Risks and Opportunities of Faith and Culture: The Case of Abused Jewish Women

Abstract

Intimate partner abusers often focus on physical violence, but abuse may also include exploiting a partner's faith or subculture. Alternatively, faith or subculture may be a source of strength and support for victims. We explored this by analyzing case files from a Jewish domestic violence services agency. Jewish identity conditions women's experiences with intimate partner abuse through the use of Judaism as a "tool" for abuse, the role of Jewish holidays and observances, and the role of the Jewish community. While partners of abused Jewish women often perverted the laws and traditions of Judaism to control their partners and the reaction of the larger community varied, being part of an integrated cultural and religious community offered support for some women.

“Walking Between the Raindrops”: Intimate Partner Violence in the Ultra-Orthodox Society in Israel From Social Workers’ Perspective

“…Incidence and frequency may vary among different contexts (Haj-Yahia, 2000). Although a wide field of research about IPV exists, little is known about IPV in Haredi society because it is hidden and even denied by members of the community (Cares & Cusick, 2012;Koblenz, 2009;Ringel & Bina, 2007). In recent years, however, data from the police, at Australian National University on June 5, 2016 jiv.sagepub.com Downloaded from welfare services, community organizations, and NGOs for abused Haredi women have served to raise awareness about the phenomenon in the United States (Grodner & Sweifach, 2004).…”

A Sociological Investigation of Awareness and Causes of Intimate Partner Violence in Nigeria: A Survey of Agege, Lagos State

“…Abuse may also involve exploiting partner's faith or subculture. These tactics serve to gain compliance and entrap victims in relationship by disempowering them and making it difficult for them to reach out for help or to leave [Cares and Cusick, 2012].…”

Defining and Enabling ‘Justice’ for Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence and Abuse

“…For these faiths, the family has sacred importance and women are seen as central in maintaining family values and the intergenerational transmission of faith Guthertz 2004;Raday 2012;Nason-Clark 2000;Macey 1999). For deeply observant women across faiths, spirituality is part of everyday life Cares, Cusick 2012;Bano 2012). Faith and spirituality have been shown to provide a source of strength and comfort to women, especially where they are subject to DVA Pyles 2007;Raday 2012).…”

“…Faith and spirituality have been shown to provide a source of strength and comfort to women, especially where they are subject to DVA Pyles 2007;Raday 2012). It can, therefore, be all the more damaging when abuse impacts on the spiritual aspects of their lives: for instance by abusers' insistence on obsessive observance or by being forced to transgress religious tenets (Starr 2017;Cares and Cusick 2012;Dehan and Levi 2009;Oakley and Kinmond 2013;Dehan and Levi 2009;Sanderson 2008).…”