Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence is an issue that is very prevalent, not only in the United States but in the entire world. It does not effect me personally, but I have heard many horror stories of relationship abuse from friends and family. I want to choose this issue because I believe that it is not spoken about enough, and that more awareness should be brought to this topic. I don’t necessarily have to narrow down this topic, but on my website I would put different aspects and categories that relate and correlate, such as warning signs, kinds of domestic violence, and how to get help. Domestic violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime, and though that may seem like a small percentage, one category taking up that much of the whole is very frightening. Yes, there are many historical perspectives of this issue and I will have to decide which historical view to use that goes along with the agenda I am trying to push. There are thousands of statistics online relating to domestic violence, and I will be using these to my advantage on the website.

Mental Health

Mental health is an issue that effects me personally, and many others in the community. I want to choose it because there is a huge stigma associated with it, and the stigma is even worse for certain types of mental illness. I do believe I would have to focus on one aspect, and that aspect would be the stigma and how to end it. There is a historical background to mental health and its awareness, and for that I would have to focus less on the stigma and more on the topic in general, so as to provide a better and more wide-covering history. Another aspect that I do want to cover in the history section is the history of mental hospitals and prisons, and how poorly patients and inmates would be treated when they first opened. Yes, there are statistics for mental health on the internet, but once again I would have to narrow down to one specific sub-category of the topic in order to find more accurate research.

Accessible Education

Accessible education has always been a hot discussion topic, with campaigns such as No Child Left Behind to go along with it. Now, with the pandemic that is taking place, school age children have to use a computer to finish their school year. To many this is seen as a breeze and an easily accomplished task, but for those without computers or even internet access, it is a nightmare. This issue does not effect me personally, but I do know many people in my home school district that are being negatively affected by the transition to online learning. I want to choose it because it is an issue that has been talked about in the past, but is now more prominent than ever. I think I can focus on the overall issue and still have a substantial amount of educational research. Yes, there is historical background to this issue. Though it may not be exactly the description that would fit the issue in today’s times, it is the overall principle that counts. I have not done too much intensive research on this topic, so I have not found many relevant statistics, but I am sure that once I look harder I will easily find some.

https://ncadv.org/statistics

https://www.facebook.com/NEPADomesticViolenceAwareness/

https://www.customink.com/fundraising/break-the-stigma

http://etashasolutions.com/projects/wordpress/education-world-n-go/education-for-all/

In today’s times, sweatshops are not run in a person’s home, they only exist in large, factory settings. If a person is doing tailor work or clothing design in their home, it would not be called a sweatshop, but instead a boutique or fashion business. Back then, sweatshops were very common and lots of people began their rise to the top of the job market by working at a sweatshop factory. Now, sweatshop employees are seen as the lowest of lows and have little to no potential of working in a better paying job. Back then, sweatshop owners who worked from home may employ a few helpers so that the work got done quicker. This may still apply, but is seen a lot less, given that most boutiques and small fashion businesses are only run by one or two people.

Throughout history, there has always been a connection between immigrants and sweatshops. Sweatshops were a way for the immigrant to immediately be placed in a stable environment in which they could earn a few dollars and be placed with people just like them. For immigrants who were more bold and started sweatshops in their homes, they were making a name for themselves and using their home work to interact with the outside world by hiring employees and selling the pieces they made to bigger factories.

These days, a lot of sweat shops are ran in foreign countries and continents. They have a huge presence in China, and there are a sizable amount in Spanish speaking countries as well.

From an outside perspective, I think that sweatshops can be both good or bad for immigrants, depending on different factors. For example, if the immigrant is very poor when first arriving to the country, they can easily make a small salary at the sweatshop. If the immigrant does not yet know English, they can work at the sweatshop in which communication isn’t too necessary, and there are other workers who will be in the same situation, and may even speak the same language as the new hire. The negative impacts of sweatshops do seem to outweigh the positive factors, though. Sweatshops do not pay well, far less than minimum wage, and the working conditions are not always sanitary or up to code. Sweatshops are notorious for not treating their employees well, doing things such as limiting lunch breaks and not permitting bathroom usage.

https://www..com/projects/la-fi-forever-21-factory-workers/

https://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-fashion/i-dont-care-about-feminist-message-your-shirt-i-do-care-how-much-female-garment-worker-was-paid.html

Due to the Corona virus outbreak, many people are being forced to shelter in place with those they live with. This is an issue, because the women who live with abusive partners are now stuck in the house with no other option than to face the abuse. Now more than ever is a time to educate yourself and those around you about domestic violence and violence against women.

