Any woman can experience violence on the street, at work, but most acts of violence against women are committed at home. However, many people overlook or even trivialize this phenomenon. A part of society ignores violence, a part believes that women ask for it themselves. Only women who have experienced and are experiencing violence know that their problem is much more complex and that they are unable to solve it without the protection and guarantees of society. Abused women need a sense of security and the opportunity to turn to someone who will help them with their problem.
Current state of violence against women
To name the phenomenon of violence, several terms are used in our and foreign literature, which are based on different concepts and capture the problem in a broader or narrower scope. One of the main points of contention in this area is the scope of the definition of violence against women. Many experts demand a very broad definition, the meaning of which they see in the fact that it would allow many violations of women's human rights to be considered as manifestations of violence, or any structural phenomenon that supports gender-based discrimination could be considered violence.
An example of such a definition of violence is the definition in the draft of the Pan American Treaty against Violence against Women: "Any act, neglect or conduct, the consequence of which is physical, psychological, sexual or mental suffering, whether directly or indirectly through fraud, lying, provocation, threat, coercion, or in any other way against any woman, with the purpose or effect of intimidating, punishing, humiliating or pushing into a role defined by stereotypes, denying her human dignity, sexual self-determination, physical, moral or mental integrity, or undermining her personal security, her self-esteem or reducing her physical or mental possibilities/capacities." (1)
Violence is any form of harm, manifestation of dominance, abuse of power, threats, physical, sexual and psychological coercion. Domestic violence or violence against a woman in an intimate relationship is "the physical, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse of a woman by a man with whom she is or has been in an intimate relationship. This violence may be actual, threatened or attempted." (2) Violence against women is any "manifestation of verbal or physical force, coercion or life-threatening deprivation that is directed at an individual woman or girl and that causes physical or psychological harm, humiliation or deliberate restriction of freedom and that maintains the subordination of women."(3)
Violence most often means a one-time physical act, or procedure in which a person causes harm to another person. Another characterization of violence refers to any act, including neglect, that affects the life, physical and psychological integrity or freedom of an individual or harms the development of his personality. (4) Heise, Pitanguy and Germain propose to define violence against women as follows: "Violence against women is any manifestation of verbal or physical force, coercion or life-threatening deprivation directed at an individual woman or girl and which cause physical or psychological harm, humiliation or intentional restriction of freedom and which maintain the subordination of women." (5)
There are many wrong but firmly rooted ideas about violence, for example, that violence is a consequence of alcohol abuse, poverty, unemployment, that it occurs only in certain social classes, that it is a mental illness. Even today, there is a widespread assumption that women provoke, tolerate, need or even like a certain amount of violence. Such myths, which legitimize a certain level of violence, shape the attitudes of society, but also of professional workers working with abused women.
Widespread myths and prejudices do not allow women affected by violence to talk about their situation. They also prevent women from receiving adequate help. It goes so far that women find fault with themselves and do not dare to go public with their problem. The authors Cviková and Juráňová mention these myths, which we discuss.
Myth 1: It's not violence, the two are just "fighting"
. There is a significant difference between an argument and violence. An argument is a conflict between two people who are approximately equally strong. In an argument, it is mostly a conflict of interests and each of the parties involved tries to advance their interests. However, if there is an inequality of strength and power between them (for example, one person is physically stronger, armed, or has finances), there is a danger that the stronger party will abuse its superiority to advance its interests. That's when the argument turns to violence. One of the parties involved succumbs. Women also have a weakened position in many areas in our society.
Myth 2: Violence occurs only in "problem" families
. Violence can affect any woman, regardless of social class, culture, religion, and age. The impression that violence affects only "problem" families arises because in some groups of society violence is hidden more than in others. For women from those groups where talking about experiences with violence is very taboo, it is therefore even more difficult to seek and receive help. For many women, disclosing the violence has serious consequences, for example, the reputation of the family may suffer, the man may lose his job.
3rd myth: Violence in the family is a private matter, the state should not interfere.
A woman who asks someone for help has already decided to make her problem public. Acts of violence are criminal under our laws, regardless of whether they are committed within or outside the family. In addition, a large part of violent acts are the so-called official crimes, that is, they are sued and prosecuted by the state. The state is therefore committed to take action also in the case of domestic violence.
Myth 4: Women are just making things up to get an apartment or divorce benefits.
The reality is that hidden domestic violence far exceeds reported cases. It is very likely that the violence will not be publicized or reported. Women are much more likely to conceal or downplay violence than to exaggerate it.
Myth 5: Women probably want to be abused, otherwise they would leave the abuser after all.
Women who experience violence try everything possible to change the situation. They want the violence to stop, but they also often wish to maintain the relationship or marriage. Only when all their attempts fail do they seek help outside the family. Some men control their women in such a way that women are afraid to talk to someone about what they are going through. Not all women can resort to relatives or acquaintances. They are afraid because they are not safe there either. Many women do not have money and do not know where to turn. Many women are afraid of worsening their financial situation, of losing shelter.
Myth 6: Women "provoke" violence or somehow "deserve" it
. Such an attitude legitimizes the perpetration of violence in certain situations, assigns the blame for the violence to the victims, and relieves the men who commit the violence of responsibility. The fact that a woman comes home from work a little late, has her own opinion on something, visits her girlfriend or dares to criticize a man is often considered a "provocation". Men often feel as a provocation behavior that they consider self-evident. They justify the violent acts by saying that the woman criticized the man for the same "wrong" behavior.
Myth 7: Women themselves choose partners who abuse them.
