Given these points, Steiner’s presentation offers viewerswith useful insight providing an eye-opening view on the multifaceted aspects ofdomestic abuse. Although statistics in this particular field will most likelyalways be difficult to call accurate, they provide viewers with a general ideaof the seriousness and enormity of the matter in todays society.
Steiner’sfirst hand accounts creates a connection on a emotional level with the audiencemaking her seem no different than a family member or friend telling theirstory. With her stoic personality, she forges a path of hope for anybody experiencingwhat she did, shedding light on a subject which deserves understanding and resolvefrom more than just the victims. Providing that, the effect which psychological abuse hason the mind can be similar Stockholm Syndrome, a diagnosis involved with imprisonmentand kidnappings where the victim develops a dependent relationship with thecaptor. This alleviates a path for the abuser to use the victim’s judgment totheir advantage creating even more self-pity within. According to the TimeMagazine, “Research also shows that abusers are drawn to people who alreadyfeel powerless in other aspects of their life”. This goes hand-in-hand with Steiner’s “seduce,charm, and isolate” plan for abusers searching for a victim. If these areindeed what abusers prey on, this creates much difficulty for the victim toescape from especially is psychological instability is already present. Regardless of the accuracy of the brief segment onstatistics, which would be nearly impossible to get correct due the manycomplexities of domestic abuse, Steiner’s presentation injects the listener intoreal-life scenario leaving them filled with empathy for domestic abuse victimsdespite being able to relate.
Her narration skills created as an author transferprofoundly from paper to the presentation creating a phantom image for thelistener to grasp onto and live within the moment. While at the same time, sheoffers universal advice and motivation to anybody stuck in a similar position ashers. Leading to her conclusion, whichcould be seen by some, as the most important part of the presentation due to itaddressing one the most complicated topics within domestic abuse.
“Why domesticviolence victims do not leave” is a crucial point in Steiner’s presentationbecause it addresses the difficult decisions which revolve around the matter. Oftenthe victim may be dependent on their partner or be in a life-threatening situationif they attempt to leave. Psychological abuse can impair the victim fromjudging the situation precisely and leading them to blaming their self.According Rick Nauert at LiveScience, women often still see positive traits intheir partner such as dependability and compassion even if abuse is present, furtheringthe complexity of psychological abuse. Additionally,she fails to address the sexual orientation of these victims making it seem asif she is only speaking to heterosexual women when she says, “everybody thinksit’s a women’s issue…
not exactly, more than 85% of abusers are men”. Yet, statistics seem to suggest a different perspectivewhen considering sexual orientations in the mix. According to the data, 2/5 of lesbianwomen, 3/5 of bisexual women, and 1/4 of heterosexual women will experience domesticviolence in their lifetime. On the flip side, 1/4 of gay men, 1/3 of bisexual men,3/10 of heterosexual men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. (CDC2010) Therefore, with this data present, it is obvious that women do fallvictim to more abuse as Steiner suggests just not as exaggerated as her brieflyprovided statistics. Speaking about statistics, there seems to be anotherpoint which Steiner seems to breeze by in her introduction, leaving room for misinterpretationby the viewers.
When she’s is talking about victims of domestic violence in theopening she says, “something that has happened to millions of women and even afew men” suggesting that women experience much more abuse as oppose to men. However,according to the CDC in 2017, 1/4 ofwomen and 1/7 of men will experience extreme physical abuse at some point intheir life and nearly 1/2 of all of men and men will experience psychological abusein their lifetime. From the start, Leslie Steiner’s introduction may put manyviewers off due to her portrayal of domestic violence through statistics which aredifficult to trace as accurate and underlying tones that are suggest that heterosexualwomen are the primary subjects of domestic abuse.
Although statistics are veryuseful in determining a scale at which such social problems occur, they fail toexpress the true severity of the problem. Domestic violence is often a crimewhich takes place behind closed doors, making it nearly impossible to spot froma third person view. Also, many times victims have trouble identifying psychologicalabuse due to the lack of distinct signs which accompany physical abuse.Therefore, this leads the victims to be reluctant or afraid to report on thematter creating many inconsistencies within the data that suggest domesticabuse is much higher than described.With a staggering firsthand perception at a glimpse of what domestic violence is like, Leslie MorganSteiner’s offers viewers a chance to understand the complexities anddifficulties which are involved in abusive relationships. Viewers may besurprised when first viewing the presentation that such a bourgeois woman witha strong and confident personality could fall victim to domestic abuse, butthis very persona leads her to express to the audience that anybody is liable.
She tells about frightening yet true stories from moments in her relationship,such as the first time it happened, several days before her wedding, or to thetime where her life is on the line with a gun pointed to her head. She addresses the complicated question of”why domestic violence victims stay?” giving insight to the multifacetedsituations which revolve around relationships. She provides listeners with manystatistics, although how accurate they are can be debatable due thedifficulties in obtaining such data. Nevertheless, her background as an author deliversa vivid narrative delving into the intricate entanglement of domestic abuse.
