family domestic violence essay

153 Domestic Violence Topics & Essay Examples

A domestic violence essay can deal with society, gender, family, and youth. To help you decide which aspect to research, our team provided this list of 153 topics .

📑 Aspects to Cover in a Domestic Violence Essay

🏆 best domestic violence titles & essay examples, ⭐ interesting domestic violence topics for an essay, 🎓 good research topics about domestic violence, ❓ research questions on domestic violence.

Domestic violence is a significant problem and one of the acute topics of today’s society. It affects people of all genders and sexualities.

Domestic violence involves many types of abuse, including sexual and emotional one. Essays on domestic violence can enhance students’ awareness of the issue and its causes. Our tips will be useful for those wanting to write outstanding domestic violence essays.

Start with choosing a topic for your paper. Here are some examples of domestic violence essay titles:

• Causes of domestic violence and the ways to eliminate them
• The consequences of domestic violence
• The importance of public domestic violence speech
• Ways to reduce domestic violence
• The prevalence of domestic violence in the United States (or other countries)
• The link between domestic violence and mental health problems among children

Now that you have selected one of the titles for your essay, you can start working on the paper. We have prepared some tips on the aspects you should cover in your work:

• Start with researching the issue you have selected. Analyze its causes, consequences, and effects. Remember that you should include some of the findings in the paper using in-text citations.
• Develop a domestic violence essay outline. The structure of your paper will depend on the problem you have selected. In general, there should be an introductory and a concluding paragraph, as well as three (or more) body paragraphs. Hint: Keep in mind the purpose of your essay while developing its structure.
• Present your domestic violence essay thesis clearly. The last sentence of your introductory paragraph should be the thesis statement. Here are some examples of a thesis statement:

Domestic violence has a crucial impact on children’s mental health. / Domestic violence affects women more than men.

• Present a definition of domestic violence. What actions does the term involve? Include several possible perspectives on domestic violence.
• Discuss the victims of domestic violence and the impact it has on them too. Provide statistical data, if possible.
• Help your audience to understand the issue better by discussing the consequences of domestic violence, even if it is not the primary purpose of your paper. The essay should show why it is necessary to eliminate this problem.
• You can include some relevant quotes on domestic violence to make your arguments more persuasive. Remember to use citations from relevant sources only. Such sources include peer-reviewed articles and scholarly publications. If you are not sure whether you can use a piece of literature, consult your professor to avoid possible mistakes.
• Support your claims with evidence. Ask your professor in advance about the sources you can use in your paper. Avoid utilizing Wikipedia, as this website is not reliable.
• Stick to a formal language. Although you may want to criticize domestic violence, do not use offensive terms. Your paper should look professional.
• Pay attention to the type of paper you should write. If it is an argumentative essay, discuss opposing views on domestic violence and prove that they are unreliable.
• Remember that you should include a domestic violence essay conclusion in your paper too. This section of the paper should present your main ideas and findings. Remember not to present any new information or citations in the concluding paragraph.

There are some free samples we have prepared for you, too. Check them out!

