Domestic violence: a crime in Australia

Domestic violence has become a serious issue in Australia. Almost all the women’s are facing the issue of domestic violence in many areas of Australia. It occurs across all the ages, demographic as well as socioeconomic group. However, it mainly affects the children and women (Berns, 2017). Young women, indigenous women and pregnant women are at risk due to the domestic violence. In the first section of the report, domestic violence as main crime has been discussed. There are various researches and survey data has been presented that states the number and frequency of domestic violence in Australia. Among all women’s are facing domestic violence from their previous and current partner. Therefore, the discussion has been done on the evidences that has been presented in the report. There are several theories of crime that describes the domestic violence and all these are explained in the report including their causes. At the end of the report, recommendations are given to remove or minimise the domestic violence in Australia.

Domestic violence occurs when any partner, family member psychologically or physically harm other person. As per “commonwealth office for women,” it can occur in different forms such as emotional abuse, sexual abuse, intimidation, physical violence, and economic deprivation. Deontic, sexual and family violence are major welfare and health issue. It usually occurs in all age people that affect children’s and women (Ross, 2017). The report on domestic violence in Australia presents the information regarding domestic violence in Australia. It presents almost in all the geographic areas of Australia. It has become the most significant problem in rural Australia, regional, and indigenous communities. A study was conducted in 1998 by Carlos Carcach from the “Australian institute of Criminology” that stated the physical attack against women (Brown & James, 2014). Besides this, 2005 Australian Bureau of Statistics stated that 36% of women experienced the physical attack from the male committer that was 19 per cent in 1996. From those 36% women, 19 per cent women reported this case to the police in 2005 (McGilvray, 2015).

Domestic violence is a violence act committed by any household member or by any family member such as mistreatment of spouse or child abuse. Physical harm is prevalent in many areas of Australia. In Australia, every year thousands of women, children’s and women’s suffer psychologically, physically, and financially in their homes. The arte of domestic violence is still high. As per the proportion of Australians, it is founded that violence decreased to 8.3% in 2005 to 5.4% in the year 2016. Partner violence is still high towards women. As per the Victorian Magistrates Court, 74,551 personal safety and family violence matter has been heard in the year 2015 and 2016 (Francis, 2016).

“Personal Safety Survey” 2005 surveyed both women as well as women. The survey has asked the experience of violence from women. From those, 5.8% of women experience the violence in a year that was compared with 7.1 per cent in 1996. Besides this, 4.7 per cent of women stated that they faced the physical violence in year 2005 that was 5.9 per cent in 1996. In Australia, men experience the violence in public place and from strangers. Women are likely to know their previous or current partner that take place in the homes (Roberson & Wallace, 2016).

Evidences of domestic violence as a crime in Australia

From the findings, it is founded that one from the 6 Australian women and 1 men from 16 has been subjected to sexual violence by their previous and current partner. Domestic, sexual, and family violence is happening on continuous basis and more than 54% of experience the violence of current partner (Franke, 2016). In the year 2014 to 2015, on an average 2 men and 8 women hospitalized every day after the stabbing from their partner or spouse. Besides this, in the year 2012 to 2014, 1 woman in a week and one man in a month were killed due to the violence from the previous and current partner.  In addition to this, 16 per cent men and 23 per cent women experienced the emotional violence from their previous and current partner from the age of 15 (McPhedran, Gover & Mazerolle, 2017).

There are group people who are at greater risk of domestic, sexual, and domestic violence particularly young women, indigenous women, pregnant women, women with some disability, women’s who are separating from their partners as well as women who are facing financial issues. Men and women who have experienced the abuse as children are also at the increased risk. About 2.1 million men and women have observed the violence towards their mother from their partner. Nearly 820,000 have witnessed the violence that is being faced by their father before the age of 15. People who are children have witnessed the violence from the partners against their partners. It proved as the main cause of homelessness of children’s and women. In the year 2016 and 2017, about 9,000 men, 34,000 children, and 72,000 women were founded to seek the homelessness services. They all reported that domestic violence and family are the main cause besides their homelessness situation. There is limited data available on the impact of family violence on their children. In spite of this, qualitative research shows that children’s who are exposed to domestic, family and sexual violence can experience the long-term effects of it on the development (Holt, 2016).

