Katieheng91's Blog

Core IV Page 1

katieheng91 — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:08:25 +0000

Note: So I decided to change the focus of my paper a little bit… change to angle to someplace new. So far, I have been focusing on dedicating more time and efforts to helping abused women, however, throughout the research process, I have found that so many resources are available, it would be a difficult point to argue. I decided to talk about what is available to the abuser- obviously, they need help too. Also, this will help to decrease/prevent abuse once the problem is taken to its core, which is the men themselves. I’m excited now, because I finally think I found my focus!

Historically, batterers have fallen between the cracks, being neither nuts nor criminals, at least by the standards of the day. “A man beats up his wife because he can,” says University of Rhode Island Sociologist Richard Gelles, one of the pioneers in the study of family violence. Obviously, a man usually does not beat up his boss or male acquaintances. The consequences—loss of job, a charge of criminal assault, an old-fashioned black eye—are simply too great. Now the consequences are rising for violence against one’s wife. Shelters for abused women have created a safety net for wives who previously would have been afraid to take their husbands to court. Newspapers, judges, hospitals, neighbors, even a growing number of once exasperated police officers, are beginning to understand the dimensions of the problem. More importantly, cities and states are putting laws on the books that give women a realistic chance of getting protection and rights through the courts. However, what kind of help is made available to the men to help them abandon their abusive habits? Craig Norberg, a founder of the men’s self-help group RAVEN (Rape and Violence End Now) in St. Louis, says the typical spouse beater is unable to cope with the traditional notion of masculinity. “Not maleness, but the traditional male role, which requires men to be stoic. It requires men to not need intimacy, to be in control, to be the ‘big wheel,’ and when there is a problem to ‘give ‘em hell.’ The difficulty is that ninety percent of men fail at that list, at least in their own judgment.” Undeniably, the batterer is often afflicted with mind-bending insecurity. Consequently, more time and government money needs to be dedicated toward helping the abuser himself, an effort that will ultimately decrease the number of domestic violence cases.

Journal #10

katieheng91 — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:49:08 +0000

Show: Captured by the show, I sat watching Rachel Ray’s thirty minute meals. Within the first ten minutes I was hooked. The music playing, along with the visuals at the opening of the show are enough to keep the viewer interested, especially once Rachel reveals the delicious meal she will be preparing in delicious detail. Then, commercials come. The commercials are purposefully placed throughout the show in places that leave the viewer hanging…. there is at least one important detail that is missing. However, Rachel Ray tells the viewer what is coming up next so that they actually want to come back to the show once the commercials are over.

Song: Baby Why Don’t We Just Dance, by Josh Turner. Against much of much my peers may think about country music, this is one song that is so catchy that once I hear it on the radio, I find myself dancing to the tune in the car. The song has an intro, and then the music picks up right before Josh begins to sing. There is a fiddle in the backround, which I think adds an aspect of liveliness…. but maybe that’s just because I grew up in Georgia, where fiddle is considered necessary to any song of worth. The beat is fast paced, and the song is easy to learn and sing along with, which I also think is very important to making a good song- the listener most likely wants something they too, can sing along to the words.

For my own paper, I definitly think that placing an anectdote or catchy phrase at the begining would be my best bet. Although I don’t want my paper to sound cliche, it is within the first couple lines that I have to compel the reader to want to know what is coming next. I think that is my foremost problem right now with this paper, that it is predicable. That is once aspect of a great paper that keeps the reader hooked- unpredicability. The reader is going to want to read more if they cannot immediatly pinpoint where you as a writer are going with the paper. That is what I hope to accomplish in my paper. Something catchy, and interesting, yet convincing.

Journal #9

katieheng91 — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:40:28 +0000

Thesis: The resources and facilities set up for victims of violent relationships are inadequate and few, and need to be made more available to all people, regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status through government funding.

1. Requested restraining orders are not always granted to battered women, which can prove fatal.

In Allentown, Pa a women was never given a restraining order against her husband, who had allegedly stabbed her two daughters and mother to death, because she supposedly failed to file the appropriate paper work. What? The restraining order should’ve been granted to her, and then the paperwork filed in a situation such as hers. According to Other Victims’ Rights, 42 U.S.C. § 10606(b), women are guaranteed the right to a fair trial concerning their claim, as well as in the constituion. Also, even with the use of an Emergency Protective Order, justice is not guaranteed. According to the Family Resource Center, Inc., “An Emergency Protective Order goes into effect only when it is “served” by law enforcement on the alleged abuser. The alleged abuser is entitled to get a copy of the order so that he or she knows what the court has ordered and what the consequences might be. If the order is not served, it will not go into effect. The 72-hour period starts when the judge issues the order, NOT when the alleged abuser is served. If an abuser is not served in the 72-hour period, the order never takes effect.”