• Domestic Violence and Conflict Theory in Society The Conflict Theory explains remarkable events in history and the changing patterns of race and gender relations and also emphasizes the struggles to explain the impact of technological development on society and the changes to […]
• Domestic Violence against Women Domestic violence against women refers to “any act of gender-based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual, and mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts as […]
• Break the Silence: Domestic Violence Case The campaign in question aimed to instruct victims of domestic violence on how to cope with the problem and where to address to get assistance.
• Domestic Violence and Repeat Victimisation Theory Domestic violence is a crime which often happens because of a bad relationship between a man and woman and usually continues to be repeated until one of the parties leaves the relationship; hence victims of […]
• Domestic Violence: Reason, Forms and Measures The main aim of this paper is to determine the reason behind the rapid increase of domestic violence, forms of domestic violence and measures that should be taken to reduce its effects.
• Behind Closed Doors: Domestic Violence The term “domestic violence” is used to denote the physical or emotional abuse that occurs in the homes. Therefore, it has contributed to the spread of domestic violence in the country.
• Annotated Bibliography on Domestic Violence Against Women They evaluate 134 studies from various countries that provide enough evidence of the prevalence of domestic violence against women and the adverse effects the vice has had for a decade.
• Alcohol and Domestic Violence in Day-To-Day Social Life My paper will have a comprehensive literature review that will seek to analyze the above topic in order to assist the reader understand the alcohol contributions in the domestic and social violence in our society.
• Domestic Violence Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice Various ethical issues such as the code of silence, the mental status of the offender, and limited evidence play a vital role in challenging the discretion of police officers in arresting the DV perpetrators.
• What Causes Domestic Violence? Domestic abuse, which is also known as domestic violence, is a dominance of one family member over another or the other. As a result, the probability of them becoming abusers later in life is considerably […]
• Ambivalence on Part of the Police in Response to Domestic Violence The police have been accused of ambivalence by their dismissive attitudes and through sexism and empathy towards perpetrators of violence against women.
• Domestic Violence: Qualitative & Quantitative Research This research seeks to determine the impacts of domestic violence orders in reducing the escalating cases of family brutality in most households. N1: There is a significant relationship between domestic violence orders and the occurrence […]
• Effects of Domestic Violence on Children’s Social and Emotional Development In the case of wife-husband violence, always, one parent will be the offender and the other one the victim; in an ideal situation, a child needs the love of a both parents. When brought up […]
• Social Marketing Campaign on Domestic Violence In this marketing campaign strategy the focus would be centered on violence against women, as a form of domestic violence that is currently experience in many countries across the globe.
• Alcoholism, Domestic Violence and Drug Abuse Kaur and Ajinkya researched to investigate the “psychological impact of adult alcoholism on spouses and children”. The work of Kaur and Ajinkya, reveals a link between chronic alcoholism and emotional problems on the spouse and […]
• Supporting Female Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse: NGO Establishment The presence of such a model continues to transform lives and make it easier for more women to support and provide basic education to their children.
• Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence: Comprehensive Discussion Substance abuse refers to the misuse of a drug or any other chemical resulting in its dependence, leading to harmful mental and physical effects to the individual and the wellbeing of the society.
• Domestic Violence in Marriage and Family While there are enormous reports of intimate partner homicides, murders, rapes, and assaults, it is important to note that victims of all this violence find it very difficult to explain the matter and incidents to […]
• Affordable, Effective Legal Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence Legal assistance significantly increases the chances for domestic abuse victims to obtain restraining orders, divorce, and custody of their children. Helping victims of domestic violence with inexpensive legal aid is a critical step in assisting […]
• Domestic Violence: Far-Right Conspiracy Theory in Australia’s Culture Wars The phenomenon of violence is directly related to the violation of human rights and requires legal punishment for the perpetrators and support for the victims.
• Domestic Violence and Black Women’s Experiences Overall, the story’s exploration of the reality of life for an African American married woman in a patriarchal society, and the challenges faced by black women, is relevant to the broader reality of domestic violence […]
• Domestic Violence: Criminal Justice In addition, the usage of illegal substances such as bhang, cocaine, and other drugs contributes to the increasing DV in society.
• Witnessed Domestic Violence and Juvenile Detention Research The primary purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between witnessed domestic violence and juvenile detention. Research has pointed to a relationship between witnessed violence and juvenile delinquency, and this study holds that […]
• Domestic Violence Against Women in Melbourne Thus, it is possible to introduce the hypothesis that unemployment and related financial struggles determined by pandemic restrictions lead to increased rates of domestic violence against women in Melbourne.
• Domestic Violence and Its Main Signs In general, the providers should be able to identify the markers of abuse by paying closer attention to the people they serve, treat, teach, or work with.
• Intersectionality in Domestic Violence Another way an organization that serves racial minorities may address the unique needs of domestic violence victims is to offer additional educational and consultancy activities for women of color.
• Domestic Violence and Primordial Prevention In addition, the promotion of social norms against violence and increased penalties for domestic and sexual abuse need to be supported at the legislative level.
• Healthcare Testing of a Domestic Violence Victim Accordingly, the negative aspects of this exam include difficulties in identifying and predicting the further outcome of events and the course of side effects.
• Financial Insecurity: Impact on Domestic Violence Therefore, this problem is global and widespread, and it would be wrong to assume that spousal abuse only exists when couples are poor.
• Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, or Elder Abuse In every health facility, a nurse who notices the signs of abuse and domestic violence must report them to the relevant authorities.
• Educational Services for Children in Domestic Violence Shelters In order to meet the objectives of the research, Chanmugam et al.needed to reach out to the representatives of emergency domestic violence shelters located in the state of Texas well-aware of the shelters’ and schools’ […]
• The Domestic Violence Arrest Laws According to the National Institute of Justice, mandatory arrest laws are the most prevalent in US states, indicating a widespread agreement on their effectiveness.
• Environmental Scan for Hart City Domestic Violence Resource Center In particular, it identifies the target population, outlines the key resources, and provides an overview of data sources for assessing key factors and trends that may affect the Resource Center in the future.
• Domestic Violence Investigation Procedure If they claim guilty, the case is proceeded to the hearing to estimate the sentencing based on the defendant’s criminal record and the scope of assault. The issue of domestic abuse in households is terrifyingly […]
• Educational Group Session on Domestic Violence This will be the first counseling activity where the counselor assists the women to appreciate the concepts of domestic violence and the ways of identifying the various kinds of violence.
• Domestic Violence and COVID-19: Literature Review The “stay safe, stay at home” mantra used by the governments and public health organizations was the opposite of safety for the victims of domestic violence.
• Domestic Violence and COVID-19 in the United States Anurudran et al.argue that the new measures taken to fight COVID-19 infections heightened the risk of domestic abuse. The pandemic paradox: The consequences of COVID 19 on domestic violence.
• Rachel Louise Snyder’s Research on Domestic Violence Language and framing play a significant role in manipulating people’s understanding of domestic violence and the nature of the problem. However, it is challenging to gather precise data on the affected people and keep track […]
• Domestic Violence Prevention and Restraining Order Since upon the expiry of a restraining order, a victim can file a renewal petition the current task is to determine whether the original DVRO of our client has expired, the burden of obtaining a […]
• Domestic Violence Counselling Program Evaluation The evaluation will be based upon the mission of the program and the objectives it states for the participants. The counselors arrange treatment for both sides of the conflict: the victims and offenders, and special […]
• Domestic Violence and Suicide Risk Hence, considering these facts, it is necessary to put the notion of suicide risk in perspective when related to the issue of domestic violence.
• The Roles of Domestic Violence Advocates Domestic conflict advocates assist victims in getting the help needed to cope and move forward. Moreover, these advocates help the survivors in communicating to employers, family members, and lawyers.
• Domestic Violence and Home Visit Intervention As the study concludes, despite the increase in general awareness concerning domestic violence cases, it is still a significant threat to the victims and their children.
• Domestic Violence: How Is It Adressed? At this stage, when the family members of the battered women do this to them, it becomes the responsibility of the people to do something about this.
• Victimology and Domestic Violence In this situation there are many victims; Anne is a victim of domestic violence and the children are also victims of the same as well as the tragic death of their father.
• Domestic Violence Among Police Officers The objective of this research is to establish the level of domestic violence among police officers and relative the behavior to stress, divorce, police subculture, and child mistreatment.
• “The Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment” by Sherman and Berk The experiment conducted by the authors throws light on the three stages of the research circle. This is one of the arguments that can be advanced.
• Domestic Violence and Diversion Strategies of Drug Offenders in Australian The article is very informative since outlines a couple of the reasons behind the rampant increase in cases of negligence and lack of concern, especially from the government.
• An Investigation on Domestic Violence This particular experiment aimed to evaluate the nature of relationship and the magnitude of domestic violence meted on either of the partners.
• Educational Program on Domestic Violence The reason why I have chosen this as the topic for my educational program is that victims of domestic violence often feel that they do not have any rights and hence are compelled to live […]
• Family and Domestic Violence: Enhancing Protective Factors Current partner Previous partner Percentage of children When children are exposed to violence, they encounter numerous difficulties in their various levels of development.
• Domestic Violence and Women in Abusive Relationships Despite the fact the author of the article discusses a controversial problem of domestic violence against women based on the data from recent researches and focusing on such causes for violence as the problematic economic […]
• Parenting in Battered Women: The Effects of Domestic Violence In this study, ‘Parenting in Battered Women: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Women and their Children,’ Alytia A. It is commendable that at this stage in stating the problem the journalists seek to conclude […]
• Domestic Violence Types and Causes This is acknowledged by the law in most countries of the world as one of the most brutal symbols of inequality.
• Power and Control: Domestic Violence in America The abusive spouse wants to feel powerful and in control of the family so he, usually the abusive spouse is the man, beats his wife and children to assert his superiority.
• Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Purpose of the study: The safety promoting behavior of the abused women is to be increased using a telephone intervention. They were allocated to either of the groups by virtue of the week of enrolment […]
• Federal and State Legislative Action on Domestic Violence In 2004, the state of New York decided to look into some of the ways of preventing this form of domestic violence by forming an Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence in 2005, employers […]
• Environmental Trends and Conditions: Domestic Violence in the Workplace Despite the fact that on average the literacy rate and the rate of civilization in the world have been increasing in the past few decades, the statistics for domestic violence have been increasing on an […]
• Domestic Violence in the Organizations Despite the fact that on average the literacy rate and the rate of civilization in the world has been increasing in the past few decades, the statistics for domestic violence have been increasing on an […]
• Domestic Violence and Honor Killing Analysis Justice and gender equality are important aspects of the totality of mankind that measure social and economic development in the world. The cultural justification is to maintain the dignity and seniority framework of the family.
• Facts About Domestic Violence All aspects of the society – which starts from the smallest unit, that is the family, to the church and even to the government sectors are all keen on finding solutions on how to eliminate, […]
• One-Group Posttest-Only Design in the Context of Domestic Violence Problem This application must unveil the risks and their solutions by researching the variables and the threats to the validity of the research.
• Help-Seeking Amongst Women Survivors of Domestic Violence First, the article explains the necessity of the research conduction, which includes the relevance of the abuse problem and the drawbacks of solving and studying it.
• Domestic Violence as a Social Issue It is one of the main factors which stimulate the study’s conduction, and among the rest, one can also mention the number of unexplored violence questions yet to be answered.
• Reflections on Domestic Violence in the Case of Dr. Mile Crawford Nevertheless, the only way out of this situation is to escape and seek help from the legal system. From a personal standpoint, to help her would be the right thing to do.
• Gender Studies: Combating Domestic Violence The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed description of domestic violence, as well as the development of an action plan that can help in this situation.
• Domestic Violence Perpetration and Its Predictors The implementation of sound research can help in addressing the problem and decreasing the incidence of domestic violence, which will contribute to the development of American society.
• Domestic Violence Funding and Impact on Society The number of domestic violence cases in the US, both reported and unreported, is significant. The recent decision of Trump’s administration to reduce the expenses for domestic violence victims from $480,000,000 to $40,000,000 in the […]
• Domestic Violence and Millennium Development Goals As a result, a review of the potential of MDGs for resolving the issue needs to analyze the contribution of the goals to the resolution of the instances, consequences, and causes of DV.
• Campaign against Domestic Violence: Program Plan In addition, men who used to witness aggressive behavior at home or in the family as children, or learned about it from stories, are two times more disposed to practice violence against their partners than […]
• Domestic Violence and Bullying in Schools It also states the major variables related to bullying in schools. They will confirm that social-economic status, gender, and race can contribute to bullying in schools.
• Domestic Violence Within the US Military In most of the recorded domestic violence cases, females are mostly the victims of the dispute while the males are the aggressors of the violence.
• Domestic Violence and Married Couples’ Issues There are different types and causes of domestic violence, but the desire to take control over relationships is the most common cause.
• Domestic Violence Impact on Child Maltreatment Reporting The present research aims to address both the general population and social workers to examine the overall attitudes to the reporting of child maltreatment.
• Domestic Violence Management and Budget Cuts On the other hand, the allocation of financial resources with the focus on awareness campaigns has also led to a lack of financial support for centres that provide the frontline services to victims of domestic […]
• Domestic Violence and Its Impact on Victims This paper highlights some of the recent cases of the violence, the forms of abuse involved, and their overall impacts on the victims.
• Family and Domestic Violence Legislation in the US In fact, this law is a landmark pointing to the recognition of the concept of domestic violence at the legal level and acknowledging that it is a key problem of the society.
• Domestic Violence and Social Interventions In conclusion, social learning theory supports the idea that children have a high likelihood of learning and simulating domestic violence through experiences at home.
• Domestic Violence Victims’ Right to Sue Authorities Victims of child abuse and domestic violence have the right to seek legal recourse in case of violation of their rights.
• Domestic Violence and Child’s Brain Development The video “First Impressions: Exposure to Violence and a Child’s Developing Brain” answers some questions of the dependence of exposure to domestic violence and the development of brain structures of children. At the beginning of […]
• Local Domestic Violence Victim Resources in Kent The focus of this paper is to document the local domestic violence victim resources found within a community in Kent County, Delaware, and also to discuss the importance of these resources to the community.
• Domestic Violence Activism in Law and Society I also suppose that some of these people may start lifting their voices against the law, paying particular attention to the idea that it is theoretically allowable that the law can punish people for other […]
• Domestic Violence Abuse: Laws in Maryland The Peace and Protective Orders-Burden of Proof regulation in Maryland and the Violence against Women Act are some of the laws that have been created to deal with domestic violence.
• Theories of Domestic Violence It is important to point out that women have received the short end of the stick in regards to domestic violence. A third reason why people commit domestic violence according to the Family Violence Theory […]
• Domestic Violence in Australia: Policy Issue In this paper, DV in Australia will be regarded as a problem that requires policy decision-making, and the related terminology and theory will be used to gain insights into the reasons for the persistence of […]
• Nondiscriminatory Education Against Domestic Violence The recent event that prompted the proposed advocacy is the criticism of a banner that depicts a man as the victim of abuse.
• Domestic Violence in International Criminal Justice The United Nations organization is deeply concerned with the high level of violence experienced by women in the family, the number of women killed, and the latency of sexual violence.
• Project Reset and the Domestic Violence Court The majority of the decisions in courts are aimed to mitigate the effects of the strict criminal justice system of the United States.
• Same-Sex Domestic Violence Problem Domestic violence in gay or lesbian relationships is a serious matter since the rates of domestic violence in such relationships are almost equivalent to domestic violence in heterosexual relationships. There are a number of misconceptions […]
• Domestic, Dating and Sexual Violence Dating violence is the sexual or physical violence in a relationship which includes verbal and emotional violence. The rate of sexual violence in other nations like Japan and Ethiopia, range from 15 to 71 percent.
• Anger Management Counseling and Treatment of Domestic Violence by the Capital Area Michigan Works These aspects include: the problem that the program intends to solve, the results produced by the program, the activities of the program, and the resources that are used to achieve the overall goal.
• Understanding Women’s Responses to Domestic Violence The author’s research orientation is a mix of interpretive, positivism and critical science – interpretive in informing social workers or practitioners on how to enhance their effectiveness as they deal with cases related to violence […]
• Poverty and Domestic Violence It is based on this that in the next section, I have utilized my educational experience in order to create a method to address the issue of domestic violence from the perspective of a social […]
• Teenage Dating and Domestic Violence That is why it is important to report about the violence to the police and support groups in order to be safe and start a new life.
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence In addition, NCADV hopes to make the public know that the symbol of the purple ribbon represents the mission of the organization, which is to bring peace to all American households.
• Evaluation of the Partnership Against Domestic Violence According to the official mission statement of the organization, PADV is aimed at improving the overall wellbeing of families all over the world and helping those that suffer from domestic violence The organization’s primary goal […]
• Cross-Cultural Aspects of Domestic Violence This is one of the limitations that should be taken account. This is one of the problems that should not be overlooked.
• Domestic Violence in the Lives of Women She gives particular focus on the social and traditional aspects of the community that heavily contribute to the eruption and sustenance of violence against women in households. In the part 1 of the book, Renzetti […]
• Financial Planning and Management for Domestic Violence Victims Acquisition of resources used in criminal justice require financial resources hence the need to manage the same so as to provide the best machines and equipments.
• Violence against Women: Domestic, National, and Global Rape as a weapon for the enemy Majority of cultures in war zones still accept and regard rape to be a weapon of war that an enemy should be punished with.
• Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Development In cases where children are exposed to such violence, then they become emotionally troubled: In the above, case them the dependent variable is children emotions while the independent variable is domestic violence: Emotions = f […]
• Evaluation of Anger Management Counseling and Treatment of Domestic Violence by the Capital Area Michigan Works These aspects include: the problem that the program intends to solve, the results produced by the program, the activities of the program, and the resources that are used to achieve the overall goal.
• Knowledge and Attitudes of Nurses Regarding Domestic Violence and Their Effect on the Identification of Battered Women In conducting this research, the authors sought the consent of the prospective participants where the purpose of the study was explained to participants and confidentiality of information to be collected was reassured.
• Domestic Violence Dangers Mount With Economic, Seasonal Pressures These variables are believed to be able to prompt the family to explore the experiences and meanings of stress and stress management.
• Impact of the Economic Status on Domestic Violence This article investigates the possible factors that may help in explaining the status of women who are homeless and their capacity to experience domestic violence.
• Dominance and “Power Plays” in Relationships to Assist Clients to Leave Domestic Violence According to psychologists, the problem of domestic violence is based on the fact that one partner needs to be in control of the other.
• Art Therapy With Women Who Have Suffered Domestic Violence One of the most significant benefits of art therapy is the fact the patients get to understand and interpret their own situations which puts them in a better position to creatively participate in own healing […]
• Collaborative Crisis Intervention at a Domestic Violence Shelter The first visit is meant to collect the information that the professional in domestic violence deem crucial concerning the precipitating incidence and history of violence.
• Domestic Violence Exposure in Colombian Adolescents In this topic, the authors intend to discover the extent of association of drug abuse to domestic violence exposure, violent and prosocial behavior among adolescents.
• Domestic Violence and Its Classification Sexual abuse is the other common form of maltreatment which is on the rise and refers to any circumstance in which force is utilized to get involvement in undesired intimate action. Emotional maltreatment entails inconsistent […]
• Domestic Violence and Social Initiatives in Solving the Problem The absence of the correct social programs at schools and the lack of desire of government and police to pay more attention to the prevention of the problem while it is not too late are […]
• Domestic Violence in the African American Community Previous research has suggested this due to the many causes and effects that are experienced by the members and especially the male members of the African American community.
• Domestic Violence: Predicting and Solutions There are several factors which predict the state of domestic violence in the future and this will help in preventing domestic violence.
• Domestic Violence: Signs of Abuse and Abusive Relationships The unprecedented rejuvenation of such a vile act, prompted the formation of factions within society, that are sensitive to the plight of women, and fight for the cognizance of their rights in society.
• Domestic Violence against South Asian Women Again, this strategy is premised on the idea that domestic violence can be explained by the financial dependence of women in these communities.
• The Effects of Domestic Violence According to statistics and research provided in the handout, women are at a higher risk of being victims of domestic violence.
• Effect of Domestic Violence on Children This is done with the aim of ensuring that the child is disciplined and is meant as a legitimate punishment. Most of our children have been neglected and this has contributed to the increase in […]
• Domestic Violence and Elderly Abuse- A Policy Statement Though this figure has been changing with the change in the method of survey that was conducted and the nature of samples that were taken during the research process, it is widely accepted fact that […]
• Domestic Violence as a Social and Public Health Problem The article, authored by Lisa Simpson Strange, discusses the extent of domestic violence especially in women and the dangers it exposes the victims to, insisting that severe actions should be taken against those who commit […]
• Guilty until Proven Otherwise: Domestic Violence Cases The presumption of the guilt of a man in domestic violence cases is further proven by the decision of the court in which the man is required to post a bond despite the fact that […]
• Community and Domestic Violence: Elder Abuse In addition, the fact the elderly people cannot defend themselves because of the physical frailty that they encounter, they will experience most of the elderly abuse.
• Community and Domestic Violence; Gang Violence Solitude, peer pressure, need to belong, esteem, and the excitement of the odds of arrest entice adolescents to join these youth gangs.
• Fighting Domestic Violence in Pocatello, Idaho Having realized the need to involve the family unit in dealing with this vice, Walmart has organized a sensitization program that will involve the education of whole family to increase awareness on the issue. The […]
• What Is the Purpose of Studying Domestic Violence?
• What Does Theory Explain Domestic Violence?
• What Is the Difference Between IPV and Domestic Violence?
• What Age Group Does Domestic Violence Affect Most?
• When Domestic Violence Becomes the Norm?
• How Are Domestic Violence Problems Solved in American and Other Cultures?
• What Are the 3 Phases in the Domestic Violence Cycle?
• How Can Domestic Violence Be Explained?
• How Many Deaths Are Caused by Domestic Violence?
• When Was Domestic Violence First Defined?
• How Is a Domestic Violence Prevention?
• How Race, Class, and Gender Influences Domestic Violence?
• Why Do Victims of Abuse Sometimes Stay Silent?
• How Does Domestic Violence Affect the Brain?
• Is Mental Illness Often Associated With Domestic Violence?
• How Does Domestic Violence Affect a Person Emotionally?
• How Does Domestic Violence Affect Children’s Cognitive Development?
• Why Should Employers Pay Attention to Domestic Violence?
• What Are the Causes of Domestic Violence?
• What Country Has the Highest Rate of Domestic Violence?
• How Does Domestic Violence Affect the Lives of Its Victims?
• What Are the Possible Causes and Signs of Domestic Violence?
• How Does Socioeconomic Status Affect Domestic Violence?
• How Does the Australian Criminal Justice System Respond to Domestic Violence?
• How Does Culture Affect Domestic Violence in the UK?
• What Is the Psychology of an Abuser?
• What Is Police Doing About Domestic Violence?
• How Does the Government Define Domestic Violence?
• What Profession Has the Highest Rate of Domestic Violence?
• What Percent of Domestic Violence Is Alcohol-Related?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Essay On Domestic Violence

500 words essay on domestic violence.

