DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES Domestic violence involves the systematic use of force, threats and intimidation by one partner upon another in order for the dominating partner to have control over the victim. In general, women who are abused physically are often isolated. Their partners tend to control their lives to a great extent as well as verbally degrade them. Even though the Latina women are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence because of their culture, it does not mean that this situation does not exist in other societies. Domestic violence happens in all races, religions and social statuses. It could appear in any family and in order to prevent it, everyone in the society must have knowledge of the problem, and try to contribute to stop it. There are many reasons why Latina women that have been abused by their husbands do not ask for help or call the police. The most common ones are the cultural background, the language barrier, and the fear they have of being alone. In the Latin culture there is the belief that when a woman gets married, she should obey her husband and do whatever he wants her to do. The wife depends totally on him, and for this reason, the men think they own their female partner. Another aspect that has a huge influence in women’s decisions and does not let them feel free to call the police, is their families’ opinion. The divorce is not really allowed; it is still a taboo in Latin’s families. They think that if you marry someone, this marriage must last forever. Even though the man hits you, hits your kids, or uses drugs, your responsibility as a wife is to be with him, after all “he is your husband and there is nothing you can do to change that.” The language barrier is also an obstacle for most of the women that suffer domestic violence in the United States. Most of Latina women do not speak English and when they decide to call the police for help, they can...
