Crosscultural
Dialogues are designed to bring students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in touch with their counterparts around the world and let the young men and women debate the questions of mutual interest. Connected via Internet, students talk about international and local issues facing people in different countries, explore their differences, and identify points of agreement. The exchange is facilitated by civic culture and social science educators who identify discussion topics, help students formulate their positions, and teach them to look critically at the pressing issues of the day. The dialogue questions and student answers are posted on the site of the Center for Democratic, the UNLV institution promoting civic education and civility in public discourse through research, scholarly exchange, and community-based programs. The first crosscultural dialogue addressed the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City that shook the United States on September 11, 2001, and the Nord-Ost Siege that lead to numerous casualties in Russia’s capital Moscow on October 10, 2002. Excerpts from this dialogue can be found here: “Dialogue on Terrorism: 9/11 & 10/23.”
Dialogue on Domestic Violence
In the fall of 2014 and spring 2015, students from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas and University of St. Petersburg took part in this dialogue. Answers by American and Russian students to the question are reproduced below.
Диалог о Насилии в Семье
Осенью 2014 г. и весной 2015 г., студенты Университета Невады в Лас Вегасе и Санкт-Петербургского государственного университета приняли участие в данном диалоге. Ответы американских и российских студентов на нижеследующий вопросприведены ниже.
Вопрос
Россия входит в число восьми стран с крупнейшей экономикой, но в отличие от других стран восьмерки, в России нет закона запрещающего физическое и сексуальное насилие в семье. Попытки принять такой закон в российском парламенте провалились. В Октябре 2013 года муж Екатерины Виноградовой нанес ей побои, в результате которых у нее был сломан нос и несколько ребер, но согласно российским законам это избиение не носило состава преступления. Согласно данным Организации Объединенных Наций, в 2008 году около 14000 женщин в России умерли в результате семейного насилия – одна смерть каждый час. В Америке есть закон против насилия в семье, но проблема здесь стоит также остро. Около 4000 женщин в Америке погибает каждый год в результате насилия между интимными партнерами; по оценкам экспертов, одна из трех женщин в Америке подвергается физическому или сексуальному насилию в своей жизни; 73% насильников-мужчин в свою очередь подверглись насилию в детские годы.
По вашему мнению, нужен ли России закон, предусматривающий криминальную ответственность за насилие в семье и в интимных отношениях? Что можно и нужно сделать, чтобы уменьшить семейное насилие в наших странах?
Question
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and any other form of abusive behavior between intimate partners. It is found in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Violence against women in particular involves emotional abuse and an attempt to dominate an intimate partner that may result in physical injury and psychological trauma. An estimated 1.3 million women in the United States become victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. Eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women. Boys who witness domestic violence as children are twice as likely to abuse their intimate partners when they become adults. Seventy-three percent of men committing violence against women have been victims of violence themselves.
The Russian Federation is the only European country belonging to G8 group that does not recognize family violence and domestic sexual abuse as a crime. According to the United Nations report, around 14,000 women died in Russia in 2008 as a result of domestic violence. In 2011, a husband was acquitted in the Russian courts after breaking the nose and several ribs of his wife, with the judge explaining his decision by the fact that there is no law in Russia protecting spouses from domestic violence. For nearly two decades activists have been trying to persuade the Russian parliament to pass the law prohibiting domestic violence, yet all such efforts failed because the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox Church object to such laws as inconsistent with traditional family values on this country.
In your opinion, does Russia need a criminal law prohibiting domestic violence? What can be done to decrease the likelihood of violence in intimate relationships?
Ответы (Российские студенты)
Закон нужен. Опыт России и США все-таки различается. В США проблема активно обсуждается обществом, затрагивается в поп-культуре. В России вопрос, наоборот, замалчивается. Можно сказать, нашей культурой этот вид насилия подспудно поощряется, как и гендерное неравенство в целом. Объединяющим признаком является то, что жертвы, зачастую, не хотят обращаться я за помощью. Нужно не только активно информировать женщин, как и где они могут получить психологическую и юридическую поддержку, но и подталкивать к анализу ситуации. Помочь осознать, что обстановка в семье является ненормальной. Поскольку не все имеют доступ к интернету, социальную рекламу, листовки, номера горячих телефонов надо распространять при содействии общественных учреждений: поликлиник, школ и т.п. Адресовать информацию нужно не только потенциальным жертвам, но и людям, которые могли стать свидетелями насилия (соседи, родственники, знакомые). Также могла бы помочь слаженная и системная работа в этом направлении школьных психологов.