Domestic violence refers to the violence and abuse which happens in a domestic setting like cohabitation or marriage. It is important to remember that domestic violence is not just physical but any kind of behaviour that tries to gain power and control over the victim. It can affect people from all walks of life and it basically subjects towards a partner, spouse or intimate family member. Through an essay on domestic violence, we will go through its causes and effects.

Causes of Domestic Violence

Often women and children are the soft targets of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a gruesome crime that also causes a number of deaths. Some of the most common causes of domestic violence are illiteracy and economical dependency on the menfolk.

The male-dominated society plays an important role in this problem. Further, dowry is also one of the leading causes which have the consequence of violence against newly-wed brides. In many parts of the world, physically assaulting women and passing horrendous remarks is common.

Moreover, children also become victims of this inhuman behaviour more than often. It is important to recognize the double standards and hypocrisy of society. A lot of the times, the abuser is either psychotic or requires psychological counselling.

However, in a more general term, domestic violence is the outcome of cumulative irresponsible behaviour which a section of society demonstrates. It is also important to note that solely the abuser is not just responsible but also those who allow this to happen and act as mere mute spectators.

Types of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence has many ill-effects which depend on the kind of domestic violence happening. It ranges from being physical to emotional and sexual to economic. A physical abuser uses physical force which injures the victim or endangers their life.

It includes hitting, punching, choking, slapping, and other kinds of violence. Moreover, the abuser also denies the victim medical care. Further, there is emotional abuse in which the person threatens and intimidates the victim. It also includes undermining their self-worth.

It includes threatening them with harm or public humiliation. Similarly, constant name-calling and criticism also count as emotional abuse. After that, we have sexual abuse in which the perpetrator uses force for unwanted sexual activity.

If your partner does not consent to it, it is forced which makes it sexual abuse. Finally, we have economic abuse where the abuser controls the victim’s money and their economic resources.

They do this to exert control on them and make them dependent solely on them. If your partner has to beg you for money, then it counts as economic abuse. This damages the self-esteem of the victim.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Domestic Violence

To conclude, domestic violence has many forms which include physical aggression like kicking and biting and it can also be sexual or emotional. It is essential to recognize the signs of domestic violence and report the abuser if it is happening around you or to you.

FAQ of Essay on Domestic Violence

Question 1: Why is domestic violence an issue?

Answer 1: Domestic violence has a major impact on the general health and wellbeing of individuals. It is because it causes physical injury, anxiety, depression. Moreover, it also impairs social skills and increases the likelihood that they will participate in practices harmful to their health, like self-harm or substance abuse.

Question 2: How does domestic violence affect a woman?

Answer 2: Domestic violence affects women in terms of ill health. It causes serious consequences on their mental and physical health which includes reproductive and sexual health. It also includes injuries, gynaecological problems, depression, suicide and more.

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Home — Essay Samples — Law, Crime & Punishment — Crime — Domestic Violence

Essays on Domestic Violence

Domestic violence essay topics and outline examples, essay title 1: unveiling the shadows: understanding the causes, effects, and prevention of domestic violence.

Thesis Statement: This essay sheds light on the complex issue of domestic violence by examining its root causes, the devastating effects on victims and society, and strategies for prevention and intervention.

• Introduction
• Defining Domestic Violence: Types and Prevalence
• Causes of Domestic Violence: Analyzing Societal, Psychological, and Cultural Factors
• Impact on Victims: Physical, Emotional, and Psychological Consequences
• Children and Domestic Violence: The Far-Reaching Effects on Youth
• Legal Framework: Laws and Policies Addressing Domestic Violence
• Prevention and Intervention: Support Services, Shelters, and Community Outreach
• Conclusion: Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Violence for a Safer Society

Essay Title 2: Behind Closed Doors: The Cycle of Abuse, Power Dynamics, and Empowering Survivors of Domestic Violence

Thesis Statement: This essay explores the cycle of abuse, the power dynamics within abusive relationships, and strategies to empower survivors of domestic violence to break free from the cycle.

• The Cycle of Abuse: Tensions, Violence, and Reconciliation
• Power and Control: Understanding the Dynamics of Abusive Relationships
• Barriers to Leaving: Factors That Keep Victims in Abusive Situations
• Supporting Survivors: Advocacy, Counseling, and Safe Havens
• Legal Remedies: Restraining Orders, Prosecution, and Victim Protection
• Education and Awareness: Preventing Domestic Violence Through Knowledge
• Conclusion: Empowering Survivors to Reclaim Their Lives

Essay Title 3: The Role of Education and Societal Change in Eradicating Domestic Violence

Thesis Statement: This essay discusses the pivotal role of education and societal change in eradicating domestic violence, emphasizing the importance of promoting healthy relationships and challenging harmful norms and stereotypes.

• Educational Initiatives: Teaching Healthy Relationships and Consent
• Media Influence: Portrayals of Domestic Violence and Their Impact
• Community Engagement: Grassroots Movements and Support Networks
• Breaking Stereotypes: Challenging Gender Norms and Toxic Masculinity
• Preventive Measures: Recognizing Early Warning Signs and Providing Resources
• International Perspectives: Global Efforts to Combat Domestic Violence
• Conclusion: Building a Safer and More Respectful Society for All

Understanding and Addressing Domestic Violence

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Understanding and Preventing Domestic Violence

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Physical and Emotional Abuse

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The Issues of Domestic Violence and Stalking in The United States

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Domestic violence refers to a pattern of abusive behaviors, physical, emotional, psychological, or sexual, occurring within a domestic or intimate relationship. It involves the exertion of power and control by one person over another, typically perpetrated by a current or former partner, spouse, or family member.

Physical Abuse: the use of physical force that causes bodily harm or injury to a partner or family member. Emotional or Psychological Abuse: this form of abuse aims to control, manipulate, or undermine the victim's emotional well-being. Sexual Abuse: any non-consensual sexual activity or coercion within an intimate relationship. Financial Abuse: this form of abuse entails controlling or limiting the victim's access to financial resources. Verbal Abuse: it includes the use of words, insults, threats, or derogatory language to demean, belittle, or intimidate the victim.

Domestic violence is a pressing issue in the United States, affecting individuals of all genders, ages, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Understanding the landscape of domestic violence in the country is crucial in raising awareness and implementing effective strategies to combat this pervasive problem. Domestic violence remains a significant concern in the US. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), approximately 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking in their lifetime. Domestic violence has profound consequences for individuals and society as a whole. Victims may suffer physical injuries, emotional trauma, and long-term psychological effects. It also contributes to a cycle of violence, negatively impacting families, children, and communities. Encouragingly, more survivors are coming forward to report domestic violence and seek help. Various organizations, such as domestic violence shelters, hotlines, and support groups, provide assistance and resources to survivors, including safety planning, counseling, and legal support.

Domestic violence has deep roots in history, spanning across cultures and societies. Understanding the historical context of this issue provides insight into the social and cultural factors that have shaped attitudes and responses to domestic violence over time. Throughout history, domestic violence was often considered a private matter, and societal norms and legal systems often failed to address or condemn it. Women were seen as property or subordinate to their male counterparts, which perpetuated power imbalances and contributed to the normalization of violence within intimate relationships. The feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s brought domestic violence to the forefront of public discourse. Activists and organizations shed light on the prevalence and severity of domestic violence, challenging societal beliefs and advocating for change. This led to the establishment of shelters, hotlines, and support services for survivors. Legislation also played a crucial role in addressing domestic violence. In the US, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was passed in 1994, providing federal resources to combat domestic violence, improve victim services, and enhance legal protections. While progress has been made, domestic violence remains a persistent issue, and ongoing efforts are necessary to address its root causes, promote gender equality, and create a society where all individuals can live free from violence and abuse.

One prominent figure is Dr. Ellen Pence, co-founder of the Duluth Model, an influential approach to addressing domestic violence. Her work focused on changing societal perceptions of domestic violence and promoting accountability for perpetrators. Activist and author, Tarana Burke, is another notable figure. She created the "Me Too" movement, which initially aimed to raise awareness about sexual assault but has since expanded to address various forms of abuse, including domestic violence. Her advocacy has sparked a global conversation and empowered countless survivors to share their experiences. Celebrities such as Rihanna and Halle Berry have used their platforms to speak out against domestic violence and support organizations that provide assistance to survivors. Their visibility and support have helped generate widespread attention and funding for initiatives combating domestic violence.

Public opinion on the topic of domestic violence has evolved significantly over time. In the past, there was often a prevailing attitude of silence and victim-blaming, which hindered progress in addressing the issue. However, as awareness has grown and conversations around domestic violence have become more open, public opinion has shifted towards greater recognition of its seriousness and the need for action. Today, there is generally widespread condemnation of domestic violence, with the majority of people acknowledging it as a serious societal problem that requires attention and intervention. People understand that domestic violence is not confined to a specific demographic and can affect individuals from all walks of life. Public opinion also recognizes the importance of supporting survivors and holding perpetrators accountable. There is a growing understanding that domestic violence is not a private matter but a public health issue that requires a comprehensive response involving education, prevention, and access to support services.

1. Power and Control 2. Socioeconomic Factors 3. Cultural and Social Norms 4. Substance Abuse 5. Childhood Experiences 6. Lack of Education and Awareness:

1. Physical Injuries 2. Psychological and Emotional Trauma 3. Social and Interpersonal Impact 4. Impact on Children 5. Economic Consequences 6. Cycle of Violence

1. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime. 2. Domestic violence is often underreported, making it challenging to fully understand the scope of the problem. Studies indicate that a significant number of domestic violence incidents go unreported due to fear, shame, economic dependence, or lack of awareness about available resources. 3. Domestic violence can perpetuate across generations. Children who witness domestic violence in their homes are more likely to become victims or abusers themselves as adults. Breaking this inter-generational cycle requires effective intervention and support to prevent the normalization of violence within families.

The topic of domestic violence is of utmost importance when it comes to raising awareness, fostering understanding, and promoting change in society. Writing an essay about domestic violence provides an opportunity to shed light on this pervasive issue and its profound impact on individuals, families, and communities. Firstly, addressing domestic violence is essential for the well-being and safety of countless individuals who experience physical, emotional, or sexual abuse within their homes. By discussing the causes, consequences, and dynamics of domestic violence, an essay can help educate readers about the signs to look out for and the available resources for support and intervention. Secondly, exploring the topic allows for a deeper understanding of the societal factors that contribute to domestic violence, such as power imbalances, gender roles, and cultural norms. By examining these underlying issues, an essay can contribute to the dialogue on social change, policy reforms, and the importance of prevention and education. Furthermore, the topic of domestic violence intersects with various disciplines, including psychology, sociology, law, and public health, making it a rich subject for research and analysis. It encourages critical thinking, empathy, and the exploration of potential solutions to combat domestic violence on personal, interpersonal, and systemic levels.

1. Anderson, K. L. (2017). Gender, power, and violence: Responding to intimate partner violence in South African households. Gender & Society, 31(6), 743-768. 2. Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Basile, K. C., Walters, M. L., Chen, J., & Merrick, M. T. (2014). Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization—National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63(8), 1-18. 3. Coker, A. L., Smith, P. H., Thompson, M. P., McKeown, R. E., Bethea, L., & Davis, K. E. (2002). Social support protects against the negative effects of partner violence on mental health. Journal of Women's Health & Gender-Based Medicine, 11(5), 465-476. 4. Ellsberg, M., Jansen, H. A., Heise, L., Watts, C. H., & Garcia-Moreno, C. (2008). Intimate partner violence and women's physical and mental health in the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence: An observational study. The Lancet, 371(9619), 1165-1172. 5. Fisher, B. S., Cullen, F. T., & Turner, M. G. (2000). The sexual victimization of college women (NCJ 182369). Bureau of Justice Statistics. 6. García-Moreno, C., Jansen, H. A., Ellsberg, M., Heise, L., & Watts, C. H. (2006). Prevalence of intimate partner violence: Findings from the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence. The Lancet, 368(9543), 1260-1269. 7. Hegarty, K., O'Doherty, L., & Taft, A. (2013). Challenging the biomedical model: Toward a more nuanced understanding of violence against women. Violence Against Women, 19(11), 1419-1437. 8. Jewkes, R. (2002). Intimate partner violence: Causes and prevention. The Lancet, 359(9315), 1423-1429. 9. Johnson, M. P. (2008). A typology of domestic violence: Intimate terrorism, violent resistance, and situational couple violence. Northeastern University Press. 10. World Health Organization. (2013). Global and regional estimates of violence against women: Prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. World Health Organization.

