Prevention of Harm from Domestic Violence: Strategies and Recommendations

This report discusses preventive strategies for domestic violence related harms against women and children. It includes a detailed search strategy and discussion of five peer-reviewed articles. Recommendations are provided to control domestic violence related cases.

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Assessment task 1
REPORT EVIDENCE ON
PREVENTION OF HARM FROM
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
HSH7xx: Unit name
Unit chair: Name of unit chair
Author: Your name and ID
Date submitted: dd/mm/yy
Word count: 1500 words (excluding reference list)

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Table of contents
Introduction........................................................................1
Methods.............................................................................1
Review................................................................................3
Recommendations...............................................................6
Conclusion...........................................................................7
References..........................................................................8
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Introduction
Domestic violence is a major social concern to define which; the
Australian government defined a law namely the Family Law Act 1975
(Berns 2017). This law stated that, if any action of violence or threat
affects a family member or controls them, make them fearful, this will be
determined as domestic violence. However, the increasing numbers of
domestic violence related cases has affected the social structure of the
country (Woodlock 2017). As per the statistics, 1 in every 6 women and 1
in every 5 men are being sexually abused before 15 years of age as well as
more than 1,15,000 men, women and children were homeless due to
domestic violence(data from year 2014) (Brown and James 2014).
Further, more than 3000 men and women were admitted to hospital due
to physical violence by their partners or spouse (Zannettino 2012). In this
research paper, the discussion of prevention strategies of harm from
domestic violence will be discussed with a detailed search strategy and
discussion of five peer reviewed articles. Further, recommendations will
also be provided so that domestic violence related cases can be
controlled.
Methods
Research question Search terms Database Results
What are the
preventive
strategies for the
domestic violence
related harms in
women and children
living in a society
(socio-economic
status OR sound
economic status OR
higher class of
living) AND (society
OR environment OR
Surrounding) AND
Google scholar,
PubMed, CINAHL,
263
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having good socio-
economic status?
(Domestic violence
OR Physical violence
OR Violence) AND
(Violence against
children OR
violence against
Women OR
Violence against
women and
children) AND
(Preventive
strategies OR
Restricting
strategies OR
Preventive
measures OR
controlling
measures OR
preventive plans)
After conducting the search for the articles containing preventive
measures for violence against women and children (physical, metal and
sexual) those articles were selected that demonstrated the social aspect
of harms or included preventive measures that can be applied to a society
without any legislative control. This was important as mentioned in a
research by (), domestic violence can only be controlled if the society is
ready accepting the changes within itself.
Review
Domestic violence against women and children is not only an Australian
concern but also a global human rights related concern that is affecting
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millions of women and children across the world. Due to this, economic,
as well as cultural boundaries are violated. The data collected from WHO
determined that 30% of the women worldwide have experienced physical
and sexual violence by their partners.
In this aspect, the peer-reviewed paper by Ellsberg et al. (2015) should be
discussed that included studies from high-income countries that primarily
focuses on the response of the society, government and the victim to the
violence. On the other hand, this research also reviewed researches done
in low and middle-income countries where several interventions were
useful in preventing such violence related acts against women. Responses
to violence against women in high-income countries were divided into
four parts, women centered interventions, and school based
interventions, interventions aimed at perpetrators and legislative
reforms. Where the women centered interventions provided women with
psychological, counseling, home visiting and advocacy related support, for
men who attempt such violence against women were provided with
educational training so that they can understand the role of female
empowerment and become advocates for women power and control. On
the other hand, low-income countries included violence preventive
programs, group training for boys, synchronizing gender approach by
including men and women in training, community mobilization and
providing women with economic power so that they can live
independently. Therefore, the findings indicated towards educational and
training related interventions to prevent harm of domestic violence for
women. These programs provided a measureable success in preventing
domestic violence related harms so that development or social reform
can be determined.
There are several reasons for domestic violence in a society starting from
social economic status, substance abuse, gender inequality and so on.
Alcohol abuse is one of them due to which, more than 13.2% children of
Australian society are at risk of domestic violence. In a research article by
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Laslett et al. (2012) the primary aim of the researchers was to determine
the prevalence of alcohol abuse related harms in children and the
preventive measures used to minimize that harm. For this purpose, the
researchers conducted a survey amongst the Australian society to identify
the number of children being affected with domestic violence by their
parents suffering from substance abuse. It was found that more than 22
% of families have children who were affected with domestic violence due
to one of their parent suffering from substance abuse. Total 1147
respondent where involved in a study that indicated it towards 12.4 % of
severe domestic violence cases. Findings indicated towards the
identification of children maltreatment incidences within the subjects and
found that if the parents were provided with correct treatment and
knowledge for their substance abuse early in their life, they would have
been aware of its level. Hence, the findings indicated towards providing
such parents with correct rehabilitation or treatment service so that
domestic violence associated with substance abuse can be prevented.
Intimate partner violation is another form of domestic violence against
men and women, which is increasing tremendously in current times. To
find out the violence and preventive measures in this aspect of domestic
violence, a research article by Capaldi et al. (2012) was collected. This
systematic review article (in which all the peer reviewed articles were
included) determined that several factors such as age, gender, ethnicity.
Socio-economic status, stress, acculturation, alcoholic abuse and
substance abuse are responsible for such violence actions. On the other
