As far as Connie,she was not a "masculine child" and in the old school mentality that Vito possessed, her job was the 4 C's (cook,clean,children,church) I believe that in the novel,Vito's solution to the domestic violence in her home was that she should not give her husband a reason to beat her. Once she married,she no longer belonged to her Father,but instead,to her Husband.