RESEARCH REPORT:
What are the perceptions of domestic violence amongst individuals who live in western Sydney?
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101041 – Communication Research
Spring 2012
Student Name: Ferah Arslan
Student Number: 17530620
RESEARCH REPORT
SUBJECT: WHAT ARE THE PERCEPTIONS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONGST INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN WESTERN SYDNEY?
ABSTRACT:
What are the perceptions of domestic violence amongst individuals who live in western Sydney? When the term “domestic violence” is heard, it is most likely that acts of physical abuse would enter the individual’s mind. It is essential to affirm that domestic violence refers to many forms of abusive behaviour, including emotional, sexual and economic abuse. Many individuals today, especially of female gender, are likely to have suffered from a form of domestic violence. A survey was conducted of 20 people who live in the western suburbs of Sydney, and results demonstrated both significant trends and variations. Certain trends included that many individuals believe the term “domestic violence” to refer only to physical abuse, that experiences of domestic violence had serious post-traumatic impacts, such as mental disorders and addictions to unhealthy substances, that post-traumatic impacts could be conquered through the individual’s own strength and with the assistance of others around them, that carrying out acts of domestic violence are unacceptable despite any circumstance and that females represented the majority of victims of domestic violence. The latter was also proven through results which indicated that a huge portion of female participants had experienced some form of domestic violence. Additionally, there were variations when results demonstrated that participants had varying opinions in regards to the increase or decrease of cases of domestic violence today, and how comfortable individuals may feel when discussing cases of
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