Domestic Violence And Building A Community Free Of Abuse

This proposal, submitted to the Domestic Violence Support Western Sydney Service, is to advocate for the inclusion of a support group focused on male victims of domestic violence in the services that are currently provided by the DVSWSS. With all due respect to the amazing support and services the DVSWSS provide to female victims, this proposal would be targeted specifically at the creation of a support group for male victims as there is a need for such services as is shown below. This proposal will aim to provide a mean for the DVSWSS to continue to be a leader in the support of domestic violence victims by providing services to all victims in need.

Domestic violence is a problem in our country with nearly 1 million women experiencing at least one incident of domestic abuse each year, (2009/10 British Crime Survey). Social-program funding is being scrutinized in the current economic climate with doubts as to whether American tax dollars should be used to help victims of domestic violence. Cutting funds for government programs that assist victims of domestic violence is not an option for many reasons. In this essay I will explore some of the many ways these programs help our fellow citizens in order to support the argument for continuing to fund said programs.

Working with victims of domestic violence can be an extremely rewarding and fulfilling endeavor. One of the most crucial aspects for a paralegal working with victim of domestic violence is adequately engaging in the task of educating oneself to understand the commonalities of such victims and the ordeals that they have been through. Such clients are drastically different from other individuals who have suffered other physical and violent crimes. Understanding the background of someone who has lived through domestic violence is absolutely central to being able to provide adequate and sensitive legal care. Most victims of domestic violence are women (95%) though domestic violence can have an impact on ever age, class, race, ethnic, cultural or religious group (purplerainfoundation, 2012). "In the United States, nearly one in three adult women experience at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood (American Psychological Association, Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family 1996 Report)" (purplerainfoundation, 2012). These women are often terrified of their partner's temper, apologize when they are abused and often in the most extremely controlling and isolated environment where the abusive partner will control who the partner sees and where the partner goes outside of the home, jealous of outside relationships (purplerainfoundation, 2012). In these abusive relationships the women are hit,

We had a guest speaker from Mutual Ground that explained what programs and services Mutual Ground offers people who face Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Teaching us about the various forms of abuse people in a relationship face. Based on the various forms someone seeks power and control in a relationship. Such as using coercion and threats, intimidation, emotional abuse, economic abuse, male privilege, children, isolation and minimizing, denying and blaming their partner to suppress their partner and have power and control. Our guest speaker talked about some of the plans they have to help the LGBTQ community to provide the same services to help victims of sexual violence and domestic violence get the necessary help needed to protect everybody

It is the policy of Starting Over-FDNL that victims of domestic or intimate partner violence and their children receive immediate shelter and protection from the batter. The shelter operates 24 hours, seven days a week, including all holidays. The nature of family violence warrants safeguarding victims from further violence after victims has separated themselves from the violence. For example, batters or perpetrators frequently follow victims to any location with the intent to commit further harm including murder. One of our highest priorities at Starting Over is protection and safety of all clients.

Despite the fact the physical effects of domestic violence could be the similar as for other forms of violent crime, the emotional effects can be much worse. Domestic violence happens when a crime is committed against a victim by someone with whom the victim is or has previously found, in a close relationship or somebody living in the same household as the victim. Domestic violence regulations differ from state to state. These variances range from conceptualization to the requirements under required reporting laws. Because of all these differences, the entire process of avoidance a domestic violence situation rest on each state. The Violence

Collaborate with guidance counsellors and youth group leaders, to address relationship violence with special emphasis

Domestic violence is an epidemic in our society with dramatic, negative effects on individuals, families and communities. Domestic violence is a crime that knows no economic, racial, ethnic, religious, age or gender limits. Women who are victims of domestic violence most likely are also victims of sexual assault and, stalking. A domestic violence victim may experience systematic rape in addition to physical and psychological abuse. According to Backman, (p.54) nearly one in every four women are beaten or raped by a partner during adulthood. Three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner each day in America, on average women are at an increased risk of harm shortly after separation from an abusive partner.

