Author: michellesx

 

 

Many media depictions, domestic violence advocates, and websites will lead you to believe that domestic abuse is something that men do to women. Domestic violence statistics show, however, that domestic abuse is not just a man problem. This fact has huge implications on how we solve the issue.

Domestic violence statistics reference:https://www.ananiasfoundation.org/domestic-violence-statistics/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0deg1pnw4QIVzLXtCh1oZwGCEAAYAiAAEgL2QPD_BwE

Source: the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/

While women are more frequent victims, the domestic violence statistics show men are also frequent victims:

• 30.3%, or about 1 in 3 women, have been physically assaulted by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• 25.7%, or about 1 in 4 men, have also experienced physical assault by a partner sometime in their life.

Note the numbers for women verses men are not that far apart. In case anyone thinks that many of these incidents were harmless, the CDC also recorded severe physical abuse incidents. These were cases that involved being hit with a fist or something hard, slammed, kicked, burned, choked, beaten, or incidents involving a weapon.

• 24.3%, or about 1 in 5 women, experienced severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
• 13.8%, or about 1 in 7 men, had a life experience that involved severe violence using the same definition.

This shows that men are also highly abused in relationships, this is what I would like to get across to the public and to show the reality of men being abused. I thought that the percentage of men being abused would be less then women but it is higher then many people would think, however I never thought that the percentage would not be as high or as close to the percentage of women that are abused in a relationship I think this is due to their being more women then men speaking out about being abused so i naturally assume that men are the abusers and the number of men being abused is much less again this is opinion was influenced by social media such as the news and other articles shown in my research and survey FMP feedback/survey on what people see when asked about domestic abuse as the public also show that social media is a powerful influencer, this is something I would like to improve on and make a difference with in the future after exploring this topic and having a much clearer understanding for now i hope to use this information and other research i have collected to create an effective piece of work that shows that men also experience domestic abuse and i would like to be able to answer or have a much more of an understanding on why men do not feel as though they can speak out about about being victims of violence that n this day and age people should not show emotion as it is a sine of weakness, this idea of not being able to express emotion i will be looking further into as I believe it will help me to understand why men do not speak out yet women feel more able to i will then be able to use this in my final piece to create something that persuades and influences men to speak out and for women viewing the work to see that it is not just females that are victims as well as showing them that women can also be the abusers. With these statistics I am able to use accurate data to help to create a final piece that portrays the devastating fact of men being abused almost as much as women are, to shed light onto the fact that men are not just the monsters people see them as when they hear the phrase ‘domestic abuse’ but women also come to light and we have a much more balanced approach to equality between men and women within the subject of domestic abuse.

While looking at charts and statistics I noticed the phrase ‘shelter clients’ was mentioned in most charts so I have took it upon myself to research the meaning behind it to further expand on my knowledge on the help and support out their for victims of domestic violence.talked about in this blog post: what is a Shelter Client?what does it do for victims of abuse?  

On 1st of April a new domestic abuse law came into force in Scotland, now recognising psychological harm as a criminal offence. This can include but is not limited to isolating someone from their family and friends, restricting their access to their phone/money and frightening or humiliating one’s partner. Again social media is being used to help domestic abuse to be recognised i.e. Safer Scotland’s new ad is being shown on TV. The advert shows a pile of items taken away by an abusive partner, including clothes and makeup brushes. It’s a short but a powerful ad that tells us that a loving partner wouldn’t do these things and that this type of behaviour is a crime. However the advert is of an abuser taking away ‘make-up brushes’ and ‘clothes’ which to me suggests that the victim is a female as make-up brushes are a females accessory which means that a male would have been the one to take away the items and is presumed and labelled as the abuser so even when domestic abuse and the seriousness of it is being shown through an advert to millions people still make it so that the man is the abuser or the idea of it being a male and the victim being a female which supports the message that i am trying to get across with my work also the idea that the ‘safer Scotland’ don’t need to show genders in the advert yet they are still able to make others see that it is most likely a female victim due to ‘make-up brushes’ tells me that it is a habit to presume and label women as the victims as they are the more vulnerable sex. Further more by using this scenario as a way to get across to people the reality and heartbreak of domestic abuse it suggests to me that the only way people will see it and take the information in is if the male is the abuser and they hint that the woman is the victim as people now a days only see it that way and struggle to open their eyes to it being the other way around. the fact that Scotland have made it a crime shows that the awareness of domestic violence is slowly rising yet we are still portraying it in an unequal way that labels men as the abusive sex yet statistics show that the number of men beaten by their female partners are almost at the same percentage as women.