hand, psychological aspects such as marital and relationship associated
status, discord, mental and physical attachment, negative emotions and
jealousy, physical and mental satisfaction were reasons for domestic
violence amongst others. The findings for preventive measures included
counseling, gender equality in relationships and training including such
couples so that respect for the other partner can be evoked in such
couples (Nelson, Bougatsos and Blazina 2012). Further, this paper also
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indicated towards the parenting factors so that from a growing age, men
and women can be provided with equal treatment related education,
proper monitoring, support, and engagement in non-violence related
behavior can be added to their personality and they can understand the
need of equality for each gender in the society.
The other research article by Chen and Chan (2016) focuses on this issue
of parenting and determine it as one of the important aspect for involving
children in positive and development related reform of the society, where
no one is affected with domestic violence. The article reviewed the effect
of parenting program in determining decreased children abuse as well as
to determine the modifications this parenting program does that helps in
social reform. In this review, the researchers identified 37 studies and
after analysis determined that arrangement of parenting programs were
useful in reducing child, maltreatment related reports and substantial
incidences of children sexual abuse. On the other hand, the research also
indicated that inclusion of such parenting programs in societies having
maximum number of women and children abuse can be helpful in
creating a society in future where no such activity will be able to harm the
social balance of equality. The interventions such as group parenting
training, home visiting and counseling was helpful in reducing the number
of children maltreatment related case in respective areas.
Finally, while discussing about the legal implications for prevention of
domestic violence, the need of changing the social perspective becomes
important. The fifth review article mentions this need by changing or
modifying the alcohol advertisements that influences and evokes
masculinity in alcohol consumption, due to which maximum teenagers
becomes substance abusive (Towns, Parker and Chase 2012). This
research article aims at changing the advertisements of alcohols, which is
one of the leading reasons for binge consumption of alcohol and then
violence in society. These advertisements portray masculinity in alcohol
consumption that becomes abusive for healthy and intimate heterosexual
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relationships, which then stands in the path of prevention of domestic
violence in the society. This article indicated towards the advertisements,
where Australian nationalism, men and their masculinity or feminism is
portrayed as the supreme power and truth due to which others are
portrayed as negligible and deprived, that indicated towards inequality in
the society. This influences a major section of teenagers due to which
number of gender violence, intimate violence, sexual violence, child
abuse and racial discriminations increases. Hence, the finding indicated
towards implication of several guidelines depending on which such
advertisements sponsoring domestic violence can be controlled. Further,
it also mentions that the government should take necessary steps to
control such advertisements that increase the chances of domestic
violence within society. Moreover, this also mentions that it is the duty of
every parent to provide their children with the correct information
regarding alcoholism and other substance abuse so that abusing level of
these can be controlled.
Recommendations
Therefore, from above discussion of several research articles, it becomes
evident that to make changes in the mindset or to lead social reform, it is
important to provide the required time and training to the society so that
it can prepare itself for the upcoming changes (Berns 2017). As
recommendations, the first priority should be proving the victim
community with support and empathy so that they can never feel alone.
Further, they should be provided with training, economic and
psychological support to overcome their fear (Letellier and Island 2013).
Besides these, the society including men and women should be provided
with equality training so that both the gender can understand the
devastating effect of domestic violence for their future generation. On
the other hand, to deal with child abuse and maltreatment, parenting
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training programs should be arranged where parents will be provided
with strategies using which they can positively improve their children’s
mindset for domestic violence related situation (Chen and Chan 2012).
Conclusion
Domestic violence is not acceptable in any modern and developing
society in any form and hence, it is important for the government and
citizens to implement strategies to fight back such situation and create a
society where no such violation will be faced. In this research project,
discussion of child and women domestic violence related harms were
discussed with the focus on sexual and physical violence and for this
purpose, five research articles were included in the assignment. These
articles were reviewed so that preventive measures for harms related to
domestic violence can be found and implemented in the society.
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References
Nelson, H.D., Bougatsos, C. and Blazina, I., 2012. Screening women for intimate partner
violence: a systematic review to update the US Preventive Services Task Force
recommendation. Annals of internal medicine, 156(11), pp.796-808.
Laslett, A.M., Ferris, J., Dietze, P. and Room, R., 2012. Social demography of alcohol related‐
harm to children in Australia. Addiction, 107(6), pp.1082-1089.
Chen, M. and Chan, K.L., 2016. Effects of parenting programs on child maltreatment
prevention: A meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17(1), pp.88-104.
Towns, A.J., Parker, C. and Chase, P., 2012. Constructions of masculinity in alcohol
advertising: Implications for the prevention of domestic violence. Addiction Research &
Theory, 20(5), pp.389-401.
Ellsberg, M., Arango, D.J., Morton, M., Gennari, F., Kiplesund, S., Contreras, M. and Watts, C.,
2015. Prevention of violence against women and girls: what does the evidence say?. The
Lancet, 385(9977), pp.1555-1566.
Capaldi, D.M., Knoble, N.B., Shortt, J.W. and Kim, H.K., 2012. A systematic review of risk
factors for intimate partner violence. Partner abuse, 3(2), pp.231-280.
Zannettino, L., 2012. “... There is No War Here; It is Only the Relationship That Makes Us
Scared” Factors Having an Impact on Domestic Violence in Liberian Refugee
Communities in South Australia. Violence Against Women, 18(7), pp.807-828.
Brown, J. and James, K., 2014. Therapeutic responses to domestic violence in Australia: A
history of controversies. Australian and New Zealand Journal of family therapy, 35(2),
pp.169-184.
Berns, N.S., 2017. Framing the victim: Domestic violence, media, and social problems.
Routledge.
Woodlock, D., 2017. The abuse of technology in domestic violence and stalking. Violence
against women, 23(5), pp.584-602.
Letellier, P. and Island, D., 2013. Men who beat the men who love them: Battered gay men
and domestic violence. Routledge.
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