Domestic Violence in Massachusetts

Domestic Violence Awareness

Scholars and researchers recognize the lack of agreement concerning the definition of “domestic violence” and “one-size-fits-all” interventions have led to dissension and division in our attempt to discover the cause and consequence of this complex and multifaceted problem.

Battering

Most researchers agree that a “batterer” is a family member or intimate partner who with premeditation and malice aforethought repeatedly uses coercion, force or physical assaults to manipulate and control the behavior of another family member or intimate partner.

Family Conflict

Family conflict most often occurs without premeditation or malice aforethought and involves the use of threats and/or minor physical assault in a specific or isolated disagreement. This behavior is often the result of real or perceived misbehavior, chronic substance abuse, financial problems, health or resource difficulties, jealously, anger, or retribution.

While there are many incidences of “battering behavior,” data documents that domestic violence is often “family conflict.” In fact, the National Incident Based Reporting System documents approximately half of domestic violence incidents are not spousal or intimate partner related.

A June 2005 Department of Justice (DOJ) report, Family Violence Statistics, documents that family violence accounts for 11% of all reported and unreported violence and the majority of family violence is simple assault, e.g. pushing, shoving, slapping, hitting, etc. Less than one half of one percent (0.3) of family violence is fatal.

The National Violence against Women Survey (NVAWS)

The NVAWS document that 1.3% of women and 0.9% of men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually and 39% of female and 24.8% of males report being injured during their most recent physical assault. Also, that approximately 40% of women and 53.8% of men experienced some type of physical assault by an adult caretaker as a child.

Research documents females are significantly more likely than males to suffer physical injury, sexual assaults or emotional problems. However, it is exclusive not inclusive to proffer that domestic violence is only or primarily a problem for women and girls.

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBSS) on pages 39-40, document that 8.8% of girls and 8.9% of boys report that they were hit, slapped or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend and that 11.9% of girls and 6.1% of boys were physically forced to have sexual intercourse. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/SS/SS5302.pdf

The Wellspring

Many children learn from their parents, regardless of gender, that intimidation, threats, economic coercion and physical assaults are often effective, at least temporally, for controlling or altering the behavior of others.

The above lessons are encountered first in family hierarchies rather than society in general. In our homes neglect, physical assaults and coercive behavior between adults and physical assaults and coercive behavior against children instills in children that “might makes right.” Hence, coercive or assaultive family behavior can teach some children that:

(1)Those who love you also hit you,
(2)It is not criminal behavior to hit other members of the family;
(3)The use of coercion or physical force is often effective.

Studies document that corporal punishment and sibling violence are the most common forms of family physical assaults. It is rare that either behavior is viewed as “domestic violence.”

A Genesis of Misunderstanding

Jane Doe is the lead agency for the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. The Jane Doe website claims that “domestic violence” is also known as “battering” www.janedoe.org.

Perhaps Jane Doe is not aware that Department of Justice studies document and that by law in the majority of states, “battering” and “domestic violence” are not the same. On the www.Familynonviolence.org website, “A Domestic Violence Research Tool” acts as a conduit to studies that all domestic violence advocates should be aware of.

The Jane Doe website reports that 1 in 5 female high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. Jane Doe does not report similar YRBSS information about our sons.

Jane Doe maintains that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) estimates that more than 90% of all domestic violence victims are female. Contemporary data from the DOJ demonstrate this is not a fact. Knowingly or not it appears that the Jane Doe website, similar to the majority of domestic violence organization websites, minimize, marginalize, or ignore male victimization.

For a More Empathic Dialogue

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The safety of both our daughters and sons depends on equitable educational information. More inclusive, empathic and less ideological dialogues are needed concerning the offending and victimization of girls and women and boys and men.