Introduction
The work and struggle of human rights activists, investigators, policy-makers, NGOs, and promoters in the last few years have placed violence and abuse against women a priority subject to be tackled in the national arena. Sponsor organizations such as Healthy People 2020 and Florida Coalition against Domestic Violence offer financial and technical help for studies and the necessary efforts intended at thwarting and reacting to the vice. Their support has resulted in numerous programs aimed at mitigating violence and abuse against women in Miami (Healthy People 2020, 2014). Nevertheless, shortages of rigorous assessments have led to a lack of statistics to support commendations for unsurpassed practices. Many programs do not have quality performance measures intended to control and assess their advancement in achieving their stated goals. The article below focuses on an analysis of women’s issues in Miami based on violence and abuse against women.
Forms of violence and abuse
Violence against women in Miami is exhibited in numerous ways. They can be categorized under physical, sexual, psychological, and financial abuse (Raj, 2006). The above types of aggression are interconnected and affect the victims regardless of their ages. Notably, several perpetrators of violence commit more than one form of mistreatment. Physical abuse results from the use of corporeal power against women in a manner that hurts or threatens them. Many behaviors can be classified under this type of violence. They consist of beating, seizing, choking, pitching things, and attacking individuals with weapons.
In Miami, financial abuse is a widespread method utilized by abusive men to strengthen their influence in relationships. The types of exploitation may be restrained or obvious. Together, they control women’s access to properties or hide information and ease of access to domestic investments. Like other types of exploitation, this abuse traps them from leaving these relationships.
Sexual violence is another common vice in society. More than a third of women in Miami have encountered this type of exploitation in their lives (Healthy People 2020, 2014). Any situation that forces people to engage in unsolicited or humiliating sexual acts is termed sexual abuse. Involuntary sex by a husband, close lover, or stranger is seen as an act of violence. On the other hand, emotional abuse involves a consistent pattern of verbal violation, intimidation, mistreatment, and endless criticism. Psychological violence manipulates and overpowers women in relationships.
Miami’s violence and abuse statistics
The only indicators currently available for analysis are those published by the Florida Coalition against Domestic Violence (Healthy People 2020, 2014). As such, the statistics were collected from the department of law enforcement agencies throughout Miami. Notably, the figures do not indicate the actual number of women affected by violence and abuse because many cases go unreported. Therefore, the statistics illustrated below only represent violations, which were reported to the authorities.
According to the Florida Coalition against Domestic Violence Survey conducted in the year 2014, 1,267,000 women in the region have been subjected to rape at some part of their life. The statistics indicate that 1 out of 6 females has fallen victim to the vice (Healthy People 2020, 2014). Similarly, 42.8% of women in Miami have been prey to erotic aggression other than rape. Similar findings indicate that 79.60% of female targets experienced assault in their teenage hood.
Getting help
Countless women in Miami cannot just vacate their households, occupations, kids, associates, and kinsfolk to escape their abusive husbands. They rely on the police force to implement the decree against violence and abuse against persons. Women should take note that the law enforcers would not respond until a detaining order is desecrated, or some bodily injury is inflicted (Witt & Edleson, 2011). Nonetheless, the victims can do several things while they are planning to get out of their abusive relationships. If a woman is still in an abusive marriage, she ought to think of a harmless place to go if a disagreement arises (Healthy People 2020, 2014). She should also have a list of individuals to contact for help and come up with ways of talking with her spouse when he turns aggressive.
Similarly, women should contact the Florida Coalition against Domestic Violence, The Women’s, police stations around Miami, or any other relevant government agency when incidences of aggression or abuse arise. The organizations will guide them on how to handle aggressive spouses, when to move out of an abusive relationship, and when to seek legal redress (Delgado, 2014). During such challenging times, the victims should note that they have the right to exit their marriages or relations without distress and violence from their abusers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the public should know that aggression and abuse against women in Miami exist in numerous forms. They can be categorized under physical, sexual, psychological, and financial abuse. For instance, 1,267,000 women in the region have been subjected to rape at some part in their life. Particularly, the numbers do not identify the actual number of women affected by violence and abuse because many incidences go unreported.
References
Delgado, I. (2014). Healing pain program. Miami, Florida: Carlos Albizu University.
Healthy People 2020. (2014). Violence and Abuse against Women. Violence against Women, 63(1), 193-214.
Raj, A. (2006). Victims of Intimate Partner Violence More Likely to Report Abuse From In-Laws. Violence against Women, 12(10), 936-949.
Witt, J., & Edleson, J. (2011). The Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse: Providing Research, Education, and Access to Information on Violence against Women and Children. Violence against Women, 17(9), 1207-1219.