The Impact of Religious Belief on Domestic Violence
Women of faith around the world have long been oppressed by their intimate partners due to manipulation of biblical texts. This epidemic transcends culture, countries, and religion. Women of faith, however, may become more resilient after experiencing domestic violence. Thus, this presentation reviews four research trends of the interplay between religion and domestic violence. First, the exposure of men to domestic violence in childhood may predict their engaging in domestic violence in their own marriages. Next, women of faith may withstand domestic violence because of biblical gender roles enforced by their husbands. Moreover, women of faith may remain in situations of domestic violence due to being economically dependent on their husband. Finally, additional training and education may be needed in order to counsel victims who experienced domestic violence. These elements of domestic violence among women of faith may be perpetrated by the language and culture of religious institutions endorsing female submission. These institutions may have supported this because many clergy felt ill-equipped in handling situations of domestic violence, leading them to avoid confronting male perpetrators of domestic violence in their faith communities. Future directions for research will be discussed, including the need to explore domestic violence in other countries and other religions, e.g., Hinduism, Buddhism, and Mormonism, in order to gain a more accurate picture of the ways in which domestic violence transcends religions.
PSY 499, Capstone
Mary Ann Winter-Messiers
SPS 101
3 – 3:30 PM
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