Abstract
This paper is an evaluation of peer-reviewed articles that touch on the subject of domestic violence. The first article addresses the current state of domestic violence against women in Nepal. The second article seeks ways of fostering collaboration between child protection services and domestic dispute departments. The third article is a reply to a critique. The paper concludes by addressing ethical issues that touch on the use of secondary data.
Assessing Current Situation of Domestic Violence against Women
This article covers a study that was conducted on the Nepalese society with the view of assessing the prevalence of domestic violence. The authors of this article concentrated on a small portion of Nepal known as Hasandaha. The study found that a substantial number of women from the rural parts of Nepal are being subjected to domestic violence. The causes of domestic violence against women in Nepal (DVAW) include “misunderstanding between father/mother in law and husband, unnecessary doubt on wife, use of alcohol, dowry system…..unwanted sex, lack of awareness, polygamy, and poverty” (Pandey & Shrestha, 2014).
The authors of the article recommend that measures to reduce and end domestic violence should involve the government, non-governmental organizations, the education system, and the community. This article can provide valuable insight into the dynamics of DVAW in a community context. Nevertheless, the authors of this article have used ‘shallow’ and simplistic research methodologies. The study relied on questionnaire methods where potential victims were asked to reveal their situations. The authors should have used a back-up data collection method such as seeking information from institutions where first-hand accounts of domestic violence are reported. Overall, the research study is quite relevant and easy to synthesize.
Domestic Violence and Child Protection
This article addresses the issue of domestic violence as it applies to child safety. The authors conduct a study on the applications of collaboration theory on issues of child protection and domestic violence. According to the article, a collaboration between child protection services and domestic violence sectors is hard to achieve (Potito, Day, Carson & O’Leary, 2009). The article offers solutions to the problem of the lack of collaboration between child protection and domestic violence sectors. Some of the outlined means of achieving collaboration include creating awareness and developing new forums to accommodate partnerships.
This article provides an interesting angle to the issue of domestic violence and its accompanying effects. The issue of child protection is one of the various problems that arise as a result of domestic violence. The authors of this article can investigate their hypothesis using simple logic that can be applied by all stakeholders of domestic violence. The main shortcoming in this article is the authors’ lack of focus when they were conducting their research. The article fails to focus on a single argument and instead addresses several angles of a broad argument. This approach degrades the article’s subject matter. Although the authors manage to cover a wide range of research materials, their poor sequencing degrades the article’s subject matter.
Truth about Domestic Violence Revisited- A reply to Saunders
This article is the authors’ reply to a critique of their paper on domestic violence. The two authors are replying to the comments that were made by Saunders concerning their paper. The article seeks to clarify several issues including Saunders’ claim that the authors’ previous article did more harm than good to the plight of women. The authors also defend their choice of research materials as well as their use of the word ‘truth’ in the title of their paper (McNeely & Robinson-Simpson, 1988). The article continues by covering Saunders’ article sequentially and categorically. Finally, the authors of the article address Saunders’ choice of research in his critique. Although the authors of this article claim that their work is a ‘healthy debate’ on domestic violence issues, its overall tone is defensive. For instance, the critique that Saunders wrote is more formal when it is compared to this article (Saunders, 1986). The defensive stance that is assumed by the authors of this article is its main undoing. The authors constantly mention ‘Saunders’ instead of referring to his article. The objectivity of the paper is greatly undermined by the authors’ informal stance.
Ethical Issues in Secondary Research
The use of secondary data in modern settings where information can easily be shared has given rise to several ethical issues. One of these concerns is the data’s “potential to harm the subjects of the research as a result of lack of appropriate consent” (Szabo & Strang, 2007). Most of the people who use secondary data ignore the institution of ‘consent’. For instance, permission might apply to an individual researcher and for only a specific use. Consequently, a secondary researcher would not be entitled to the use of a particular research study. This ethical issue can be solved if the secondary researcher reestablishes consent from the human-subjects. The primary researcher is at times not required to reveal the identities of his/her human-subjects (Johnson & Sabourin, 2009). Consequently, the secondary researcher cannot be sent to the subjects to reestablish consent. This ethical dilemma can be resolved by sending the primary researcher to seek consent on behalf of the secondary user.
References
Johnson, D. H., & Sabourin, M. E. (2009). Universally accessible databases in the advancement of knowledge from psychological research. International Journal of psychology, 36(3), 212-220.
McNeely, R. L., & Robinson-Simpson, G. (1988). The truth about domestic violence revisited: A reply to Saunders. Social Work, 33(2), 184-188.
Pandey, K. P., & Shrestha, G. (2014). Assessing Current Situation of Domestic Violence against Women: A Study in Hasandaha, Morang. Himalayan Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 6(1), 64-85.
Potito, C., Day, A., Carson, E., & O’Leary, P. (2009). Domestic violence and child protection: Partnerships and collaboration. Australian social work, 62(3), 369-387.
Saunders, D. G. (1986). When battered women use violence: husband-abuse or self-defense?. Violence and Victims, 1(1), 47-60.
Szabo, V., & Strang, V. R. (2007). Secondary analysis of qualitative data. Advances in Nursing Science, 20(2), 66-74.