Inviting Conversation for November 17, 2009
The numbers are nauseating. According to the weeklong series in The Columbus Dispatch: ONE in four women will be a victim of domestic violence in her lifetime. More than 85 percent of victims are women. AT LEAST 1.3 million women were abused in America last year. MOST cases never are reported to police. POLICE in Ohio handled more than 75,000 domestic violence incidents last year. SEVENTY-ONE Ohioans died last year at the hands of a spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend or family member (http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/special_reports/stories/2009/domestic/index.html).
As I read the series, I find myself having great difficulty getting my hands around it. I would suspect my grandfather’s words, “No real man ever lays a hostile hand on a woman” ring in my ear. Before writing this blog, I bounced this subject off of several people. The response was overwhelming. I was told that the perps have a mental illness. Victim’s stories of helplessness were relayed to me. I was told how frustrated law enforcement becomes when they attempt to bring the perp to justice, but the victim is unable to, for whatever reason, follow through in helping the prosecutors. There are stories where it seems it is clear to everyone with eyes and a mind that the perp is an abuser. The stories go on and on. I have even been told that the abuser is a victim as well, often coming from “bad” situations and can’t “control” himself or herself.
Here are the questions: What should and can be done to the abusers? What should and can be done for the victims? Should any consideration be made for the history and mental capabilities of the abuser? What can be done to solve this disgrace to our Society?
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George Gilder, in his classic work WEALTH AND POVERTY, draws a clear connecting line between the growth of public welfare and entitlements and the breakdown of the family bonds. I am reasonably certain that one could plot a pretty good correlation between the growth in total government welfare distributions and the growth in domestic violence over the last 50 years.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are likely other factors, as well. One study done 15 or 20 years ago showed that there was correlation between early childhood exposure to sexuality (in inappropriate forms and settings, such as pornography, explicit instructional materials used in public school classrooms, and so forth) and the development of empathy in teens and adults. Children growing up in one-room homes and on farms over the centuries were constantly exposed to "sexual" things, but these were all in the context of the home and family. Absent abuse, these are not harmful.
I think it has also been pretty well proven -- by our experience -- that passing LAWS against domestic violence and abuse is far less effective that in years past when people who engaged in such actions were shamed by society and by their own family members. Now, everyone "thinks on their own things," and takes no thought for "the things of others." This is most unfortunate.
Lastly, without wishing to sound bigoted or prejudiced -- for my friends will testify that I am not -- I believe immigration patterns have had an affect on the growth of domestic violence in the U.S. Certain cultures have a far greater tolerance -- even acceptance -- of such behavior than has been traditional in the U.S. This, too, is unfortunate.
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