Introduction
Domestic violence is as secretive and elongated as the earliest civilization ever to be recorded in history. It has been there ever since the ancient times, but it continues to evolve in nature, magnitude, severity, and consequences (Renzetti & Bergern, 2005). Not so long ago, domestic violence was largely viewed as a preserve for men. The tides, however, are changing fast, and more women mostly in developed countries are increasingly abusing their spouses in domestic hostilities. It is common knowledge that domestic violence happens either within the family setting or at the societal setting, but most victims prefer not to talk about the practice for fear of reprisals from spouses or for lack of knowledge on the available channels that can be used to bring the offenders into compliance (Bonar & Roberts, 2006). This particular experiment aimed to evaluate the nature of relationship and the magnitude of domestic violence meted on either of the partners.
Domestic Violence
Generally, domestic violence can be defined as an abuse of power by mostly men against women who either could be in a relationship, or are in separation (Carrington, 2006). However, due to differences in this world of diversity, different cultures have different opinions and definitions of the term “domestic violence,” thus making it almost impossible to offer a conventional definition. Domestic violence can be carried out either in the form of physical abuse, sexual violence, emotional abuse, social abuse or financial withdrawal. It can also be referred as family violence since it includes all forms of violence, and mostly happens in intimate and stranger-to-stranger type of relationships (Carrington, 2006)
The extent of this violence can be prevented by women seeking help from the relevant authorities. This is so because if a woman gains access to assistance and support groups in the early stages of the domestic violence, she is less likely to suffer the consequences, which may even result to death (Bonar, 2006).
Therefore, it is a rational idea for the victims to identify the family issues that result to domestic violence before seeking help. Nevertheless, due to indifferences, many families tend to conceal information that relates to domestic violence. There is, therefore, no observed research available in relation to the nature of violence and its magnitude. Such a scenario inexorably affects the accuracy of statistics collected for domestic violence. The other factor that may limit data collection include under reporting of domestic violence incidents. This is because incidents committed by strangers are more likely to be reported to the respective authorities than the incidents committed by intimate partners (Carrington, 2006). This is normally due to fear of revenge by the spouses.
Hypothesis
Domestic violence occurs in nearly all civilizations across the world, from the most traditional societies to the most modernized. Various seminal studies, however, have revealed that the nature and magnitude of domestic violence varies with various situations, implying that the vice is correlated with a myriad of influences, key among them the nature of the relationship, real or perceived reasons for the violence, socio-economic factors, intellectual and cognitive capacities, among others (Renzetti & Bergen, 2005). This particular experiment aimed to evaluate the nature of relationship and the magnitude of domestic violence meted on either of the partners. As such, the main hypotheses for the study were:
- H1: The partners of women engaged in intimate relationships are considerably less violent, controlling, and intimidating than partners of women involved in a stranger-to-stranger type of relationship.
- H2: Many women in either intimate or stranger-to-stranger relationships fear to report instances of domestic violence to relevant authorities for fear of reprisals from their spouses.
Variable Description
The conceptualization of variables is of fundamental importance in any research exercise as it assists the researcher to develop a mental concept of what the study is all about, and the steps to take so that the research objectives are realized (Renzetti & Bergen, 2005). Most contemporary researches use two sets of variables – dependent and independent. Sekaran (2006) posits that an independent variable directly influences the dependent variables, causing them to change depending on the nature and magnitude of interaction between the two. Many researchers have faced challenges in developing variables to measure domestic violence due the nature of secrecy and socio-cultural indoctrinations that continue to shroud the practice. For instance, Many women, especially in societies that uphold the cultural fabric, prefer to suffer in silence as going public attract negative feedback from community members. Other communities still condone wife battering as a cultural heritage, believing that wives must be subjected to violence occasionally to force them into submission and curtail instances of marital infidelity (Renzetti & Bergen, 2005).
The above notwithstanding, some variables were developed to guide the study. The nature of the relationship between the women and their spouse became the independent variable. A myriad of factors, including magnitude and rate of domestic violence; perceived triggers; frequency of reporting; occasions of hospitalizations as a result of domestic violence; number of years or months into the relationship; societal constraints hindering reporting of the practice to relevant authorities; and the financial stability of the offending party became the dependent variables. Such variables are particularly important in developing a theoretical or conceptual framework, a mental schema used to guide the whole research process by anticipating the kind of associations that are bound to occur between the independent variable and the dependent variables (Sekaran, 2006).
Experiment
This descriptive study utilized samples of women enlisted in a shelter program for domestic violence located in a suburban town north of Boston, Massachusetts. The study utilized a quantitative research design in its methodology to come up with data needed to answer its key objective and prove or disprove the set hypotheses. The study also employed both purposive and convenience sampling techniques to sample the subjects, numbering 50. Purposive sampling entails selecting a sample based on its knowledge, understanding, and experience of a particular concept under study while convenient sampling entails inclusion of subjects in the study by virtue of being in the right environment at the right time (Cohen et al, 2007). The participants must have undergone multiple instances of domestic violence and be willing to take part in the study for them to be included in the study.
The study was cross-sectional, implying that the researcher intended to measure the subjects once. The researcher came up with a 20-item questionnaire for purposes of collecting primary data from the participant using a survey approach. Issues of reliability and validity were carefully well looked into by developing questions that ensured repeatability of responses and generalizations of study findings to a bigger population of domestic violence victims (Sekaran, 2006). The researcher also came up with a five-point Lickert-type scale to measure a multiplicity of attitudes, beliefs, and values from the perspective of the participants. Lastly, it is imperative to note that the items included in the data-gathering tool were mostly structured, with an exception of a few unstructured items designed to explore new horizons.
Conclusion
Relationships are always characterized by complexities, and are vulnerable if not handled in a proper way. According to this research, quite a number of people claim that more domestic-related violence is bound to happen if adequate measures are not taken to curtail its entrenchment into mainstream society. It is clear that spouses of women with an established intimate relationship are considerably less violent when compared with spouses in a stranger-to-stranger type of relationship. It has also been proved that many women – the nature of relationship notwithstanding – do not report episodes of domestic violence for fear of reprisals from the spouses. This has resulted in low statistical information due to victims’ fear of whether they are taking the correct measures. Therefore, greater experimental attention needs to be taken, as the understanding of it would very much assist in preventing the dangerous effects, which are related to violent actions within the domestic scene (Bonar & Roberts, 2006).
Reference List
Bonar, M., &Roberts, D. (2006). A review of literature relating to family & domestic violence in culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia, Sidney: Department of community development.
Carrington, K. (2006). Domestic Violence in Australia—an Overview of the Issues, Parliament of Australia, Web.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, R.B. (2007). Research Methods in Education, 6th Ed. New York, NY: Routledge
Renzetti, C.M., & Bergen, R.K. (2005). Violence against women. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc
Sekaran, U. (2006). Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach, 4th Ed. Wiley-India.