Domestic violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Domestic violence - Essay Example 464; Black et al., 2008). Specifically the term ‘domestic violence’ can either refer to men and women as victims of abuse (Ahmed, 2009, p. 1). However, the rate of abuse inflicted on women and children is much higher as compared to men (Humphreys and Stanley, 2006, p. 13). In the UK, 62% and 38% of domestic abuse victims are female and male respectively (Office for National Statistics, 2014). Specifically the Women’s Aid (2014) reported that at least one (1) incident of domestic violence occurs in this country each minute and that at least two (2) women are killed by their former or current male partner each week. Published on the official website of gov.uk, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that roughly 1.2 million women were victims of domestic abuse and that more than 330,000 women throughout the United Kingdom were sexually assaulted from 2012 to 2013 (gov.uk, 2014). For so many reasons, domestic violence, up to the present time, can still be a ‘hidden crime’ mainly because the victims are ashamed of being abused by their current or former partner (Rose, 2013, pp. 12–13; Womens Aid, 2008). To gain better understanding of the gender differences in domestic violence, this study will purposely analyse and discuss the existence of unequal power distribution between men and women, the main causes of sexual inequality, oppression and gender or racial discrimination. Eventually, strategies that can help The traumatic experiences the victims get from domestic violence can lead to long-term stress, physical injuries, adverse mental and psychological changes and emotional burden such as anxiety and depression (Pearson et al., 2007, p. 38). In line with this, the UK government allocated a total of  £40 million to financially support the funding of ‘local support services’ and ‘national help lines’ for abuse victims up to the end of 2015. However, the Living Without Abuse (2014) has recently reported that the actual costs of