Domestic Violence Policy and Critique

However, apart from the intimate persons, domestic violence can easily extend to other members of the family. Identification and Response to Domestic Violence as a Societal Issue In 75 B. C, Romulus institutionalized the first marriage law that encapsulated the concept of violence against female partners thereby making it a vital area of societal concern (Bandura, 1973). However, the law was inclined towards the legalization and normalization of wife beating, which was a common incident throughout the early twentieth century. Before the late nineteenth century, in the United Kingdom, the English common law was drafted in a manner that they gave husbands excessive power over their wives in almost every area of the relationship. In Australia, more focus has been placed on the intervention initiatives to mitigate cases of physical abuse of wives.

Various groups pressed for the inclusion of monetary, emotional attached, sexual based, and psychological related nature of abuses as forms of domestic violence. Equally, victims of domestic violence have been expanded to capture husbands, individuals in a domestic partnership, and children that found in any form of domestic arrangements. Domestic Violence Theories on Gender-Based Abuse Different scholars have coined domestic violence theories that explore and exploit the dynamics of domestic violence. Four main doctrines have been advanced to navigate the motives and reasons leading to the occurrence of abuse at a family level. For example, the social deterrence theory explores the concept of law enforcement and imprisonment of perpetrators of abusive deeds; the social learning doctrine offers a detailed insight as to why children from marriages that experience domestic violence end up committing such things later in life thereby providing methodologies to come up with corrective initiatives to unlearn those acts; and the feminist model is inclined towards supporting interventions that are geared towards helping offenders reform and empower victims of abusive behaviors (Gilbert et.

al, 2012). However, none of the approaches offers a comprehensive ground on the manner in which various manifestations of domestic violence can be exhaustively handled. The ecological framework theory tries to explore a more comprehensive dimension on the whole issue of violence in domestic arrangements. Throughout history, gender has been a central topic closely linked to the concept of domestic violence. Equally, abused women may have extensive psychological effects that are likely to expose them to health disorders in their reproductive structure (Cross et. al, 2012). Sometimes women might suffer financial breakdown more so when they decide to flee to safe areas and abandon their homes and the financial benefits associated with their relationship. According to Kenney (2012), mothers are likely to experience more damages in case of domestic violence.

He argues that abusive behaviors directed towards mothers are linked to negative implications in their parenting and mental balance, which is can possibly spill over to their offspring. Kenney (2012), claims that a cycle of violence is internalized and normalized through learning it from previous engagements. Evaluation of the Significance and Effectiveness of Domestic Violence Policies in Australia The dynamics involved in handling domestic violence-related issues can take three major methodologies; preventing the occurrence of abusive behaviors, protecting the victims, and unfolding the course of justice. Using techniques such as education and counseling, communities can be in a position to deter incidences of violence taking place in domestic arrangements (Drinkwater, 2000). Protecting victims is important in averting more injuries from being caused to the victim.

Various approaches can be applied in protection, for example, separating the offender and the victim. Equally, serves as evidence to the argument that the existing interventions of preventing it from happening, protecting the victims, and exploring justice avenues for perpetrators are not fruitful. However, many scholars are optimistic that in future things will get better. Emerging ideologies, for instance, the ones propelled by the ecological framework approach can only make people hopeful (Kenney, 2012). Taking a more comprehensive, expansive, multifaceted, and integrated approach has the potential of being effective because different public and private can be brought together to focus on a single goal. Creating some form of synergy and cooperation can help improve the dynamics surrounding a potential or actual victim.