For every 7 victims four are women and 3 are male.

Examples of controlling or abusive behaviour within a relationship:

• Making someone dependent on the abuser
• Isolating someone from their friends, relatives or other sources of support
• Controlling, regulating or monitoring someone’s day to day activities
• Depriving someone of, or restricting their freedom of action e.g. controlling their phone/communication access or access to money
• Frightening, humiliating, degrading or punishing someone e.g. abusive name calling, playing mind games that causes someone to doubt their sanity

 

 

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/nan-goldin-2649

Nan Goldin is an artist that uses her past experiences to create powerful art/images expressing raw emotions and telling a story.

This is a colour photograph of Nan Goldin staring directly at the camera. Intense red blood in the white of her swollen left eye mirrors the shade of her lipstick. Dark bruises colour the skin around it and below her right eye. In contrast to the physical damage she defiantly offers to the camera, she appears well groomed. Her hair is glossy and well brushed and, she is wearing bright red lipstick, as well as dangly earrings and a necklace this is something that i had not thought about i.e. the contrast between the neatness of the surroundings around the face and the sudden brutality of the sharpness of the face showing a divide yet combination of two different lifestyles or the attempt of trying to act like things are normal although they are clearly not however by fixing her hair and wearing make-up i.e. lipstick she is still a pretty woman and feels better about her self. after seeing this piece of work I then decided to use make-up to create a similar look on a female model using technique’s which Nan Goldin used e.g. looking directly at the camera lens as well as using a dark background to really bring the tension on her face which she has done by having herself against a piece of dark wooden furniture. The dark shadows behind her head indicate the use of a flash bulb this is also something that I have experimented with when taking the images as I used flash as well as taking images without flash to see what the difference was and what I thought helped give depth to the image like what’s portrayed in the image above, to see how I experimented and tested out my own images using the camera and make-up click on this link: 04/04/19 experimenting with make-up . what shocked me even more was that this image represented a stage in Nan Goldin’s life where she was in a violent relationship, I found this out when reading further into the story behind the image, the idea that the image represents the artists own life experience to make the image so much more personal and when looking at it you see more then just an artist with a talent but see someone that still sees beauty in the disruption and chaos of an abusive relationship and a brave woman for sharing it so purely and in such a raw way, however I still strongly believe that the image its self without reading the story behind it still sends a powerful message and portrays the brutality of a controlling relationship further more when I first saw the photograph I immediately thought of abuse or some kind of pain with that many deep bruises and in the areas they were In the image suggested that something was not right with the woman or woman’s life, it reflects a negative reaction and the sense of unease which to me is a powerful effect and immediately invites you to ask why she is in that way as well as this coming back to the fact that she has her hair neat and make-up on again suggests to me that she may be a normal woman trying to live a normal life however the bruises on her face suggest otherwise. It is also shown in Goldin’s more recent slide show series of self-portraits titled All By Myself 1995-6. She has explained the situation leading up to this image. which is shown below:

“For a number of years I was deeply involved with a man. We were well suited
emotionally and the relationship became very interdependent. Jealousy was used to
inspire passion. His concept of relationships was rooted in … romantic idealism … I craved the dependency, the adoration, the satisfaction, the security, but sometimes I felt claustrophobic. We were addicted to the amount of love the relationship supplied … Things between us started to break down, but neither of us could make the break. The desire was constantly rein-spired at the same time that the dissatisfaction became undeniable. Our sexual obsession remained one of the hooks. One night, he battered me severely, almost blinding me.” -Nan Goldin reference: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/goldin-nan-one-month-after-being-battered-p78045

Nan Goldin expresses and shows a great example, through art and words, of the harsh and devastating effects of domestic violence, as well as the effects after breaking away from the abuse. By having the courage to express her ordeal through art she has shown that you are able to move on from the pain and feeling of suffocating, but you can use your experience to help others to connect with the issue and to bring light on such a dark and avoided topic, this I very much admire her for, and how she demonstrates the raw reality of a disruptive and violent relationship.

