Why is it called domestic violence?

Sounds like an essay question

Well it’s called domestic violence because it happens in the home or outside the home but by someone who is part of the home Seems a very reasonable title to me.
So my question is why not ? and what would you prefer it to be called ?

If your question is why are there so many domestic instances that end in death then that is something that can be debated, however it’s a question that has been around a very long time

What is your interest Macadia ?

The law has at least moved forward and perpetrators of violence in the home are now prosecuted. Gone are the days when the police were powerless to intervene in a 'domestic'.

We talk about street violence, gang violence. Why not domestic violence As Bluebelle says, it is so called because it happens at home between couples who have a personal and, usually, sexual relationship and any else who lives in the household, man, woman or child.

Domestic violence, as others have stated, happens in the home it's couched in those terms to make a distinction between other types of violence.

Domestic is a useful adjective used to define just one of the many forms that violence takes. An other questions?

I would say because there are particular issues relating to this form of violence, so it needs a particular descriptor. It doesnt diminish the violence if that is what you are asking.

I suppose the term "domestic violence" could appear to be a mitigation. Violence is violence at the end of the day. But I imagine it is a distinction used for crime and various other social statistics which may be helpful to the agencies involved. It would, I guess, also assist women to gain emergency access to shelters.

As for men being predators, they always have been. The overwhelming majority of murders are committed by men whether in the home or by random strangers and applies to any country or culture. To say nothing of rape, sexual assault, paedophiles, torturing animals and gang violence. They are obviously the stronger sex but that doesn't explain their predisposition to violence, degenerative behaviour and cruelty.

I don't think enough studies have been done on the subject and until that happens, women, children and animals will still be at the mercy of men.

People can be perpetrators of domestic violence who would otherwise not display this violence outside the home. Often it is something only the couple involved (and their children even indirectly) know about.
I think this is the reason it is not just called violent.

Of course there are physically (and indeed mentally) aggressive people for whom this behaviour is part of a wider pattern for eg fighting in public, anti-social behaviour.

There are also violent people who take part in public acts of aggression who would never display this behaviour in the home.

Humans are complicated beings.

The term used more recently is domestic abuse. That includes emotional abuse and coercive control. Perpetrators can now be charged with specific elements of domestic abuse, including physical violences
In the UK the number of women murdered by partners, husbands and former partners has remained around one each week for many years.
The police receive a domestic related abuse call every 30 seconds, yet it’s estimated less than 24% of domestic abuse crime is reported to the police .
1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime. (Refuge.org.uk)

Keir Starmer said in the election campaign that violence and abuse of women and girls is a national emergency which will be one of the main focus of this government

I think it's normally called "domestic abuse" these last 20 years or so.
The issue was with the word violence which very narrowly implies some physical action.

In refuge services the abuse was seen to take many forms.

I think we should be using the word "abuse" rather than "violence" these days.

Sadly I heard a radio article recently which referred to the burning of a house in which people died as a "domestic" - and no, I don't think it was a police representative who said it.

Sorry, cross post Iam

I think both terms should be used as applicable; violence is physical and often an outburst, whereas abuse suggests more sustained, premeditated, psychological control.
But the term' domestic' is important because attacks generally occur within the confines of the home, between people who are known and frequently related to each other,

The type of conversations required to lower assaults against women and girls are too complex for any government to manage. Some improvement in the prosecution rate for rape is about all I hope for. Sorry to be pessimistic.

NotSpaghetti

I think it's normally called "domestic abuse" these last 20 years or so.
The issue was with the word violence which very narrowly implies some physical action.

In refuge services the abuse was seen to take many forms.

I think we should be using the word "abuse" rather than "violence" these days.

Sadly I heard a radio article recently which referred to the burning of a house in which people died as a "domestic" - and no, I don't think it was a police representative who said it.

My understanding, I may be wrong, is that domestic violence is just one form of domestic abuse and that when physical harm is involved it is still called violence.

I agree domestic abuse can include many things including verbal abuse and threats, isolation from family and friends and general controlling and coercive behaviour.

I believe it is so common that only extremes are reported in the media, like the recent house burning and murder.

Galaxy, you’re right to identify the breadth and complexity involved in attempting to reduce the attacks on women and girls. I hope for more successful prosecutions alongside a slow change in societal attitudes.
We still see victim blaming, even on sites like this which attract mainly female participants. Some comments about the Epstein victims a case in point.
The government has the highest number of female MPs than any previous. They come with work and life experience that should mean they’re more likely to push for change

I'm not sure but I think that murder, for example of a family member, has a lower jail sentence than that of a stranger in the street. If it is categorised as a 'domestic crime' then the tariff drops. I could be wrong though

Sad to say, there are women who are guilty of domestic violence too, you know.

I find it regretable that this type of discussion nearly always assumes that the violent party is always male.

I know that many men are guilty of violence towards their wives or children, but I would ask you all to remember that there are men and children abused by their wives or mothers, lesbians victimized by their lesbian partners, and homosexual men abused by theirs.

Let us all be clear about this, and about the fact that the majority of men would never dream of committing this kind of violence.

Those women murdered every week were murdered by men. No one is suggesting all men are violent but the vast majority of violence against women and children is perpetrated by men
Of course there are violent women whether lesbian or not.
I deliberately focussed on male violence to women and girls because that’s where the majority of abuse is focussed. I considered saying women and children because boys are also subjected to horrific abuse.
Many female perpetrators act alongside men

No, not all women are murdered by men, women are known to murder women and children.

I didn’t say all women are murdered by men and acknowledged women can abuse and murder. Women don’t murder at the rate of one partner or ex partner each week
We have a world wide problem with male violence towards women and children

BlueBelle

Well it’s called domestic violence because it happens in the home or outside the home but by someone who is part of the home Seems a very reasonable title to me.
So my question is why not ? and what would you prefer it to be called ?

If your question is why are there so many domestic instances that end in death then that is something that can be debated, however it’s a question that has been around a very long time

What is your interest Macadia ?

I just find it so, so sad. The word "domestic" brings feelings of family, home and something cozy but when paired with the word violence, it just ruins the word domestic, almost seems like it is softening the violence. Sigh. Yes, I know it's the only title we have for that type of murder. Just sad, I guess. Sad for all of the little girls who have to grow up in a place where they are never safe, just because they are female. Seems a bit archaic. I wish humans would evolve to not be so predatory.

grandtanteJE65

Sad to say, there are women who are guilty of domestic violence too, you know.

I find it regretable that this type of discussion nearly always assumes that the violent party is always male.

I know that many men are guilty of violence towards their wives or children, but I would ask you all to remember that there are men and children abused by their wives or mothers, lesbians victimized by their lesbian partners, and homosexual men abused by theirs.

Let us all be clear about this, and about the fact that the majority of men would never dream of committing this kind of violence.

Yes, I agree with you that males are abused too. I would never ignore that. I can read the statistics, so I can see that men are abused by their partners at a substantial rate too. They say that men are likely to not report it but women are not likely to report it either.

One horrible thing is that most men are stronger than women, by nature.

Something must snap in their brain when deep love becomes murderous hatred. They are not opposite emotions, in these cases - I don't understand it. Indifference would be the way out of this sort of relationship but it just gets more intense, then violence ensues. Without any relationship, a woman would be increasing her chances of survival.

Any violence that originates in the home is domestic, I think.
Regardless of the perpetrator, and the sex of those involved.