На мой взгляд, насилие в семье по отношению к любому ее члену должно быть уголовно наказуемо. Сегодня в России основное внимание масс направлено на борьбу с так называемой пропагандой гомосексуализма, которой фактически не существует и которую обвиняют чуть ли не во всех проблемах современного российского общества. Тем не менее, если уж государство считает себя вправе вмешиваться в интимные дела людей, то совершенно непонятно, почему оно не готово конструктивно решать проблемы неблагополучных семей, где родители неадекватно относятся к собственным детям, или же друг к другу. Проблему домашнего насилия не решить, пока в нашей стране люди не будут четко понимать свои права и обязанности. Российский менталитет открыто осуждает тех, кто «выносит сор из избы», и многие женщины, которые подвергались или подвергаются насилию со стороны мужа, просто-напросто боятся заявлять о подобном происшествии в полицию. Кроме того, у людей очень низок уровень доверия к правоохранительным органам. Граждане не верят, что в полиции могут помочь. Поэтому, чтобы снизить уровень насилия в семьях, нужно не только создать законодательную базу, но и обеспечить доверие людей к правоохранительным органам (наверное, посредством какой-то реорганизации этих органов или через ужесточения контроля их служащих), а также поднять уровень осведомленности граждан об их правах и способах защиты этих прав.
Насилие в семье, так же как и любой другой вид насилия, несомненно, должен расцениваться как преступление и вести за собой криминальную ответственность. Однако, на мой взгляд, в вопросе насилия в семьях и интимных отношениях в нашей стране проблема заключена не только в законодательстве. Многим женщинам, даже при наличии соответствующих законов, и в голову бы не пришло заявлять на своих мужей или партнеров в случае учиненного над ними насилия. Проблема здесь во многом психологическая. Домостроевские представления о распределении ролей, прав и обязанностей в семье глубоко укоренены в психологии россиян. Именно с этим нужно бороться. Как? Это очень сложный вопрос, требующий комплексного подхода на разных уровнях, начиная с воспитания детей, заканчивая общим движением в сторону либерализации общества, неотъемлемой частью которого должна стать работа по прививанию сознанию людей представления о равноправии полов.
По-моему глубокому убеждению в большинстве случаев семейного насилия истинной причиной является алкогольное опьянение агрессора, коем, как правило, выступает отец семейства, а нередко и отчим или просто, скажем, постоянный любовника матери. Дети или женщины, павшие жертвами подобного физического и морального «раскрепощения» получают помимо непосредственно физического увечья и психологическое. Вследствие чего возникает вероятность того, что они смогут повторить агрессивные действия, будучи уже сами отцами, отчимами или любовниками, по отношению к слабому полу или к детям. И так образуется порочный круг насилия в мире, остановить который не так-то просто, несмотря даже на существующие законы, предусматривающие наказание за подобные деяния. Дело в том, что закон не имеет должной власти в сфере интимного, семейного, так как закон является некоей рукой государства, а государство, как известно, является лишь вторым глобальным институтом по регулированию общественных отношений, а первостепенным таким институтом является семья. Семья – это сфера интимных отношений, на которые, как ни странно, не всегда распространяется власть закона, в силу своей естественной вторичности. Мы можем пропагандировать защиту прав в школах и на ТВ, но отклонения все равно возникают. Откуда возникают отклонения? Как решить эти отклонения или как хотя бы придумать действенный сдерживающий фактор для разгоряченной мужской, как правило, хмельной головы. Вариант, безусловно, один – ужесточение наказаний за подобные деяния. Как известно, дисциплина держится на страхе, для кого аргумент, построенный на уважении, не работает. Но такое решение может вызвать и много различных негативных факторов, так как излишнее усиление и давление государства на сферу семейных отношений может привести к известной степени ужесточения режима, вплоть до тоталитаризма, как мы можем наблюдать это в консервативных обществах, например, в Северной Корее или Китае. Нужны, необходимы благотворные, поощряющие, если угодно, факторы, сдерживающие насилие, а не инструменты запугивания. Я не уверен, что государственной машине по силам справиться с такой задачей. Вариант ответа на этот хотелось бы услышать с Вашей стороны.
