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Lesson Five: (Continued)
The Role of the Family
Many victim service providers tend to focus on the needs of an individual
victim rather than the extended family or community. However, there are
times in which a family is very highly impacted by a crime committed against
one of its members. “… Social and cultural factors have a strong
influence on family life. They shape attitudes and create expectations about
family relationships and responsibilities. They affect whether or not family
members live together and provide care to one another.”
For instance, it is possible that a family would prefer to send a
representative in lieu of the victim to talk to the police, prosecutor or
victim advocate. Family expectations are particularly relevant in cases of
sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse. An interviewee suggested that
some African-American women have trouble with many programs designed for
battered woman. Often the implicit message in these programs is
“I’m good and he’s bad.” To many women, family is
important and that sort of judgment, however subtle, is
disturbing.
A “Cultural Defense”?
Although the misunderstandings and belief systems outlined above can be
legitimate, those working with victims must be wary of what is commonly
referred to as the “culture defense.” In any organized society,
multicultural or homogenous, legal standards must be respected and enforced.
Using “culture” as a rationale or justification for domestic
violence, sexual assault, or other types of crime is dangerous and
misleading.
Too often this defense relies on stereotypes that violence against women,
for example, is an integral and accepted element of certain cultures.
Unfortunately, such violence is pervasive in all cultures, and almost all
cultures have systems — informal or formal — to curb it. Therefore,
cultural considerations should not lead to different enforcement of the law
but rather to a more effective and knowledgeable interaction with both victim
and perpetrator.
The mandated reporter is ultimately responsible for reporting any suspected
cases of child abuse or neglect, thus deferring cultural interpretations to
trained professionals who will investigate the case more deeply.
Summary
Cultural diversity is broadly defined to include race, ethnicity, class,
age, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and physical
and mental abilities. Practices which may be generally acceptable within
a particular subculture may not be acceptable within the mainstream culture
and would constitute child abuse, necessitating a child abuse report.
However, a large variety of cross-cultural dimensions may confuse the
human services professional or law enforcement officer in his/her attempt
to effectively communicate, interpret and work with persons of another
culture.
Although the misunderstandings and belief systems outlined in this module
are of legitimate concern, those working with victims must be wary of what
is commonly referred to as the “culture defense.” Ultimately the
mandated reporter is responsible for reporting any suspected cases of child
abuse or neglect, thus deferring cultural interpretations to trained
professionals who will investigate the case more deeply.
Quiz »
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