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Definition of domestic violence Domestic violence is one of the most common problems under violence against

women. Ending Widespread Violence Against Women defines domestic violence as an abuse of power, where one partner, usually a husband attempts to control and dominate the other, usually a wife through violence, threat of violence or by controlling the couples social life. This means that women are being treated viciously as they are unable to use their rights completely. Women in marriage are exposed the most to the domestic violence. This is in line with Richard Gelles in Macionis J. (2010) whom argued that with the exception of the police and the military, the family is the most violent organization, and women suffer most of the injuries. 2.0 Causes of domestic violence The most vital cause that has led to women violence is alcoholism. Men consuming excessive alcohol tend to have aggressive behaviour and will eventually perform abuse to their wives. According to Brown D. J. (2006), alcohol is implicated in half of all homicides of all instances of sexual abuse and assaults, and more than 75% of all instances of sexual abuse and domestic violence. This excessive alcoholic consumption may reduce self-awareness and limit peoples ability to generate non-aggressive solutions to problems. This means that men who are drunk tend to act unusually as they cannot think well due do the high dosage of alcohol. Therefore, this will lead them to perform assaults to their wife. Baron A. R. (2000) stated that this is proven from several experiments, where participants who consumed substantial doses of alcohol- enough to make them legally drunk- have been found to behave more aggressively, and to respond to provocations more strongly, than those who did not consume alcohol. However, not all domestic violence is caused by alcoholism. Jealousy in men may be one of the factors. Daly and Wilson in Brown D. J. (2006) reiterated that jealousy is implicated in many acts of domestic violence. Men are usually green with envy when their wives have higher position or educational background than theirs because they are too strongly focusing on the belief of inherent superiority of males. They assume that men are the ones who supposed to have all the education and highly paid jobs, so that they will be more dominant and aggressive in the family. Women should not be stronger than them. They think that, as stated by Hughes M.,
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Koehler J. C. & Zanden J. W. V. (2002),

the fewer the resources a wife has in the

way of education or job skills, the more vulnerable she is in the marriage. Thus, men will be able to do anything that they please to their wife without having sense of fear as they know that their spouses are unable to fight them back. Although this reason seems uncommon, some findings, however, are relevant to it. Studies done by Nye I. F. & Berardo M. F. (1973) have found fewer than the expected numbers of husbands opposed to the employment of their wives. In the Washington study, only 11% of the husbands of employed mothers reported disapproval of their employment. This current information does not support the notion that husbands see the earnings of their wives as a threat to them. Part of this may be because most employed wives work with lower status than their husbands and earn only a fraction of their salary. However, this is not what the other husbands have in their mind. The only thing that they know is that their partners are not going to exceed their job positions by any means. Therefore, it shows that jealousy is one of the causes of domestic violence.

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Effects of domestic violence The utmost consequence that may occur if a woman is abused is physical

injuries. Women that are abused by their partners will surely encounter various injuries physically that are caused by the wrong doing of the husbands to their outer parts of the body. Innocenti Digest (2000) has listed a few examples of physical abuse which are slapping, beating, arm twisting, stabbing, strangling, burning, choking, kicking, and threats with an object or weapon. These may results to a more severe effect which is fatality. Margaret Yok P. H. (2006) in her speech lamented a few instances of physically-abused wives in Malaysia. Asmah Ismail died without regaining consciousness after was beaten by her former husband and also Yatimah Kemin who died after was stabbed seven times by her spouse in 2005. Meanwhile, those who still manage to survive tend to suffer, a lot, from the injuries, from lacerations to fractures and internal organs injury. Sajaratulnisah Othman & Noor Azmi Mat Adenan (2008) carried out a study in the outpatient clinic of the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and revealed one in seven female patients attending the clinic had a domestic violence background. This shows how serious domestic violence in Malaysia. On the other hand, women will also encounter psychological ill where they are traumatised by the abuse. Margaret Yok P. H. (2006) has quoted that victims will
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face mental and emotional distractions such as fear, depressed and unconfident. On the other hand, Innocenti Digest (2000) stated that victims of domestic abuse have a high incidence of stress and stress-related illnesses such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, panic attacks, depression and also sleeping and eating disturbances. Women who are too depressed may end up committing suicide. In conclusion, it is clear that abuse can lead to the very serious outcome which is death.

