programs that are put in place for the minimization such violence. In addition these programs weaknesses will be addressed, and how they can be made to be more effective.…

    • 2304 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Thesis: Laws and mandates alone are not effective in curtailing domestic violence I. . Laws and mandates are not pragmatic if they are void of comprehensive services and treatment for the victim, children, and perpetrator A. Arrest at incidents are not common B. Cases are often too complex to address in court C. TPOs are not effective as a deterrent to continued acts of domestic violence. II. Domestic Violence victims include more than just two individuals A. Children and other family members are often collateral damage in domestic violence B. Trauma and psychological effects on victims impacts their ability to contribute to society C. Laws and mandates do not include supportive services to victim III. Long term impact on the victim…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Importance Of Consent

    • 1227 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Violence is an enormous range of actions, beyond physical and sexual which includes psychologically, emotionally and verbal abuse, as well as economic/financial and spiritual coercion and criminal harassment and stalking; sexual harassment at work, murdered women e.t.c. Violence does not happen in a vacuum but because women 's inequality still exists. It is also linked to human right and it is huge, it comprise of many ranges of actions. The violence against women turned from a private issue to a public issue. Statistically, “¼ women (general), 69% are assaulted by men that they know, 83% of women with disabilities experience sexual abuse, 8 in 10 Aboriginal women in Ontario reported having experienced sexual violence, only 6% of all sexual assaults are reported to police, Women ages 14-24 = largest “target group””…

    • 1227 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1). Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a crime driven by anger and passion because of the intimate relationship between the couple. The essay will explain the thesis through three Canadian cases, scholarly sources, websites, and course readings. The essay will clarify the relevant theories and concepts around the discourse of woman in the criminal justice system. Therefore, in the Canadian criminal justice system women convicted of homicide of an intimate partner are perceived as victims and not criminals and this is shown through the relevant factors of…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Congress has passed two main laws that relate to domestic abuse. These two laws are The Violence Against Women Act and The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (“Violence Against Women” 1). Although these law have provided some protection for the domestic abuse victim including prevention programs, hotlines, legal aids and shelters, it has not reduced the number of occurrences. Studies show that “every nine seconds a women in the U.S is assaulted or beaten” (“Domestic Violence Statistics” 1). Furthermore the BJS, Bureau of Justice Statistics states that “domestic abuse accounts for 21% of all violent victimization and only half of all cases are actually reported” (“BJS” 1).…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays