Research Paper: “Domestic Violence” – 10 Facts and Ideas to Engage the Audience

Domestic violence is a common topic in research papers for psychology classes. While writing a domestic violence research paper can be difficult, knowing a few important facts about the issue can help make your paper more interesting to those who read it and make it an easy assignment for you to write.

1. One in three women has been the victim of abusive relationships. Women are more likely to be the victims of domestic violence than men are. Women who are in their 20’s are most likely to be the victims. Mentioning this statistic in your paper is sure to bring some shock value as well as a great jumping-off point for the topic of your paper.
2. One in four men has been the victim of abusive relationships.While men are less likely than women to be the victims of domestic violence, the number of men who are abused is shockingly high. Oftentimes, men are overlooked when it comes to domestic abuse. Rape, physical abuse, and verbal abuse are common for men facing domestic abuse. Focusing on men as a topic of your paper can look at the issue of domestic abuse from a new angle.
3. Gay and bisexual men are more likely to be hurt by their partners than straight men. Two in every five gay or bisexual men are the victims of domestic abuse. This is slightly higher than the static of men, in general, being the victims of domestic abuse. Writing about domestic violence from the viewpoint of the LGBT community is a unique way to write about this topic.
4. Domestic violence hotlines receive more than 200,000 calls each year (in the United States). Not everyone who is a victim of domestic abuse is brave enough to speak out, but many of those who do reach out to domestic abuse hotlines or shelters. By interviewing hotline workers, or by volunteering for one of these hotlines, you could get the first-hand experience of people who work with domestic violence victims. Of course, you are not likely to use quotes from actual calls as that would be a violation of the victim’s privacy.
5. Almost 20% of domestic violence involves the use of a weapon.Domestic violence doesn’t need to be physical, but it often is. Having a weapon in the home often makes the fate of a domestic violence sufferer grim. When a woman (who is the victim of domestic violence) lives in a home with a gun, she is five times more likely to be murdered by her partner than a woman who lives in a home without a gun. Using this fact, you could also write about gun violence/gun laws, in general, in your research paper.
6. One in five women is likely to be raped in their lifetime.This is another shockingly high statistic that can be used in your research paper. While not all women who are in domestic violence situations are raped, many of them are. In some states, marital rape is not illegal. Not all women who are raped report it. Rape culture, the way rape is discussed in society, is a leading factor in this. Writing about this can give an extra dimension to your research paper.
7. Almost half of the women who are victims are raped by people they know.Over 40% of rapes are committed by an acquaintance of a victim. One interesting point to write about in your research paper would be to research why this happens. Men are less likely to be raped by someone they know. Looking at this difference could provide an interesting angle for your paper.
8. People who are sexually abused are more likely to contract STI’s and STD’s.People who are sexually abused are more likely to have sexual infections or diseases, as rapists and abusers are less likely to use protection. What are some of the other medical effects of sexual violence? Looking into this can add depth to your paper.
9. Children who live in homes with domestic violence are more likely to be neglected or abused by their parents.Children who grow up in a household where one parent is abused by the other are more likely to be affected as well. If they are not abused, they are still more likely to be neglected than children whose parents are not victims of domestic violence. Researching the effects of domestic violence on children is a unique way to write about this topic.
10. Children who grow up seeing domestic violence are more likely to commit a violent crime when adults than children who do not grow up experiencing domestic violence. Children who grow up in homes with domestic violence are more likely to commit violent crimes when they are adults. Does this mean that they are also more likely to become abusers in their relationships? Look into this to see how different children choose to live their lives after leaving a home with domestic violence.

We hope these facts can give you a stepping-stone to write your research paper on this problem. You can even use more than one of these facts in your paper. References are listed below. Feel free to cite these same sources in your paper. Moreover, if you can’t make up an interesting topic for your paper, our experts have completed a list of on-point topic ideas that could come in handy to you. Good luck!

References:

1. Childhood Domestic Violence Association. (2014). 10 Startling Statistics about Children of Domestic Violence.
2. Domesticshelters.org. (2015). Men Can Be Abused, Too.
3. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2018). National Statistics.
4. Young, Joel. (2015). 5 Facts Everyone Must Know About Domestic Violence.