Traditionally we like to think of our home and family as a bastion of love and support. A place of safety, to which we can return when we feel threatened by the rest of the world. Many families do indeed exhibit these loving qualities but unfortunately there are many who do not!
Statistical data reveals that a person is more likely to be subjected to interpersonal violence within his /her family than anywhere else! Assault, rape and even murder frequently happen inside family homes. Because these assaults take place in what is considered a private space by investigators, they are often treated differently to other assaults that occur in other settings. Frequently they are not reported and therefore never persued by the prosecution. As such they are often referred to as hidden crimes. Family violence has now become a subject of huge interest to criminologists worldwide. There are numerous types of domestic violence and hereunder we will explore a few.
CHILD ABUSE
Children have always been tempting targets for abusers, primarily because they are incapable of offering much, if any, resistance to their attacker. In practice I hear stories every other day from children who tell me how they suffered abuse every day at either the hands of their father and frequently their mother, however, this abuse by mothers is on the increase. This abuse often continues until they realise that they are strong enough to fight back and either threaten to do so or actually do so, after which the beatings rapidly cease.
Children can be and frequently are a frustrating burden to their parents, either financially, physically or psychologically and this frustration is often a precursor to violence. They are also handy targets especially if they are in close proximity to the frustrated or angry parent which would be particularly applicable to children living in informal or tiny dwellings where families have to spend hours and hours in close proximity of each other. Studies have shown that the more parents are able to separate themselves from their children during times where tensions are running high, the less likely they are to engage in aggressive behaviours directed at their children.
Infanticide or the murder of an infant, could be considered the ultimate form of child abuse. This was common in Egypt during the middle ages continuing into the 16th and 17th centuries in Anglo American history. Infanticide has been linked to the public shaming of discovered adulterous behaviour in countries such as Scotland. Mothers would rather murder the infant than face the extreme, public humiliation dealt out by the church.
For most parents worldwide, until very recently, the traditional attitude has been that they had a moral obligation to control their children through physical punishment if necessary. The old saying, “spare the rod and spoil the child”, comes to mind. A large proportion of society indeed felt that corporal punishment was the most suitable method for controlling unruly children.
In the 1960’s a paper entitled “The Battered Child Syndrome” by Henry Kempe first highlighted the problem of social violence against children. In his paper, paediatric radiologists, had defined child abuse as a clinical condition relating to children under three, which usually consisted of multiple lesions on predominantly the extremities and could be diagnosed through X-ray radiology.
By the seventies child abuse and neglect represented a broader conceptualisation of child abuse. More recently the term child maltreatment has gained popularity. In this concept, physical, psychological, financial and sexual abuse of children are included in the definition of criminal maltreatment.
WIFE BEATING
Today women who are victims of spousal abuse as well as women who become victims of violence at the hand of a live-in-lover are within the scope of criminological study. In earlier years these crimes were regarded by male dominated law enforcement and social scientists as private matters best left in the shadows. Myths were perpetuated that women enjoyed being hit, interpreting it as a sign of attention, caring and even love. Significantly Brown pointed out that women from especially the lower classes may not see themselves as victims but may feel simply that they are enduring the lot of a woman.
Interestingly the public did not focus their attention on wife beating because of an increase in the frequency of the occurrence and violence thereof, but because of a shift of public sentiment regarding the crime. Social Scientists, legal professionals and mental health professional all began to focus on the problem. Additionally it was a great topic for the media, especially when there was a good scandal involved.
Shelters for battered women began springing up all over the place. The idea was to provide women with an alternative to staying with the abusive partner. Mason’s research primarily conducted in shelters revealed that between 25% and 50% of homeless families headed by women had left their homes because they lived with domestic violence.
During the many domestic violence calls that I have attended to, the women often beg for officers not to arrest their partner, saying they forgive him for what he has done. Many times it gets violent with the woman or victim physically attacking law enforcement officers who are there to assist her. Cases are often withdrawn before they get to court. Dealing with domestic violence situations can, in my experience, be extremely frustrating for law enforcement personnel.
The problem is often that the woman cannot sustain her household without the male or partner’s income. Additionally she fears increased violence if she pursues a criminal matter against him.
Domestic violence is often initiated by the wife. Researchers found that wives reported hitting their husbands, just as frequently as husbands reported hitting their wives. Husbands also frequently report being assaulted by their wives but this is often hard for them to admit to because they are embarrassed to do so.
The problem is that men hit much harder than women do, which results in greater physical damage to the female victim. Men are more likely to become aggressive even when unprovoked and particularly when they have been drinking or using drugs. Most calls received by the police with reference to domestic violence situations are made by females who are endangered by their partners. Pregnant women seem to be at a higher risk than other women. This type abuse often takes the form of blows or kicks to the abdomen. Younger women are more often targets of abuse than older women.
