Monday, August 12, 2013

Understanding The Definition Of Domestic Abuse

By Andrea Davidson


Domestic abuse is another name for family abuse, dating exploitation, home violence, spousal cruelty and battery as well. Some publications have referred to it as close partner misuse. Domestic violence is therefore referred to the misuse by one person against another person. In some books it is known as the behavior pattern showed in some people against other people.

Domestic violence comprise of cohabitation, marriage and some actions in one family or another. The act may take some forms such as sexual exploitation, emotional exploitation, physical assault, economic deprivations and fears.

Exploitation can be linked to mental illness, alcohol consumption and present additional challenges incurred when eliminating domestic cruelty. The definition, perception, awareness and documentation of home exploitation may differ from era to era and from one country to another.

The present physical violence experienced by couples, women, children and other vulnerable members of the community are not the only violence. Unlawful imprisonments, trespassing, stalking, criminal coercion, endangerment and harassment also constitutes home exploitations. It implies therefore that there are certain elements that must be considered before one can conclude that an act is exploitation.

The laws and regulations governing internal misuse vary from one country to another. What is considered as exploitation in the western world, may not be case in most developing countries. In the year 2010 for example the Supreme Court in the United Arab Emirates ruled out that a man has the authority to physically discipline the wife. The court also set a precedent that a man has the right to discipline the children as long as the physical mark is not left.

The court had it that every man in the society is allowed to beat their partners and kids so long as he does not leave behind any mark. The social acceptability of cruelty therefore differs from states to states. In most developed countries for example, the citizens have unaccepted domestic violence. On the other hand, home violence has been accepted in most developing countries, for example in countries such as Mali, Afghanistan and the Central African Republic, the husband is allowed to beat the wife in under certain conditions.

In the countries mentioned above, the hubby is legally allowed to physically discipline the wife if she is not willing to submit to the wishes of the husband. This is perceived as the best ground for exploitations. In other states such as Tajikistan, the hubby is legally allowed to physically discipline their spouse if they refuse to have sex with them.

Ideally most cultures permitted men to use force to discipline their wives. In such conditions, no one could be sued because this was seen as a legal right. With time, this act has been abandoned in nations such as the United States of America and European nations, simply because it is viewed as an act that is biased towards women since it only favors men.

According to the survey done by the UNICEF, local misuse is really a big problem in developing countries and other countries suffering recovering from battle. According to their data it is approximated that 2 in 5 women experiences violence during their life time. They are normally tortured and mistreated by their partners. Therefore all stakeholders should be involved in the fight to end domestic abuse.




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