Domestic violence and child abuse
Social issues are problems that influence many citizens in a social environment. These issues are as a result of the violation of some of the human rights. One of the many prevalent social problems that are witnessed in the society today are domestic violence and child abuse. Child abuse is the destruction done to a child in a situation that has no reasonable explanation. There are several instances of child abuse which include physical injury, neglect, emotional torture and sexual abuse. Domestic violence, on the other hand, is a sequence of assaultive and coercive incidents that adolescents and adults use against the partners that they are intimate with. Such assaultive and coercive behaviours include physical, economic, sexual and psychological attacks. These cases of social issues have continued to become more recurrent over time, and this has made them a global concern. The two interconnects because even the children that observe and become witnesses of acts of violence from their parents and guardians. However, they are not the intended targets can also be affected in the same way as children who are physically or sexually abused. Therefore, since domestic violence is a recurrent pattern of behaviour and that it is not just an action that happens once, these episodes may be more severe and continue to increase in intensity as well as occurrence. Hence results in an increased likelihood that the children too become victims of the abuse.
Domestic violence often includes child abuse. Children often become threatened and victimized because they are trying to gain control and punish the adults who are victims of domestic violence. Additionally, the children may unintentionally become injured in the case that these violent actions take place hen they are present. More are the times when incidents of abuse take place, and they involve the children in the dispute. In situations where the children are not directly involved, they may happen to get emotionally affected because they live in a violently lit household. They then come to accept that this behaviour of violence is acceptable though it clearly should not be allowed. The child abuse organization states that the estimated overlap between domestic abuse and child abuse is ranging between 30-50 percent (Child Abuse Organization, 2016). Additionally, more than a million of children are recognized yearly to be child abuse victims with violence having been named as the leading factor that contributes to the increased advancements of number in cases of child abuse (Child Abuse Organization, 2016). These two social evils have become social evils.
Different theories give an account of the issue of child abuse and domestic violence. These theories are the exchange theory, rational choice and network theories. Exchange theory, is a theory that focuses on the exchange of relationships with the interactions. This theory perceives that behaviour is regarded as a result of an exchange behaviour. Therefore, according to this theory, people will likely weigh the possible benefits and disadvantages of a relationship before terminating or abandoning the relationship. Exchange theory reveals that the aspect of cost and benefits controls domestic violence and child abuse. Prices, in this case, are things that are seen as negatives which will need someone to either put money into consideration, time or effort into the relationship. The benefits, in this case, are the benefits that one enjoys such as friendship and companionship. Abuse hence comes when an individual has weighed the outcomes having a pro and con type of evaluation and concludes that damage is the best way to go about things. In the case of child abuse and domestic violence is to achieve significant control and power over the children being abused and the adults who are being domestically abused.
Network theory is the other theory that can explain the social evil of child abuse and domestic violence. Network theory is a theory that relies on the study of how people, organizations and groups interact with other people who are in their networking circles. In the field of social issues affecting the community like child abuse and domestic violence, network theory would be helpful by asking members of the population that have interacted with the respective people of either damage to provide information. Necessarily members such as the extended families who have been in interaction with the people who are victims of the child abuse and domestic violence can significantly help to issue all the necessary information that can be used in understanding the cases well. Additionally, this information could help considerably in the treatment and prevention of newer cases of abuse within these families. This type of theory relies on the networks of interaction that an individual has outside the confinements of abuse.
Rational choice theory is an outline used to create and understand social and economic behaviours. It also focuses on determining individual choices as it aggregates their behaviour. Rational choice theory compromises that an individual has a variety of options that are available for them to make. This theory takes the assumption that persons have their own choices and preferences to make in a group of alternatives that are present. This, therefore, allows them to state what they prefer as opposed to what they do not like. According to the theory, each individual performs their analyzation of the situation before they settle on a specific alternative. This is inclusive of when these individuals are performing even the most mundane of actions that are either ethical or unethical. In the case of child abuse and domestic violence, the individuals who opt to engage in these unethical behaviours always evaluate their actions before they take up the actions. Therefore, when handling cases of child abuse and domestic violence, the rational agent is required to take up into account all the available information as well as the potential costs before choosing the best cause of action. In this case, having the option to decide if to engage in child abuse or not, makes one decide on the work that is likely to bring more satisfaction to them.
Each of these theories has a different interpretation of the social issue of child abuse and domestic violence. According to the rational approach, these people who take part in unethical actions like abusing children and engaging in domestic violence do so because they think that that choice will bring them more happiness and joy. According to this theory, individuals choose the best action according to them and not according to the society. It relies on the power of making individual choices. The exchange theory, on the other hand, relies on the principle of cost and benefits. Like in the rational approach, people who engage in unethical habits that include social evils like child abuse and domestic violence choose to weigh between the rewards and costs of their actions. Cost is inclusive of time, money and commitment that an individual will have to give up while the rewards include the benefits that come from the relationship. Therefore when they see that the costs are high and the benefits are low, they decide whether to leave or abandon the contact or to create tension through child abuse and domestic violence.
On the other hand, network theory relies on the networks to find out more about the abuse and involvement in social evils. This theory interprets child abuse and domestic violence as relationships that can be well explained by other people who are not the individuals taking part in unethical behaviours. Network theory can be instrumental in managing and preventing such social evils.
In conclusion, child abuse and domestic violence have been problems that are becoming popular at an alarming rate. More education and campaigns against these social issues must be encouraged to reduce the incidents. Additionally, people ought to be taught how to make rational decisions and engage in ethical habits that are not going to harm other individuals at the cost of personal happiness.