No woman wants to be beaten, raped or murdered. At the beginning of the relationship, bullies usually do not resort to violent means. Violent behavior usually begins after a certain period of cohabitation. Hidden forms of violence are often associated with positively understood traditional values, making it difficult to recognize when the abuse of power, control and oppression begins. The "knightly protector" imperceptibly becomes a controlling man, mad infatuation turns into mad jealousy, reassurances of "I'm crazy about you" turn into assertions of "I have a right to you and your body."
Myth 8: Men abuse women because they themselves experienced violence in childhood.
Although men who commit violence often experienced violence in childhood and their own experiences with violence are a certain "risk" factor that can lead to a person behaving violently. However, this does not automatically mean that the vicious circle of violence must necessarily continue. Negative experiences from childhood can also lead to an extremely dismissive attitude towards violence, as is the case with many men.
9th myth: The basic cause of male violence is alcoholism.
Men who abuse their wives commit violence when they are drunk, but also when they are sober. Alcohol is not the cause of violence, it is only its stimulant. It breaks down inhibitions, and therefore aggressive impulses intensify. The state of drunkenness is used by violent men as an argument so that they do not have to take responsibility for their actions.
Myth 10: Men abuse women because they cannot express their feelings in any other way.
Violent acts in the private sphere are generally understood as a purely affective act - a man simply "explodes" sometimes, he is said to be unable to deal with his feelings in any other way. This argument overlooks the fact that violence is usually selective. Men will not hit their boss even in a state of strong affect, but they often do.
Myth 11: Abuse will stop, he can change.
Family therapy, which attempts to develop a strategy to deal with the violence, is often associated with a higher risk for the woman who is being abused. Therapy supports the man's excuses that she has a problem and that she is more to blame for the violence than he is, so she needs therapy too. The solution to ending the violence here is that both have to change their relationship. However, she is not responsible for his violence, it is his behavior that constitutes the problem. Many women live with an abuser and hope that he will stop being abusive.
Myth 12: He can be a good father even if he beats the children's mother.
40-70% of children of abused mothers are abused by their father or their mother's partner; 30% of these children are sexually abused. International research has shown that 90% of children of abused mothers witness violence. According to the World Health Organization, children who witness abuse are also considered abused children.
Every society, even the current postmodern one, has mechanisms that legitimize, obfuscate, deny, and thereby cultivate violence. Even where individual acts of violence could be condemned. Various mechanisms, from oral tradition to official educational and legal systems, determine norms of acceptable behavior for men and women. "People adopt these norms from childhood in the family and confirm them under the pressure of the environment, social institutions and mass communication media. In many societies, children learn that men are dominant and that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflicts".(6) Cross-cultural research points out that although violence against women is an integral part of almost all cultures, there are societies that do not recognize gender violence this is what postmodern society should take as an example.
Conclusion
The problem of violence against women is still considered a private matter. Women are still disadvantaged in all areas in postmodern society. Abused women often take the blame and responsibility for the abusive relationship on themselves. They feel alone with their problem. There is a great need for the problem to be talked about and for this problem to be somehow solved in today's postmodern society. Violence against women definitely has social causes and consequences, and it is therefore necessary that its prevention and elimination be approached from a society-wide perspective.
Authors: Slavomír Laca, Lenka Pasternáková Used literature: 1. FINAL REPORT OF ACTIVITIES OF THE EG-SVL: Group of combating violence against women. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 1997. 2. HEISE, L., PITANGUY, J., GERMAIN, A.: Violence against women - hidden damage to health. Bratislava: Aspekt, 1998. 3. THE FIFTH WOMAN: Aspects of violence against women. Bratislava: Aspekt, 2001. 4. SOPKOVÁ, E.: A problem that is kept silent. Bratislava: Aspekt, 1998, no. 3. 5. TOKÁROVÁ, A.: Social work. Faculty of Arts, Prešov University, Prešov: 2002, ISBN 80-8068-086-8.
(1) Final report of activities of the EG-S-VL, Group of Specialists for combating violence against women. Council of Europe, Strasbourg, June 1997, p. 12 (2) SOPKOVÁ, E: A problem that is kept silent. Aspect, 3, 1998, p. 22 (3) THE FIFTH WOMAN: Aspects of violence against women. Aspect, 2001, p. 34 (4) TOKÁROVÁ, A.: Social work. FFPU: Prešov, 2002, p. 356 (5) HEISE, L.; PITANGUY, J.: Violence against women - hidden damage to health. Aspekt, Bratislava, 1998, p. 55 (6) HEISE, L. et. al.: Violence against women - hidden damage to health. Aspekt, Bratislava, 1998, p. 29
The contribution was made at the 5th annual scientific conference with international participation entitled 'Social-pathological phenomena and marginalized groups', which was organized by the Queen's Peace Institute of Medžugorja Bardejov, the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies Brno, Faculty of Philosophy UPJS Kosice and was held on October 8, 2010 in Bardejov.
Publications of the author of the article: PaedDr. Slavomír Laca, PhD
Základy sociálnej pedagogiky - Social pedagogy undergoes constant development in connection with the development of the entire society, which is marked by social changes related primarily to the growing technology, automation and globalization of the world, but also to the growing number of socio-pathological phenomena in society.
Vybrané kapitoly z etiky pre sociálno-zdravotnícke profesie - Currently, we can state that there is a large increase in scientific knowledge about man as a rational individual at the level of the human population, up to various issues. Multiple and complicated ethical questions regarding human life are increasingly coming to the fore.