CRIME AND SOCIETY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

UNIT 5 CRIME AND SOCIETY

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

INFORMATION BOX
• The West Yorkshire Police alone took reports of 26,000
incidents of domestic violence in the year 2000. In 75% of the
cases the complaint was withdrawn and the case terminated.
• In Bucharest, of 500 violent incidents in 1999, 300 were
domestic violence cases, and of 110 killings, 70 were victims at
the hands of family members
• 983 is the Romanian helpline for victims of domestic violence
• Between January and October 2000, when a study was
published, 350 had used the helpline number.
• People throw around statistics saying that up to 70 or 80% of
children of batterers are also abused. That statistic is wrong.
EVERY child who witnesses abuse is a victim of abuse.
• 4 million American women experience a serious assault by an
intimate partner during an average 12-month period.

Before reading the text, discuss with a partner what domestic violence really entails.
Who commits it and why? Who are the victims and how can it be eradicated?
Text A
There is still a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about domestic violence – what it
is, who suffers from it, who commits it and why. Violence or abuse suffered by women in
their home which is carried out by their partner, ex-partner or anyone they are living with
is known as domestic violence. Victims of domestic violence are usually women, but this
is not always the case.
Women experience domestic violence regardless of their social group, class, age, race,

disability, sexuality and lifestyle. Violence and abuse can begin at any time – in the first
year or after years of marriage or living together.
Domestic violence can take a number of forms such as physical assault, sexual abuse,
rape, and threats. In addition, it may include mental and verbal abuse and humiliation.
Women experiencing domestic violence tend to play down rather than exaggerate the
violence. For some, the decision to seek help, to leave the abuser, or get the abuser to
leave is quickly and easily made. For many, the decision will be long and painful as they
try to make the relationship work and stop the violence. Women who leave often return to
their partners hoping for an improvement in the relationship or because of financial or
social pressures.
Men who are abusive to women do not necessarily abuse children, but it can happen.
Children will react in different ways to being brought up in a home with a violent person.
They may be affected by the tension or by witnessing arguments and assaults. They may
feel that they are to blame, or feel insecure, alone, frightened or confused.

Domestic violence is a crime which the police now deal with as a very serious matter.
Most forces have specially trained and experienced officers that can arrange medical aid,
transport and a safe place for the victims.
There are several organisations that can give practical and emotional support to the
victims. Refuges provide safe emergency and temporary accommodation, advice,
information, support and a range of other services for women and children escaping
violence.
Women’s Aid is a key support agency for women and children experiencing domestic
violence and runs a domestic violence helpline. Their services are confidential and
completely free.
The Samaritans offer confidential emotional support 24 hours a day by phone, face-to-
face or by letter. There are over 200 branches in the UK and Eire staffed by trained
volunteers.

Activity 1

Match a line in A with a word/phrase in B and a line in C:

A B C
There is still a lot of
confusion and
misunderstanding
about all the changes and upheavals.
Women experience domestic
violence
because of they have left the relationship.
Victims of domestic violence
are usually women
after women and children
experiencing domestic violence.
Domestic violence can take a
number of forms
regardless
of
a very serious matter.
Victims should seek legal
advice from a solicitor
despite domestic violence.
Women who experience
domestic violence feel
for this is not always the case.
Women do have legal rights
in relation to their children
as their social group, class, age,
race, disability, sexuality and
lifestyle.

Women’s Aid is a key
support agency
such as what their partners say.
The police now deal with
domestic violence
that physical assault, sexual abuse,
rape and threat.
Women often experience
depression and anxiety
but they are concerned about their
children.
This may happen if they are to blame.









Activity 2
Fill in the blanks with one of the following adverbs:

completely, directly, effectively, aggressively, often x 2, necessarily, specially,
financially, physically, sexually, emotionally, sympathetically, in silence, in fear,
alone.

a) Nobody has the right to assault anybody ……………………, ………………..
or …………………………..

b) Women don’t have to suffer ……………………… or live …………………….
c) The police will deal with the victims ………………………….
d) The victims’ inquiry will be …………………………. confidential.
e) The police is committed to ……………………………. improving the service
offered to victims of domestic violence.
f) It is not easy for the victims to accept that someone they love and have trusted
can behave so ………………………………. towards them.
g) Children are ……………… affected by the tension or by witnessing arguments
and assaults.
h) Men who are abusive to women do not ………………………………. abuse
children, but it can happen.
i) Most police forces have ………………………… trained and experienced
officers to deal with domestic violence.
j) Abused women …………………wonder how they will manage
…………………………..if they leave home.
k) Whatever abused women decide, they don’t have to suffer …………………….
l) Domestic violence victims can contact Victim Support offices …………………
or ask the police to put them in contact with their local group.


