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Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force On Violence And The Family
There is inevitable tension between the right of family privacy and the need to expose family violence -- to stop its occurrence, to help victims, and to conduct research.
The sanctity of home and family is something we value. At home we expect warmth, comfort, solace, and protection from harm. Further, we treasure the right to live as we wish without interference from others, but that right can help perpetuate the violence that occurs in some families. The right of privacy, especially when it is buttressed with secrecy and isolation, can prevent professionals and the community at large from learning about the complex dynamics involved in family violence and abuse, and it prevents the victims inside from receiving the assistance that they need. Abuse thrives on closed boundaries and secrecy.Studies suggest that more violence occurs among low income families, but it may be that researchers know more about poor families because they are less able to maintain secrecy than those who have more resources. For example, the Vice President of an important company may hit a child hard enough to inflict serious injury, but the injury is treated in the office of a family physician and not reported. A mother on welfare or a laborer collecting unemployment, however, may inflict the same injury to a child but would have to take that child to a nearby hospital clinic. One family will be shielded from public view, the other will be counted in the statistics on child abuse.
Balancing the right of privacy with the need for intervention in family violence warrants thoughtful reflection on the part of policymakers and other individuals concerned about abuse. Differences in class, culture, and economic resources should not influence our ability to stop family violence, understand its dynamics, protect its victims, and facilitate healing for all who are affected.
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