According to the legal assistance center “Domestic violence is also known as domestic abuse or family violence, domestic violence is widely defined as the use of abusive behaviours (powers) by one or both partners in a relationship such as marriage or family, friends etc.” Domestic violence is a serious offence in Namibia, which could lead to the offender to be convicted for charges of abuse and could go to prison for a minimum of two years. Various stakeholders have recently criticized domestic violence and urged all those affected by this unethical practice to come out and report such assaults. And in 2002 the parliament passed a law that protects women and children from any kind of domestic violence. In most cases the victims of domestic violence are women and children. Domestic violence is more common in African countries and Namibia included because of the culture in African countries, where women were regarded as second class citizens after men for many years. And because in most African cultures it is ethical for a men to beat his wife or kids. The main causes of domestic violence is alcohol and drug abuse. Although domestic violence can also be caused by family problems such financial problems. Domestic violence can also cause break up in relationships, divorce in marriages and separate families. Domestic violence have a serious impact on children and women because they are the most affected by this immoral practice. According to research on domestic violence, children that suffered from domestic violence while young are more likely to become violent to their partners when they grow up. And women that are victims of domestic violence have a high chance of suffering from mental problems and other health problems. And some cases domestic violence can even lead to death. Conclusion Although some men claim to be also affected by domestic violence, the main victims are women and children. Because women and children are regarded as weak and unable to protect themselves. Domestic violence is a serious offence that needs to come to an end because of its disastrous effects on the society.
Reference: 1. http://www.lac.org.na/projects/grap/grapviolence.html 2. http://windhoek.usembassy.gov/domestic_violence.html 3. http://www.hotpeachpages.net/africa/Namibian%20Directory/Counselling%20and%20Support.pdf 4. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-99696528.html 5. http://www.namibian.com.na/columns/full-story/archive/2009/june/article/global-week-of-action-against-gun-violence-to-disarm-domestic-violence/ 6. http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/nationalreports/africa/namibia/name,3196,en.html