domestic violence – Lablogatory

Language can have an indirect but profound impact on perception. The words we use to describe events can change how the act is interpreted, either consciously or subconsciously.

With that in mind, the way professionals and media speak about domestic violence (DV) often leaves much to be desired. Predictably, assaults and murders are described as “incidents” or “episodes”. This gentle substitution is a way to sanitize the physical and emotional trauma for a general audience. It is so commonly used that many professionals implicitly recognize ‘incident’ and ‘situation’ as a code for ‘abuse’. Yet these seemingly innocuous terms of convenience diminish the significance of the event. An “incident” is something small; a fender bender, or two people arguing in the security line at an airport. Tensions are raised but nobody is hurt, and things are soon back to normal. To label something an incident suggests it is of minimal importance to the general population. But when speaking about DV, this isn’t true. Unfortunately, the scope of the problem is incredibly wide. One study from the U.S. indicated 35.6% of women and 28.5% of men will be victims of DV in their lifetime (1). So even if you have not personally experienced it, you absolutely know someone who has (whether you know it or not). Every time someone is injured or murdered in a domestic violence “incident”, the entire community bears the loss – whether it is the loss of a friend, a parent, a co-worker, or all three.

In one relatively recent example, the District Attorney of Norfolk, Massachusetts described a double murder followed by suicide as a ‘domestic violence situation’ and a ‘domestic incident’. He stated it was ‘confined’ in the typically ‘nice neighborhood…safe community’. This ignores the obvious contradiction – safe community for most might be a better statement. But perhaps the most glaring mischaracterization is calling a crime of this nature ‘confined’. The intent is easy to interpret – there is no immediate threat to the safety of other residents – and that is an important piece of information. But to treat an act of violence so dismissively in a press conference is dishonest and diminishes the repercussions for the family, friends, and community of the victims. The effects reverberate through surviving family and friends in the community. There is nothing ‘confined’ about the effect of homicidal violence on a community. To speak about it that way treats the victims as though they were property of the perpetrator.

Relegating homicide to the category of ‘incident’ also dampens the emotional response to the loss. To place this in perspective, we would never describe the natural death of an elderly individual as a ‘cardiac incident’, or a fatal car crash as a ‘motor vehicle incident’. By allowing this compartmentalization, there is less public urgency to investigate the root causes and implement prevention efforts.

There are multiple tiers of responsibility. Media cannot do a better job reporting on these crimes if the professionals who autopsy, prosecute, and investigate cannot improve the language used. As one of the professionals who has used the term ‘incident’, I’m also trying to do better.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at www.thehotline.org, or 1-800-799-SAFE.

References:

Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M.R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 Summary Report. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.