Domestic Violence

The Increase in Domestic Violence

Lois H. Shaka

Kaplan University

Although there are many that may argue that domestic violence incidents have not increase, instead there are more people whom are more willing to report the abuse in recent years. However, recent data show that there is an increase in domestic abuse, and any physical, emotional, or sexual violence is a serious public health problem that affects our society. According to the Melissa Davey, there were more than 68,000 reported case of domestic violence in the United States, which is an 8.2 percent increase for last year. Also, there is a 70.2 percent increase in the overall reported domestic violence related cases (Davey, 2015).

“A third of the 9,806 sexual assault and related offences, almost half of the 37,639 assault and related offences and more than half of the 10,573 stalking, harassment and threatening behavior offences were family violence related, the report found (Davey, 2015).”

However, due to the increase of domestic violence in the US, a federal law needs to mandate stricter punishment of domestic-abuse related crimes, including incarceration for first-time offenders, fines for witnesses who fail to report abuse, and mandated courses and counseling to keep custody of children.

Violence against anyone is something that should never be condom by society, especially when the act is being committed by a person close to the victim including father, mother, a sibling, child/grandchild, intimate partner, spouse, or acquaintances. Data and statics provided by law-enforcement agencies, experts dealing with this issue, and other organizations helping to combat this issue show that women and children are the soft target of the domestic violence. It is one of the pervasive gross violation of human rights that deny women and children security, equality, self-worth and the right to enjoy fundamental freedoms enshrined in laws such as the bill of rights. According to the HG.org Legal Resources,...