Anoushay Malik

Class of 2021

DARK SIDE OF FAMILY LIFE

The term “Dark Side” of family refers to the negative aspects of family life and
the harmful effects it may have, mostly on children and the women of the
nuclear family. The term is not restricted to one family type but to all family
types where the members may suffer from any sort of physical and mental
abuse, neglect, harassment, rape or violence. This growing privatization of
family life can lead to emotional stress in the family. Family members are
thrown together, often isolated from and lacking the support of extended kin
and the wider community. This also leads to breakdown of marriages and
alternative family types.

In our contemporary society, although stereotypes are breaking and new

alternative family types are emerging and women are no longer being forced to
remain in unhappy families, there is still a lack of awareness of the negative
aspects of family life. People have this stereotypical image of family that is
supposed to be supportive and warm whereas that is not always the case. The
rise in domestic violence and rape in marriages has increased in the modern day
and age. At the same time physical and mental abuse of children has also
increased which is why it is necessary to prove that not all families are
beneficial for the individual. In this paper my main goal is to outline the
different types of challenges and trials one may go through in a family
specifically the hardships women and children may face. These problems may
include factors like physical and mental abuse, marital rape, neglect, infidelity,
domestic violence and child abuse. I will go on to provide evidence for the
reasons behind these issues and the extent to which these still exist in our
society. To find out about the prevalence of these issues among the people
around us I handed out a questionnaire to about 30 students studying at The
Lyceum School to find out their experiences while living with their families.

Domestic violence
Domestic violence is the most prevalent form of violence against women
worldwide. In every society and culture domestic violence against women is a
serious public health issue. In a broad perspective, “domestic violence entails a
pattern of physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse perpetrated by a person
with whom the victim has an intimate relationship.”

It has drawn attention from the medical community as it has a negative and
harmful effect on female mental, physical and social health. Domestic violence
has been described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "the spectrum
of sexually, mentally and physically violent activities used by current or former
male intimate partners against adult and teenage women.” Violence is often not
limited to the current husband but may refer to boy friends, former husbands
and other family members such as parents, siblings and in-laws. Domestic
violence against women is very common in India, and women usually try to
hide it. In many Indian homes woman beating or physical mistreatment for
particular is a very common phenomenon. The percentage of women exposed to
violence by their husbands in India is 45 percent. Given this pervasive
occurrence, this harassment is not generally recognized and remains unnoticed.

To measure the prevalence of domestic violence, 141 adult and adolescent

females from West Bengal were interviewed as a part of a cross- sectional
observational study to determine the prevalence, characteristics and reasons of
domestic violence. The research also wanted to know how these women coped
with this. A house-to-house tour was performed after receiving approval from
the appropriate authorities, and all participants received informed verbal consent
to engage in this analysis. The reporter herself had interviewed the females
face-to-face in their houses. The girl had been alone with the interviewer during
the questioning. Responses have been granted anonymity. The institutional
definition of domestic violence adopted for this research was partner, parent or
other family members mistreating adult and teenage females, including minor to
major physical harassment. As a result out of 141 females 33 in this village
were subjected to domestic violence in the past year. For most of these women,
the husband was the perpetrator and used slapping as the specific act of assault.

Domestic Violence (DV) is still a huge social problem and a common trend.
Generally, there are two forms of domestic violence: domestic violence in men
(MDV) and domestic violence in women (FDV). In Pakistan, domestic violence
against women is a pervasive social issue in the cities and rural areas, rising at
an alarming rate. In general, in Pakistani culture, female domestic violence is
considered a private family problem with no appropriate emphasis on
identification, action and remedies. There are no limits on domestic violence
against women and its scope encompasses all types of physical, psychological
and reproductive abuse. In addition, violence against women has devastating
effects and repercussions for victim, family and social life which also provides
the breeding ground for domestic and social issues, including: fear, anxiety,
depression, tension, alienation and isolation. A research paper by Dr.
Muhammad Tahir focuses on the growing issue of domestic violence against
women in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan. The paper highlights different
forms of violence and the causes behind it and mainly the violence present in
Pakistan. It also talks about the Islamic solutions to domestic violence and the
consequences it has on the individual. In his research he mentions how
according to Tazeen in 2016, the average incidence of domestic violence in
Pakistan ranged from 21 to 50 percent and In 2014, a study noted a domestic
violence prevalence rate of over 50 percent in the region, reaching almost every
corner of our country from rural to urban.

Marital Rape

Marital rape is a common problem for women that has persisted throughout the
world for centuries. Despite this fact, research on psychological and domestic
violence has largely overlooked marital rape. Legally, historically, and socially,
marital rape history has been invalidated for its victims. As a consequence,
invalidation replication appears to have significant psychological consequences
for the perpetrators of this abuse.

