Violence Against Women Cannot Be Justified In Any Way

The issue of domestic violence against women and children worldwide is constantly prevalent. Usually, jealousy is the primary emotion driving violence against a partner. Males sometimes are very suspicious that their partners are having an affair, and often, in a vengeful, rage-filled state, would attack their partners, often without evidence. Most males interact with their partners from a position of power and control, and they think that violence is justified. They seek to instill fear in females.

Social Behaviours based on Equality

We need to teach these males how to make a shift from power and controlling behaviours to social behaviours based on equality, rationality, and respect for their female partners. It is noteworthy that many males adopt partner violence as a norm in their interactions with their female partners. They may have been brought up in an abusive family where this was normalized. Men should not view or define their masculinity in terms of their capacity to be violent, physically, or emotionally. Many men also justify their violence against female partners based on religious teachings, but no religion sanctions violence against women.

The Male Perspective

From the perspective of males, if we are abusive towards a female partner, it is difficult for her to love us, and this is one of our deepest emotional needs as males. So, violence against females is really violence against males in a sense. Still, the females are left emotionally and physically hurt, lacking in self-confidence, and with little trust in males. The roots of male violence come from a belief in entitlement and control. Often, males do not think about the harmful effects of their violence on their partners and children, who may live in the same home. We also need to teach our males anger management skills and how to be less reactive, even in the face of provocation.

One in three women will face violence. That’s not a statistic; those are our mothers, sisters, daughters.– UN Women

Violence against women cannot be justified in any way. We need to create a more peaceful society where there is justice for everyone and where communication is nonviolent. Parents need to adopt appropriate parenting skills to ensure their child grows up witnessing an equal home, so they can one day create an equal home of their own. Our parenting practices must not give messages to young males that it is acceptable to use violence of any type to achieve one’s goals.

We cannot tell males to use violence to assert dominance and, at the same time, tell females to speak out against violence; this is contradictory. Women should be treated equally in the home and in society. The males who abuse their partners would certainly not like their mother, sisters, or daughters to be abused that way. We must teach abusers coping skills such as effective communication, problem-solving strategies, anger management, and self-control rather than using brutal force and violence.