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Domestic Abuse: Types, Causes, and Impact

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

Yolanda Renteria, LPC, is a licensed therapist, somatic practitioner, national certified counselor, adjunct faculty professor, speaker specializing in the treatment of trauma and intergenerational trauma.

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• Supporting Someone

Domestic abuse , also known as domestic violence or family abuse, is a pattern of behavior that is used to hurt, terrorize, manipulate, or gain control over a family member.

Domestic abuse may be perpetrated by any member of the household, such as an intimate partner, parent, child, sibling, relative, or staff member. When domestic abuse is perpetrated by an intimate partner, it is referred to as intimate partner violence. When a child is a victim of domestic abuse, it is referred to as child abuse .

People from marginalized groups are at greater risk of experiencing abuse. However, it’s important to recognize that anyone can be a victim of abuse, regardless of their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, class, or faith.

Domestic abuse and intimate partner violence are serious public health issues globally. In fact, it is believed that domestic abuse is the most prevalent but least reported crime in the United States.

This article explores the types, causes, signs, and impact of domestic abuse, as well as some ways to support someone who has been abused.

If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential assistance from trained advocates. 

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 . For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database .

Types of Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse can take many forms. These are some of the different types of domestic abuse:

• Physical abuse , which is when someone harms the other person’s body, causing them to experience pain or suffer physical injuries. Physical abuse includes slapping, beating, hitting, kicking, punching, pinching, biting, choking, pushing, grabbing, shaking, or burning another person.
• Sexual abuse , which includes any form of touching or sexual contact without the other person’s explicit consent. Sexual abuse also includes any form of sexual contact between an adult and a person below the age of 18 .
• Emotional or psychological abuse , which includes yelling, cursing, name-calling, bullying, coercing, humiliating, gaslighting, harassing, infantilizing , threatening, frightening, isolating, manipulating, or otherwise controlling another person. Emotional/psychological abuse can be just as harmful as sexual or physical abuse.
• Neglect , which involves failing to provide a child or a dependent adult with necessities such as food, water, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision. Neglect can also be emotional, which involves failing to provide love, care, and emotional support to a family member.
• Financial abuse , which involves taking control of an individual's finances by controlling their income, restricting their ability to work, or accumulating debts in their name.
• Cultural identity abuse , which involves using aspects of a person's cultural identity to cause pain. This might involve threatening to out a person as LGBTQ+, using racial or ethnic slurs, or not permitting the person to practice traditions and customs of their faith.
• Technological abuse , which involves using technology as a means to threaten, stalk, harass, and abuse the other person. Examples of this form of abuse include using tracking devices to monitor someone's movements or online activities and demanding to have access to the person's social media or email accounts.
• Immigration abuse , which involves inflicting harm on a person by using their immigration status to threaten or restrict aspects of their life. Examples of this might involve threatening the individual's family members, destroying or hiding their immigration papers, and threatening to have them deported.

Signs of Domestic Abuse

It’s important to recognize domestic abuse because the victims are our friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors.

These are some of the signs that someone is experiencing domestic abuse:

• Being upset or agitated
• Being withdrawn or unresponsive
• Exhibiting signs of fear or nervousness around certain people
• Displaying sudden changes in behavior or unusual behaviors
• Having injuries such as cuts, bruises, black eyes, or broken bones
• Having bruises, bleeding, torn clothes, or bloodstains around genital areas
• Being dehydrated, malnourished, or unkempt
• Living in unsafe or unsanitary conditions
• Wearing long-sleeved clothing or sunglasses to cover up bruising
• Having unusual eating or sleeping habits
• Being extremely meek and apologetic
• Losing interest in daily activities
• Isolating from friends and family

Causes of Domestic Abuse

Research suggests that there are a number of different factors that contribute to the prevalence of domestic violence:

• Cultural factors: Historically, many patriarchal cultures have permitted the beating and chastising of women and children, who are viewed as a man’s property. Additionally, the concept of a woman’s sexuality is often tied to the family’s honor. Therefore, any actions or behaviors by a woman that are perceived as acts of dishonor toward the family are met with judgment and abuse.
• Legal factors: Law enforcement agencies tend to treat domestic abuse as a private family matter and sometimes hesitate to intervene or get involved. Acts of domestic abuse are often treated with more leniency than crimes committed by strangers. In fact, sexual abuse by intimate partners is not even recognized as a crime in many cultures.
• Economic factors: Lack of economic resources is often associated with domestic abuse.
• Environmental factors: People who have grown up in abusive environments and witnessed or experienced abuse as children may be more likely to perpetrate domestic abuse as adults. This is referred to as the intergenerational cycle of abuse .
• Social factors: Society still tends to blame victims for being abused, which can make it difficult for them to come forward and report their abusers. Victims are often scrutinized minutely, and any imperfections are held against them.
• Substance use: Excessive use of substances such as alcohol and drugs can lead to domestic abuse.

Impact of Domestic Abuse

Being abused can cause a person to:

• Think they did something to deserve the abuse
• Believe they are unwanted and unworthy of love or respect
• Feel guilty or ashamed
• Feel helpless and powerless
• Feel used , controlled, or manipulated
• Be terrified of doing something that will upset their abuser
• Behave differently in order to avoid upsetting their abuser
• Have difficulty sleeping, concentrating, or participating in activities they once enjoyed
• Develop mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety
• Develop physical health conditions such as heart disease, digestive issues, muscle and bone conditions, fertility problems, and nervous system disorders
• Feel responsible for regulating the emotions and behaviors of their abuser
• Feel hypervigilant and like they are constantly walking on eggshells
• Not feel good enough or capable to make it on their own
• Constantly doubt their perception and their decisions

Experiencing domestic abuse can cause physical and mental health issues that persist long after the abuse stops.

Supporting Someone Who Has Been Abused

These are some ways to support someone who has been abused:

• Listen to the person and believe them
• Honor where they are in their process and don't push your personal views
• Offer assistance and let them know they’re not alone
• Help them note down all the details they can remember
• Remind them that they’re not to blame for anything that has happened to them
• Encourage them to seek professional support, either through a confidential hotline or via other medical or mental healthcare providers
• Encourage them to speak up about the abuse and report their abuser to the authorities, because keeping it secret only protects their abuser
• Respect whatever choice they make and let them know you'll be there for them regardless of what they decide

A Word From Verywell

Domestic abuse can take many different shapes and forms. It can be extremely traumatic to experience, leaving behind physical wounds, emotional scars, and health issues. It can affect every aspect of the person’s life and make it difficult for them to function.

Recovery takes time, but speaking up about the abuse, leaving an abusive situation , and seeking treatment are important steps that can help.

United Nations. What is domestic abuse?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing intimate partner violence .

Li S, Zhao F, Yu G. Childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence victimization: A meta-analysis . Child Abuse Negl . 2019;88:212-224. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.11.012

City Government of Annapolis, Maryland. Myths about domestic violence .

Nemours Foundation. Abuse .

Women Against Abuse. Types of abuse .

Department of Human Services. Domestic violence crisis and prevention .

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Types and signs of abuse .

Yakubovich AR, Stöckl H, Murray J, Melendez-Torres GJ, Steinert JI, Glavin CEY, Humphreys DK. Risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence against women: Systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective-longitudinal studies . Am J Public Health . 2018;108(7):e1-e11. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304428

Greene CA, Haisley L, Wallace C, Ford JD. Intergenerational effects of childhood maltreatment: A systematic review of the parenting practices of adult survivors of childhood abuse, neglect, and violence . Clin Psychol Rev . 2020;80:101891. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101891

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Emotional and verbal abuse .

Malik M, Munir N, Ghani MU, Ahmad N. Domestic violence and its relationship with depression, anxiety, and quality of life . Pak J Med Sci . 2021;37(1):191-194. doi:10.12669/pjms.37.1.2893

Cleveland Clinic. How to heal from emotional abuse .

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

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Great argumentative essay topics on domestic violence with prompts, dr. wilson mn.

• July 31, 2022
• Essay Topics and Ideas , Samples

One of the most difficult parts of writing an argumentative essay is coming up with a topic and a thesis statement . Here’s a comprehensive list of Argumentative Essay Topics On Domestic Violence with Prompts.

Argumentative Essay Topics On Domestic Violence with Prompts

• The consequences of domestic violence. Essay Prompt: Some people consider domestic violence a common thing in a household. What can it lead to? Give examples and suggest solutions.
• Should domestic violence be taken seriously? Essay Prompt: Is domestic violence a common thing or a serious problem, which needs an immediate solution? Should women endure it?
• Officer-Involved Domestic Violence, Essay Prompt: The number of officer-related domestic violence has been on the rise, which causes concern about the safety of the family members of police officers. The main reason domestic violence has been on the rise is the stressful work environment that police officers go through.
• Theoretical Explanations for Domestic Violence Social Research Paper Essay Prompt: Domestic violence is one of the major societal problems experienced around the world. According to Guerin and Ortolan (2017), domestic violence encompasses aspects such as bullying, intimidation, and in extreme cases, murder perpetrated by an individual within a domestic setting.

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• How Does Domestic Violence Influence Children’s Education? Essay Prompt: Domestic violence and education: examining the impact of domestic violence on young children, children, and young people and the potential role of schools. Frontiers in psychology. This article explores the adverse effects of domestic violence on children and the role of schools.
• Types of domestic violence. Essay Prompt: Point out the ways women can be violated. What are the most dangerous ones? What are their consequences?
• Domestic violence: a personal matter or an open problem? Essay Prompt: In this essay, discuss whether domestic violence should be kept in secret or brought out to publicity. Give your reasons.
• Domestic violence: who is to blame? Essay Prompt: If a husband beats up his wife, is he a brute or does she really deserve it? Give your reasons.
• Why women bear it. Essay Prompt: Try to find an answer to the question: why do women endure violence? Is it the absence of self-respect or the power of love? Give your reasons.
• Domestic violence as the echo of the past. Essay Prompt: In the past, violence against women was acceptable and nowadays some men keep to such a stereotype. Is it reasonable to keep this “noble” tradition or should it become a thing of the past?

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Domestic violence argument topics

• How to protect yourself from domestic violence? Essay Prompt: In this essay, you should make a research and point out ways to protect yourself from domestic tyranny. You may consult legislative documents.
• I’m a victim: what to do? Essay Prompt: If one becomes a victim of domestic tyranny, what measures should be taken? How to punish the offender? Give examples.
• Social services protecting victims of domestic violence. Essay Prompt: What are the social services protecting victims of violence? What are their functions? Do they really help?
• How to recognize a despot. Essay Prompt: If husband has lifted his hand against wife once, he is sure to do it again and again. How can a tyrant be recognized and avoided? Offer your variants.
• Punishment for offender. Essay Prompt: Consult special literature and comment how justice can punish a person blamed in domestic violence.
• To forgive or not to forgive? Essay Prompt: Analyze the cases of domestic violence and decide whether tyranny can be forgiven. Decide whether it is reasonable, to give the offender one more chance. Explain why.
• Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and Rape Violence Effects on Individual or Community Essay Prompt: Discuss your knowledge of the effects these three crimes have on individuals and society as a whole.
• Negative Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Essay Prompt: This essay affirms that domestic violence poses a number of negative effects on children, including social development, brain development, and social behavior. (Domestic violence argument topics)
• Why Domestic Violence Victims Don’t Leave Essay Prompt: There were surprising things in the video; for instance, the domestic violence follows predefined steps when the victim is new in the relationship.
• Domestic Violence And Sociological Perspective Or Sociological Imagination Essay Prompt: Schools as Training Grounds for Domestic Violence and Sexual Harassment (Domestic violence argument topics)
• Find out more on  Argumentative Essay Topics About Social Media [Updated]

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Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs (1998)

Chapter: 9 conclusions and recommendations, 9 conclusions and recommendations.

The problems of child maltreatment, domestic violence, and elder abuse have generated hundreds of separate interventions in social service, health, and law enforcement settings. This array of interventions has been driven by the urgency of the different types of family violence, client needs, and the responses of service providers, advocates, and communities. The interventions now constitute a broad range of institutional services that focus on the identification, treatment, prevention, and deterrence of family violence.