Answers (Russian Students)
Yes, we need such a law, even though the Russian and American experience are quite different. In the United States, the problem is widely recognized and debated by society and mass media. In Russia, on the other hand, the question is swept under the rug. I think this domestic violence is tacitly encouraged by our culture, and so is gender inequality. The indicator here is that victims of domestic violence are hesitant to call the police. It is important to encourage women to understand the nature of this crime, the unhealthy pattern in the family life, as well as explain where they can turn for psychological and legal assistance. Since not everyone has a ready access to the Internet, we need enlist schools and hospitals in developing a system of information, a series of handouts, hot lines. It is important to reach not only potential victims but also those who might have witnessed domestic violence or become aware of it (neighbors, relatives, acquaintances). School psychologists can serve as centers for disseminating of information that can curtail the spread of domestic violence.
I believe that violence directed against any family member must be prosecuted in the court of law. Today, much attention is focused on the so-called propaganda of homosexuality, which is singled out as the source of social problems in our country. While the government is poking its nose in the private sexual life of its citizens, it is reluctant to interfere with the rampant abuse that befalls families. The problem cannot be solved until Russian citizens clearly understand their rights and responsibilities. Russian tradition denounces those who “wash their dirty linen in public,” which is why many Russian women who became victims of domestic violence are afraid to go to police with their problems. Also, Russian people do not trust the police, don’t believe they will get help there. This is why the domestic violence is such a grave problem in our country. Thus, to attack the problem, we need to create a proper legal environment, we need to build trust in the law enforcement agencies (by strengthening controls over such agencies), and we need to increase awareness among the public about the heinous nature of this crime and the rights of family members.
Domestic violence, as well as any form of violence, must be viewed as a crime and lead to the prosecution of perpetrators. However, I don’t believe that the issues involved are exclusively legal, that they can be solved by legislative means. Even with the right laws in place, many women will stay away from the police and refuse to file complaints about their abusive husbands. The problem is largely psychological. The oppressive medieval tradition is still alive and well in Russian culture, the tradition that does not accord equal rights to family members, and it is this tradition that is engrained in the Russian psyche. We need to fight this real problem. How? This is a very difficult question. It requires a systemic approach that starts with the rearing of children, moves to the liberalization of society as a whole, and ends up with the recognition of equal gender rights.
It is my deep conviction that the true source of domestic violence in our country is alcoholism. It is the father, the stepfather, or the lover who gets drunk and then starts acting aggressively toward family members. Women and children who fall victims of domestic violence are damaged not only physically but also psychologically. The danger here is that the victims will in time become perpetrators of the abuse, repeating the vicious cycle of violence which no laws and punishments can easily curtail. Law is only an instrument of the government, which doesn’t have a ready control over the private sphere. Family plays a key role here, and as a social institution family is somewhat insulated from the government. Propaganda through usual channels like school and TV is insufficient here. How can you rein in the hot-headed, inebriated abuser? It is crucial to have laws on the book that clearly identify domestic violence as a crime. If respect for your partner is not going to motivate you, then the fear of punishment will have to do the job. Alas, this solution has negative implications insofar as it strengthens the government's hand and increases its intrusion into family life. We have seen what such an overbearing, totalitarian state can do in countries like North Korea or China. It is better to rely on the instruments that encourage humane behavior rather than on the tools of intimidation. I am not convinced that the state is in a position to solve this problem. It would be interesting to find out what solutions American students have to offer to this problem.
Question
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and any other form of abusive behavior between intimate partners. It is found in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. Violence against women in particular involves emotional abuse and an attempt to dominate an intimate partner that may result in physical injury and psychological trauma. An estimated 1.3 million women in the United States become victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. Eighty-five percent of domestic violence victims are women. Boys who witness domestic violence as children are twice as likely to abuse their intimate partners when they become adults. Seventy-three percent of men committing violence against women have been victims of violence themselves.
