With regards to the Secretary of State for Justice, this report will investigate domestic violence within England and Wales. As the government advisor, I will be looking into the definitions and key legal documents associated with this crime, its prevalence within today's society, the offenders, and its victims of domestic abuse alongside the causes and motivations which may cause domestic violence. Furthermore, I will be giving any criticisms and recommendations I may have as to how this crime type should be addressed in the future.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract . . .. .. 1
1. 0 Introduction 2
1. 1 History of Domestic Violence . .3 1. 2 Key Legal Documents . .3 2. 0 Prevalence . 4-5 2. 1 Victims . 5 2. 2 Offenders . 6-7 2. 3 Motivations for Domestic Violence . .7 3. 0 Policies in Place 7-8 4. 0 Recommendations . . .9 5. 0 Reference List . .. .10-11 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to look into domestic violence and assess how it's acted upon within today's society, thus enabling me to give criticisms and recommendations.
Until recently, there has been no collective definition concerning domestic violence. (Barnish, 2004) therefore leading to misinterpretations within the media. As of March 2013, the Government adjusted its definition of domestic violence as:
"Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse:
Psychological
Physical
Sexual
Financial
Emotional" (Home Office, 2013)
Domestic violence is rarely a one-off incident; it is usually an on-going occurrence, which has a predominantly detrimental effect on the victim. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) also understands that domestic violence changes in severity between incidents, especially since most incidents essentially have a lasting impact on the victim. Due to this, support needs for the victims are recognised immediately and are reflected throughout the prosecution case.
History of Domestic Violence Prior to the 1800's, the majority of legal systems regarded 'wife beating' as a way in which a husband could assert his dominance and authority over his wife. Within the 1970's, attention to domestic violence began with the woman's movement, principally through the introduction of feminism and women's rights. In recent years however, the way domestic violence is viewed has changed. Previously, domestic violence only occurred within marriage, predominantly against wives and therefore formalised through the use of a marriage contract. Within modern society, domestic violence can now refer to non-married couples and same-sex intimate partners, acknowledging physical, psychological and financial matters (Sandis, 2006).
Key Legal Documents
We have seen major changes in the national policy as well as...