The array of interventions that is currently in place and the dozens of different types of programs and services associated with each intervention represent a valuable body of expertise and experience that is in need of systematic scientific study to inform and guide service design, treatment, prevention, and deterrence. The challenge for the research community, service providers, program sponsors, and policy makers is to develop frameworks to enhance critical analyses of current strategies, interventions, and programs and identify next steps in addressing emerging questions and cross-cutting issues. Many complexities now characterize family violence interventions and challenge the development of rigorous scientific evaluations. These complexities require careful consideration in the development of future research, service improvements, and collaborative efforts between researchers and service providers. Examples of these complexities are illustrative:

• The interventions now in place in communities across the nation focus services on discrete and isolated aspects of family violence. They address different aspects of child maltreatment, domestic violence, and elder abuse. Some
• interventions have an extensive history of experience, and others are at a very early stage of development.
• Many interventions have not been fully implemented because of limited funding or organizational barriers. Thus in many cases it is too early to expect that research can determine whether a particular intervention or strategy (such as deterrence or prevention) is effective because the intervention may not yet have sufficient strength to achieve its intended impact.
• The social and institutional settings of many interventions present important challenges to the design of systematic scientific evaluations. The actual strength or dosage of a particular program can be directly influenced by local or national events that stimulate changes in resources, budgets, and personnel factors that influence its operation in different service settings. Variations in service scope or intensity caused by local service practices and social settings are important sources of "noise" in cross-site research studies; they can directly affect evaluation studies in such key areas as definitions, eligibility criteria, and outcome measures.
• Emerging research on the experiences of family violence victims and offenders suggests that this is a complex population composed of different types of individuals and patterns of behavior. Evaluation studies thus need to consider the types of clients served by particular services, the characteristics of those who benefited from them, and the attributes of those who were resistant to change.

In this chapter the committee summarizes its overall conclusions and proposes policy and research recommendations. A key question for the committee was whether and when the research evidence is sufficient to guide a critical examination of particular interventions. In some areas, the body of research is sufficient to inform policy choices, program development, evaluation research, data collection, and theory-building; the committee makes recommendations for current policies and practices in these areas below. In other areas, although the research base is not yet mature enough to guide policy and program development, some interventions are ready for rigorous evaluation studies. For this second tier of interventions, the committee makes recommendations for the next generation of evaluation studies. The committee then identifies a set of four topics for basic research that reflect current insights into the nature of family violence and trends in family violence interventions. A final section makes some suggestions to increase the effectiveness of collaborations between researchers and service providers.

Conclusions

The committee's conclusions are derived from our analysis of the research literature and discussions with service providers in the workshops and site visits, rather than from specific research studies. This analysis takes a client-oriented

approach to family violence interventions, which means that we focus on how existing services in health, social services, and law enforcement settings affect the individuals who come in contact with them.

• The urgency of the need to respond to the problem of family violence and the paucity of research to guide service interventions have created an environment in which insights from small-scale studies are often adopted into policy and professional practice without sufficient independent replication or reflection on their possible shortcomings. Rigorous evaluations of family violence interventions are confined, for the most part, to small or innovative programs that provide an opportunity to develop a comparison or control study, rather than focusing on the major existing family violence interventions.
• This situation has fostered a series of trial-and-error experiences in which a promising intervention is later found to be problematic when employed with a broader and more varied population. Major treatment and prevention interventions, such as child maltreatment reporting systems, casework, protective orders, and health care for victims of domestic violence, battered women's shelters, and elder abuse interventions of all types, have not been the subjects of rigorous evaluation studies. The programmatic and policy emphasis on single interventions as panaceas to the complex problems of family violence, and the lack of sufficient opportunity for learning more about the service interactions, client characteristics, and contextual factors that could affect the impact of different approaches, constitute formidable challenges to the improvement of the knowledge base and prevention and treatment interventions in this filed.
• In all areas of family violence, after-the-fact services predominate over preventive interventions. For child maltreatment and elder abuse, case identification and investigative services are the primary form of intervention; services designed to prevent, treat, or deter family violence are relatively rare in social service, health, and criminal justice settings (with the notable exceptions of foster care and family preservation services). For domestic violence, interventions designed to treat victims and offenders and deter future incidents of violence are more common, but preventive services remain relatively underdeveloped.
• The current array of family violence interventions (especially in the areas of child maltreatment and elder abuse) is a loosely coupled network of individual programs and services that are highly reactive in nature, focused primarily on the detection of specific cases. It is a system largely driven by events, rather than one that is built on theory, research, and data collection. Interventions are oriented toward the identification of victims and the substantiation and documentation of their experiences, rather than the delivery of recommended services to reduce the incidence and consequences of family violence in the community overall. As a result, enormous resources are invested to develop evidence that certain victims or offenders need treatment, legal action, or other interventions, and comparatively limited funds are available for the treatment and support services themselves—a
• situation that results in lengthy waiting lists, discretionary decisionmaking processes in determining which cases are referred for further action, and extensive variation in a service system's ability to match clients with appropriate interventions.
• The duration and intensity of the mental health and social support services needed to influence behaviors that result from or contribute to family violence may be greater than initially estimated. Family violence treatment and preventive interventions that focus on single incidents and short periods of support services, especially in such areas as parenting skills, mental health, and batterer treatment, may be inadequate to deal with problems that are pervasive, multiple, and chronic. Many programs for victims involve short-term treatment services—less than 6 weeks. Services for offenders are also typically of short duration. Yet research suggests that short-term programs designed to alter violent behavior are often the least likely to succeed, because of the difficulties of changing behavior that has persisted for a period of years and has become part of an established pattern in relationships. Efforts to address fundamental sources of conflict, stress, and violence that occur repeatedly over time within the family environment may require extensive periods of support services to sustain the positive effects achieved in short-term interventions.
• The interactive nature of family violence interventions constitutes a major challenge to the evaluation of interventions because the presence or absence of policies and programs in one domain may directly affect the implementation and outcomes of interventions in another. Research suggests that the risk and protective factors for child maltreatment, domestic violence, and elder abuse interact across multiple levels. The uncoordinated but interactive system of services requires further attention and consideration in future evaluation studies. Such evaluations need to document the presence and absence of services that affect members of the same family unit but offer treatment for specific problems in separate institutions characterized by different service philosophies and resources.
• For example, factors such as court oversight or mandatory referrals may influence individual participation in treatment services and the outcomes associated with such participation. The culture and resources of one agency can influence the quality and timing of services offered by another. Yet little information is available regarding the extent or quality of interventions in a community. Clients who receive multiple interventions (especially children) are often not followed through different service settings. Limited information is available to distinguish key features of innovative interventions from those usually offered in a community; to describe the stages of implementation of specific family violence programs, interventions, or strategies; to explain rates of attrition in the client base; or to capture case characteristics that influence the ways in which clients are selected for specific treatment programs.
• The emergence of secondary prevention interventions specifically targeted to serve children, adults, and communities with characteristics that are
• thought to place them at greater risk of family violence than the general population, along with the increasing emphasis on the need for integration and coordination of services, has the potential to achieve significant benefits. However, the potential of these newer interventions to reduce the need for treatment or other support services over the lifetime of the client has not yet been proven for large populations.
• Secondary preventive interventions, such as those serving children exposed to domestic violence, have the potential to reduce future incidents of family violence and to reduce the existing need for services in such areas as recovery from trauma, substance abuse, juvenile crime, mental health and health care. However, evaluation studies are not yet available to determine the value of preventive interventions for large populations in terms of reduction of the need for treatment or other support services over a client's lifetime.
• The shortage of service resources and the emphasis on reactive, short-term treatment have directed comparatively little attention to interventions for people who have experienced or perpetrated violent behavior but who have not yet been reported or identified as offenders or victims. Efforts to achieve broader systemic collaboration, comprehensive service integration, and proactive interventions require attention to the appropriate balance among enforcement, treatment, and prevention interventions in addressing family violence at both state and national levels. Such efforts also need to be responsive to the particular requirements of diverse ethnic communities with special needs or unique resources that can be mobilized in the development of preventive interventions. Because they extend to a larger population than those currently served by treatment centers, secondary prevention efforts can be expensive; their benefits may not become apparent until many years after the intervention occurs.
• Policy leadership is needed to help integrate family violence treatment, enforcement and support actions, and preventive interventions and also to foster the development of evaluations of comprehensive and cross-problem interventions that have the capacity to consider outcomes beyond reports of future violent behavior.
• Creative research methodologies are also needed to examine the separate and combined effects of cross-problem service strategies (such as the treatment of substance abuse and family violence), follow individuals and families through multiple service interventions and agency settings, and examine factors that may play important mediating roles in determining whether violence will occur or continue (such as the use of social networks and support services and the threat of legal sanctions).
• Most evaluations seek to document whether violent behavior decreased as a result of the intervention, an approach that often inhibits attention to other factors that may play important mediating roles in determining whether violence will occur. The individual victim or offender is the focus of most interventions and
• the unit of analysis in evaluation studies, rather than the family or the community in which the violence occurred.

Integrated approaches have the potential to illuminate the sequences and ways in which different experiences with violence in the family do and do not overlap with each other and with other kinds of violence. This research approach requires time to mature; at present, it is not strong enough to determine the strengths or limitations of strategies that integrate different forms of family violence compared with approaches that focus on specific forms of family violence. Service integration efforts focused on single forms of family violence may have the potential to achieve greater impact than services that disregard the interactive nature of this complex behavior, but this hypothesis also remains unproven.

Recommendations For Current Policies And Practices

It is premature to offer policy recommendations for most family violence interventions in the absence of a research base that consists of well-designed evaluations. However, the committee has identified two areas (home visitation and family preservation services) in which a rigorous set of studies offers important guidance to policy makers and service providers. In four other areas (reporting practices, batterer treatment programs, record keeping, and collaborative law enforcement approaches) the committee has drawn on its judgment and deliberations to encourage policy makers and service providers to take actions that are consistent with the state of the current research base.

These six interventions were selected for particular attention because (1) they are the focus of current policy attention, service evaluation, and program design; (2) a sufficient length of time has elapsed since the introduction of the intervention to allow for appropriate experience with key program components and measurement of outcomes; (3) the intervention has been widely adopted or is under consideration by a large number of communities to warrant its careful analysis; and (4) the intervention has been described and characterized in the research literature (through program summaries or case studies).

Reporting Practices

All 50 states have adopted laws requiring health professionals and other service providers to report suspected child abuse and neglect. Although state laws vary in terms of the types of endangerment and evidentiary standards that warrant a report to child protection authorities, each state has adopted a procedure that requires designated professionals—or, in some states, all adults—to file a report if they believe that a child is a victim of abuse or neglect. Mandatory reporting is thought to enhance early case detection and to increase the likelihood that services will be provided to children in need.

For domestic violence, mandatory reporting requirements for professional groups like health care providers have been adopted by the state of California and are under consideration in several other states. Mandatory reports are seen as a method by which offenders who abuse multiple partners can be identified through the health care community for law enforcement purposes. Early detection is assumed to lead to remedies and interventions that will prevent further abuse by holding the abuser accountable and helping to mitigate the consequences of family violence.

Critics have argued that mandatory reporting requirements may damage the confidentiality of the therapeutic relationship between health professionals and their clients, disregard the knowledge and preferences of the victim regarding appropriate action, potentially increase the danger to victims when sufficient protection and support are not available, and ultimately discourage individuals who wish to seek physical or psychological treatment from contacting and disclosing abuse to health professionals. In many regions, victim support services are not available or the case requires extensive legal documentation to justify treatment for victims, offenders, and families.

For elder abuse, 42 states have mandatory reporting systems. Several states have opted for voluntary systems after conducting studies that considered the advantages and disadvantages of voluntary and mandatory reporting systems, on the grounds that mandatory reports do not achieve significant increases in the detection of elder abuse cases.

In reviewing the research base associated with the relationship between reporting systems and the treatment and prevention of family violence, the committee has observed that no existing evaluation studies can demonstrate the value of mandatory reporting systems compared with voluntary reporting procedures in addressing child maltreatment or domestic violence. For elder abuse, studies suggest that a high level of public and professional awareness and the availability of comprehensive services to identify, treat, and prevent violence is preferable to reporting requirements in improving rates of case detection.

The absence of a research base to support mandatory reporting systems raises questions as to whether they should be recommended for all areas of family violence. The impact of mandatory reporting systems in the area of child maltreatment and elder abuse remains unexamined. The committee therefore suggests that it is important for the states to proceed cautiously at this time and to delay adopting a mandatory reporting system in the area of domestic violence, until the positive and negative impacts of such a system have been rigorously examined in states in which domestic violence reports are now required by law.

