By: Jerrie BryantDomestic Violence 2 For centuries, the issue of spousal or partner abuse has been concealed from the culture at large, and this general lack of knowledge lead to the formation of myths and untruths, which still permeate our society today. Most of us still hold on to the old notions about domestic violence and until recently, even wondered if it ever existed at all. Now that many of us know that it does indeed exist, we wonder who are the victims and who are the perpetrators. Socialization and enculturation play significant roles, but patriarchy societies aim is to control women. Global violence is not random violence. Women are targets because of their sex, and the risk factor is being female. The myths in The United States raise questions about these victims and perpetrators are that they lack education, take drugs or alcohol, and have low self-esteem. In 1989, a recently married woman in Delhi, India was beaten and doused in whiskey and then set aflame. Her murder was cited as one of the 110 "dowry deaths" or "bride burning" in Delhi that year. These deaths are attributed to the custom of the brides family giving gifts to the groom to secure a good home for their daughter. When the dowry is not adequate, he may kill his wife in order to remarry and claim another dowry. In Africa, the prospective husband pays "Bride wealth" to secure a womans hand in marriage the exchange is so commercialized that the inflated costs of bridewealth leave the man with the distinct impression that he has "purchased" his wife (Heider, 1997). Also in Africa, about 2 million girls each year (6,000everyday) are genitally Domestic Violence 3mutilated the female equivalent of a male circumcision, which is amputation off all or part of the male penis. This makes a woman marriageable and controls her sexuality (Torr & Swisher, 1999). It is this unequal balance of power institutionalized in the structure of the p...
