Domestic Violence Issues for Occupational Health Nursing

Michele M. Lawson, RN, MSN, COHN-S

Objectives

• Identify seven types of domestic violence.• Compare Power and Control Wheel with Cycle

of Abuse.• Discuss characteristics of batterers and victims.• Apply screening techniques to the occupational

setting. • Recognize appropriate community resources for

victims.

Domestic Violence

• CBS news report

Types

• Physical• Verbal• Emotional• Sexual• Financial• Spiritual• Economical

Cycle of Abuse

Tensions Building

IncidentReconciliation

Calm

Power and Control

• Board room commercial• Domestic Abuse Intervention

Project

Characteristics of Victims

• Bureau of Justice Statistics Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S.: Victim Characteristics

• Female• 20-24 years• Lower income• Lower education level

Men are Not Exempt

• Homosexual relationships• Elder abuse• Some violent women

Characteristics of Batterers

• 80-90% are male• 18-35 years (teenagers are not innocent)• Some have prior nonviolent/violent offense• Usually known because of prior DV calls to police• Alcohol and drugs in majority of cases• Mental illness not a factor• May have multiple victims• Likely to abuse again depending on measures taken

usually within 6 months

High Risk Situations

• Pregnancy• Victims attempt to leave the abuse• Just out of prison or off probation

“I just want the violence to stop”

• Victims may not want to leave– FEAR– Children– Financial– Ability to provide/survive on their own

• Repeat abuse incidents

Navigating the System

• Criminal• Civil• Both?– Language barriers– Court appearances– Transportation– Cost for services and time off work

Safety Planning

• Key documents for victim/children– SS card– Birth certificates– Passports/DL

• Unpaid bills• Mortgage or rental agreement• Money• Keys• Safe home/shelter• Address book

Screening in the Workplace

• What policies are already in place?• Is there management support?• Development of policies: A Team approach– HR– Safety– Management– OHN

• Implementation of policy– Getting the information to the employees– Screening during annual exams

What to ask?

• Verbally not on a form!• Have you been hit, kicked, slapped, punched, or

in any other way physically abused?• Do you now or have you felt threatened by

your intimate partner?• Do you have or know resources that you can

access? (No matter what the answer, providing this information may be the first step to helping.)

Who to ask?

• Every client, consistently.• Not everyone will exhibit “typical” victim

characteristics• If all employees are screened at annual visit,

no one is singled out or missed

“Yes” Responses

• Always provide resources!!!• He or she may not be ready to leave now

Providing Power & Control

• STOP the SILENCE• Australian Domestic Violence Video

Toolkit

• National Advisory Council on Violence• http://

www.legalmomentum.org/assets/pdfs/creatingsolutions.pdf

•

Resources

• Violence Against Women• Violence Prevention web site– www.nwph.net/preventviolence/default.aspx

• World Health Organization– www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/

violence/en/index.htm• Violence Prevention Alliance– www.who.int/violenceprevention/en/index.htm.

Local Resources

• SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition– 236 Union Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302– 864-583-9803 or 800-273-5066– shrcc@aol.com

• Spartanburg Public Safety Domestic Violence Task Force– 864-596-3452

• Hispanic Outreach of South Carolina, Inc.– 800-372-3312

Local Resources

• Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault– 843-669-4694

• Sistercare, Inc. (Columbia)– 803-926-0505

• My Sister’s House (Charleston)– 843-744-3242

• SafeHarbor (Upstate/Greenville)– 800-291-2139

State Resources (cont.)

• South Carolina Centers for Equal Justice– 888-346-5592

• Carolina Counseling (Batterer’s Counseling)– 864-583-5802

• South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA)– 800-260-9293

• http://www.aardvarc.org/dv/states/scdv.shtml

National Domestic Violence Hotline

•1-800-799-SAFE•1-800-799-7233

Questions?

Contact Information

Michele M. Lawsonmichlawson@earthlink.ne

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