“Domestic violence is a type of abuse by one or both partners in marriage, friends, family, dating or cohabitation” (Aziz & Mahmoud, 2010). There are many forms of abuse from verbal and emotional to physical that often escalates over time in intensity for the victim. Data from the criminal justice system, hospital patient medical records and mental health records, police reports, surveys and social services reports of thousands of women revealed that many are injured and killed as a result of violence from someone close to them. “The US Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender” (Robertson & Murachver, 2009). Researchers and the criminal justice system have not been able to agree on a clear definition to domestic violence which can range from physical injury, stalking, verbal abuse and humiliation, denial of shelter and access to money, and intimidation through aggressive behaviors. The definition of domestic violence may vary but the results from physical injury, mental and emotional trauma, and sometimes even death can last a life time.

Sullivan and Bybee (1999) stated that one way that the abuser can control the victim is through social isolation, cutting off any social ties to family and friends to prevent the person from turning to someone for help. Having such ties has been helpful in the past when victimized women have left their assailants with the help of friends and family members. Aside from social support, another important support is community resources to respond to domestic violence, which is very helpful to decrease risk of abuse by their perpetrators. One of the main reasons that abused women return to their abusive partners is that they are unemployed and have no way to financially support themselves. Other resources important in reducing the risk of domestic violence are: “medical attention, child care, affordable housing and safe housing, and help from social service agencies” (p. 44).

Every day, most of the people are facing and touching with variety of violence including domestic violence, such as yelling, sexually abusing and punishment from angry drunken parents and, public violence or bulling at church schools and state schools (Wilson, 2002). However, there is not only perpetrators but also the person who help victims including grand-parents, mothers, sibling, relatives, neighbors and violence services organizations are living around the victims to give a helping-hands (Wilson,2002). To prevent or mitigate the violence, different organizations may approach to different participants such as individual, family or a group programme to conduct

Domestic violence doesn’t just affect the victim, it affects their family, their friends, and colleagues.

Shalva organization is an ongoing community invention organization in Chicago. It is working to effect social change for domestic abused women in Jewish communities. Domestic abuse (also known as spousal abuse) is when a partner in an intimate relationship manipulate the other partner by a systematic pattern of coercive behavior. There are multiple forms of domestic abuse such as verbal, emotional, financial, sexual, physical, and psychological. To combat domestic violence against women in Jewish communities, they provided multiple free services such as mental health counseling. They provide a twenty-four hour crisis line, individual and group counseling, financial

Between Friends, is a nonprofit agency dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and building a community free of abuse. In 1986, Between Friends was founded by volunteers from the National Council of Jewish Women and the North Shore Junior League of Evanston as a small grant making body dedicated to raising funds for local domestic violence programs. The clear disparity between the growing numbers of domestic violence victims needing help and the limited programs available to assist them prompted Friends to expand its effort in 1991 to include direct crisis intervention services for individuals and families. Today, Between Friends ' comprehensive programs and services include a toll-free Crisis Line (800-603-HELP), counseling for victims and their children, court advocacy, and prevention and education efforts, including healthcare education and our extensive teen dating violence prevention program, REACH (Relationship Education: A Choice for Hope). Each year, we work with thousands of individuals through these programs, all offered free of charge. Friends ' offices are located in Rogers Park, on Chicago 's north side.

Community overcoming Relationship abuse (2015) says, The effects of exposure to an abusive parent and to domestic violence/abuse will vary depending on the age of the child or teen (and often, gender), the length, frequency and severity of the abuse, the child or teen’s relationship with the non-abusive parent, whether they are themselves targets of abuse, and/or have access to a support network. It is important to know that children and teens will show different symptoms depending on all of these factors. The younger the child and the longer the exposure to abuser the more critical it is to ensure her/his immediate emotional and physical safety, interrupt trauma and support their healing (p. 9).