Community Development: Domestic Violence in Australia - Analysis

This report delves into the social problem of domestic violence in Australia, examining its prevalence and impact on individuals and communities. It explores relevant theoretical frameworks, including the feminist theory and the human rights framework, to understand the underlying causes and dynamics of domestic violence. The report further analyzes the issue through the lens of community development principles, offering specific recommendations for policy and practice changes. These recommendations include mandatory reporting requirements for healthcare professionals, the implementation of home visitation programs for at-risk couples, and the provision of mental health and counseling services to address the underlying issues contributing to domestic violence. By addressing these areas, the report aims to contribute to the development of more effective strategies to prevent and mitigate the effects of domestic violence in Australia.

Running head: SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN AUSTRALIA 1
Social Problems in Australia
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
Community development refers to the process where agencies and individuals come
together to take appropriate actions on matters affecting the society (Straza, 2017). The main
focus of community development is to improve the quality of community life (Straza, 2017). In
practice, community development entails public agencies and communities working together to
improve community services and the way decisions are made within the community (Straza,
2017). It solely relies on equality, social justice, respect for diversity and values of human rights
(Straza, 2017). This report aims at discussion domestic violence as one of the current social
problems in Australia, with reference to relevant theories and principles of community
development. The report will also propose recommendations that can help to address this issue at
the policy and practice level.
Social Problem in Australia
A social problem is any behavior or condition that has adverse effects on large numbers
of people within a community. Domestic violence is one of the current social problems in
Australia which needs to be addressed (Stubbs & Wangmann, 2017). It entails a behavior where
one of the partners in an intimate relationship tries to harm the other partner either physically or
psychologically (Owen & Carrington, 2015; Roberts, Chamberlain & Delfabbro, 2015).
Intimidation, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical assault, threats of violence and economic
deprivation are some of the various forms in which domestic violence is exhibited in Australia
(Stubbs & Wangmann, 2017). Although this social problem is more prevalent in certain groups
such as indigenous communities, this social problem affects all cultural groups and geographical
areas (Stubbs & Wangmann, 2017).

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According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, approximately 3 million individuals in
Australia have been victims of domestic violence (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,
2019). However, it is difficult to come up with a true estimate of the people affected by
domestic violence in Australia because most of these incidences go unreported (Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019). The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) several
females who are physically assaulted by their spouses do not report it to the police (Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019. The problem of domestic violence has had far-reaching
consequences both on the perpetrators, victims as well as their family members (Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019). The problem predominantly affects women and children
in Australia (Stubbs & Wangmann, 2017). The lifelong impacts of domestic violence call for
appropriate measures to enable the community to address this social problem (Stubbs &
Wangmann, 2017).
Relevant Theories and Principles
Several theories shed light on the social problem of domestic violence. One of the
theories is the feminist theory (Smith, 2017). This theory claims that females are considered
vulnerable beings both socially, politically, and economically (Smith, 2017). Because of the
vulnerable nature of women, the feminist theory argues that they are unable to defend themselves
in case of violence (Smith, 2017). The feminist approach does not rely on the assumption that
domestic violence is influenced by stress, anger, behavioral or mental problems or substance
abuse. Rather, it argues that males perpetrate violence against females as a way of exercising
their power and control over women (Smith, 2017). The model focuses on providing help to
perpetrators of domestic violence by helping them to change their perceptions they must
dominate and have control over their spouses.

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The principle that resonates with this social problem is the human rights framework. This
principle argues that domestic violence should not be treated as a private matter, rather, it should
be treated as a violation of human rights (Sosa, 2017). The human rights framework claims that
many cases of domestic violence go unreported (Sosa, 2017). Women fear reporting these cases
to relevant authorities and has hence been difficult for authoritie to control the issue of domestic
violence in the society (Sosa, 2017). The human rights framework reveals that the main cause of
oppression and violence against females is the unequal power relations in societal structures
(Sosa, 2017). This principle strives to solve the issue of domestic violence through the influence
of international human rights law.
Recommendations for Policy and Practice
Change at the policy and practice level is needed to enable policymakers and
practitioners to address the issue of domestic violence (Stanley & Humphreys, 2014). Since this
problem has largely affected women and children in Australia, is it important to address the issue
and bring about change so that women and children can equally enjoy the opportunities offered
by their communities (Stanley & Humphreys, 2014). First, I recommend that the Australian
government should adopt mandatory reporting requirements for professional groups like health
caregivers (Stanley & Humphreys, 2014). This can be done by identifying the perpetrators of
domestic violence through the healthcare community for law enforcement purposes (Stanley &
Humphreys, 2014). This can help the policymakers and practitioners to detect cases of domestic
violence early enough to help mitigate the consequences of domestic violence (Stanley &
Humphreys, 2014).

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Secondly, I recommend that home visitation programs should be designed for couples
living in a social setting with high cases of domestic violence as part of a comprehensive
prevention strategy for domestic violence ( Messing et al., 2015). These programs should largely
make use of psychotherapists and counselors who can offer psychological or emotional
assistance to couples in these social settings (Snead, Bennett & Babcock, 2018). Having well-
designed home visitation interventions will have a positive impact on the efforts of addressing
this social problem (Snead, Bennett & Babcock, 2018).
Lastly, I recommend that communities should offer mental health and counseling services
to its members. Mental health problems (Stubbs & Wangmann, 2017) have significantly been
associated with domestic violence ( Messing et al., 2015) . Reports indicate that a mentally
unstable partner tends to show violent behaviors against his or her spouse ). Therefore,
individuals who have mental health problems should be identified and be assisted to help
eliminate the problem of domestic violence (Snead, Bennett & Babcock, 2018).
Conclusion
Domestic violence is one of the serious social problems in Australia which requires well-
designed behavioral interventions to deal with. This report looks at two frameworks that resonate
with the social problem discussed in this report; the feminist theory and the human rights
framework. The feminist theory claims that females are considered vulnerable beings both
socially, politically, and economically and are hence susceptible to violence. The human rights
framework, on the other hand, claims that domestic violence should not be treated as a private
matter, rather, it should be treated as a violation of human rights. To be able to address this
problem at the policy and practical level, I recommend that there should be mandatory reporting

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requirements for professional groups like health caregivers, home visitation programs should be
designed for couples living in social setting with high cases of domestic violence and
communities should offer mental health and counseling services to its members.

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