Text B

For over a year before she was murdered by her husband Avelino, Maria Teresa Macias
pursued every possible avenue to escape his years of violence against herself and their
three children. She reported to Child Protective Services, obtained restraining orders,
cooperated with investigators, talked to friends, went to churches, attended counseling,
brought her mother in from Mexico and her sister from Ireland, and tirelessly reported
new incidents to authorities, verbally and in writing.

In just the last three months of her life, between January and April 1996, Teresa and

witnesses reported Avelino’s crimes against her to the Sheriff’s Department on at least 18
different occasions. Teresa’s struggle to be free of Avelino’s violence was relentless. And
it was doomed. The help she reached for, failed her at every turn. After Child Protective
Services took her children because she was unable to keep Avelino away from them,

Teresa made a comment to her mother that seemed to describe the efforts of her entire
last year. “Instead of helping me,” Teresa told her mother, “ they sank me even more”.
On April 15, four days before she was going to take the final step of fleeing north with
her kids, Avelino lay in wait at the Sonoma house she and her mother were due to clean.
Avelino ended Teresa’s life with a bullet to the head, shot her mother through the legs,
and then turned the gun on himself. In the last couple of weeks of her life, Teresa became
enveloped by an ominous sense that Avelino would indeed succeed in his threats to kill
her. If he did, she told her mother, she wanted the story told. “If I die, I don’t want other
women to suffer what I am suffering”, she said, “I want them to be listened to.”


Activity 3
Decide on the appropriate collocations:

marriage form
consent of adultery
evidence violence
extra marital relations
domestic certificate
change officer
patrol in policy
police service

to produce help
to grant a divorce

to seek an organisation
to take a decision
to experience evidence
to run abuse
to express action
to take concern

Exercise 1
Put in the correct past participles of the verbs in brackets to complete the list:
Women who experience “domestic abuse” could be...
• (call)………………..names
• (give) ………………. no money
• (rape)………………..
• (stop) ………………. from seeing family and friends
• (punch)…………………
• (tell)……………………. what to wear
• (threaten)…………………………..with worse violence
• (strangle)………………………….or (choke) ……………….almost to
death
• (humiliate)………………………..
• (not allow) ……………………to go out alone
• (degrade) …………………………

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with ONE suitable word. The first letter(s) is/are given.

The problems (1) con ………………… with domestic violence are widely recognised,
yet, only recently has the focus (2) sh………………… to helping the victims. As far as
the police service is (3) con ……………………., it is essential that positive action is
taken in all cases at the (4) sc…………………….. of domestic violence. Consequently,

wherever there is evidence of an (5) o…………………, in the first instance the arrest
should be made (6) irr…………………. of the wishes of the victim. The wife’s,
partner’s or girlfriend’s pleas of ‘Don’t lock him up’ or ‘Leave him alone’ to the (7)
a…………………. officer may be purely for her (8) o……………… protection for
when he returns home later. If there is (9) in……………………. evidence to make an
arrest but problems are(10) ant …………………in the near future, then an arrest for
breach of the (11) p……………………. is appropriate. This will effectively remove the
victim from immediate (12) d………………………and provide time to (13)
dis………………..…the circumstances in private. This process must be carried (14)
o……………….. without fail, despite previous instances of withdrawals of (15) com
……………… by the victim. Moreover, the quality of the files (16) rel…………………
to DV assaults must be high, otherwise the CPS cannot do their (17) j……………… A
large number of files are being withdrawn by the CPS on the (18) g…………………that
the complainant no longer wishes to prosecute. So, the police service is reconsidering the
situation to decide whether, even without such witness (19) st. ……………….. and
formal complaints, a prosecution should be (20) all.………………. to proceed. In
addition to the role of the police and the CPS, the judiciary also has an important part to
play and should (21) p………………….. more custodial sentences. Locked away, the
(22) per……………………………… would have time to consider his situation
carefully. Concerted, long-term 23) str…………….., implemented by police, judiciary
and the government are absolutely essential, while substantial financial (24)in
……………….. must be continued for those agencies which are trying so (25)
h………………. to help and rehabilitate. The time for fine words and good intentions has
made way for action.

Activity 4
Project work: Choose a topic from the following and make a project about crimes of
domestic violence and associated punishments giving as many details as possible and
using charts, pictures and photographs:

a) Watch the news on TV and read newspapers to find out which crimes are reported
and how many of them relate to domestic violence in a week
b) Retell a case of domestic violence that you know or have heard of, either recently or
in the past
c) Is punishment for domestic violence effective or should it be changed?
d) Conduct a survey on how people feel about domestic violence (Is it ever necessary …
acceptable …
not a case for concern?)
e) Responsibility in the case of domestic violence