Recommendation 1: The committee recommends that states initiate evaluations of their current reporting laws addressing family violence to examine whether and how early case detection leads to improved outcomes for the victims or families and promote changes based on sound research. In

particular, the committee recommends that states refrain from enacting mandatory reporting laws for domestic violence until such systems have been tested and evaluated by research.

In dealing with family violence that involves adults, federal and state government agencies should reconsider the nature and role of compulsory reporting policies. In the committee's view, mandatory reporting systems have some disadvantages in cases involving domestic violence, especially if the victim objects to such reports, if comprehensive community protections and services are not available, and if the victim is able to gain access to therapeutic treatment or support services in the absence of a reporting system.

The dependent status of young children and some elders provides a stronger argument in favor of retaining mandatory reporting requirements where they do exist. However, the effectiveness of reporting requirements depends on the availability of resources and service personnel who can investigate reports and refer cases for appropriate treatment, as well as clear guidelines for processing reports and determining which cases qualify for services. Greater discretion may be advised when the child and family are able to receive therapeutic treatment from health care or other service providers and when community resources are not available to respond appropriately to their cases. The treatment of adolescents especially requires major consideration of the pros and cons of mandatory reporting requirements. Adolescent victims are still in a vulnerable stage of development: they may or may not have the capacity to make informed decisions regarding the extent to which they wish to invoke legal protections in dealing with incidents of family violence in their homes.

Batterer Treatment Programs

Four key questions characterize current policy and research discussions about the efficacy of batterer treatment, one of the most challenging problems in the design of family violence interventions: Is treatment preferable to incarceration, supervised probation, or other forms of court oversight for batterers? Does participation in treatment change offenders' attitudes and behavior and reduce recidivism? Does the effectiveness of treatment depend on its intensity, duration, or the voluntary or compulsory nature of the program? Is treatment what creates change, or is change in behavior reduced by multiple interventions, such as arrest, court monitoring of client participation in treatment services, and victim support services?

Descriptive research studies suggest that there are multiple profiles of batterers, and therefore one generic approach is not appropriate for all offenders. Treatment programs may be helpful in changing abusive behavior when they are part of an overall strategy designed to recognize and reduce violence in a relationship, when the batterer is prepared to learn how to control aggressive impulses, and

when the treatment plan emphasizes victim safety and provides for frequent interactions with treatment staff.

Research on the effectiveness of treatment programs suggests that the majority of subjects who complete court-ordered treatment programs do learn basic cognitive and behavioral principles taught in their course. However, such learning requires appropriate program content and client participation in the program for a sufficient time to complete the necessary training. Very few studies have examined matched groups of violent offenders who are assigned to treatment and control groups or comparison groups (such as incarceration or work-release). As a result, the comparative efficacy of treatment is unknown in reducing future violence. Differing client populations and differing forms of court oversight are particularly problematic factors that inhibit the design of rigorous evaluation studies in this field.

The absence of strong theory and common measures to guide the development of family violence treatment regimens, the heterogeneity of offenders (including patterns of offending and readiness to change) who are the subjects of protective orders or treatment, and low rates of attendance, completion, and enforcement are persistent problems that affect both the evaluation of the interventions and efforts to reduce the violence. A few studies suggest that court oversight does appear to increase completion rates, which have been linked to enhanced victim safety in the area of domestic violence, but increased completion rates have not yet led to a discernible effect on recidivism rates in general.

Further evaluations are needed to examine the outcomes associated with different approaches and programmatic themes (such as cognitive-behavioral principles: issues of power, control, and gender; personal accountability). Completion rates have been used as an interim outcome to measure the success of batterer treatment programs; further studies are needed to determine if completers can be identified readily, if program completion by itself is a critical factor in reducing recidivism, and if participation in a treatment program changes the nature, timing, and severity of future violent behavior.

The current research base is inadequate to identify the conditions under which mandated referrals to batterer treatment programs offer a clear advantage over incarceration or untreated probation supervision in reducing recidivism for the general population of male offenders. Court officials should monitor closely the attendance, participation, and completion rates of offenders who are referred to batterer treatment programs in lieu of more punitive sentences. Treatment staff should inform law enforcement officials of any significant behavior by the offender that might represent a threat to the victim. Mandated treatment referrals may be effective for certain types of batterers, especially if they increase completion rates. The research is inconclusive, however, as to which types of individuals should be referred for treatment rather than more punitive sanctions. In selecting individuals for treatment, attention should be given to client history

(first-time offenders are more likely to benefit), motivation for treatment, and likelihood of completion.

Mandated treatment referrals for batterers do appear to provide benefits to victims, such as intensive surveillance of offenders, an interlude to allow planning for safety and victim support, and greater community awareness of the batterer's behavior. These outcomes may interact to deter and reduce domestic violence in the community, even if a treatment program does not alter the behavior of a particular batterer. Treatment programs that include frequent interactions between staff and victims also provide a means by which staff can help educate victims about danger signals and support them in efforts to obtain greater protection and legal safeguards, if necessary.

Recommendation 2: In the absence of research that demonstrates that a specific model of treatment can reduce violent behavior for many domestic violence offenders, courts need to put in place early warning systems to detect failure to comply with or complete treatment and signs of new abuse or retaliation against victims, as well as to address unintended or inadvertent results that may arise from the referral to or experience with treatment.

Further research evaluation studies are needed to review the outcomes for both offenders and victims associated with program content and levels of intensity in different treatment models. This research will help indicate whether treatment really helps and what mix of services are more helpful than others. Improved research may also help distinguish those victims and offenders for whom particular treatments are most beneficial.

Record Keeping

Since experience with family violence appears to be associated with a wide range of health problems and social service needs, service providers are recognizing the importance of documenting abuse histories in their client case records. The documentation in health and social service records of abuse histories that are self-reported by victims and offenders can help service providers and researchers to determine if appropriate referrals and services have been made and the outcomes associated with their use. The exchange of case records among service providers is essential to the development of comprehensive treatment programs, continuity of care, and appropriate follow-up for individuals and families who appear in a variety of service settings. Such exchanges can help establish greater accountability by service systems for responding to the needs of identifiable victims and offenders; health and social service records can also provide appropriate evidence for legal actions, in both civil and criminal courts and child custody cases.

Research evaluations of service interventions often require the use of anonymous case records. The documentation of family violence in such records will

enhance efforts to improve the quality of evaluations and to understand more about patterns of behavior associated with violent behaviors and victimization experiences. Although documentation of abuse histories can improve evaluations and lead to integrated service responses, such procedures require safeguards so that individuals are not stigmatized or denied therapeutic services on the basis of their case histories. Insurance discrimination, in particular, which may preclude health care coverage if abuse is judged to be a preexisting condition, requires attention to ensure that professional services are not diminished as a result of voluntary disclosures. Creative strategies are needed to support integrated service system reviews of medical, legal, and social service case records in order to enhance the quality and accountability of service responses. Such reviews will need to meet the expectations of privacy and confidentiality of both individual victims and the community, especially in cases in which maltreatment reports are subsequently regarded as unfounded.

Documentation of abuse histories that are voluntarily disclosed by victims or offenders to health care professionals and social service providers must be distinguished from screening efforts designed to trigger such disclosures. The committee recommends screening as a strong candidate for future evaluation studies (see discussion in the next section).

Recommendation 3: The committee recommends that health and social service providers develop safeguards to strengthen their documentation of abuse and histories of family violence in both individual and group records, regardless of whether the abuse is reported to authorities.

The documentation of histories of family violence in health records should be designed to record voluntary disclosures by both victims and offenders and to enhance early and coordinated interventions that can provide a therapeutic response to experiences with abuse or neglect. Safeguards are required, however, to ensure that such documentation does not lead to stigmatization, encourage discriminatory practices, or violate assurances of privacy and confidentiality, especially when individual histories become part of patient group records for health care providers and employers.

Collaborative Law Enforcement Strategies

In the committee's view, collaborative law enforcement strategies that create a web of social control for offenders are an idea worth testing to determine if such efforts can achieve a significant deterrent effect in addressing domestic violence. Collaborative strategies include such efforts as victim support and offender tracking systems designed to increase the likelihood that domestic violence cases will be prosecuted when an arrest has been made, that sanctions and treatment services will be imposed when evidence exists to confirm the charges brought against the offender, and that penalties will be invoked for failure to comply with treatment

conditions. The attraction of collaborative strategies is based on their potential ability to establish multiple interactions with offenders across a large domain of interactions that reinforce social standards in the community and establish penalties for violations of those standards. Creating the deterrent effect, however, requires extensive coordination and reciprocity between victim support and offender monitoring efforts involving diverse sectors of the law enforcement community. These efforts may be difficult to implement and evaluate. Further studies are needed to determine the extent to which improved collaboration among police officers, prosecutors, and judges will lead to improved coordination and stronger sanctions for offenders and a reduction in domestic violence.

The absence of empirical research findings of the results of a collaborative law enforcement approach in addressing domestic violence makes it difficult to compare the costs and benefits of increased agency coordination with those achieved by a single law enforcement strategy (such as arrest) in dealing with different populations of offenders and victims. Even though relatively few cases of arrest are made for any form of family violence, arrest is the most common and most studied form of law enforcement intervention in this area. Research studies conducted in the 1980s on arrest policies in domestic violence cases are the strongest experimental evaluations to date of the role of deterrence in family violence interventions. These experiments indicate that arrest may be effective for some, but not most, batterers in reducing subsequent violence by the offender. Some research studies suggest that arrest may be a deterrent for employed and married individuals (those who have a stake in social conformity) and may lead to an escalation of violence among those who do not, but this observation has not been tested in studies that could specifically examine the impact of arrest in groups that differ in social and economic status. The differing effects (in terms of a reduction of future violence) of arrest for employed/unemployed and married/unmarried individuals raise difficult questions about the reliance of law enforcement officers on arrest as the sole or central component of their response to domestic violence incidents in communities where domestic violence cases are not routinely prosecuted, where sanctions are not imposed by the courts, or where victim support programs are not readily available.

The implementation of proarrest policies and practices that would discriminate according to the risk status of specific groups is challenged by requirements for equal protection under the law. Law enforcement officials cannot tailor arrest policies to the marital or employment status of the suspect or other characteristics that may interact with deterrence efforts. Specialized training efforts may help alleviate the tendency of police officers to arrest both suspect and victim, however, and may alert law enforcement personnel to the need to review both criminal and civil records in determining whether an arrest is advisable in response to a domestic violence case.

Two additional observations merit consideration in examining the deterrent effects of arrest. First, in the research studies conducted thus far, the implementation

of legal sanctions was minimal. Most offenders in the replication studies were not prosecuted once arrested, and limited legal sanctions were imposed on those cases that did receive a hearing. Some researchers concluded that stronger evidence of effectiveness might be obtained from proarrest policies if they are implemented as part of a law enforcement strategy that expands the use of punitive sanctions for offenders—including conviction, sentencing, and intensive supervised probation.

Second is the issue of reciprocity between formal sanctions against the offender and informal support actions for the victims of domestic violence. The effects of proarrest policies may depend on the extent to which victims have access to shelter services and other forms of support, demonstrating the interactive dimensions of community interventions. A mandatory arrest policy, by itself, may be an insufficient deterrent strategy for domestic violence, but its effectiveness may be enhanced by other interventions that represent coordinated law enforcement efforts to deter domestic violence—including the use of protective orders, victim advocates, and special prosecution units. Coordinated efforts may help reduce or prevent domestic violence if they represent a collaborative strategy among police, prosecutors, and judges that improves the certainty of the use of sanctions against batterers.

Recommendation 4: Collaborative strategies among caseworkers, police, prosecutors, and judges are recommended as law enforcement interventions that have the potential to improve the batterer's compliance with treatment as well as the certainty of the use of sanctions in addressing domestic violence.

The impact of single interventions (such as mandatory arrest policies) is difficult to discern in the research literature. Such practices by themselves can neither be recommended nor rejected as effective measures in addressing domestic violence on the basis of existing research studies.

Home Visitation and Family Support Services

Home visitation and family support programs constitute one of the most promising areas of child maltreatment prevention. Studies in this area have experimented with different levels of treatment intensity, duration, and staff expertise. For home visitation, the findings generally support the principle that early intervention with mothers who are at risk of child maltreatment makes a difference in child outcomes. Such interventions may be difficult to implement and maintain over time, however, and their effectiveness depends on the willingness of the parents to participate. Selection criteria for home visitation should be based on a combination of social setting and individual risk factors.

