Proposal for a Support Group for Male Victims of Domestic Violence 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. The Need for the Group: Domestic violence is a terrible curse to all those involved. It inflicts harm on the victim, the perpetrator and witnesses, whether they be children or not. While support services have long been available to assist women and/or children overcome any issues that arise as a result of domestic violence, these services have left out a significant portion of victims, those that are male. In 2012 The Australian Bureau of Statistics found “That 33.3 per cent of victims of current partner violence during the last 12 months were male” (ABS, 2012) and “37.1 per cent of victims of emotional abuse by a partner during the last 12 months were male” (ABS, 2012). This shows the amount of victims that are being left behind by domestic violence support networks in their current state, despite their good intentions. For such a painful and difficult time it is not adequate to leave one third of those suffering behind. While there would be many cases where one-on-one support would be required for the... ... middle of paper ... ...y Survey 2012, cat. no. 4906.0, ABS, Canberra, tables 21-33. Constantino, R., Kim, Y., & Crane, P. (2005). Effects of a social support intervention on health outcomes in residents of a domestic violence shelter: A pilot study. Issues In Mental Health Nursing, 26(6), 575--590. Benson, J. (2001). Working more creatively with groups. Taylor & Francis. Poels, Y., & Berger, J. (1992). Groupwork with survivors of domestic violence. Taylor & Francis. Whitaker, D. (2001). Using groups to help people. Hove: Brunner-Routledge Drijber, B., Reijnders, U., & Ceelen, M. (2013). Male victims of domestic violence. Journal Of Family Violence, 28(2), 173--178. Tuckman, B. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384. Lindsay, T., & Orton, S. (2008). Groupwork practice in social work (2nd ed.). Exeter: Learning Matters.
The show of support by all member of the society can greatly benefit the victims since they feel encouraged to tackle the problem. The society should find a way to hold the perpetrator accountable. Additionally, patriarchy and male chauvinism can only be eliminated through community education. However, changing the male perception of a particular community may be hard and unfruitful. The community awareness programs on domestic violence should also cover other societal prejudices such as racism and homophobia. Fiebert (2010) proposes an overhaul of the US immigration system so that battered women from minority groups can effectively access the necessary services. The current immigration system has impaired the service delivery of immigrant victims of domestic violence. Moreover, the welfare policy should be reformed to accommodate the problem facing battered immigrant
Stover, C. S., Meadows, A. L., & Kaufman, J. (2009). Interventions for intimate partner violence: Review and implications for evidence-based practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40(3), 223-233.
Although domestic violence is a significant societal problem, which continues to receive public and private sector attention, intervention and treatment programs have proven inconsistent in their success. Statistics by various organization show that many offenders continue to abuse their victims. Approximately 32% of battered women are victimized again, 47% of men who abuse their wives do so at least three times per year (MCFBW). There are many varying fact...
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.)
A women group members may find themselves addressing anxiety, fear, stress, depression, and other feelings that one may have experienced. (Graham-Bermann & Miller-Graff, 2015). In addition, women that are pregnant tend to have babies that have a low birth weight (Graham- Bermann & Miller-Graff, 2015). On the other hand, men may feel some of the same feelings. However, there is little information about female abusers and the men that are abused by them. Women that have been found guilty of intimate partner violence are required to attend the same groups as male perpetrators (Walker,
Shannon Brennfleck, Joyce. Ed. Domestic Violence Sourcebook: Third Edition. Detroit, Michigan: Omnigraphics Inc. 2009. 276-279. Print.
However, it is too often overlook that domestic violence may not only occur in terms of a man meting out violence against a woman but could also render a man as the victim too. Many times people turn their backs on male victims of domestic violence (Murray, S. & Powell, A. (2007). Due to the focus on violence against women, men lack a proper or even popular framework to fight domestic violence when it occurs that they are victims (Cruz, 1996). There is also a stereotype that only women can be victims of domestic violence. This makes it hard for men to open up and report when they experience violence from a partner (Cruz, 1996).
