Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence continues to be a global problem; in 1998 a total of twenty three persons were killed as a result of intimate partner homicide in Barbados, thirteen women, six children and four men (Green 2001). Despite emerging theories such as the Conflict Tactics Scale in 1979 by Murray Straus, which purpose was to measure interfamily conflict and violence. The scale theory gives way to the notion that women can be just as violent as men, the evidence conflicting this scale such as its inability to address the context in which violence occurs, the lack of clear consideration of the nature of relationships, their initiates, size and the strength of those involved as well as the reasoning and result of violence remains critical issues which are unaddressed by the CTS. This further strengthen the argument posted by Michael S Kimmel( 2002) that “Despite U.S. exception, the main patter of intimate partner homicide throughout the world is consistent across societies and across time : That is women are at a much greater risk than men are by begin killed by an intimate partner or ex-partner”. Nevertheless this paper focus will not be on men who kill, but will focus its attention on women who kill and through a gender analysis will deconstruct the various stereotypical representations of women who kill. Because this group of women are small they become hyper visible in the media and as a result it is important to understand stereotypical bias placed on them that continues to affect sentencing. With the use of scholarly articles, journals and other references, this paper will examine stereotypes while continually challenging the foundation from which they stand.

According to Judith E Owen (2008), gender roles are fashioned and created by societies through socialization at birth. With repeated socialization through some of the strongest media such as family, education, peer groups and the media, gender roles become distorted and result in women and men, boys and girls mistaking socially constructed roles enforced by society as naturally occurring biologically roles. What is however important to note, is that the attitudes surrounding gender roles are not based on natural gender difference but on overgeneralization of behaviour patterns actually displayed by both sexes. These gender norms and gender stereotypes open the door for sexism and so one sex is valued over another. Furthermore society creates behavioural traits which reinforce sexism such as masculinity is associated with dominance, strength and aggression while women are passive, nurturing and subordinated. At any time that women and men are non-conforming it results in discrimination, oppression and even violence for not conforming to traditional gender roles created by these societies.

According to N. C. Jurik and R. Winn (1990) highlights that socially approved and accepted gender role behaviour are reflected in the way which women and men kill. But what is significantly