Why is it so Hard to See Black and Blue?-Domestic Violence Against Women

最近，一个普通的条纹衣服在互联网上带来了广泛的讨论。有些人认为衣服是黑色和蓝色，另外一些坚持认为这件衣服是白色和金色的，令人惊讶的是，一些网友认为早上的衣服是黑色和蓝色，而下午就变成了白色和金色。然而，这两张图片是一份英国反暴力组织的公共照片，显然在这幅图片中，一个金发女郎穿着白色黄金连衣裙，蕾丝是躺在地上，有多处暴露身体瘀伤。毫无疑问，家庭暴力在第三世界国家，如印度和巴基斯坦是最严重的，因为种姓、阶级、民族冲突、恐怖主义和宗派主义。

Recently, an ordinary striped dress has brought about widespread discussion on the internet. Some people consider the dress is black and blue, some insist that the dress is white and gold, surprisingly, some net friends claim that the dress is black and blue in the morning while turns to white and gold in the afternoon dramatically. As the discussion becomes intense, not only enthusiastic net friends render analysis but also experts studying on color perception try to explain the phenomenon in professional sense and perspective. However, when all people pay their attention to the true color of this magic dress, a British anti violence organization released two pictures and news about the public welfare of the pictures was reported by “abcNEWS”. Clearly in the picture, a blonde wearing a white gold dress with lace is lying on the ground, have multiple bruises over the exposed body. The slogans right next to the women that read, “Why is it so hard to see black and blue?” Below the slogans stand some smaller words which say, “The only illusion is if you think it was her choice.” The picture below depicts a brunette carrying a powder puff in her hand to cover the bruises on her face with slogans right by say, “Because they cover it with white and gold.” Under the slogans is another statement, “Majority of women who are abused never reports it. If you are in need of or know someone who needs help, contact us on 011 718 7654.” Unlike most of the public service advertising, an absent of keyword such as vulnerable groups, tears, pain and all sorts of emotional pessimistic words, it instead using common experience in daily life to arouse sympathy of target audiences, including the victims of domestic violence and silent witness. It calls for more social consciousness to disclose those hidden true beneath the mask of family happiness. Undoubtedly, the picture impresses the target audiences, calling more women victims of domestic violence to speak loud for rights and interests and shilly-shally spectator to participate in the anti-violence campaign successfully. Nowadays, through the sustain activism by anti-violence organizations that family violence (more than 90%-95% of victims of domestic violent are women) is starting to receive substantial attention regionally, nationally and internationally. As things stand, there are 3 families suffering from domestic violence in every 10 families and 25%-50% women have suffered from abuse from husbands and boyfriends in the world. "The majority of study show that in 2000 in 18 states and the District of Columbia, women of 18 to 54 years of age comprised 85% of spousal violence victims". (Barnett, 417) In developed countries, domestic violence also can’t be ignored. For example, there are about 3-4 million women experience abuse, a woman is raped every 6s and a woman abused physically every 8s. Without a doubt, domestic violence is more serious in the third world like India and Pakistan because of caste, class, ethnic conflicts, terrorism and sectarianism.

With more domestic violence against women incident reported, like the famous case that the founder of crazy English Li Yang involved in domestic violence, the problem becomes increasingly discussed and recognized. The causes of domestic violent against women are intricate, including individual, family, society and many other factors. Moreover, many cases of domestic violence are not reported and even known by people around, that is to say unknown by any single man. There are several causations that lead to women’s silent when confronting family violence. Firstly, many women feel ashamed to let other know about the pain because of traditional ideology and still pretend to be happy outside. Also, a lacking of law knowledge and related education, women victims are too weak and hopeless to require economic compensation in legal means, thus breeding escalation in domestic violence. More importantly, the police’s acts of omission and result in fewer victims choose to report a case to the security anchorites. Based on the discussion above, we know that the problem is intractable and difficult to solve, however, the government is ceaselessly trying to do something to improve the situation.