There are theories that highlighted the reasons of domestic violence. Feminist theory states that domestic violence is the pressure of male or the harassment of female in the four walls of home. It describes the unequal power relationships as the main cause besides the domestic violence (Franke, 2016). According to this theory, men starts maintain its power when it thinks that the power is being threatned. It also believes that the dependence of women on male for the financial assistance also leads to the violent behaviour of men against women in society. On the other hand, family system theory believes that social situation plays an essential role in the violent behaviour of a person. It states that domestic violence come into account when any person accept the anger of other person or their faulty processing of social information. From the theoretical perspective of theory, family conflicts due to the higher expectations, misunderstandings, financial stress, or disobedience are the important determinants that lead to the violence. All these indicators of domestic violence against women are in the internal structure of family system. Frustration aggression theory also states the reasons of domestic violence. It highlighted that frustration is linked with the aggression. Aggression as a result includes both verbal behaviour as well as physical that is done to hurt someone. It is true that when any person is not able to reach its goal, it become frustrated (Pain, 2014). Because of this, the injury in the form of physical nature and aggression is come out. In aggression, person does not know what to attack and for instance it feel angry and seek something to attack. Sometimes, person is this much frustrated that the attack is dangerous. For example- when any person is scolded at the work will take out its anger in the family. Due to this also, women’s in Australia faces the violence from their partners. Coming into the self-attitude theory that states that in culture, group or in society that values the violence always want to seek out their image in other’s eyes by carrying out some violent acts. Lower self-esteem is one of the most important reasons of violent behaviour. Therefore, negative feelings in the form of domestic violence are the result of lower self-esteem.

Reasons of domestic violence by application of crime theories

Domestic violence has been increasing to a great level in Australia that requires the quick action to be taken by Australian government and people for the sake of good. Although the government has introduced various programs for the safety of women’s but it requires certain modification. It should take the strict action against the domestic violence in Australia. It should also introduce the strict punishment to the respective person so that before doing this crime the person will think twice. Besides this, safety device is also needed in the mobile phone that can be used by women’s hen they face any violence (García-Moren et al, 2015).

For understanding the domestic violence, Australian government should also start including the negative outcomes of domestic violence in schools and universities. Awareness campaigns will eliminate the domestic violence against women’s of Australia. Posters and campaigns can be stick into the billboards of every area of Australia. It also start explaining the negative effects of domestic violence on cinema, TV, magazines and in washrooms too. It is necessary to take the awareness programs in schools and university in order to aware the students regarding domestic violence prevailing in Australia. It is seen that most of the women’s are facing the domestic violence from their previous or current partners (Michau, Horn, Bank, Dutt & Zimmerman, 2015).Therefore, it is required by the companies to take actions against those partners who are indulged in these types of activities. Companies should make a specific rule or law for the domestic violence. This will help the women to get a strong voice on part of their safety. In addition to all these, special services should be provided to victims so that it becomes easy for the victims to report their case to the police. This will create the awareness among women’s regarding their rights.  It is also necessary to set up the safe rooms in the courts that supports the victims who are giving evidences against the abusive partner or spouse. It is also necessary for the Australian government to work in better way with victims that discourage them to go back to the violent partners.

Conclusion 

In the limelight of above discussion, it can be concluded that domestic violence is increasing to a greater phase in Australia. The women’s are mostly facing domestic violence from their partners or family members. Domestic violence has now become a serious issue in many areas of Australia that requires the strict action on part of Australian government. Various surveys and data have also showed the increasing rate of domestic violence in Australia. Awareness is one of the important thing that is required by the Australian people to remove the issue. It is also necessary for the Australian schools and universities to clear the harmful impact of domestic violence on the lives of people.

References 

Berns, N. S. (2017). Framing the victim: Domestic violence, media, and social problems. Unired Kingdom: Routledge.

Brown, J., & James, K. (2014). Therapeutic responses to domestic violence in Australia: A history of controversies. Australian and New Zealand Journal of family therapy, 35(2), 169-184.

Franke, K. M. (2016). Theorizing yes: An essay on feminism, law, and desire. In Feminist and Queer Legal Theory (pp. 43-58). United Kingdom: Routledge.

García-Moreno, C., Zimmerman, C., Morris-Gehring, A., Heise, L., Amin, A., Abrahams, N., … & Watts, C. (2015). Addressing violence against women: a call to action. The Lancet, 385(9978), 1685-1695.

Holt, A. (2016). Adolescent-to-Parent Abuse as a Form of “Domestic Violence” A Conceptual Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17(5), 490-499.

McGilvray, I. (2018). Domestic violence against women: An artist’s response. Zadok Perspectives, (138), 12.

McPhedran, S., Gover, A. R., & Mazerolle, P. (2017). A cross-national comparison of police attitudes about domestic violence: a focus on gender. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 40(2), 214-227.

Michau, L., Horn, J., Bank, A., Dutt, M., & Zimmerman, C. (2015). Prevention of violence against women and girls: lessons from practice. The Lancet, 385(9978), 1672-1684.

Pain, R. (2014). Everyday terrorism: Connecting domestic violence and global terrorism. Progress in Human Geography, 38(4), 531-550.

Roberson, C., & Wallace, P. H. (2016). Family violence: Legal, medical, and social perspectives. United Kingdom Routledge.

Ross, L. E. (2017). Domestic violence and criminal justice. United Kingdom: Routledge.

Scott, J., & Hogg, R. (2015). Strange and stranger ruralities: Social constructions of rural crime in Australia. Journal of rural studies, 39, 171-179.

Francis, L. (2016). The hidden nature of abuse-barriers to women leaving or ending domestic violence. Australian Midwifery News, 16(3), 18.