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©
2003 Jordan Institute
for Families
Vol.
8, No. 3
May 2003
Social Causes of Domestic Violence
Historically
- Husband and wife were viewed
as one
- Husbands had the authority,
including the right to:
— Chastise (beat) their wives and children
— Control property and children
Current Institutional Practices
Although it is no longer legal to “chastise” your wife, institutions allow domestic violence to continue and reinforce the sense that the woman belongs to her husband. This happens when:
- Police don’t arrest
perpetrators
- Judges don’t impose
consequences for battering
- Doctors don’t ask
about abuse
- Clergy tell the woman to
go home and try harder
- Employers pay women lower wages than men
Source: Ganley & Schechter, 1996