Written by Deborah Levine, Editor of the American Diversity Report

Domestic violence is an ongoing global plague. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently called on global leaders to halt this violence, “I call on men around the world to lead by example: to make clear that violence against women is an act perpetrated by a coward, and that speaking up against it is a badge of honor.” He is initiating a campaign, Unite to End Violence Against women, to pressure policy makers and shape public opinion particularly where cultural norms permit such violence.

The staggering statistics bout domestic violence are summarized on sites such as endabuse.org. Hosted by the Family Violence Prevention Fund, the website is an excellent source of data and statistical information. However, they do not look at domestic violence in a multicultural context. They simply state that domestic violence is prevalent across all race, ethnic, national and religious groups and give stunning statistics demonstrating that prevalence.

·         Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives, according to a 1998 Commonwealth Fund survey.

·         In the year 2001, more than half a million American women (588,490 women) were victims of nonfatal violence committed by an intimate partner.

·         As many as 324,000 women each year experience intimate partner violence during their pregnancy. Pregnant and recently pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than to die of any other cause.

·         On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day.

·         Approximately one in five female high school students reports being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner.

·         In a national survey of more than 6,000 American families, 50 percent of the men who frequently assaulted their wives also frequently abused their children.

·         Slightly more than half of female victims of intimate violence live in households with children under age 12.

Given the high incidence of domestic violence and the physical and mental trauma of its victims and witnesses, the medical profession exposes emerging doctors to the issue in the earliest stages of their careers. Medical students are taught about domestic violence in their first year of medical school. Yet, here the issue of cultural differences is tackled head on. Here are some reflections of one of those medical students, Roslyn Gerwin, on a recent domestic violence seminar. Roslyn’s education apparently offers a more nuanced assessment than the Family Prevention Fund.

“Four million women experience a serious assault every year. On average, 3 women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day. A national domestics violence website defines “family annihilators” as murderers who kill not only their wives/girlfriends and children, but often other family members as well, before killing themselves. No doubt about it, domestic violence is serious problem in this country. According to the website, 92% of women say that reducing domestic violence and sexual assault should be at the top of any formal efforts taken on behalf of women today.

A fascinating documentary regarding social stereotypes and domestic violence was shown to us medical students. Three sets of couples acted out an abusive argument in a public park, and the reaction of passersby was recorded. The first couple was Caucasian, and the second couple was black and had a more violent argument, and the man was the aggressor both times. In the third couple, the woman was abusing her boyfriend. A large number of people, both men and women, intervened on the Caucasian woman’s behalf. However, only a few people, strictly women, acted to stop the abuse coming from the black man.

The third couple featured the woman as the abuser. As one woman walked by the scene, she was caught silently cheering to herself as the woman pummeled her boyfriend. A small group of women did call the police, but described the scene as a couple beating each other up, though the man was just sitting there, getting bruised. When asked the reasoning behind these perceptions, the response was that they assumed the man must have done something to deserve the abuse.”

While a growing discussion of the situation of men who are abused appears on the internet, the ADR’s interest is primarily focused on the area of race and ethnicity. There are numerous sites that declare that domestic violence cross all lines of race, ethnicity and class. Yet, there are disturbing reports that cultural and racial issues are important elements of the domestic violence debate. Here are excerpts from a 2006 report from the Justice Department on a website offered by C.A.R.D – Citizens Against Racism and Discrimination, a group of citizens trying to reach out and stop racism and discrimination around the world

Domestic violence rates fell sharply between 1993 and 2004, the Justice Department said Thursday, noting that American Indian women and native Alaskan women are far more likely to be victimized than whites and other minorities. . .

Stevens said police have been less successful responding to and deterring abusive behavior in some minority communities, where racism and cultural differences can keep reporting rates low.

Over the 12-year reporting period, about 18 out of every 1,000 American Indian and native Alaskan women were victimized — a violence rate three times higher than among white women.
Black women were more likely than white women to be abused but the study also found that they were more likely to report their abuse to the police than white women.

Women in their early 20s and women who were divorced or separated had the greatest risk of being abused, the study found. Violence was also more common in low-income households.

Despite the feel-good statements that domestic violence is pervasive across all cultural categories, it does not seem to impact all groups uniformly. The National Domestic Violence Hotline’s 2007 report, “Decade for Change” underscores the progress that has been made in legislation that affects all victims of domestic violence. Yet, a key element of the report is its reference to cultural issues, an area ripe for increased attention. Let’s look at the legal context first as summarized below.

“Legislation has been a key part of our nation’s response to domestic violence. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act was enacted in the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984, and it was reauthorized and amended most recently by the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003.

Also in 1984, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund was initiated to assist victims of all types of crimes. Along with state level policy changes across the country supporting domestic violence services and enacting changes to penal codes and family laws, these legislative initiatives allowed for increased intervention services and options for survivors of domestic violence and their families.

In 1994 Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), bringing millions of dollars to state and local communities to improve the criminal justice system response to the violence. VAWA directed law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to create specialized domestic violence units, develop model policies and improve coordination among these systems. Victim service organizations also received funding to enhance their ability to support survivors within these systems. VAWA focused on holding perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their crimes and improving the safety of victims.”

Let’s look at the cultural context noted in the report. The report refers to the responses of the African American community and other communities of color. Their responses have differed with the emphasis of VAWA on criminal law enforcement. VAWA tends to lower the ability to intervene and assist in domestic violence situations. Rather, advocates of these communities prefer to enhance the social services in the community for victims and their children. Further, they emphasize programs for men and young men to change attitudes and also, to address the perpetrators of violence.

The report goes on to site a case study of Casa de Esperanza in St. Paul. In the Casa Esperanza model, the Latino leadership chose to address the problem within the community, using churches and non-governmental programs that take into account the family-centered Latino culture. The belief that the problem of domestic violence can be addressed by cultural changes within a community and by a community was central to their success.

Clearly, race and ethnicity should be substantial elements in domestic planning. Despite the universality of domestic violence, a multi-cultural approach needs to be pursued vigorously. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available in English and Spanish with interpreters available in 140 different languages. Regardless of one’s cultural situation, calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) should get you the understanding, assistance and referrals you need if you are a victim of domestic violence.