Domestic violence, also referred to as intimate partner violence, intimate partner abuse or domestic abuse, affects over one million people in the United States alone. It can be carried out in any number of ways including physically, emotionally, sexually, psychologically and/or financially. Its legal definition considers it to be “any assault, battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, or any criminal offense resulting in physically injury or death of one family member or household member by another who is residing in the same single dwelling unit” (Brown, 2008). In the United States it is considered a major health problem so much so that it was declared the number one health concern by the U.S. Surgeon General in 1992 (Peterman & Dixon, 2003). Not only is it a rapidly growing health problem but it is a growing societal concern as well. Extending beyond the effect felt by the victims and their families, it impacts our communities, government, law enforcement and public service agencies.
...of statistics conducted a Personal Safety Survey in 2005 had questioned 16,400 individuals either the age of 18 and over. The findings had showed that 73.7% of women had said that the abuser in the relationship was of a male character, 81.1% of women did not report that they had been sexually abused to the police, 64% of women some form of physical abuse. 13.6 billion dollars per year has been the estimated amount by the Queensland Government that has been spent towards Domestic and Family Violence. By sharing the estimation using the population in Queensland, Queensland has the inferred the cost of 2.7 to 3.2 billion dollars.
During the 1980s and 1900s, domestic violence was one of the most unreported crimes that involve females and males getting hurt and dying. Kicking, choking, killing, and saying brutal or despise words that could hurt the victims physically or emotionally are considered domestic violence. In fact, many victims are afraid to seek for help. According to “The Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC), women account for approximately 85 percent of all intimate partner violence, with women aged 20-24 at greater risk” (Batten, par.16). Most pregnant women are at risk as well. “But underlying approach is still one that assumes the perpetrators are men and the victims are woman” (Haugen, par. 1). Moreover, both males and females believe that domestic violence is a solution to their issues.
Because of the nature of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault we will be working with young adults from 18 to 45 years of age. DV does not have a gender basis, men and women are both abused within relationships. However, with this set of group sessions, it will be focused on women that are or have been in a domestic violence situation. Because SA and DV are so closely related when it comes to a domestic violence situations the group sessions will also take sexual assaulted victims...
BIBLIOGRAPHY Barron et. al. 1992 WAFE Evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee Enquiry into Domestic Violence Bristol: WAFE Woman’s Aid Federation (England) Report 1992 Hague & Malos 1995 Against Domestic Violence: Inter Agency Initiatives Bristol SAUS Punching Judy BBC Television Programme 1989 Domestic Violence – Report of an Inter Agency Working Party 1992 Mooney J 1994 The Hidden Figures: Domestic Violence in North London London Islington Police & Crime Unit Inter-Agency Circular; Inter Agency Co-Ordination to Tackle Domestic Violence Home Office, 1995 Grace S 1995 Policing Domestic Violence in the 1990’s Home Office Research Study British Crime Survey 1996 The Home Office Dobash/Dobash/Cavanagh/Lewis 1996 Research Evaluation of Programmes for violent Men Scottish Office Central Research Unit Dobash/Dobash/Cavangh/Lewis 1996 Re-Education Programmes for Violent men – an Evaluation Home Office Research Findings No 46 Domestic Violence & Repeat Victimisation Home Office Police Research Briefing Note No 1/98 The Family Law Act Part IV 1996
Kennedy, Bernice R. Domestic Violence: A.k.a. Intimate Partner Violence (ipv). New York: iUniverse, 2013. Print.
The New South Wales Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assult Pru Goward defends the program stating; ‘Many domestic violence victims do not report the violence they are experiencing to police or other specialist services, but they do seek medical attention and help from their GPs’. This however raises the question of will this program take away the one safe, trusted place victims could go for support without the worry of judgement or
Domestic violence is skyrocketing in our society. In the U.S., as many as 1.5 million women and 850,000 men were physically assaulted by their intimate partner last year, and numerous children abused by their parents. These sad criminal acts will continue to grow in our society, unless our community takes action to stop these crimes. First of all, the most important tool we have available against this type of crime are the authorities, which include the police department, hospital, and social workers. If they manage to work together as a team to make the whole process of protecting a victim more efficient, it will encourage victims to actually phone for help.