In the past decades, according to the requirement of victims of domestic violence, a traditional intervention system and mode was established on the basis of international experience. In reality, implement of traditional interventions (including relatives’ intervention, community’s intervention and police’s intervention etc.) work well in some way, however, there are still side effects. For example, a persuasive relative can only relieve family conflict temporarily; abuser might pretend to be repentant or penitential while still precede domestic violence after the relative leave. Worse, sometimes even police can do little for victims if victims keep silent or get hurt to low degree and soft violence. Therefore, the government improves the traditional intervention policy and formally raises social work intervention. Since domestic violence has the characteristics of repetitiveness, complexity, persistence and hiddenness, our country doesn’t promulgate law against domestic violence because its privacy, thus it is difficult to solve the problem only by moral force and law. While social work is based on altruism and scientific methods and can mine individual potential, promote welfare of the society and compensate insufficient of traditional intervention means. In solving family violence, social work can help abusers abandon the original behavior pattern, promoting personal development and regulate social contradiction.

In social work perspective, domestic violence against women can be solved in the following four perspectives:

1.Establish social workstation with full-time professional workers

Set up social work station according to the situation of the district, each street and community. Once family violence against women occurs, experienced professional workers can relieve conflict timely even possible to offer solution measures. "Find out as much specific information as possible about the abuse and the extent of risk for the victim". (Fund,32)

2.Appeal residents to participate in the community intervention network

Called on residents to be mindful of domestic violence against women in the community and put out discussions about how to prevent family violence to boost interaction, so as to protect the welfare of the whole community and construct harmonious community.

3.Strengthen propaganda and create a harmonious social atmosphere

Harmonious and stable family is the foundation of social stability. Therefore, solving domestic violence against women is an indispensible part of maintaining social healthiness. Except of conforming legal norms and punishment, it is more crucial to promote public thought. If women receive education about the content, causes and harm of domestic violence and legal norm relating domestic violence policy, they might not button up their mouth when hurt physically and psychologically and report to the public for legal aid, economic compensation etc.

4.Call for the formulation and promulgation of ”Prevention of domestic violence against women” to curb the phenomenon of domestic violence

Make sure the civil liability, administrative responsibility and criminal responsibility that abusers should assume and provide necessary legal remedies to the victims. In this way, law enforcement departments have a clear legal standard when punishing the perpetrators. In reality, this method works efficiently in preventing domestic violence escalation, diminishing impair towards victims.

All in all, perfect legislation is the basic and backing to solve the problem of domestic violence; perfect justice is the guarantee of powerful executive force; judicial intervention mechanism is the effective means to return a blue sky to those women victims of domestic violence. In 1999, the United Nations has determined November 25^th of each year as “International day to eliminate violence against women”. From then, the government has introduced relevant laws and regulations in substantial provinces, cities, districts and established social work intervention mechanism, court, public security and women’s federation to prevent and punish domestic violence criminality. Although, resolving family violence is system engineering, and the goal is unlikely to be fulfilled in short term. However, we believe that with the development of social economy and the promotion of social civilization, with more policy implemented to blow the domestic violence against women, the problem can finally be curbed.

Reference

Women, Domestic Violence Against. "PUTTING WOMEN FIRST." (2001).

Sherman, Lawrence W., Janell D. Schmidt, and Dennis P. Rogan. Policing domestic violence: Experiments and dilemmas. Free Press, 1992.

Koch, Chris. "Preventing domestic violence before it starts: Integrating prevention in practice settings." The 6th Biennial National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence (March 29-31, 2012). nchdv, 2012.

Barnett, Ola W., Cindy L. Miller-Perrin, and Robin D. Perrin. Family violence across the lifespan: An introduction. Sage, 2010.

Fund, Family Violence Prevention. "National consensus guidelines on identifying and responding to domestic violence victimization in health care settings." National consensus guidelines on identifying and responding to domestic violence victimization in health care settings. FVPF, 2004.