Sally Engle Merry
Most abusive individuals make the wrong choices. By verbally and or physically attacking an individual. Some individuals believe any aggressive actions toward their spouse is a family matter. They assume husband wife; girlfriend boyfriend and personal relationships are private problems. Any individual with such an attitude about forcefully harming another person has committed a crime. Their aggressive behavior is no longer a private incident. The domestic occurrence quickly becomes an awkward situation whereas an individual finds himself entangled with the courts. Any assault incident in no longer in the private sphere its governed by the judicial system therefore it’s a public matter. The judicial institution has clear laws about violence against women. The discipline imposed upon individuals can produce an individual who follows the normal acceptable positive behavior. Or the punitive actions against a batterer can be a hindrance whereas the individual shifts further into deviant behavior patterns.
Most men who are drawn into the judicial system because their ideas about striking women are linked to an assumed belief of entitlement. Some men associate marriage, culture and masculinity with a special liberty to handle their relationship troubles by whatever manner they chose. In addition, some men ancient traditional customs influenced their negative attitude towards women. For instance, abusive acts towards a woman was acceptable in some households. In other words, men complained about a women promiscuity so he hit her.
Multiple men entangled with the judicial system believed they were emasculated, humiliated and left powerless. They were confronted with the truth about their conduct and their explanation fell on death ears within the judicial system. Some individuals were removed from their household, family, society. To put an end to domestic violence many perpetrators were transported to jail. The judicial institution reinforced their intolerance for domestic violence. Perpetrators were forced to take anger management classes, although they resisted. Perpetrators were educated. They were given an opportunity to change. Most refused anger management courses. The judicial institution had the power to transform individuals. Both women and men conformed. Men were alienated from their family therefore they were left feeling feminized. The women were more independent depending on how much support they received from social programs. A victim’s autonomy was created from a tragic situation. The women were temporarily removed from their previous dependency on men. They were either self-governed or closely surveilled by social services. Women advocates and counselors conversed with multiple women about their rights. The man and the women appeared to have reversed roles. The women became head of the house, empowerment. Under close supervision from the courts the women coerced into testifying. She must conform to the judicial rules, she must give her testimony in the courts. Some victims oppose the legal demands yet they go along with the required governed procedure.
Individuals identity has shifted in multiple ways. The judicial institution has made either a positive law abiding citizen. Or a deviant individual who commits the same sort of crime again. All race, class and Both man and women from all different racial background and class has been affected by the constraints of judicial institution. The perpetrators and victims are different subjects. Their past identity has been extensively shattered. For instant, some women would have never imagined being the mother and the father to their child after the father was removed from the household. Some men could have never fathomed his wife would have testified against him. The making of a new identity.