I have also learnt when using the make-up to create the harsh look that the more yellow/green the colour of the bruise is the older the longer its been there and the older the bruise, within the image of Nan Goldin this is also reflected as the colours of the bruises are fairly yellow and I would say that there is almost no red or purple this is runs along the story behind the image as it says ” It marks the end of a long-term relationship” suggesting that the image reflects all the bruises and marks made over a long period of time which is why they are shown as old bruises and creates a deeper meaning.

I have been comparing my work to Nan Goldings image and have been using tactics that she has also used to create a photograph in which she has created with such depth and meaning.

I asked 6 different people at random to tell me what they first think of then I say ‘domestic abuse’.

This will then help me to have a further understanding of how domestic abuse is portrayed and seen as by the public, to understand this is crucial to my projects final piece as the piece of art work will be in the public eye and should be able to help the viewers to see deeper into the meaning of ‘domestic abuse’.

Here are the answers I received:

Person A  “I automatically see it as men being the violent ones, as that’s what you often see in the news all this talk of women standing up against the abuse. Its hard to picture it the other way around to be honest”.

Person B “I think its an uncomfortable and  horrible subject that is never really talked about. to be honest I would feel like I was interfering if ever I got involved in other peoples relationships”

Person C “errrm, I have never really been asked about it so I’m not sure what I think of the subject other then that all people should be treated equally and people shouldn’t be afraid of talking about it”

Person D “To be honest I think the first thing that people think of when they hear ‘domestic abuse’ is the victims, but I strongly believe that the people that are abusive also have a story and a reason to why they are like that, and I think that is just as important”

Person E “I’m not sure what comes to mind, other then its something that’s defiantly become more open to talk about, as I often see it in articles and the news but I still think more awareness is needed.

Person F “I see it as something that is not love and the abuser should be punished as its a horrible way to live, to live in fear of the one you love, what’s even more scary is that the victims don’t even see it but think that its the mans way of showing love its almost like a slow and silent killer”

What I have taken/learned from this survey:

When looking at it overall I have noticed a common perception and theme within the opinions I.E. many of the people included in the survey do not mention a woman being the abuser but either don’t mention the gender or type of person that’s violent or when stating their opinion, describe the abuser as male e.g.  Person A states “I automatically see it as men being the violent ones” this is something that I have noticed is quite common within the public and is something through my project and final piece in which I can change. Within my project proposal I questioned why people might see the abuse as one sided, labelling men as the violent ones as the idea of it being women is often ignored, however Person A then also goes on to say why she sees it as mainly “men being the violent ones”  as she quotes “often see in the news all this talk of women standing up against the abuse, Its hard to picture it the other way around” this helped me to understand further and to give me a good idea of where the one-sided view comes from this will also help me to look further into other subjects such as the news or articles to see what is already out there and to see how they show the stories of others within domestic relationships. my next step based of person A statement will be to look further into the way domestic abuse is told and expressed to the public through social media and weather it does lead a one-sided view on the subject. Going back to the first point, the people in the survey only using men as an example of an abuser, this continues to be shown through the comments made by person F when they go on to say how its “the mans way” of showing love to their partner when really he is hurting them. the fact that Person F automatically described the abuser as a man while expressing their thoughts shows that it came natural to them to suggest that the abuser was a male, to me this is enough to show that people are too comfortable with the idea of male abusers and it is a habit to label them that way, and naturally assume its a male as well as showing that they are comfortable with describing their thoughts on the subject by specific gender or type. this is something that I do not want to be a habit but for people to think more before using gender to describe and separate the victims to the abusers as it could be either way. This suggests that as people we do not show equality and balance as well as we should and are very much influenced by the media and not the bigger picture which is also shown by person A when expressing her opinion based on the news. Person E also mentions the media such as the “news” and “articles” suggesting that the subject of domestic abuse is slowly being talked about more however is it being expressed in the right way?. With the idea that the media is becoming a strong influence on young people as well as the older generations I believe that once completing this project I would then develop it further in the future by setting up a workshop based around Art therapy and connecting with others, a place that will be based on life away from the media and for opinions, problems and mental health issues to be explored without the influence of the media.

