Student1
Student
Mrs. XXXX
English 2 Honors
8 December XXXX
HULK SMASH: Rage, Fury, and the Average Home
Imagine coming home from a wonderful day at school. You are beaming with delight because the girl you asked out said, “yes,” and you made an “A” on your math test. All is going well until your dad comes home, drunk and angry, and instead of a hug and a high five, you are given a series of curse words and a fat lip? Many children come home to this every day, and each year 3 million separate incidents of domestic violence are reported. With 1 in 5 women and 28% of children abused by their domestic partners or other family member, domestic violence remains a pervasive threat to American futures and families (Feinstein).Domestic abuse is a very serious and controversial occurrence in the everyday lives of many people around the world; furthermore, there are multiple warning signs, repercussions and reasons why it occurs.
Surprisingly, most victims of domestic violence are women and children. Over 40% of children ages 14-17 are beaten in the home (Feinstein). Abuse victims often live their lives in silence of the violence, thinking they deserve it or that the abuser didn’t mean to. Abuse to children impacts their lives in a major way. If a woman is abused while pregnant there are severe risks the baby will be born with disabilities; Infants and children exposed to domestic violence experience so much emotional stress that it can harm the development of the brain and impair cognitive and sensory growth (Wilson). An estimated 3.3-10 million children witness domestic violence in their own home; yet only 40% of abuse is reported to authorities(Feinstein).Abuse is more prevalent in homes with younger children(Feinstein)as there is little risk in the children alerting any officials; child abuse can lead to behavioral changes and can include excessive irritability, sleep problems, emotional disorders, fear of being alone, immature behavior and problems toilet training and speech development (Wilson). 1 in 5 high school girls report being physically and/or sexually abused by their dating partner (Feinstein).A majority of abuse victims suffer silently, with little support and the necessity to have adults to turn to for help and comfort (Wilson).
Consequently, domestic violence contributes to homelessness. 46% of cities surveyed by the US Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness. Most women stay with their abuser to avoid homelessness and poverty. Domestic violence was confirmed as a contribution to homelessness in a studyof 777 homeless parents in 10 US cities, 22% said they are homeless because of fleeing domestic violence (Feinstein). Women contemplate fleeing domestic violence despite having nowhere to go. Most women fleeing have a lack of affordable housing and long waiting lists for assisted living mean women stay with abuser or live on the street. In a study conducted by the 1990 Ford Foundation, it was discovered that 50% of homeless women and children at the time were fleeing domestic abuse in the home. Shelters are frequently filled to capacity and must turn away battered women and children due to lack of resources. (National Coalition for the Homeless).
Similarly, one study in North America found that children who were exposed to violence in the home were 15% more likely to be physically or sexually assaulted then the national average, this study has been confirmed from a range of countries including China, South America, Colombia, India, Egypt, the Philippines and Mexico (Wilson). Studies also show that ½ of all men wo abuse women abuse their children (Feinstein). One third of all American women report abuse or sexual assault by their husband or boyfriend each year and that 324,000 are abused during their pregnancy (Feinstein).
All things considered, domestic violence is a constant and rapidly expanding problem all over the world. Violence in the home isn’t limited by geography, ethnicity or status; it’s a global phenomenon (Wilson). As many as 275 million people are abused, many cases go unreported so there is a possibility millions of cases aren’t reported (Wilson). With these powerful statistics permeating our globe, American’s have got to take a stand. What type of “home” will your children come home to?
Works Cited
“Domestic Violence and Homelessness.”National Coalition for the Homeless.April 13,
1999. May 3, 2009
Feinstein, Diane “Statement of Senator Diane Feinstein:Domestic Violence in America.”
Congressional Record. volume 150, number 125, October 6 2004
Wilson, Mike. “Behind Closed Doors: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children.”
Greenhaven Press, 2009