DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

Domestic Violence is a pattern of targeted unrelenting coercive and assaultive behavior that is systematic in nature, which is aimed at imposing control and dominance on the victim.

It is not a one-off event and is not limited to physical aggression. It usually manifest itself in:-• Physical harm (i.e assaults-hitting, fights), • Psychological attacks (name calling, mocking, insulting or swearing the person, and leaving

them out of decision making activities) , • Sexual violence (i.e rape, forcing victim into unwanted sexual practice), • Verbal confrontations (i.e arguing),

WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONT’D?

• Economic manipulation/bullying (i.e limiting or without financial support, preventing the other party from gaining and maintaining employment), and

• Subjective deprivation of liberty (i.e isolating the person, limiting the person ability to going out allow, with family or friends)

The objective of this kind of behaviour is to make the person feel “less of a

person” diminish their self-worth, sense of dignity, and identity.

Data indicates that abused persons often report that the psychological or emotional

abuse is the most hurtful type of abuse, because they become fearful or suffer from

mental anguish, become with drawn and learn to be uncertain of themselves and their

abilities.

VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Victims can be anyone, they all share the common experience of being abused by someone close to them:-

Men, Women, Children, Parents – the elderly, The physical challenged, Be of any age or social class or employed any where, and They could be your next door neighbour

Men are abused too!

Denis Campbell’s September 2010 article (in the UK’s Guardian) on domestic violence, indicated that men are also victims; he shared the concern of men rights campaign group Parity that two in every five cases of domestic violence cases have male victims, a reality completely ignored by the media and police.In it’s report “Domestic violence: The male perspective” Parity claims that domestic violence is often seen as a male perpetrator female victim issue. However, research shows otherwise.

Year Male Victims

2004 - 2005

40.0%

2006 - 2007

43.4%

2007 - 2008

45.5%

Traits of the Abuser

Threatening and intimidating e.g. Breaking and smashing; Glaring or staring at the victim to force compliance.

Demanding economic coercion e.g. Preventing the victim from obtaining employment or income in general as a means of control.

Displaying territorial behavior; Treating the victim like a servant/property; Defining gender roles in the home and relationship.

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Issues Resulting From Domestic Violence

According to the World Health Organization (2013):-

Domestic violence have serious short- and long-term physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems for survivors and for their children, and lead to high social and economic costs;

Violence against victims result in homicides and suicides etc;

Women who had been physically or sexually abused were 5 times more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection to include HIV in some regions, compared to women who have not experienced partner violence;

Women suffer unintended pregnancies, induced abortions, gynaecological problems, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV;

Deborah King’s Cycle of Violence

Click icon to add picture1. Tension Building – Stress starts to build

(money, children, jobs) and verbal abuse starts. The victim tries to please or placate the abuser. When the tension boils over, physical abuse begins.

2. Acute Battering Episode-triggered by the abuser’s emotional state This is triggered by the abuser’s emotional state, not the victim’s behaviour. It is unpredictable and not in the victim’s control.

3. The Honeymoon Phase-The abuser feels ashamed and apologizes. The abuser feels shame about his behaviour, is remorseful and apologizes, or tries to blame it on the victim. He insists that the abuse will never happen again, and convinces the victim not to leave.

10WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Social stratification! Culture! Socialization!

Mental illness, such as anti-social personality disorder (perpetrate);Learnt Abusive violent behaviour, which usually leads to gender discrimination and gender related violence (perpetrate and experience) Living in a culture of violence -exposure to home, community, school or peer violence etc (perpetrate and experience); Childhood observation of domestic violence and victimization experiences, Low self esteem, jealousy/ controlling issues (perpetrate and experience); Harmful use of alcohol (perpetrate and experience); andHaving multiple partners or suspect partners of infidelity (perpetrate).

11HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Pregnancies increases the likelihood of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term delivery and low birth weight and deformed babies;

Lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep difficulties, eating disorders, emotional distress and suicide attempts. The same study found that women who have experienced intimate partner violence were almost twice as likely to experience depression and drinking problems;

 Health issues range from headaches, back pain, abdominal pain, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, limited mobility and overall poor health; and

Sexual violence, particularly during childhood, can lead to increased smoking, drug and alcohol misuse, and risky sexual behaviours in later life. And is associated with perpetrated violence (for males) and being a victim of violence (for females).

12Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Domestic Violence Crime Pattern from 1997 to 2007

Years Offence

Murder

Total % Dom/Related ASSAULTS WOUNDINGS Rape/C/Abuse TOTAL

1997 1038 21 % 216 13136 1297 1620 16269

1998 953 27 % 260 11319 1739 1420 14738

1999 849 27 % 226 9837 1625 1261 12949

2000 887 33 % 294 6779 5636 1304 14013

2001 1139 29 % 331 3373 3735 1218 8657

TOTAL 4866 27 % 1327 44444 14032 6823 66626

There were 9,625 incidents of domestic violence in 2007, a 29.2 per cent increase over 2006 (Economic and Social Survey).

