Psychological issues

Psychological Concerns in the Legal System

Psychological concerns have a special link with the legal system. For many years, many psychologists and lawyers have been interested in psychological issues in the context of law. For example, psychologists have frequently been called to court to explain some inmates’ behaviorism. Various psychological diseases, including mental illness, have been shown to have an impact on the outcome of a court case. As a result, psychologists have always been called upon to evaluate suspects with mental illnesses and provide their professional opinion. As a result, this study will investigate legal experts’ perspectives on psychological concerns within the legal context. The legal expert shall explain the complexity of psychological issues in law and how they affect the outcome of different cases. In this case, we approached a criminal lawyer who specializes in domestic violence.

Domestic Violence in the Eyes of an Attorney

The attorney stated by explaining why domestic violence is under criminal law and not family law. She explained that the National Center for State Courts describes domestic violence as crimes ranging from intimidation to violence and coercion. Her definition of domestic violence in the framework of the law is parallel to the one in the framework of psychology. Domestic violence in psychology is a pattern of abusive behavior which can be physical, psychological, emotional, verbal or nonverbal. She continued to say that most abusers have the tendency of alternating from violent to apologetic behaviors. The apologetic behavior has always made most of her clients to withdraw their cases as their partners promise to change and make their relationship work again. In psychology, the change in behavioral patterns is the reason why domestic violence victims do not leave or end their abusive relationship.

Forms of Domestic Violence

Regarding the forms of domestic violence her clients had encountered, she said that they were broad. The attorney continued to explain that some of her clients were threatened to be harmed, blamed for every wrong in their family and their movement was also monitored. She also added that to some extent they were isolated from their families. Moreover, she highlighted that there were various cases of physical abuse ranging from battering to sexual assault. Also, according to the attorney, physical harm escalated to a point where her victims felt that their lives were in danger. Most of her clients were women and children. But she had worked on few cases involving men. Stigmatization made many men afraid of coming out. Her explanation of forms and victims of domestic violence synchronized with the information in textbooks.

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children

Furthermore, the attorney explained that children took the lion’s share of effects of domestic violence. The lawyer supported her argument by saying that children in abusive families tend to portray delinquent behaviors such as violence, smoking, and even attempting suicide. She also added that most abusers she faced in court were raised in violent homes. The attorney stated that one of the leading causes of domestic violence was family background. In other words, domestic violence is transmitted from parents to children. She also added that stress, desperation, depression, economic hardships, and drug abuse were other causes of domestic violence. In psychological studies, causes of domestic violence are parallel to her testimony.

Psychological and Physical Effects of Domestic Violence

Additionally, for the case of effects of domestic violence, she said that her clients suffered from various psychological and physical problems. The psychological problems were such as insomnia, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, hypersensitivity, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. Physical effects include bruises, dislocations, and even death. Moreover, she added that domestic violence affects the outcome of many cases. For example, in divorce cases, children custody is not granted to abusers or a parent with an abusive history. On a light note, she said that people who have been accused of domestic violence could be denied privileges such as owning a firearm among other limitations. She also said that one of the biggest challenges in fighting domestic violence is that sometimes it is more psychological than physical. Therefore, many law enforcers see domestic violence as a family dispute and not a crime. She concluded by saying that there is the need for the psychological researchers to come on board and explain how psychological abuse can be the criminalized.

Conclusion

In light of the above facts, the complexity of domestic violence in corridors of justice is parallel to the one in psychology textbooks. The similarities are supported by evidence from the domestic violence attorney. The attorney argued that domestic violence entailed both physical and psychological abuse. Also, she affirmed that most victims of domestic violence were women and children. She pointed out that men do not report issues of domestic violence due to the fear of stigmatization. She concluded by saying that some victims suffer from severe psychological effects such as PTSD. Therefore, her testimony can be fact-checked in various psychological published materials. However, she hinted that there is a need for further research and intervention from psychology experts to formulate further ways to criminalize psychological abuse.