2. Claims of domestic violence need to become better recognized by law enforcement and court systems.

Violence Against Women Act of 1993 (S. 11 and H.R. 1133), introduced by Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Barbara Boxer (D-DA) in the Senate and by Representatives Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Constance Morella (R-MD) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) in the House. Includes provisions to: train police, prosecutors and judges on gender bias in the judicial system; authorize funds to assist states and police to develop effective law enforcement strategies; increase funding for rape prevention and education; require interstate enforcement of protection orders; create a National Commission on Violent Crime Against Women; and declare violent crimes based on gender a violation of the victim’s federal civil rights.

3. Discrimination based on gender, race, or socioeconomic status should not be tolerated.

Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. Specifically, Title VI provides that:

[n]o person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

However, the discrimination exists as a societal problem that there are no concrete solutions to, even though this law is in effect. SS

4. However, once many of these organizations do become non-pofit, they need funding to keep the center running, funding the federal government, as well as the community, can provide.

For example, Avon has a section on their website to give donations, which are greatly needed. The Avon Foundation, is an accredited 501(c)(3) public charity, with the mission to improve the lives of women. Today it focuses on two areas: the fight against breast cancer and support for women’s empowerment programs, with an emphasis on the issue of domestic violence. Also, all donations are tax deductible, which is another incentive for the community to donate. Although Avon is a well-known and established company who makes profit off of selling women’s products, donations are still needed because funding is sparce.

5. The reason many battered women stay with their abuser is that they do not have enough money to support themselves and/or their children. Therefore, they in turn cannot pay to go to counseling sessions unless they are provided for free.

This is a dangerous situation, because now the women is left helpless, and at the mercy of her abuser. Fortunatly, certain non-profit organizations exist, such as the Victim Services here on the UCF campus. Counseling and immediate help are provided either by phone or in person, which is how all centers for abuse should be. I believe that all counseling centers and shelters for abused women and children need to receive more funding from the government so that they soon all become non- profit, and more available to the victims.

Illustration of the Problem: Domestic Violence

katieheng91 — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 23:04:15 +0000

Domestic violence: these two words reverberate in my mind at the mere mention of them. They represent the millions of women who are abused daily, the pain they endure, and the suffering that can last for the rest of one’s life- and the number is on the rise. In fact, in a group of a 100 women, 25 of them will be abused by a partner at one point in their lifetime… that’s a whopping 25%! And not only that, most women are afraid to report the violence for fear that the abuse will only get worse, or that it will do no good anyways because there is no one available to help. For example, one morning at breakfast I sat at the kitchen table behind the newspaper, reading about a tragedy that had occured just minutes from my home. It was about a girl who had been violently abused by her boyfriend, and after years of survivng this abuse, she finally decided to report the abuse to the courts. She had one simple request: a restraining order against her abuser. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Astonishingly, her request was denied. How could this happen? I was astonished. Shortly after, the yound woman was beaten to death by her supposed “lover”. This was a tragedy that was easily avoidable, but somehow was ignored. Society needs to place more weight on the reality of domestic abuse becoming a household term to millions nationwide, and even worldwide. Counseling centers, rehabilitation classes, and even courts need to become more available and sympathetic to the reality that these women need help, and society needs to begin listening to their cries of desparity.

Resource Hub

katieheng91 — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 04:44:56 +0000

Thesis: The resources and facilities set up for victims of violent relationships are inadequate and few, and need to be made available to all people, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

Over the centuries, domestic abuse has been swept under the rug and kept out of the public eye. Why is this? Women used to be thought of as the property of her father, and once she was married, her husband. Therefore, the men felt they could do as they wished with a woman, since she “belonged” to him. In fact, this system was so corrupt, that the only reason rape became illegal was because a raped woman was worth less than a virgin, and the then felt their property was getting devalued. It was not until the 19th century that women began to stand up for their rights, and they got the attention they so fervently pushed for. However, it would take a long time for them to make any ground. Although abuse in the home is now recognized as a problem, it remains rampant in today’s society, even after its exposure to the public eye. Since then, facilities and counseling centers have been set up for the victims of violence, as well as for the abusers to help them stop their violent behaviors.