In the USA today, Battered Women’s Syndrome is on occasion a successful defence for murder. In South African and Botswana law it can be considered a mitigating factor at sentencing. Understandably in the USA men do take exception to these acquittals, maintaining that the use of deadly force is a disproportionate response to a mere assault. They also argue that the women could have left their partner rather than kill him. Many women are offended by this male position saying that victims of abuse lose their self respect, their judgement and often act out of pure desperation or fear. They contend that many of these women cannot escape their situation as they are rendered incapable of supporting themselves or their families by the abusive spouse.
VIOLENCE TOWARD SIBLINGS
The highest number of cases of domestic violence incidents take place between siblings. Parents tolerate jousting and arguing between siblings considering it “all just part of growing up” and totally normal behaviour. Unless parents see a pattern of violent or out of control behaviour by one child and actually fear for the safety of their other children, few parents would ever even think of reporting their children’s violent outbursts to the police. Suzanne Steinmetz believes that the toleration of physical acts of violent behaviour between siblings within a family should not be rashly condoned . She States, “the complacency over sibling violence must be seriously questioned. Violence used by siblings to resolve conflicts represents a training ground – an opportunity to practice physically violent interaction with peers. The training prepares them for when they marry to use physical violence on their spouses to resolve marital conflicts and when they become parents, on their children to discipline them”.
VIOLENCE TOWARD THE ELDERLY
With an increase in parricide cases both in South Africa and lately in Botswana, media focus has started to concentrate on the abuse of the elderly. There are widely differing estimates on the incidence of this type of abuse. Of particular interest is the issue of mistreatment of aged parents. This would include physical, financial and psychological abuse as well as the failure to supply appropriate care. Demographic trends have played a role in the problem.
Over the last 50 years, life expectancy has increased by 50%, a trend that has resulted in a need for long term care. As people age the need for increased care also obviously increases and for those over 75, significantly so.
Researchers Fillemer and Finkelhor conducted a study to determine the frequency of elder abuse as well as the methods of abuse most commonly employed on elderly people. They specified three areas of abuse. ” 1- physical violence, including kicking, biting, shoving and beating; 2- psychological violence, including chronic verbal aggression, insults or threats and 3- neglect – either active or passive – which is defined as involving deprivation of some assistance the elderly person needed for important activities of daily living”.
The same research revealed that sons were more likely to abuse their parents than daughters. 60% of abuse of the elderly was perpetrated by their spouses. There was no difference in victimisation by race or by age category. Because they tend to live longer, females are more likely to become victims of elderly abuse than males. The injuries inflicted on women were also found to be considerably worse than those inflicted on men.
In the last few years we have seen a number of parricide cases, where children have murdered or contracted the murder of their parents for financial gain or to exact revenge for the abuse that they suffered as children!
AN EXPLANATION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE
Researchers have found that family violence is more prevalent in households of a lower socio-economic status than in other social groups. This, however, does not mean that crimes of this nature are unique to this social class, only that domestic violence disproportionately plagues this group. This can be explained by the stress of poverty, welfare existence, poor housing, overcrowding, poor education and limited opportunities. The everyday challenges faced by those on the lowest rung of the social ladder contribute to frustration and aggression and commonly result in family violence. There is a vast amount of research supporting the theory known as the “cycle of violence” which supports the idea that violence is passed down from one generation to the next when it comes to family violence. Of course this outcome is not inevitable. This model supports the theories that criminal behaviour is learned through social processes and modelled by offenders, at times to the point that it becomes rooted in social structures as a part of the subculture of violence seen in many communities.
Political and economic inequality possibly accounts for much of the violent subjugation of women worldwide. It also accounts for the subjugation of women’s rights and the relegation of family violence to the shadows of social concern. Only in the last few decades where activists and researchers have exposed the nature and depth of the problem, has real legal and social reform become a focus politicians.
Because family violence is a crime that has until recently been excused as a” private matter” , offenders have historically avoided the consequences of their actions. It is only recently that laws have been strengthened against domestic violence and steps been taken to make access to the justice system and the courts more accessible to victims of domestic abuse. Cases such as the O.J. Simpson case, the Dewani case, the Pistorius case have resulted in the world focusing on spousal abuse. Investigative journalism shows like Carte Blanche and 3rd Degree, have highlighted family abuse cases as well as cases of elderly abuse in old age homes over the last few years. These cases and shows, some of which have been shocking, have forced the public into becoming aware of the problem of family violence facing society today .
If you or your family members are victims of domestic abuse, please remember: It’s no longer a woman’s lot to suffer abusive relationships.
With the festive season upon us, families are forced to spend more time together in close proximity, which could aggravate existing domestic tension or conflicts. Please act for your own safety before you become a statistic. The Botswana Police are available to assist.
I am available to assist in any criminal matters. Expert Profiling is contactable on Tel: 390 9957 e-mail – [email protected] or [email protected] or on Twitter @LauriePieters.