In their current form, home visitation programs have multiple goals, only one of which is the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Home visitation and family

support programs have traditionally been designed to improve parent-child relations with regard to family functioning, child health and safety, nutrition and hygiene, and parenting practices. American home visiting programs are derived from the British system, which relies on public health nurses and is offered on a universal basis to all parents with young children. Resource constraints, however, have produced a broad array of variations in this model; most programs in the United States are now directed toward at-risk families who have been reported to social services or health agencies because of prenatal health risks or risks for child maltreatment. Comprehensive programs provide a variety of services, including in-home parent education and prenatal and early infant health care, screening, referral to and, in some cases, transportation to social and health services. Positive effects include improved childrearing practices, increased social supports, utilization of community services, higher birthweights, and longer gestation periods.

Researchers have identified improvements in cognitive and parenting skills and knowledge as evidence of reduced risk for child maltreatment; they have also documented lower rates of reported child maltreatment and number of visits to emergency services for home-visited families. The benefits of home visitation appear most promising for young, first-time mothers who delay additional pregnancies and thus reduce the social and financial stresses that burden households with large numbers of young children. Other benefits include improved child care for infants and toddlers and an increase in knowledge about the availability of community services for older children. The intervention has not been demonstrated to have benefits for children whose parents abuse drugs or alcohol or those who are not prepared to engage in help-seeking behaviors. The extent to which home visitation benefits families with older children, or families who are already involved in abusive or neglectful behaviors, remains uncertain.

Recommendation 5: As part of a comprehensive prevention strategy for child maltreatment, the committee recommends that home visitation programs should be particularly encouraged for first-time parents living in social settings with high rates of child maltreatment reports.

The positive impact of well-designed home visitation interventions has been demonstrated in several evaluation studies that focus on the role of mothers in child health, development, and discipline. The committee recommends their use in a strategy designed to prevent child maltreatment. Home visitation programs do require additional evaluation research, however, to determine the factors that may influence their effectiveness. Such factors include (1) the conditions under which home visitation should be provided as part of a continuum of family support programs, (2) the types of parenting behaviors that are most and least amenable to change as a result of home visitation, (3) the duration and intensity of services (including amounts and types of training for home visitors) that are necessary to achieve positive outcomes for high-risk families, (4) the experience

of fathers in general and of families in diverse ethnic communities in particular with home visitation interventions, and (5) the need for follow-up services once the period of home visitation has ended.

Intensive Family Preservation Services

Intensive family preservation services represent crisis-oriented, short-term, intensive case management and family support programs that have been introduced in various communities to improve family functioning and to prevent the removal of children from the home. The overall goal of the intervention is to provide flexible forms of family support to assist with the resolution of circumstances that stimulated the child placement proposal, thus keeping the family intact and reducing foster care placements.

Eight of ten evaluation studies of selected intensive family preservation service programs (including five randomized trials and five quasi-experimental studies) suggest that, although these services may delay child placement for families in the short term, they do not show an ability to resolve the underlying family dysfunction that precipitated the crisis or to improve child well-being or family functioning in most families. However, the evaluations have shortcomings, such as poorly defined assessment of child placement risk, inadequate descriptions of the interventions provided, and nonblinded determination of the assignment of clients to treatment and control groups.

Intensive family preservation services may provide important benefits to the child, family, and community in the form of emergency assistance, improved family functioning, better housing and environmental conditions, and increased collaboration among discrete service systems. Intensive family preservation services may also result in child endangerment, however, when a child remains in a family environment that threatens the health or physical safety of the child or other family members.

Recommendation 6: Intensive family preservation services represent an important part of the continuum of family support services, but they should not be required in every situation in which a child is recommended for out-of-home placement.

Measures of health, safety, and well-being should be included in evaluations of intensive family preservation services to determine their impact on children's outcomes as well as placement rates and levels of family functioning, including evidence of recurrence of abuse of the child or other family members. There is a need for enhanced screening instruments that can identify the families who are most likely to benefit from intensive short-term services focused on the resolution of crises that affect family stability and functioning.

The value of appropriate post-reunification (or placement) services to the child and family to enhance coping and the ability to make a successful transition

toward long-term adjustment also remains uncertain. The impact of post-reunification or post-placement services needs to be considered in terms of their relative effects on child and family functioning compared with the use of intensive family preservation services prior to child removal. In some situations, one or the other type of services might be recommended; in other cases, they might be used in some combination to achieve positive outcomes.

Recommendations For The Next Generation Of Evaluations

Determining which interventions should be selected for rigorous and in-depth evaluations in the future will acquire increased importance as the array of family violence interventions expands in social services, law, and health care settings. For this reason, clear criteria and guiding principles are necessary to guide sponsoring agencies in their efforts to determine which types of interventions are suitable for evaluation research. Recognizing that all promising interventions cannot be evaluated, public and private agencies need to consider how to invest research resources in areas that show programmatic potential as well as an adequate research foundation. Future allocations of research investments may require agencies to reorganize or to develop new programmatic and research units that can inform the process of selecting interventions for future evaluation efforts, determine the scope of adequate funding levels, and identify areas in which program integration or diversity may contribute to a knowledge base that can inform policy, practice, and research. Such agencies may also consider how to sustain an ongoing dialogue among research sponsors, research scientists, and service providers to inform these selection efforts and to disseminate evaluation results once they are available.

In the interim, the committee offers several guiding principles to help inform the evaluation selection process.

• meet the preconditions for experimentation that are described in the other principles outlined below.

With these principles in mind, the committee has identified a set of interventions that are the focus of current policy attention and service innovation efforts but have not received significant attention from research. In the committee's judgment, each of these nine interventions has reached a level of maturation and preliminary description in the research literature to justify their selection as strong candidates for future evaluation studies.

Training for Service Providers and Law Enforcement Officials

Training in basic educational programs and continuing education on all aspects

of family violence has expanded for professionals in the health care, legal, and social service systems. Such efforts can be expected to enhance skills in identifying individual experiences with family violence, but improvements in training may improve other outcomes as well, including the patterns and timing of service interventions, the nature of interactions with victims of family violence, linkage of service referrals, the quality of investigation and documentation for reported cases, and, ultimately, improved health and safety outcomes for victims and communities.

Training programs alone may be insufficient to change professional behavior and service interventions unless they are accompanied by financial and human resources that emphasize the role of psychosocial issues and support the delivery of appropriate treatment, prevention, and referral services in different institutional and community settings. Evaluations of their effectiveness therefore need to consider the institutional culture and resource base that influence the implementation of the training program and the abilities of service providers to apply their knowledge and skills in meeting the needs of their clients.

Evaluation research is needed to assess the impact of training programs on counseling and referral practices and service delivery in health care, social service, and law enforcement settings. This research should include examination of the effects of training on the health and mental health status of those who receive services, including short- and long-term outcomes such as empowerment, freedom from violence, recovery from trauma, and rebuilding of life. Evaluations should also examine the role of training programs as catalysts for innovative and collaborative services. They should consider the extent to which training programs influence the behavior of agency personnel, including the interaction of service providers with professionals from other institutional settings, their participation in comprehensive community service programs, and the exposure of personal experiences in institutions charged with providing interventions for abuse.

Universal Screening in Health Care Settings

The significant role of health care and social service professionals in screening for victimization by all forms of family violence deserves critical analysis and rigorous evaluation. Early detection of child maltreatment, spousal violence, and elder abuse is believed to lead to an infusion of treatment and preventive services that can reduce exposure to harm, mitigate the negative consequences of abuse and neglect, improve health outcomes, and reduce the need for future health services. Screening programs can also enhance primary prevention efforts by providing information, education, and awareness of resources in the community. The benefits associated with early detection need to be balanced against risks presented by false positives and false negatives associated with large-scale screening efforts and programs characterized by inadequate staff training and responses.

Such efforts also need to consider whether appropriate treatment, protection, and support services are available for victims or offenders once they have been detected.

The use of enhanced screening instruments also requires attention to the need for services that can respond effectively to the large caseloads generated by expanded detection activities. The child protective services literature suggests that increased reporting can diminish the capacity of agencies to respond effectively if additional resources are not available to support enhanced services as well as screening.

The use of screening instruments in health care and social service settings for batterer identification and treatment is more problematic, given the lack of knowledge about factors that enhance or discourage their violent behavior. Screening only victims may be insufficient to provide a full picture of family violence; however, screening batterers may increase the danger for their victims, especially if batterer treatment interventions are not available or are not reliable in providing effective treatment and if support services are not available for victims once a perpetrator is identified. Screening adults for histories of childhood abuse, which may help prevent future victimization of the patient or others, may also be problematic without adequate training or mental health services to deal with the possible resurgence of trauma.

Evaluation studies of family violence screening efforts could build on the lessons derived from screening research in other health care areas (such as HIV detection, lead exposure, sickle cell, and others). This research could provide data that would support or contradict the theory that early identification is a useful secondary prevention intervention, especially in areas in which appropriate services may not be available or reliable. The cost issues associated with universal screening need to be considered in terms of their implications for savings in possible cost reductions from consequent conditions (such as the health consequences of HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancy, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and the exacerbation of other medical conditions) that may occur in other health care areas. Finally, the risks associated with screening (such as the establishment of a preexisting condition that may influence insurance eligibility) require consideration; such issues are already being addressed by some advocacy groups, insurance corporations, and regulatory bodies in the health care area.

Mental Health and Counseling Services

Little is known at present regarding the comparative effectiveness of different forms of therapeutic services for victims of family violence. Findings from recent studies of child physical and sexual abuse suggest that certain approaches (specifically cognitive-behavioral programs) are associated with more positive outcomes for parents, such as reducing aggressive/coercive behavior, compared

with family therapy and routine community mental health services. No treatment outcome studies have been conducted in the area of child neglect. Interventions in this field generally draw on approaches for dealing with other childhood and adolescent problems with similar symptom profiles.

For domestic violence, research evaluations are in the early stages of design and empirical data are not yet available to guide analyses of the effectiveness of different approaches. Major challenges include the absence of agreement regarding key psychosocial outcomes of interest in assessing the effectiveness of interventions, variations in the use of treatment protocols designed for post-traumatic stress for individuals who may still be experiencing traumatic situations, tensions between protocol-driven models of treatment (which are easier to evaluate) and those that are driven by the needs of the client or the context in which the violence occurred, the co-occurrence of trauma and other problems (such as prior victimization, depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders) that may have preceded the violence but require mental health services, and the difficulty of involving victims in follow-up studies after the completion of treatment. Variations in the context in which mental health services are provided for victims of domestic violence (such as isolated services, managed care programs, and services that are incorporated into an array of social support programs, including housing and job counseling) also require attention. Topics of special interest include contextual issues, such as the general lack of access to quality mental health services for women without sufficient independent income, and the danger of psychiatric diagnoses being used against battered women in child custody cases.

Collaborative efforts are needed to provide opportunities for the exchange of methodology, research measures, and designs to foster the development of controlled studies that can compare the results of innovative treatment approaches with routine counseling programs in community services.

Comprehensive Community Initiatives

Evaluations of batterer treatment programs, protective orders, and arrest policies suggest that the role of these individual interventions may be enhanced if they are part of a broad-based strategy to address family violence. The development of comprehensive, community-based interventions has become extremely widespread in the 1990s; examples include domestic violence coordinating councils, child advocacy centers, and elder abuse task forces. A few communities (most notably Duluth, Minnesota, and Quincy, Massachusetts) have developed systemwide strategies to coordinate their law enforcement and other service responses to domestic violence.

Comprehensive community-based interventions must confront difficult challenges, both in the design and implementation of such services, and in the selection of appropriate measures to assess their effectiveness. Many evaluations of comprehensive community-based interventions have focused primarily on the

design and implementation process, to determine whether an individual program had incorporated sufficient range and diversity among formal and informal networks so that it can achieve a significant impact in the community. This type of process evaluation does not necessarily require new methods of assessment or analysis, although it can benefit from recent developments in the evaluation literature, such as the empowerment evaluations discussed in Chapter 3 .

In contrast, the evaluation challenges that emerge from large-scale community-based efforts are formidable. First, it may be difficult to determine when an intervention has reached an appropriate stage of implementation to warrant a rigorous assessment of its effects. Second, the implementation of a community-wide intervention may be accompanied by a widespread social movement against family violence, so that it becomes difficult to distinguish the effects of the intervention itself from the impact of changing cultural and social norms that influence behavior. In some cases, the effects attributed to the intervention may appear weak, because they are overwhelmed by the impact of the social movement itself. Third, the selection of an appropriate comparison or control group for community-wide interventions presents formidable problems in terms of matching social and structural characteristics and compensating for community-to-community variation in record keeping.