Approximately 4.4% of 2007 national murders were attributed to domestic disputes, a 0.1 %-point decline over 2006. ARTICLE: Domestic violence statistics Alarming BY: Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer published: Monday | July 21, 2008

Petherbridge (2016) 12 Traits of an Abuser

An abuser is usually:- 1. Charming: Initially, he showers his woman with praise, adoration, and attention. His

courtship is sweet and intense filled with phrases such as, “I can’t live without you.” He quickly pushes for an exclusive relationship or engagement.

2. Jealous: He views other men as a threat to the relationship and accuses you of flirting with everyone from his brother to the mailman. “I know you are looking at him.” The irony is that he often is the one who is cheating.

3. Manipulative: This man is very intelligent. He knows how to detect your weak spots, and he uses your vulnerability and past pain to his advantage. “You were abused as a kid because you are so ugly.”

Petherbridge (2016) 12 Traits of an Abuser Cont’d

4. Controlling: He wants to know where you are going and who you are with at all times. He may check the mileage on your car or follow you to the grocery store. He often refuses to allow you to work because you might “meet someone.”

5. A Victim: His poor choices are everyone else’s fault. When he loses his job, gets into a fight, or a business deal falls through, it’s always because of the other person. He is never at fault. “You make me hit you.”

6. Narcissistic: The whole world revolves around him. As the “little woman who is beneath him,” it is your job to meet his every need. He is the master; you are the unworthy slave. It’s invigorating for him to know that everyone around him “walks on eggshells.”

7. Inconsistent: Mood swings are a common trait for an abuser. One minute he seems happy and sweet, the next he is pounding his fist.

Petherbridge (2016) 12 Traits of an Abuser Cont’d

8. Critical: No matter how hard you try you will never be able to satisfy this kind of man. He thinks nothing of degrading and verbally assaulting you. “You are a stupid, fat, disgusting tramp. You can never leave me. No other man would have you.”

9. Disconnected: His main goal is to isolate his victim from family and friends so that you are totally dependant on him. “Your family causes too much trouble for us. I don’t want you seeing them anymore.”

10. Hypersensitive: The slightest offense sends him ranting. Everyone is out to “get him.” 11. Vicious and cruel: A significant number of abusers harm children and animals as well as a

partner. Inflicting pain and intimidating others is what gives him power. “I’ll kill you before I’ll let you go. If I can’t have you, no one will.”

12. Insincerely repentant: He will swear to never “hit you again.” But unless he receives professional help and strong accountability it’s very unlikely that he will change.

16IMPLICATION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

It is a high security risk that usually a root cause for crimes, such as murders, assaults, rapes, which ends in crime scourge;

In Jamaica, all police stations have to respond to domestic violence calls/situations; as domestic violence calls are the single largest type of police calls, it is estimated that more than 50% of the calls are violent;

60% of domestic violence offenses occur between 6 pm and 6 am, when the victim’s are usually at home.

Domestic Violence Issues Facing Client Population

Click icon to add picture

The Issues within Domestic Violence

The shame/blame effect; Creates gender related violence/gender discrimination; Domestic violence issues damage/drain the victim’s emotional; mental; physical; and social

state; The victim returns to their abuser because of a promise to get help, change or stop; Victims stay in an abusive relationship because they believe that help is not an option

and that they are in love with their partner; and To maintain the family support structure primarily because unemployment and children

Returning to the Abuser

Things have changed. Will be better in the future. Sometimes they convince themselves. Nowhere to turn. Guilt trip.

Staying in an Abusive Relationship

Fear Victims are not independent. Guilt and shame Isolation Emotional and physical impairment

Help - not an Option

Victims do not believe that they are victims so they do not seek help.

Victims feel ashamed and scared to speak up, scared to be judged. (Isolation).

Children in the Mix

Domestic Violence negatively affects children.

Chaos within home environment causes misbehavior in children. Act out at home, school and other parts of their environment. Children reflect pain and anger from what they experience at home. Process violent behavior according to the developmental stage they are in and what they

understand from it. Trust versus mistrust

23KEY TERMS IN TREATING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic Violence Act (1996) - is law to protect victims from partner and family violence. The Jamaica Police should effect an arrest on view or after recording the victim’s statement for breach of the Act and/or a court order. The Act offers :- An Ex-parti Application- an application made to the court without the abuser, where a

temporary order is issued for the abuser to vacate the dwelling and/or limit access to the victim(s);

Occupation Order – the Court grants the abused the right to live in the home without the abuser; and

Protection Order- the Court prohibit the abuser from entering or remaining in the home, visiting the person’s place of work, church or school etc.

DUTIES, ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF A:

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL WORKER

ROLES OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL WORKER

Broker Advocate Case manager Educator Enabler Counselor Facilitator Manager Organizer

ROLE OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL WORKER

A domestic violence social worker:-

Advocate on behalf of their clients - victims of domestic violence Support and assist their clients’ who have been abused by those in their lives'/homes to understanding

what is happening, Explain the options available to the victim and guide the client to path to decision making, coping and

recovery from trauma experiences To support the client’s right to choices and assist in dealing with the consequences that follow the choice; Seek to empower family members to take control of their lives and move beyond the effects of domestic

violence.

