Bellamy 1

Jelin Bellamy
Mrs. DeBock
English 4
February 20, 2015
Domestic Violence Against Women
Domestic violence is an extensive problem in todays society. Domestic violence is also
one of the leading causes of divorce. So the question is, why do men abuse their wives? Men
abuse their spouses/wives for a variety of reasons. Men abuse their wives to show that they have
more power, to exact revenge, and to deny the problems they have.
Domestic violence dates back all the way to Ancient Rome. Except in Ancient Rome it
was not considered domestic violence. According to Kramer and Finley the paterfamilias,
father of the family, would have had the power of life or death of his family. The paterfamilias
could hit is wife and abuse his children, and he would not get charged with a crime. Now,
domestic violence is a crime and it is considered a felony. In todays society, if he/she were to
strike his/her partner, that person would be arrested and charged with assault and battery. If that
person wanted nothing to do with his/her abuser anymore, then he/she could simply file a
restraining order against that person. Finley and Kramer described other forms of domestic
violence as, isolation, manipulation of children, verbal and psychological abuse, and economic
dependence. Anger, alcohol and/or drug use, and sometimes stress causes domestic violence.
These are some of the background facts about how and where domestic violence originated.

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The pervasiveness of domestic violence in the country and around the world has been
contravened by myths and misconceptions that not only makes reporting difficult but also
downplays the extent of which it is happening (Myths About Domestic Violence). According
to Myths About Domestic Violence, one misconception of domestic violence is the percentage or
number of women that are effected. Although what those people do not know is that domestic
violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44. Many people
think that a woman who is being beaten almost every night can leave the relationship if they
wanted to. However for a battered woman it is not that easy. Battered women often make
repeated attempts to leave violent relationships, but are prevented from doing so by increased
violence and control tactics on the part of the abuser (Myths About Domestic Violence). The
number one misconception or myth about domestic violence is that many men believe that some
women deserve to be hit. Why should anyone deserve to be hit? No one deserves to be hit by
anyone. According to Myths About Domestic Violence, domestic violence is a violation of
human rights and is a serious crime. The facts and statistics of domestic violence should be told
to everyone around the world, so that everyone knows and understands what domestic violence
really is.
Some domestic violence cases can be quick and easy to settle, but others can end up in a
bad way. For example, the domestic violence case about Dorothy Giunta-Cotter her husband,
William Cotter, which took place in Massachusetts. Dorothy had married William in 1982. Over
the course of twenty years Dorothy had been beaten, kidnapped, strangled with a telephone cord,
and pushed down many flights of stairs by William (Snyder 34-41). Dorothy finally had the final
straw and she moved into a shelter in Maine. As soon as she got to Maine Dorothy filed a
restraining order against William and offered to stay in a long-term shelter. Dorothy said, If I

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am going to die, I want to die in my own house (Snyder 34-41). According to Snyder, on March
26, 2002, William arrived at Dorothys home armed with pepper spray, handcuffs, ammunition
belts, and a sawed-off shotgun. Just two hours later, William had shot and killed Dorothy, and
then turned and shot himself. The case of Dorothy Giunta-Cotter and William Cotter is a perfect
example of the husband abusing his wife for revenge.
After being considered a private issue to be kept inside the home, domestic violence has
found a way into the National Football League. According to the article, since becoming the
commissioner of the NFL in August of 2006, Roger Goodell has dealt with about 50 domestic
violence cases that have all ended differently. The league usually had one of the three general
responses: a small suspension, no suspension, or a grandstand justice. The prodigious cases that
have shaped domestic violence in the NFL are the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher
case, and the Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice case. In the Jovan Belcher domestic
violence case, Belcher had been diagnosed with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) which
causes dementia, aggression, confusion and depression among people who have suffered
repeated head trauma. Then in 2012 Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, then fatally shot
himself (Schrotenboer). However, Brent Schrotenboer, from USA Today, says Ray Rice was
found guilty of hitting and abusing his then fianc. Goodell had suspended Rice for two games,
and after watching the video he suspended Ray Rice indefinitely. Now that the National Football
League is cracking down on domestic violence, maybe the whole world can see how important it
is.
Most domestic violence victims that are trying to get away from their abuser either go to
a shelter or to a crisis center. The Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center is located in downtown Amesbury.
Kelly Dunne, the chief operating officer, operates the center. Dunne was the person at the center

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who helped Dorothy Cotter file her restraining order. In 2005 Kelly Dunne created the Domestic
Violence High Risk Team, coordinating the efforts of her agency with those of local police
departments, hospitals, state legislatures, and the courts to prevent domestic-violence homicide
(Snyder 34-41). Snyder says, in the decade before Dorothys murder, in 2002, there was a
domestic-violence-related death nearly every year in Amesbury. According to Snyder, since the
creation of the Domestic Violence High Risk Team, in 2005, Dunne had not had a single
domestic violence case end in homicide. With the help from shelters and crisis centers such as
the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center, many domestic violence victims can receive help, counseling,
and get away from their abuser.
Men abuse their wives to show that they have more power, to exact revenge, and to deny
the problems they have. Domestic violence is an extensive problem in todays society. Domestic
violence has caused the victim to go through depression and a great deal of stress. Although the
victims can visit crisis centers, stay in shelters, or call the domestic violence hotline. Women
cannot stop domestic violence alone, therefore awareness, facts, and statistics need to be shown
around the world to help stop and end domestic violence.

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Works Cited
Kramer, Liz, and Laura Finley. "Domestic Violence: An Overview." Points Of View: Domestic
Violence (2014): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 1 Oct. 2014.
"Myths About Domestic Violence [analysis]." Africa News Service 9 Dec. 2014. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
Schrotenboer, Brent. "Domestic Violence in Detail." USA Today 2 Oct. 2014: 08C. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
Snyder, Rachel Louise. "A Raised Hand." New Yorker 89.21 (2013): 34-41. Literary Reference
Center. Web. 2 Oct. 2014.