The Russian Federation is the only European country belonging to G8 group that does not recognize family violence and domestic sexual abuse as a crime. According to the United Nations report, around 14,000 women died in Russia in 2008 as a result of domestic violence. In 2011, a husband was acquitted in the Russian courts after breaking the nose and several ribs of his wife, with the judge explaining his decision by the fact that there is no law in Russia protecting spouses from domestic violence. For nearly two decades activists have been trying to persuade the Russian parliament to pass the law prohibiting domestic violence, yet all such efforts failed because the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox Church object to such laws as inconsistent with traditional family values on this country.
Answers (American Students)
Russia needs a criminal law prohibiting domestic violence. In the United States there are laws in place to help deter domestic violence but, there are still many problems with domestic violence. We do not have enough secure shelters for women to go to in a crisis and many women are not aware of places to go just as is the case in Russia. To help decrease the likelihood of violence, along with or instead of prison there should be mandatory counseling for the violent offender and the family. Prison is not enough; when the offender gets out of jail or prison he will most likely abuse the wife and or family again. The children are likely to be abused and continue the cycle of abuse with their future family. The mother and children need to be placed in a secure location until the husband has finished the counseling and the family and doctors feel it is safe. A campaign for secure shelters and people to talk to will help inform the general public and those needing help a place to go. Another issue to be discussed is the increasing cost of divorce in Russia. Divorce should not be taken lightly but, there should be amendments regarding the cost. People should not be financially burdened if they are being abused or threatened. Russia needs criminal laws prohibiting domestic violence, as well more shelters, work programs for the mothers, and counseling services to help stop the cycle of violence. It will take decades of work by the people, the government, and lawmakers to start seeing even small changes.
I believe that marriage is a sacred institution dating back to our very beginnings, and different cultures have had their own way of dealing with the pleasures and fallouts concerning the conduct within the relationship. For example, I come from an Indian background where most of my family is from India, and even though I am from America and my family is very forward thinking in western sensibilities, it is believed that marriage and intimate relationships should be a private affair without any interference from the outside world, even the couple’s own family, because it is between husband and wife. BUT on the other hand we look at the statistics around the world and in Russia where around 14,000 women died from domestic violence, but Russia belongs to G8 group where it is the only country that does not recognize these violent abuses as a crime. Even worse, here in the United States 1.3 million women become victims of physical assault by their intimate partner WITH laws. Russia is traditional in its belief of non-interfering in intimate partnership, and this should be respected. But when there are people dying because of this and there are laws against those types of crimes, why does it matter if it happens between a husband and wife? America has very poor record on battered women even with strict domestic violence laws against this. When the police are called to a house for a domestic violence complaint, it is mandatory that at least one of them go to jail, the husband or wife, man or woman, so we can see that this enforces the law but might not do anything but make the situation worse by taking a person to jail instead of providing help in the relationship to prevent future turmoil. In such disputes the line is sometimes blurred between whose fault it is.
I do believe that Russia should have a law against domestic abuse and enforce it, breaking the code of traditional silence about what happens between man and woman. Yet I do not believe that it is right to enforce these laws by mandatory jail time because this only provokes the situation. Besides a law against domestic violence, there needs to be the enforcement of those laws. Besides the enforcement of the law, which may deter harsh domestic killings and violence, there need to be programs to help the couple. A mandatory relationship counseling and education should also be put into effect. Couples should work on their communication and ways of controlling conflict at home. Couples should also educate themselves and learn how to communicate better with each other. At risk couples with a violent history should be able to find programs, to find the source of the problems and, more importantly, find methods to defuse decrease these conflicts. By promoting communication and productive conflict resolution, you will not just scare people with legal consequences for bad conduct; you will TEACH people why it is wrong, what the root causes of violence are, and what can be done to prevent domestic abuse. This will give Russians and other countries the tools for controlling domestic violence.
In my opinion Russia needs a criminal law prohibiting domestic violence. Because I am not familiar with Russia’s law, I am curious to know what types of abuse does Russia prohibit and view as unacceptable. Russia’s system is completely ridiculous if a woman can be beaten so bad that her nose and ribs are broken and nothing is done about it. There is no justice in that. I believe domestic violence is a crime no matter what country. What can be done to decrease the likelihood of violence in intimate relationships? People may lead by example, by teaching by showing children how partners should be treated. Women and men can also be asked to take a stand against domestic violence, so that if abuse is to occur the victim leaves and never comes back.
