Article II

Name: Gianna Rocca

Block 2
Date: 4/29/15
Article Title: Crisis in Ukraine Leads To A Spike in Domestic Violence
Citation of the Article: Capon, Felicity. "Crisis in Ukraine Leads To A Spike in
Domestic Violence." News Week. NewsWeek LLC, 23 Apr. 2015. Web. 28 Apr.
2015.
Summary (No less than 10 sentences for full credit)
The article Crisis in Ukraine Leads To A Spike in Domestic Violence highlights
how serious the problem of domestic abuse related to the countrys conflict is.
It has been identified that women in Ukraine are experiencing domestic violence at
the hands of their partners or husbands who are ex-combatants or on leave from
fighting in the east of the country. Alona Zubchenko, who works for La Strada,
says the number of people reaching out to the NGO (emergency hotline for victims
of domestic violence), is rising due the increased violence in society generally,
and because more men are suffering from mental health problems as a result of
their experiences fighting. Zubchenko also points out that part of the problem is
that Ukrainian men in general are not willing to admit they are struggling with the
effects of war, or to ask for help. This shows that participating in the Ukraine Crisis
is an overwhelmingly stressful task among Ukrainian men, especially since they
are not able to accept that they need help and support, making it difficult for the
women. In addition, the crisis has also led to increasing reports of rape and sexual
violence by armed and uniformed men in the Donbass region of Ukraine. However,
victims of abuse are not willing to go to the police for help since they are often
turned away. In fact, some police classify it is a moral-crime to accuse exsoldiers of abuse. This is because the police believe that registering reports on
domestic abuse is unnecessary due to how the men who fought for their country
have suffered enough. Overall, the soldiers who are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are partly responsible for the increase in abuse of
women in Ukraine.
Reaction (Must include evidence of point of view and/or bias and/or understanding
of article; no less than 6 sentences for full credit)
I think that Felicity Capons article is very informational and important to
acknowledge. Ukrainian soldiers who are suffering post-traumatic stress disorder

are those who contribute to the increasing reports of rape, sexual violence, and
domestic abuse upon women, need to be recognized by the Ukraine government
since it has become a very significant problem. As a female, I found that the
content in this article was disturbing and irritating. Call me a feminist for believing
that it is wrong of officers to categorize accusing ex-soldiers of abuse as a moral
crime. In my eyes, it doesnt matter who commits the act, domestic abuse is in
fact domestic abuse, all that matters is the realization that abuse is not acceptable.
If anything, turning an individual away for openly admitting to being a victim of
assault is a moral crime, and I believe this applies to both genders.