NCJ Number
167063
Journal
Georgetown Journal on Fighting Poverty Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (Fall 1995) Pages: 45-47
Date Published
1995
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the prevalence of male-female violence in American society and factors that contribute to female victimization, as well as the impact of violence on children.
Abstract
Statistics show that at least 50 percent of all women who go into emergency rooms in a hospital are there because of domestic abuse, and many women do not acknowledge the cause of their injuries. Also, an estimated 50 percent of all rape victims do not report being raped. In a recent study, college sophomores were asked about sex on campus. Seventy percent of them reported that on dates before sex they used alcohol; 78 percent said that before sex they used alcohol and anger; 13 percent threatened force to have sex; and 20 percent used force plus alcohol. Trends in health care suggest that it is going to be more difficult for women to get help for their abuse. Managed care as the primary health delivery system for poor women is committed to not wasting time; therefore, the amount of time it takes to determine what is really happening in a female patient's life is not cost- effective. A lot more domestic abuse will be hidden due to managed care. Prevalent and undetected violence between men and women has a significant impact on children. At least 99 percent of the children who are in shelters have witnessed violent acts. How these children process this exposure to violence will determine how they interact with others and resolve conflicts. In a society filled with actual violence and images of violence, it is no wonder that violent behavior is perpetuated from one generation to the next, such that the pain and suffering of abused women and children no longer shocks people or moves them to mount prevention programs.