Considerable work has reported the prevalence of marital rape, showing the
scope of the problem. Such studies show that 10-14 percent of married women
have experienced marital rape, with battered groups of women reporting higher
percentages (40-50 percent). A study by Martin et al. talks about marital rape in
great detail and proceeds to explain how to resist it and the following
psychological and physical consequences it may have. This research paper also
reviews the history of marital rape and how initially it was not considered to be
a criminal act and it is only recently that this heinous crime has become illegal
in all 5o states of the USA. The feminist theory has been the main theory used
to explain the existence and persistence of marital rape.
Another piece by Jennifer A. Bennice and Patricia A. Resick goes on to talk
about rape in marriages. This article’s main aim is to address the dilemma of the
widespread issue, marital rape. This article firstly reviews the widespread
invalidation of the marital rape experience and negative implications some
marital rape survivors may have. It also provides a legit picture of the current
state of marital rape literature and illustrates how serious this heinous crime is.
The key points of this research are that marital rape is as prevalent as any other
form of rape and victims subjected to this sort of rape often endure multiple
traumatic experiences which puts them at a greater risk for PTSD. Because of
this critical review of current marital rape literature, it is possible to draw a
range of assumptions. First, marital rape is a widespread problem among
women, as it has been reported to be the most prevalent form of rape in the US.
Second, the perpetrators of marital rape experience multiple post-trauma effects
which, in terms of severity, rival other types of violence.

Child Abuse, Neglect and Maltreatment.

Child abuse or child maltreatment in the family is usually physical, mental or

sexual harassment by a parent, legal guardian, grandparents or any other
relative. Because of the relative lack of attention the subject has attracted,
Neglect has been called the' Cinderella' of child welfare issues (Tanner and
Turney, 2006). It is often subsumed into a broad definition of child
maltreatment for physical or sexual abuse, which is seldom the object of study
in its own right. Certain studies also suggest that neglect has a higher rate of
occurrence than other types of childhood abuse, such as physical or sexual
abuse.

Action for Children Consultancy services carried out a research to provide

evidence for the consequences of Child Neglect. It highlights the fact that
usually this topic is subsumed with physical or sexual abuse and is never seen as
a primary focus of research. The research further describes the outcomes of
neglect and the effects on the individual and society. The various causes of
neglect are also looked upon and it is concluded that there is never a single
reason behind it. Neglect has a large impact on children. In a review of the
literature in this field, Horwath (2007) argues that neglect can have a harmful
effect on all developmental needs of child, including physical, socio-emotional,
cognitive and behavioral growth. Recent research reflects on how deprivation
influences brain development, which ultimately impacts other areas of the brain.
They state that neglect can have negative effects over a lifespan. Infancy and
nursery, abused children are more likely to experience poor development and
inability to survive, more extreme mood swings, non-compliance and less
positive effects (Howe, 2005). The research further stated the different reasons
why a child may suffer from neglect and bring in a review by Evans (2002)
which talk about shared characteristics of neglectful families which usually
consist of, lone motherhood, young motherhood, isolated parents, low income
families and more.

Child abuse and neglect pose a serious threat to US children. The figures are
overwhelming: 4 per cent of US children receive an annual report to the child
welfare system. A research of child abuse in 2015 conducted by Pediatric
research and talk about the threats of child abuse and maltreatment to children
in the US. In their article they mention that The Harvard Center for Child
Development has shown that violence, neglect and family dysfunction lead to
oxidative stress that impacts brain development and associated safety and well-
being. However, despite multiple statistics proving that child abuse and neglect
can be harmful, there is still insufficient research being conducted about this
issue.

Notwithstanding being the most prevalent form of child maltreatment in the

UK, negligence in its many types remains an under-researched field.
Nevertheless, there is enough data for us to create an image of the people,
households and situations where failure is most likely to occur. Given that
neglect is marked by numerous contributing factors at the intimate, behavioral,
financial, and social levels, it is also important to remember the role of social
policy in reducing neglect.

Childhood maltreatment can be related to eventual physical, social, and

behavioral effects as well as costs for the whole of community. Such effects
may be inherently exclusive, but they may also be interrelated. An article by
Child Welfare Information Gateway concentrates on the lifelong and inter-
generational impacts of child abuse and neglect by parents. These consequences
may be interrelated and the outcome for each child may vary. The research
further highlights the psychological impacts including Posttraumatic stress.
Behavioral consequences are also included such as Juvenile Delinquency and
use of alcohol and drugs. Societal consequences are also discussed in great
detail and prevention strategies are proposed.

Conclusion
In conclusion I think we can confidently say that a so called ‘dark side’ of
family life does in fact exist. This dark side of family life consists majorly of
abuse and maltreatment of women and children in the family as research
containing harassment against men, husbands in particular, lacks concrete
evidence. Prevention of these heinous crimes is extremely necessary and should
be taken in account by the government and legal action should be taken against
any individual taking part in the above activities. Women should be more vocal
if they’ve had any horrific experiences including marital rape or domestic
violence and children, when of age, should also try and escape these types of
households,