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Solutions for domestic violence The utmost step is law enforcement. In Malaysia, Domestic Violence Act (DVA)

was implemented in 1994 under Act 521 to ensure that victims get the best protection that they could have. Other countries also have implemented theirs. For instance, as published in Programming to Address Violence Against Women (2008), in Zimbabwe, Domestic Violence Bill was promoted as a way to protect victims from domestic violence that was later changed to DVA. Next is to involve males in the education on domestic violence. This is crucial as most perpetrators are men. There are many countries which have carried out this kind of solution. For instance, a global forum in Rio de Janeiro sought to redefine ideas of masculinity that permit gender violence, and the citys programming is experimenting with therapeutic approaches. (16 Forms of Gender Violence and 16 Ways to Stop It (2008) In Indonesia, Information/Awareness-raising Workshop was carried out, where participants shared their experiences and knowledge of violence against women. Besides, Malaysia itself has organized Training Workshop on Nature and Causes of Gender-based Violence (2007). This will help men to understand better on this issue. Such programmes should be organized more in the future so that further understanding of public on it will be achieved.

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Conclusion In brief, domestic violence is not a problem that is to be solved solely by the

victims who are the wives, in fact, this requires efforts from all. They still have many people who are willing to give them helping hands whenever they need to. Domestic violence must be stopped so that every family worldwide is able to live a harmonious, peaceful life. (1196 words)

REFERENCES

Baron A. R. & Byrne D. (2000). Agression-Its Nature, Causes and Control: Social Psychology (9th Ed.). Masachusetts: Pearson Education. p462. Brown D. J. (2006). Agression: Domestic Violence. New York: McGraw Hill Higher Education. Pp491- 492, 502, 508. Ending Widespread Violence http://www.unfpa.org/gender/violence.htm. 2010. Against Accessed on Women. February

Hughes M., Koehler J. C. & Zanden J. W. V. (2002). Marriage and The Family in the United States: Sociology The Core (6th Ed.). New York: McGraw Hill Higher Education. pp327, 342-343. Innocenti Digest. (2000) Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls. http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/digest6e.pdf. Accessed on 1 February 2010.

Macionis J. (2010). Violence Against Women: Sociology (13th Ed.). United States of America: Pearson Education. p340. Margaret Yok P. H. (2006). Draf Teks Ucapan Sempena Bengkel The Nature and Causes of Gender Based Violence, Men in Partnership with Women Working To End Violence Against Women. http://unfpa.org.my/downloads/Margaret%20Ho's%20speech_tganu%20wsho p.pdf. Accessed on 2 February 2010.

Nye I. F. & Berardo M. F. (1973). Family Organization and Interaction: The Family Its Structure and Interaction. United States of America: MacMillan Publishing Co. P286. Sajaratulnisah Othman & Noor Azmi Mat Adenan. (2008). Domestic violence management in Malaysia: A survey on the primary health care providers. http://www.apfmj.com/content/7/1/. Accessed on 2 February 2010.

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Forms of Gender Violence and 16 Ways to Stop It. (2008). http://www.unfpa.org/public/News/events/16days. Accessed on 2 February 2010.

Training Workshop on Nature and Causes of Gender-based Violence. (2007) http://www.unfpa.org.my/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id= 37&Itemid . Accessed on 4 February 2010.

Programming to Address Violence Against Women: 8 Case Studies Volume 2. (2008) http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publications/2009/ violence.pdf. Accessed on 3 February 2010.

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