In my honest opinion, Russia absolutely needs to implement some type of law abolishes domestic violence as a whole or, at the very least, increases the punishment for such acts. There is no situation that that warrants a man to physically abuse his intimate partner, other than self-defense, but that is a whole other issue. Ultimately, there is nothing that can be done to get an immediate response or change in actions from men in these relationships. Media can help, but it is entirely up to the individual. One suggestion I have relates to partners in a marriage: the Russian government could implement a law stating that a man is not allowed to marry a woman unless he signs a contract stating he will never abuse his spouse in any way possible, whether physically or mentally. Although this is a far-fetched idea, it could be a step toward ending or at least decreasing the amount of physical violence that occurs in Russia. Lastly, schools can teach kids the severity of abusing one’s spouse, by implementing a system similar to the United States' where we educate kids on “sex-safety” and “abstinence.” I believe there is nothing that can help those who are already adults, so it is better to focus on the youth and teach them the right ways of solving problems in a relationship.
14,000 women mentioned in the United Nations report might have been alive today or the number of victims much lower, if Russia had a law against domestic violence. Having such a law would hold the violent offender accountable for his or her actions. Aside from traditional family values in Russia, it is still morally wrong to abuse a spouse whether they value their privacy or not. Russian women suffering beatings and re scarred not only on the outside but on the inside as well will never see justice brought to their abusers. Boys tend to grow up to be abusers themselves if they experienced abuse as youngsters or witness others to be abused. As long as Russia outlaws domestic violence, these boys will see that domestic violence has consequences and thus are less likely to turn into from violent adults. Overall, domestic violence laws should exist in every country. Violence kills, and death rates would decrease significantly if the domestic violence law existed.
In my opinion, Russia needs laws against domestic violence. From the articles I read it is apparent that men are responsible for much of the domestic abuse in a country where this form of violence is common. Russia should adopt a set of laws similar to those adopted in the U.S. To decrease the likelihood of an abusive relationship, we must do more to educate young people. There should be required classes sensitizing freshmen college students to the danger of abusive relationships, as well as to the importance of practicing safe sex. We must also change the thinking that the man is always to blame. We have to educate both men and women on the boundaries they should respect to ensure they have healthy relationships. Russia can decrease the amount of abuse, but much like in the U.S., domestic violence will never go away without better education, stereotypes broken, and laws adapted to changing environments.
I believe Russia should have a criminal law prohibiting domestic violence. Regardless of the relationship, physical violence should not be tolerated. Domestic violence traditionally involves the male assaulting the female. The law should be inclusive with both genders. The laws should provide a safe way to get away and help in domestic violence cases. To decrease the likelihood of violence in intimate relationships, I would suggest implementing a class in high school to teach students about it. If the children learn the intolerance about domestic violence at a young age, that could potentially decrease its likelihood.
One of the CDC Crosscultural Dialogues is dedicated to the issue of domestic violence. This discussion sparks some interesting commentary, as Russia’s government doesn’t recognize domestic violence the same as the US government does. In America, domestic violence is a crime. The question is whether Russia needs a criminal law prohibiting domestic violence and what can be done to decrease violence in relationships. In my opinion, Domestic violence is a crime just as any other form of violence. The fact that a government system doesn’t recognize this clearly shows that there are other social factors in play that need to be reevaluated. Regardless of the image of family or social norms, violence against an individual should have some form of legal consequences or repercussions.
On same-sex marriage – I support it 100%. It is only with time and the understanding of my partner that I have changed my views. Love is love, and the state or any entity has the right to tell you who you can love. This is a fight that was a long time coming, since recorded harassment begun on the LGBT community. After watching the documentary about gays in Russia, I have come to the understanding that in Russia being queer is not a real option. How can Mr. Putin consider the Soviet Union to be one of the great powers of the world if he is not big enough to start a dialogue to begin the long road to equal rights for LGBT community? Views do change over time; with me it took about 5-7 years to begin to deal with who I am. After the internal struggle it was a lot easier to deal with bigoted people. Russia has so many things to fix that I doubt that gay rights and same sex marriage are high on the list.