In the last few weeks, calls to the Domestic Violence Hotline and visits to the National Domestic Violence website have shot up astronomically. This increased traffic is a huge call for help. Volunteers in these organizations are doing as much as they can to help, but their numbers are short compared to those of the victims. Not only is this a time period of increased violence, the women being abused are facing even worse mental health conditions. Being forced to stay inside while the world seems to start to end is tough, and with abuse on top of that, life is impossible to live. 

One woman was strangled by her partner, due to his fear that she had caught the corona virus.

I feel like he will lock me out if I leave for work. My husband won’t let me leave the house.

This woman’s case is not rare in times like these. When there is a natural disaster or a pandemic, abuse victims fear for their life.

This increase in violence had been predicted as soon as word of a possible indefinite lockdown got around. Officials knew that anyone in an abusive situation would face horrors that they had yet to learn. But there was little anyone could do to prevent it, and that is still somewhat the case. The longer people continue to go out with their friends and party, the longer helpless women are stuck in these situations. 

Now, some may look at the statistics of crime and notice that it has gone down a bit since quarantine began. Though this is the case, domestic violence is still a crime, and the numbers for that have gone up. By educating people on this topic and spreading awareness, society would become more aware of the detrimental effects of this type of abuse.

Luckily, for those who may be in need, some people are providing a safe space. Going around Instagram is a post that states something along the lines of: if you are a victim of abuse and are in need of shelter, please contact me. The way Instagram users are safely doing this is by disguising the plea by having the victim send something such as “can i borrow your makeup.” This is a great tactic, because the abuser will not be suspicious and the victim will end up safe. Hidden messages are a great way to help victims, as long as both the victim and the helper are both aware of what the message truly means.

Works cited:

Jagannathan, Meera. “’It’s Not Safe to Leave the House, and It’s Not Safe to Stay in the House.’ How Coronavirus Could Exacerbate Domestic Violence.” MarketWatch, MarketWatch, 5 Apr. 2020, www.marketwatch.com/story/its-not-safe-to-leave-the-house-and-its-not-safe-to-stay-in-the-house-how-coronavirus-could-exacerbate-domestic-violence-2020-03-20.

Surveys are a very effective way to collect data while also saving time and even money. Surveys can also be sent out to people across the country and even the globe, which helps get a wider basis of answers and more accurate, representative data. Surveys are usually online or through mail, which is convenient for those on the go or who are rushing to complete them. Other traditional methods, such as focus groups and interviews, can discourage people from participating because they are seen as a huge time consumer and in today’s society, as it has always been, time is money. Surveys are very practical, especially with today’s technology (for example, Google Surveys). Though the effortless forms of surveys, whether in person or online, is seen universally as a good thing, those taking the surveys will obviously not share the same world views, and their answers will differ. Even two siblings taking the same survey could have completely different answers based on their personal beliefs, and the exposure to the topic(s) they are being asked about. Gender does play a role in how we see the world. As females, we are portrayed as weak and very dependent on men. We care immensely  about our rights and issues related to us, such as domestic violence. Men are more focused on their own gender problems, which they do not have a lot of. Unless they are an activist or just very woke, there is a slim chance that they will think certain issues are of importance. The same theory applies with race and social class, in that the issues that apply to certain people will matter more to them than those issues that don’t. For example, those who can not afford health care are most certainly fans of universal/free healthcare, while those who can afford it with ease probably don’t spend as much time thinking about the issue. Those who struggle to make ends meet will most likely fight harder for more rights and help for the poor than those who can spend money with ease. Our race, gender, and social class affect the way we view the world and in turn, affect how we would answer potential survey questions.

This graphic, taken from the SurveyAnyplace Blog, (1)  shows the most basic advantages of surveys. With the anonymity of surveys, such as the one we made for class, people are less afraid to speak their minds. When a survey taker knows that their name or a certain characteristic of themselves will be associated with the answers they give, they are less likely to speak their true mind, especially if the opinions they hold are controversial. When the surveys are anonymous, there is a higher chance of the questions being answered completely and honestly, which helps the data remain accurate. Though, as stated before, those of different genders, races, and social classes will have different answers, the style of surveys allow those answering them to speak their true mind and save time while doing it. 

References 

[1] “10 Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires.” Survey Anyplace, August 20, 2019. https://surveyanyplace.com/questionnaire-pros-and-cons/.