How do Social Workers Receive their Cases?

Social workers in domestic violence receive their cases from: The Police; Medical Practitioners; Neighbours of the victim; Relatives of the Victims; Guidance Counselors; The Court; and Personal Observation

FUNCTIONS OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL WORKER

ASSESSMENT DOCUMENTATION RESPECT REFERRALS ADMINISTRATION INTERVENTION

Intervention Methods of Social Workerin Crippling Domestic Violence Goals of effectively responding to domestic violence victims Listen to the patient and provide validating messages Provide information about domestic violence to the patient: Listen and respond to safety issues Make referrals to local resources Follow-up steps for health care practitioners Community Education Coordinator

STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL WORK

STRATEGIES

In working with the victim, social workers must seek to identify:- Available resources Community resources at hand The client’s capabilities The client’s motivation

THEORIES TO BE USED BY THE SOCIAL WORK

Social works should focus on empowerment using the following theories;-Client centered (Carl Rogers), offer counselling (active listening, empathy, acceptance, unconditional positive regards; and the genuineness to foster growth by promoting a climate to enable the client to freely discover and grow as she/he wants and needs to; Holistic health (biopsychosocial) remind the client that we all have physical, intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual needs and neglecting them will result encourage the client’s;Strengths Perspective -to focus on what is going right with the client to build positive thinking /learned optimism to foster recovery/letting go hurt and harm; andCognitive behavioural (ABC Model), is portrayed as “as I think, so I feel (and do)!” In any given situation you have: A. Activating Event – the actual event and the client’s immediate interpretations of the event

B. Beliefs about the event – this evaluation can be rational or irrationalC. Consequences – how you feel and what you do or other thoughts

CONCLUSION

Domestic violence usually occurs at the micro level, affecting one family at a time, whilst demanding interventions to address this large scale social problem from the micro, mezzo and macro levels of social work practice to be effective.

Therefore, the pervasiveness of domestic violence mandates that social workers ought to develop adequate knowledge and skills to counteract domestic violence issues regardless of practice setting; in order to aptly respond to client situations.

 

THANK YOU

REFERENCES

Bragg, H. (2003) Child Protection in Families Experiencing Domestic Violence. Chapter 3: The Basics of Domestic Violence. Retrieved from: file:///C:/Users/ADMIN/Documents/SOWK%20DVChapter%203%20%20T he%20Basics%20of%20Domestic%20Violence.htm. October, 2013.

Domestic Violence Statistics. Retrieved from: http://domesticviolencestatistics.org/domestic-violence-statistics/ September 9, 2016

Domestic Violence Act (n.d.).

In http://www.moj.gov.jm/sites/default/files/laws/The%20Domestic%20Violence%20Act_0.pdf. Retrieved September 9, 2016

Erik Erikson. (1902 – 1994) Psychosocial Development. (Trust versus Mistrust)

http://courses.open.uwi.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=18394

Ganley,A & Hobart, M. (2010). Children’s Administration, Washington State Department of Social & Health Services. Social Worker’s Practice Guide to Domestic Violence. Retrieved from: http://www.wscadv.org/docs/Social_Workers_Practice_Guide_to_DV_Feb_2010.pdf. October, 2013.

Haralambos, Holborn and Heald, (2004) Social Stratification, p.4:

Janney, P. (n.d). Job Description of a Domestic Violence Social Worker. Demand Media.

Retrieved from: http://woman.thenest.com/job-description-domestic-violence-social-worker-11595.html. September 10, 2016.

King, D. (n.d.). Deborak King's Domesttic Violence Archive: Healing From Spousal and Child Abuse. Inhttps://deborahking.com/topics/domestic-violence-abuse/. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

REFERENCES (Cont’d)

LeGeron, M. & Savage Borne, J. (2010). Building Bridges: Training Social Work Students in

Domestic Violence Work. The Field Educator, Simmons School of Social Work, Volume 2.2. Retrieved from: http://fieldeducator.simmons.edu/article/building-bridges-training-social-work-students-in-domestic- violence-work/. October 10, 2013.

Petherbridge, L. (2016). The Christian Broadcasting Network's 12 Traits of an Abuser. In http://www1.cbn.com/marriage/12-traits-of-an-abuser. Retrieved September 9, 2016.

National Association of Social Workers. (2002) Equity. Volume 1, Number 1. Retrieved from: http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/events/domestic_violence/equity0101.pdf October 10, 2013.

SOWK 1001. Introduction to Social Work. Unit 4, pp 146-161. Retrieved from: http://courses.open.uwi.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=18400

Step Two - Common Counseling Theories (n.d.). In http://www.basic-counseling-skills.net/b-theories.html. Retrieved September 20, 2016.

WHO | Violence against women - World Health Organization (n.d.). In http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs239/en/. Retrieved September 9, 2016

Group Members

Carla Roye Paula Riley Christopher Brown’ David Graham Kimberlee Simpson Shevel Thompson Jodeen Mckane