Domestic Violence Against Women Act Essay

Violence Against Women Act

Katelyn Best

Northwest Christian High School

English III/H

Dr. Yoder

February 25, 2022

Abstract

Domestic violence in the United States is not a new problem; this violence has affected generations since the formation of this country. Before the Violence Against Women Act was passed there was no federal legislation that addressed the issue of domestic violence within America. Domestic violence is an epidemic that does not discriminate regardless of age, race, gender, disability, or social status. It affects victims in a variety of ways including mentally, emotionally, and physically. God makes it clear that any form of violence is wrong and should not be tolerated. The violence Against Women Act positively affects

According to Portillo, “Domestic violence can lead to homelessness, violent crimes, child abuse, substance abuse and mental health issues including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide” (Portillo, 2011, pg. 5). This proves that domestic violence ultimately leads to a socio-economic downfall within the United States. Countless victims end up homeless due to many reasons; including, how much that victim depended on their abuser for everyday needs like shelter and “safekeeping”. Domestic violence is a huge issue that negatively impacts all individuals affected by this violence. Furthermore, Portillo’s research has “demonstrated that domestic violence is a learned behavior; a pattern of abuse passed on from one generation to the next affecting every member of the family, including children” (Portillo, 2011, pg. 5). This research proves that domestic violence is not just an individual problem, but a problem affecting society as a whole. Every member of the family is negatively affected by the abusers actions whether the abuse is being directly done to them or not. Oftentimes, victims of abuse become the abusers when they are put into that position of power because they do not know any better. Domestic violence is a learned behavior passed down through generations that create a never ending cycle.

Prior to this act passed in 1994, defects in state laws, state criminal justice systems, and prejudicial stereotypes led to few arrests, prosecutions, actual convictions, and inadequate sentencing (Portillo, 2011). There were huge gaps in the justice system regarding cases of domestic violence that rarely gave justice to abusers and effectively protected victims. Before this act was passed, there was little to no funding for protection programs that would aid victims in the midst of their abuse, on their road to recovery, and protection after. Also, because domestic violence was only defined at a state and local level, this meant that there was no federal legislation stopping abusers from crossing state lines to escape sentencing in other states (Portillo, 2011). This meant that if a victim had a protection order in their own state, other states would not be able to enforce that order and protect the victim. To make matters even worse, there was no interstate communication between police departments for domestic violence. Therefore, those abusers would have no past criminal record in that state, so they would receive a lighter sentence and be released sooner if they were to commit a crime in another state. Clearly, because of the flaws in the United States connected to domestic violence,