Domestic Violence And Its Effects On The Victim

This proposed support group will aim to help bridge this gap in services; it will help male victims of domestic violence with their issues from such violence in a safe and trusting environment.

Although we lost Ellen Pence, a woman who changed how domestic violence is addressed, in 2012, there are many lives that are being saved to this day because of her work. Ellen Pence found her calling in 1977 when she began working for the Minneapolis Housing Authority that helped individuals relocate with housing complications (StarTribune, 2010). It was then that she immersed herself through domestic violence cases and set the standard for addressing these cases. Ellen Pence is especially known for establishing the Duluth Program, a program that address batterers in the court systems, and Praxis Training, which are training on addressing domestic violence for law enforcement, advocates, community agencies, and institutions. Pence’s 35 years of service change the way domestic violence cases were handled, educated key players in domestic violence cases, and showed the world what it was like to be a victim of domestic abuse. Without her efforts, many individuals in power addressing these cases would be lost and those to who are victims would not be understood as they are today.

Domestic violence, alternatively referred to as Intimate Partner Violence, is defined by the Department of Justice 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.” While domestic violence is commonly thought of as only physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence can also be emotional, economic, or psychological. Domestic violence has remained constant in society throughout history, even though over time society’s response to the issue has changed. While domestic violence affects everyone regardless of race, gender, age, etc. it is estimated that approximately 90% of all victims are women. For the purpose of this paper, I will be focusing on

The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV, n.d.) provides training for advocates of domestic violence (DV) survivors and their families. This paper reflects my experiences as I worked through the first three sections of training: the history of the DV movement; the key requirements of DV advocacy; and safety planning. The primary thread throughout the training sections is the importance of providing advocacy based on survivor-empowerment and meeting clients where they are. In this paper, I also explore my role as a mental health counselor in an interdisciplinary response team working with survivors of domestic violence.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) impacts millions of families worldwide (Watts & Zimmerman, 2002). In fact, in the United States alone on average nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men (National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 2010). In light of this troubling information, the clinical social worker may find him or herself called upon to serve this most vulnerable population.

On 03/18/2017 at approximately 2132 hours, I was dispatched to 8340 Rd. 46 in the County of Montezuma, and State of Colorado for reports of a domestic disturbance.

A large number of incarcerated women report high rates of abuse, including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse (Wolff, Frueh, Shi, Schumann, 2012). This writer recently started to conduct individual substance abuse counseling to women incarcerated at the Hendry County Jail. During the time of speaking to these women, a common factor has arisen, that is the fact that most of these women have been involved in some sort of domestic violence. Although there are women’s jail groups available throughout the country, there are not enough of these groups that focus on battered women. This writer proposes to incorporate a battered women’s in jail group that will focus on helping those women who are incarcerated and who have been involved in domestic violence throughout their lifetime.

In completing this essay, an opportunity was provided to select a case study and determine whether individual, group, or both kinds of services would be most effective treatment for a client. The essay will be based on the case study of Working with Survivors of Domestic Violence: The case of Charo. The issue the client is facing will be discussed, along with my recommended intervention. The essay will conclude with identifying the best delivery method for an intervention with supporting resources to validate my decision.

The group for psychoeducational support groups for the perpetrators of intimate partner violence. The ultimate goal of the group is to ensure that they can manage any anger problems, emotional problems, and drug related problems that may contribute to their behavior (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014). It should be every group member’s goal that he or she learns techniques to genuinely improve relationships with others. Every group members’ goal should be to be truthful and open about their abusive behaviors towards others and learn alternative ways to interact with others (Corey et al., 2014). In addition, there may also be a need managing the stress from any other contributing factors that may affect abusive behavior (Corey et al., 2014). Group members will be given different outlets to help individuals feel in control over emotions and behaviors. Also, it is the group leader’s goal to make sure that the group member’s take responsibility for their actions and are not solely placing blame on the victims of intimate partner abuse (Corey et al., 2014). Lastly, the group members should develop compassion and empathy towards the individuals that they are around (Corey et al., 2014). This will allow the perpetrators of domestic violence to address any rationalizations that may prevent them from making progress within the group.

Domestic Violence has drastically increased over the years. Violence in the home is a concern for most. The most affected victims rather it’s emotionally or physically are women. They fall into different categories: single, married, separated, or divorced. For years, people try to avoid this conversation. Women of all ages, all ethnicity, and all social level are affected by domestic violence in their homes. There are

Women will continue to suffer from domestic violence unless there is some sort of intervention to help them. When dealing with this population, it is essential to create a safe environment where the woman can talk freely about the abuse without any retaliation from the abuser. When someone comes into a therapeutic session, everyone deserves to be treated with respect and care. This in turn will create a sense of hope that a different type of life can be possible. Also, knowing that there is a support system can help the woman begin the process of change. Despite this, the process of leaving the abusive partner is slow (Warshaw, n.d.)

One in three women in the world has been in a sexual or physical abuse with either a non-partner or partner in their lifetime (World, 2016). There are agencies that are willing to help people from these solutions by giving shelter or help in any way they can. To have a better understand what agencies does to help there is a particular county that has an agency that helps victims of domestic violence. The agency that will be discussed is The PATH shelter in Rutherford County, and how is the experience of a member who works in the PATH shelter, and learns more about the Domestic Violence.

This documentary looks into the lives of three women who have experienced domestic violence. Each woman’s story is different but they all share an experience that will never fade away from their memory. Sabrina is shown first, badly beaten and bruised. Her boyfriend is taken into custody and she is left with the decision of pressing charges. This isn't the first time her boyfriend has abused but her injuries are so bad that something has to be done. With the help of a counselor Sabrina gets the courage to press charges but thats just the first step. Over the course of six months Sabrina has to consider all of her options for refuge and her safety. After about six months the court hearing takes place. She wasn’t expecting to have such strong feelings when she saw he abuser.

Research supports the use of group work, as opposed to one-to-one therapy, for perpetrators of domestic violence (Holt, 2015).

In America most cases of Domestic Violence are never actually reported, many times these cases go unheard and the victims suffer in silence. The worn out cries of a battered woman as she lays on the ground clutching herself and begging her significant other to just stop. The bruises and cuts that remain unreported due to the victim claiming they accidentally fell yet again. The abusers tend to make the victim almost entirely dependable on them. An abuser will do this to gain control and to create a weaker victim, “behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other” (Par. 1, Definition). Control. The abuser seeks control over their victims. When their control is threatened they act out in ways harmful to others. Domestic