2.4.2.4 Domestic economic violence
Domestic violence can also take the form of economic
violence. Parker and Tritter (2006:176) reveal that when the abuser is the only
money provider in the home, he has more power over household members. In fact,
family economic resources give power to the one who brings them. In most cases,
man is the one who brings more financial, social and organizational
resources.
In the same vein, Ruhamya (2007) ascertains that abusers
apply economic violence by denying the victim physical resources such as
clothes, food, necessary medication or shelter. In addition, Wallby and Allen
(2006:61) relate that the man may refuse to pay the lease, seize his wife's
bank cards and even deny her to use some of the appliances in the house. Such
inequality of power creates potential negative consequences for the victim's
economic security or being refused financial assistance, which reduces her
voice to claim her home rights (Olson and DeFrain, 2000:512).
2.4.2.5 Domestic spiritual violence
With domestic spiritual violence, the abuser impedes some
family members from fully practising their religious beliefs or manipulates
them for his profit (Holmes, 2003:69).
This thwarts the victims' rights and causes them to be
ridiculed by their children and their church fellows (Imbens and Ineke,
1993:124). Evidence by Ongala (1993:88) points that some DRC pastors often
compel their wives with their children to adhere to their churches. This does
not only apply to close but also remote family members with the aim of growing
the number of church adherents.
Furthermore, with spiritual domestic violence the abuser
impedes some family members to
practise fully their religious beliefs or
manipulates them to his profit (Holmes, 2003:69). The
abuser hinders the
victims of spiritual abuse from fully practising their religious or
spiritual
faiths, which hinders their rights and ridicules them toward
their children and their church fellows (Imbens and Ineke, 1993:124). The
abuser may go further and oblige the victim to quit their religious practices
and join his. As an illustration, Ongala (1993:88) points that some DRC pastors
often compel their wives with their children to adhere to their churches.
Besides, this is an apparent make believe trick that lies to the world that the
pastor's church is strongly supported. This depicts the African adage that says
`stones and sand of a river always follow water'. The abuser does not use
violence blindly; he always advances good reasons for it.
2.4.3 Grounds for domestic violence
The reasons for domestic violence depend on and include the
broader society and its culture and the abuser's individual behaviours.
2.4.3.1 Cultural imbalance and social customs
Culture and customs govern the way people act and interrelate
with others, the way they reason and perceive social events (Fisher et al.,
2000:41). Cultural imbalance and social customs spread violence; they cause
family members remain under man's domination (Thornhill, 1999:170). These are
salient social traditions that encourage family violence and therefore cause
its prevalence in society (Mawazo, 2010). In fact, society encourages domestic
abuse as some cultures have established traditions that disregard some members
of the society. For example, those social customs that consider women as
children producers inhibit their freedom as they have no word in their families
(Duarte, 2006). In South Kivu, the culture and customs allow the man, and not
the woman, to apply force to family members who oppose or disobey the customary
laws (Ongala, 1993:47). For that reason, Taslitz (1999:25) and Rude (1999:12)
ascertain that in social institutions, man dominates because customs give him
power over society members. This gives abusers high power and the victims weak
power, by making man the head of the family and not the wife. Wilmot (1980:90)
says that cultural disparity and social customs spoil the best of social
interactions. These norms rot the reliability of the abuser's self and the
honour of the victim as they bring joy to the abuser but take the victim's.
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