Domestic Violence

ob Skills in Domestic Violence Shelters

Project Narrative

Overview

Domestic violence is violent or aggressive behavior within the home it includes violence between any spouse/partner, former partners, and immediate family members. Abuse can be sexual, emotional, psychological, physical, financial and so forth. Behaviors may include manipulation, threats, or actually becoming physically violent. Domestic violence directly between spouses or those dating, is now known as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Intimate Partner Violence is known as any form of physical, verbal or sexual assault that violates a women's physical body, or sense of self. According to Johnson, partner violence is "primarily a problem of men using violence to maintain control over 'their women'" (Johnson 2000: 949). Many women who are victims of domestic violence move to shelters to get safety and to receive help. However, women who are in shelters are only receiving minimal support. They are supplied with a place to sleep and eat but are not prepared for what happens after their time in the shelter is up. Most domestic violence shelters only allow women to live in them for up to three months. After the women leave the shelters, many return to their abuser because they were unable to find employment and heavily relied on their spouse or partner for financial stability. Our grant is to find a solution to this by requiring domestic violence shelters to provide adequate job training skills and possibly placement, to help women become more financially stable.

Background

"Many believe the historical inequality of women and gender socialization of females and males contribute to the root causes of domestic violence." Many also believe in "Financial dependence". Some victims do not have access to any income and have been prevented from obtaining an education or employment. Victims who lack viable job skills or education, transportation, affordable daycare, safe housing, and health benefits face very limited options. Poverty and marginal economic support services can present enormous challenges to victims who seek safety and stability. Often, victims find themselves choosing between homelessness, living in impoverished and unsafe communities, or returning to their abusive partner." An estimated 85 to 90 percent of domestic violence victims are female; Domestic violence constitutes 22 percent of violent crime against females and 3 percent of violent crime against males. Another seventy percent of intimate homicide victims are female. Females are twice as likely to be killed by their husbands or boyfriends than murdered by strangers.

Many domestic violence victims often go into Domestic Violence (DV) shelters for safety reasons after leaving their abuser. In these shelters women are housed and fed through state funding. However, many women are not offered programs or meetings that help them obtain skills for finding employment after they leave the shelter. Many of these domestic violence victims heavily relied on their partners for financial support. Some women have also never worked because the abuser forced them to stay home. These women need proper training and consultation so that they can be better equipped to become financially stable when they leave the shelter to prevent them from going back to their abusers. "She may not be able to afford to live on her own, she may have bad credit or may be denied housing due to her history of domestic violence (Hyman, A. & Schultzman, M., 2008). The reality for many domestic violence survivors is that having consistent and stable housing means staying in an abusive relationship."

Only fifteen states require healthcare professionals to receive training on treating victims of domestic violence. There are very few laws or guidelines on how domestic violence shelters should handle their residents. In a literature review by Carla Smith Stover (2005) she states, "the research to date, however, on the prevention of domestic violence recidivism and the effectiveness of current treatment models is not promising. Hence, the most important area for further study is the evaluation and discovery of appropriate, effective treatment models." In a study done in Australia on women who received minimal training compared to those with no training showed no significant difference between the two groups (Lancet, 2013).

When all legal remedies have already been taken to end the victim's abuse, what happens to the victim? Many women, and many of them with children, have lost their major and sometimes only means of support. What is being done for them? Most women in this category have limited skills and training in the workplace. The need for training these women is becoming apparent and one such area of assistance was referenced in the October 2009 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. Grants from the Allstate Foundation help domestic violence victims enter and stay in the workforce. The money (up to $1,000) can be used for classes, clothes, computers,