The Politicization of Domestic Violence
The Politicization of Domestic Violence
This Chapter is a case study of an incident that occurred between the Sheriff of San Francisco and his wife resulting in criminal proceedings and official misconduct charges. It considers theories of victimhood generally and as pertaining to domestic violence. It reviews public hearings held to determine whether the sheriff, who had been elected as a result of a coalition of progressive organizations, should be removed from office. The hearings reveal that the public took measure of procedural justice and substance fairness in the case against the sheriff. During public commentary, community members challenged the efficacy of the criminal justice system as a response to mitigate domestic violence and rebuffed the mainstream-domestic violence movement for its default position of “zero tolerance.” The case provides incentive for mainstream domestic violence advocates to find common ground with other social justice movements, particularly those most affected by the apparatus of the carceral state.
Keywords: Domestic violence, Situational Couple Violence, Criminal Justice, Victim’s Rights, Racism, Social Movements
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