Forms Of Abuse example essay topic

Factors such as race, social class, or ethnicity have little bearing on the dynamics of abusers. Abusers are a group of specialized individuals who use a common sense of control and manipulation that cross all boundaries of social, geographical, and religious ideals. The over all mission of abusers, weather they are conscious of it or not, is control and domination of their partner. At the same time, each shape that abusiveness takes varies significantly amid race, culture, and social class. Some abusers even feel justified and that their individual groups support their abuse.

Perhaps the most important aspect of recognizing abuse focuses on the fact that abusers tend to rely on forms of abuse that are most acceptable among the men of similar backgrounds. The majority of abusers, the white American male, tend to use physical forms of abuse. While other cultures use a more controlling approach, such as how their partners care for the house and prepare meals. Abusers can also disagree with one another. Abusive men from one region of the world commonly hit their children with belts, a behavior that meets with stern disapproval from abusers of other parts of the world. (Bancroft, 2002) The bottom line is that each abuser is completely different from the next.

Abusive people tend to choose their tactics depending on their culture. There is no "fish bowl" approach to abuse, we cannot lump every abuser into a specific group. For example, American men who are abusers, cross all lines of social class. They are well-educated collegiate professors to successful businesspersons to the low income or poverty-stricken individuals. Many abusive people of color believe that the racial discrimination they have faced in their life excuses their mistreatment of their partner. (Bancroft, 2002) The societal stereotype of abusive partners is that of an uneducated blue-collar male, which simply adds to the confusion.

The faulty equation goes: "Abusive equals muscle-bound cavemen which in turn equals a lower class standing. (Bancroft, 2002) This is simply an unfair stereotype of the working class. Abuse also happens in same sex relationships. Although their choice of tactics is slightly different, the underlying manipulation and control are still the same.

Same sex abusers cannot use gender role abuse as easily as their heterosexual counterparts can. Perhaps the most powerful tactic used by abusers of the G.L.B.T. community is the threat to "out" them among their peers, coworkers, or family. Specific religious attitudes can also come into play, and support the abuser. In many religious circles, particularly fundamentalist of the Christian or Islamic religions, women have next to no rights, and the man is entitled to be the ruler of the household. These scenarios can be particularly difficult for the women or partner to escape from.

The surrounding community may view the woman as fighting the "unquestioning" dominance of the male of the household. To the woman in this situation, it looks as though the religious community is supporting the abuser. The area where I see culture having the largest impact is on that of todays youth. Today's society seems to support abuse. In 2001, rapper Eminem won a Grammy Award for best album, "The Marshall Mathers LP".

This album contains many songs that contain direct instances of violence. Everything from Eminem being abused by his mother to the fictitious killing of his wife, Kim. Of course, this album alone probably will not contribute to a male child growing to become an abuser. When that same male child comes from a home where his father or "the man of the house" abuses his mother, the ideals of rapper Eminem, support what that child is seeing, and will most likely reinforce violent tendencies. Popular music is not the only key supporter. Today's culture is full of media that specifically targets youth.

Television, movies, video games, and advertisements are just a few of the more predominant subliminal messaging systems that children see on a day-to-day basis. The most important factor that influences a child's enculturation is that of his or her home life. Abusiveness in relationships stems from generation to generation by cultural training. This is also the reason abuse takes a unique shape within each society or culture. There is no doubt that children begin to learn the rules and traditions of their culture at a very young age.

A child's values develop from the full range of experiences within their culture. (Bancroft, 2002) It is when a child's enculturation is supported by mainstream culture and society (such as giving an award to a rapper who talks about killing his partner) that society has only supported abusive ideals. In conclusion, people of different cultures, races, and ethnic backgrounds tend to use different forms of abusive. They use forms that are generally accepted by their culture and society. The styles of abuse vary by race, nationality, and sexual orientation. Although the abusive perpetrators tend to be extreamly different across cultural and societal norms, the underlying issues of control and manipulation are extreamly similar.

American society tends to support at-risk youth with violent or suggestive forms of media.

Bibliography

Bancroft, Lundy. (2002) "Why does he do that?" Inside the minds of angry and controlling men. (pp. 32,163-170,319-322) New York: Berkeley Publishing Group.