Abuse: Definition

http://www.stanford.edu/group/svab/relationships.shtml.

http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet(National).pdf.

http://compassionpower.com/peace_at_home.php.

Victim Services

http://victimservices.ucf.edu/.

http://compassionpower.com/peace_at_home.php.

http://www.silcom.com/~paladin/madv/dvagencies.html.

Batterer Self- Help

http://www.stanford.edu/group/svab/relationships.shtml.

http://www.emergedv.com/.

http://compassionpower.com/peace_at_home.php.

Interviews

Hoffman, Bonnie L. “Abused: My Grandmother’s Story.” Telephone interview.

http://victimservices.ucf.edu/.

Terminology

1. Verbal abuse: abuse through one’s use of words; constant insults.

2. Emotional abuse: considered my many to be the most harmful type of abuse; often has the longest lasting effects; abuse in which the abuser may try to control every aspect of the victims life; the abuser shows extreme jealousy

3. Physical abuse: abuse in which the abuser physically punches, pinches, kicks, elbows, punches or touches the vitcim in any way that would hurt their physical bodies.

Reseach Questions

What types of funding are available to support victim facilities?

Why would a court not allow a restraining order to stop the violence? How does that work?

When did domestic abuse (spousal) come into the public eye?

What tpes of services are available to help batterers stop abusing their “loved” ones?

Surveillance Under the USA Patriot Act

katieheng91 — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:37:29 +0000

I believe that the thesis statement in this article is: “Congress and the administration acted without any careful or systematic effort to determine whether weaknessess in our surveillance laws had contributed to teh attacks, or whether the changes they were making would help prevent further attacks. Indeed, many of the act’s provisions have nothing at all to do with terrorism.” I do think this thesis statement is effective because of the support system the author uses to back up his/her statement. The author uses a method of presenting a controversy, and then following with points to support his/ her point of view. For example, the author talks about how the Patriot Act violates the Constitution in section 215, and then later goes on to bullet how it does that. The approach is very scholarly, which gives it credibility, and therefore, easily believable. The author knows the facts, and even parallels the situation to another situation that occured back in the 1970s- this person has done his/her research. I think that is the most important and effective thing this author did. He/she sounds educated from the begining of the essay, therefore establishing credibility with the audience, and making the points presented agreeable. Doing this may make the audience feel less educated than the author, which also contributes to the essays believeability.

Core II Reflection

katieheng91 — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:22:41 +0000

After reading through the comments on my core II essay, and even before that, I realized that my essay lacked a solution to my question. I simply explained what abuse was from a psychological perspective, never addressing the services available to help women out of their situation. I lacked direction during the writing process of this essay: I knew something was missing, I just couldn’t figure out where to go next, what more needed to be elaborated on. Thankfully, now I have some more ideas on where to take my essay, and what needs to be focused on, as I have called and researched several facilities and hotlines available to help the victims of abuse. Surprsisingly, I also found a facility to help the abuser to stop abusing, which I thought would add an interesting turn to my core III.

Thesis Statements

katieheng91 — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:51:48 +0000

1. What traps a woman in the perpetual cycle of abuse, and what resources are available to help?

2. Why does a woman submit herself to an abusive man, and how can she free herself from the violence?

3. What are the underlying reasons behind domestic abuse, and what services are available for victims, as well as the abusers?

Journal/article

katieheng91 — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:57:16 +0000

http://www.wrcsd.org/resources/resourcesDomestic.htm- I want to use this source becuse it is a help site for abused women. It has a hotline, and other resources readily available to these women.

http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/campus_desc.htm- This is a site in which they are trying to pass legislation to prevent/stop domestic abuse

5 Questions…??/Categories

katieheng91 — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:39:10 +0000

1. What institutions are out there to help battered women?

2. What types of therapy/help is provided at these institutions?

3. How accessable are these services?

4. How affective are group treatments/ therapies?

5. What more can be done to further help with abuse victims?

CATEGORIES:

A. Backround information- establishing what abuse is

B. Personal connection- interview with grandmother

C. Institutions – which ones are out there

D. Help- kinds of help being provided

E. Possible solutions- what more can be done