While listening to peoples perceptions on domestic abuse I found that some individual’s had unique ways of looking at the subject which I have not thought of while working on the project for example Person D stated “The first thing that people think of when they hear ‘domestic abuse’ is the victims, but I strongly believe that the people that are abusive also have a story and a reason to why they are like that, and I think that is just as important”  they imply the importance of understanding why the abuser is violent and how they came to be like that, I had not thought of looking at it from the abusers side however I have mentioned in the response to feedback post that I would like to think of setting up workshops for victims of abuse and mental health as well as the people who reflect violence on others, to help them to come away from the abusive destructive side of their personality’s and to improve as a person.

overall I have been able to collect primary research that has not been twisted by social media but is the publics true opinions, this helps to create an accurate and relatable collection of research to help me to create a piece of art that can communicate with the society in a clear and strong way.

furthermore I will now be taking in account of the feedback and using it to go forward with my design by creating a piece that shows others that it is not just women that experience abuse but it is also men I can do this by creating, using make-up, a look on a male model of them being beaten to show the contrast in victims, if I have time I will expand this to elderly also and will use an elderly as a model to create a sensitive and powerful look. I have already done this with a female model and have liked the outcome and the powerful and clear message I feel it shows.

 

Interviewing person B about a member of their staff showing signs of being controlled an abused.

Person B “I own a pub and I’m their constantly helping staff and making sure things are always on track and up to scratch. I have a lot of staff members and I work closely with them, I notice when they are having a bad day or if something is troubling them. I feel like its also my job to look after them and to make them feel safe when at work, however one of my youngest staff members Lucy who has been working with me for about a year now, has constantly been turning up to work late for the past three to four months which is highly unlike her as Lucy has always turned up on time. what’s worse is that I have noticed bruise marks have been appearing and around her wrists and face, I’m guessing they are in other placed to however the uniform is always covering as much of her body as it can. She has been turning up with these marks for around three months now as well as being late and the sudden change of character, that instantly made me question if something was going on what we didn’t know about when the strange marks and change of character all happened within a few weeks of each other. I only recently found out that she is in a new relationship with a man who is a few years older, Lucy is 18 whereas her partner is 22. Their relationship started about the same time that she started being late and the bruises started to appear, but the big question was how would I bring it up in conversation? how would I approach the matter without scaring her away, I didn’t want her to become uncomfortable around me as I have took so long to create a healthy relationship with her like I do with all my staff. I think the subject of domestic abuse is so hidden these days that to even assume or ask a person if they are okay can be enough to scare them away as its something that it not normally talked about and has become a thing that is almost shamed upon and is something that should be faced alone. Its hard to see her walking into work in the mornings she looks so drained and broken not like she used to be its so saddening to see and everyone else can see the pain and difference in her too she’s just not the same girl. About a week ago I asked the question if she was okay I could tell she didn’t know how to answer but she said that she was so I asked her about the marks and bruises she said “I’m clumsy” so I took it further by asking “does he hurt you” she just replied with a simple “he loves me, and I love him okay…he doesn’t mean too just leave me alone” she said it very calmly and I backed off I was scared I would have damaged the relationship between us and made it awkward. I keep a close eye on Lucy now and make sure the rest of the staff do to, I’ve talked to local police and made everyone aware, I occasionally still ask her if she’s okay but I get the same reply. its heart-breaking to see her like that such a sweet hard working girl, drained of energy and passion. I think its so hard to get involved you risk loosing any communication you already have with them I just wish she wasn’t so blinded by his charm and she had the strength to speak out.