These challenges require close attention to the emerging knowledge associated with the evaluation of comprehensive community-wide interventions in areas unrelated to family violence, so that important design, theory, and measurement insights can be applied to the special needs of programs focused on child maltreatment, domestic violence, and elder abuse. Although no single model of service integration, comprehensive services, or community change can be endorsed at this time, a range of interesting community service designs has emerged that have achieved widespread popularity and support at the local level. Because their primary focus is often on prevention, rather than treatment, comprehensive community interventions have the potential to achieve change across multiple levels of interactions affecting individuals, families, communities, and social norms and thus reduce the scope and severity of family violence as well as contribute to remedies to other important social problems.

A growing research literature has appeared in other fields, particularly in the area of substance abuse and community development, that identifies the conceptual frameworks, data collection, and methodological issues that need to be considered in designing evaluation studies for community-based and systemwide interventions. As an example, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has funded a series of studies designed to improve methodologies for the evaluation of community-based substance abuse prevention programs that offer important building blocks for the field of family violence interventions.

Developing effective evaluation strategies for comprehensive and systemwide programs is one of the most challenging issues for the research community

in this field. No evaluations have been conducted to date to examine the relative advantages of comprehensive and systemwide community initiatives compared with traditional services. Evaluations need to consider the mix of components in comprehensive interventions that determine their effectiveness and successful implementation; the comparative strengths and limitations of inter- and intra-agency interventions; community factors, such as political leadership, historical tensions, diversity of ethnic/cultural composition, and resource allocation strategies; and the impact of comprehensive interventions on the capacity of service agencies to provide traditional care and effective responses to reports of family violence.

Shelter Programs and Other Domestic Violence Services

Over time, most battered women's shelters have expanded their services to encompass far more than the provision of refuge. Today, many shelters have support groups for women residents, support groups for child residents, emergency and transitional housing, and legal and welfare advocacy. Nonresidential services also have expanded, so that any battered woman in the community is able to attend a support group or request advocacy services. Many agencies now offer educational groups for men who batter, as well as programs dealing with dating violence. Some communities have never opened a shelter yet are able to offer support groups, advocacy, crisis intervention, and safe homes (neighbors sheltering a neighbor, for example) to help battered women and their families in times of crisis. In addition to providing services for victims, the battered women service organizations also define their goal as transforming the conditions and norms that support violence against women. Thus these organizations work as agents of social change in their communities to improve the community-wide response to battered women and their children.

Shelter services and battered women's support organizations are ready for evaluations that can identify program outcomes and compare the effectiveness of different service interventions. Research studies are also needed that can describe the multiple goals and theories that shape the program objectives of these interventions, provide detailed histories of the ways in which different service systems have been implemented, and examine the characteristics of the women who do or do not use or benefit from them.

Protective Orders

Protective orders can be an important part of the prevention strategy for domestic violence and help document the record of assaults and threatening actions. The low priority traditionally assigned to the handling of protective orders, which are usually treated as civil matters in police agencies, requires attention, as do the procedural requirements of the legal system. Courts have

accepted alternative forms of due process, including public notice, notice by mail, and other forms of notification that do not require personal contact. Efforts are needed now to compare the effectiveness of short-term (30-day) restraining orders with a longer (1-year) protective order in reducing violent behavior by offenders and securing access to legal and support services for the complainants.

In-depth case studies and interviews with victims who have had police and court contacts because of domestic violence are needed to highlight individual, social, and institutional factors that facilitate or inhibit victim use of and perpetrator compliance with protective orders in different community settings. Such studies could (1) reveal patterns of help-seeking contacts and services that affect the use of protective orders and compliance with their requirements, (2) highlight the forms of sanctions that are appropriate to ensure compliance and to deter future violent behavior, (3) explore the extent to which the effects of protective orders are enhanced in reducing violence if victim advocates, shelter services, or other social support resources are available and are used by the victim in redefining the terms of her relationship with her partner, and (4) examine the extent to which protective orders can mitigate the consequences of violence for children who may have been assaulted or who may have witnessed an assault against their mother.

Child Fatality Review Panels

The emergence of child fatality review teams in 21 states since 1978 represents an innovative effort in many communities to address systemwide implications of severe violence against children and infants. Child fatality review teams involve a multiagency effort to compile and integrate information about child deaths and to review and evaluate the record of caseworkers and agencies in providing services to these children when a report of abuse or neglect had been made prior to a child's death. These review teams can provide an opportunity to examine the quality of a community's total approach to child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment.

The experience of child fatality review teams in identifying systemic features that enhance or weaken agency efforts to protect children needs to be evaluated and made accessible to individual service providers in health, legal, and social service agencies. Key research issues include: the effect of review team actions on the protection of family members of children who have died as a result of child maltreatment; the impact of child fatality review reports on the prosecution of offenders; the influence of review team efforts on the routine investigation, treatment, and prevention activities of participating agencies; the impact of review teams on other community child protection and domestic violence prevention efforts; and the identification of early warning signals that emerge in child homicide investigations that represent opportunities for preventive interventions.

Child Witness to Violence Programs

Child witness programs represent an important development in the evolution of comprehensive approaches to family violence, but they have not yet been evaluated. Evaluation studies of these programs should examine the experience with symptomatology among children who witness family violence, to determine whether and for whom early intervention influences the course of development of social and mental health consequences, such as depression, anxiety, emotional detachment, aggression and violence, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Such studies could also compare variations in the developmental histories of children who witness violence with those of children who are injured or otherwise are directly victimized by their parents or who witness violence in their communities. Evaluation studies should consider the recommended forms of treatment for these children, the standards of eligibility that determine their placement in treatment programs, and the impact of institutional setting (hospital, shelter, or social service agency) and reimbursement plans on the quality of the treatment.

Elder Abuse Services

Only seven program evaluation studies have been published on elder abuse interventions, none of which includes random groups and most of which involve small sample sizes. Three major issues challenge effective interventions in this area: the degree of dependence between perpetrators and victims, restricted social services budgets, general public distrust of social welfare programs, and the relationship between judgments about competence and the application of the principles of self-determination and privacy to the problem of elder abuse.

Evaluation studies should consider the different types and multiple dimensions of elder abuse in the development of effective interventions. The benefits of specific programs need to be compared with integrated service systems that are designed to foster the well-being of the elderly population without regard to special circumstances. Evaluation research should be integrated into community service programs and agency efforts on behalf of elderly persons to foster studies that involve the use of comparison and control groups, common measures, and the assessment of outcomes associated with different forms of service interventions.

Topics For Basic Research

The committee identified four basic research topics that require further development to inform policy and practice. These topics raise fundamental questions about the approaches that should be used in designing treatment, prevention, and enforcement strategies. As such, they highlight important dimensions of family violence that should be addressed in a research agenda for the field.

birth, infancy, and adolescence. Other issues linked to family formation include the use of corporal punishment in child discipline, gender roles, privacy, and strategies for resolving conflict among adults or siblings.

A third approach would be studies to discern the protective factors inside and outside families that enable some children who are exposed to violence to not only survive but also to develop coping mechanisms that serve them well later in life. This analysis would have widespread implications for assessing the impact of biological and experiential factors in specific domains, such as fear, anxiety, self-blame, identity formation, helplessness, and help-seeking behaviors. Such research could also identify abuse-related coping strategies (such as excessive distrust of or overdependence on others) that may contribute to other problems that emerge in the course of adolescent and adult development.

first-time parents, victims and offenders who have substance abuse histories, etc.)

Forging Partnerships Between Research And Practice

Although it is premature to expect research to offer definitive answers about the relative effectiveness of the array of current service and enforcement strategies, the committee sees valuable opportunities that now exist to accelerate the rate by which service providers can identify the types of individuals, families, and communities that may benefit from certain types or combinations of service and enforcement interventions. Major challenges must be addressed, however, to improve the overall quality of the evaluations of family violence interventions and to provide a research base that can inform policy and practice. These challenges include issues of study design and methodology as well as logistical concerns that must be resolved in order to conduct research in open service systems where the research investigator is not able to control factors that may weaken the study design and influence its outcome. The resolution of these challenges will require collaborative partnerships between researchers, service providers, and policy makers to generate common approaches and data sources.

The integration of research and practice in the field of family violence, as in many other areas of human services, has occurred on a haphazard basis. As a result, program sponsors, service providers, clients, victims, researchers, and community representatives have not been able to learn in a systematic manner from the diverse experiences of both large and small programs. Mayors, judges, police officers, caseworkers, child and victim advocates, health professionals, and others must make life-or-death decisions each day in the face of tremendous

uncertainty, often relying on conflicting reports, anecdotal data, and inconsistent information in judging the effectiveness of specific interventions.

The development of creative partnerships between the research and practice communities would greatly improve the targeting of limited resources to specific clients who can benefit most from a particular type of intervention. Yet significant barriers inhibit the development of such partnerships, including disagreements about the nature and origins of family violence, broad variations in the conceptual frameworks that guide service delivery, differences over the relative merits of service and research, a lack of faith in the ability of research to inform and improve services, a lack of trust in the ability of service providers to inform the design of research experiments and the formation of theoretical frameworks, and concerns about fairness and safety in including victims and offenders in experimental treatment groups. These fundamental differences obscure identification of outcomes of interest in the development of evaluation studies, which are further complicated by limitations in study design and access to appropriate subjects that are necessary for the conduct of research.

Even if greater levels of trust fostered more interaction between the research community and service providers, collaborative efforts would be challenged by factors such as the lack of funding for empirical studies, the availability of limited resources to support studies over appropriate time frames, and the social and economic characteristics of some of the populations served by family violence interventions that make them difficult to follow over extended periods of time (chaotic households, high mobility of the client population, concerns for safety, lack of telephones and permanent residences, etc.).

Service providers and program sponsors have often been skeptical of efforts to evaluate the impact of a selected intervention, knowing that critical or premature assessments could jeopardize the program's future and restrict future opportunities for service delivery. Service providers have also been less than enthusiastic in seeking program evaluations, knowing that the programs to be evaluated have been underfunded and are understaffed and present a less than ideal situation; in their view, the assessment may diminish future resources and affect the development of a particular strategy or programmatic approach. The tremendous demand for services and the limited availability of staff resources create a pressured environment in which the staff time involved in filling out forms for research purposes is seen as being sacrificed from time that might be used to serve people in need. In some cases, research funds support demonstration programs that are highly valued by a community, yet few resources are available to support them once the research phase has been completed.

Researchers and service providers need to resolve the programmatic tensions that have sometimes surfaced in contentious debates over the type of services that should be put into place in addressing problems of family violence. The mistrust and skepticism present major challenges that need to resolved before the technical challenges to effective evaluations can be addressed. A reformulation of the

research process is needed so that, while building a long-term capacity to focus on complex issues and conduct rigorous studies, researchers can also provide useful information to service providers.

The committee has identified three major principles to help integrate research and practice in the field of family violence interventions:

• Evaluation should be an integral part of any major intervention, particularly those that are designed to be replicated in multiple communities. Interventions have often been put into place without a research base to support them or rigorous evaluation efforts to guide their development. Evaluation research based on theoretical models is needed to link program goals and operational objectives with multiple program components and outcomes. Intensive marketing and praise for a particular intervention or program should no longer be a substitute for empirical data in determining the effectiveness of programs that are intended to be replicated in multiple sites.
• Coordinating policy, program, and research agendas will improve family violence interventions. Evaluation research will help program sponsors and managers clarify program goals and experience and identify areas in need of attention because of the difficulties of implementation, the use of resources, and changes in the client base. Research and data-based analysis can guide ongoing program and policy efforts if evaluation studies are integrated into the design and development of interventions. The knowledge base can be improved by (1) framing key hypotheses that can be tested by existing or new services, (2) building statistical models to explore the system-wide effects of selected interventions and compare these effects with the consequences of collaborative and comprehensive approaches, (3) using common definitions and measures to facilitate comparisons across individual studies, (4) using appropriate comparison and control groups in evaluation studies, including random assignment, when possible, (5) developing culturally sensitive research designs and measures, (6) identifying relevant outcomes in the assessment of selected interventions, and (7) developing alternative designs when traditional design methodology cannot be used for legal, ethical, or practical reasons.
• Surmounting existing barriers to collaboration between research and practice communities requires policy incentives and leadership to foster partnership efforts. Many interventions are not evaluated because of limited funds, because the individuals involved in service delivery consider research to be peripheral to the needs of their clients, because the researchers are disinterested in studying the complexity of service delivery systems and the impact of violence in clients' lives, or because research methods are not yet available to assess outcomes that result from the complex interaction of multiple systems. This situation will continue until program sponsors and policy officials exercise leadership to build partnerships between the research and practice communities and to provide funds for rigorous evaluations in the development of service and law enforcement
• interventions. Additional steps are required to foster a more constructive dialogue and partnership between the research and practice communities.

Partnership efforts are also needed to focus research attention on the particular implementation of an individual program rather than the strategy behind the program design. Promising intervention strategies may be discarded prematurely because of special circumstances that obstructed full implementation of the program. Conversely, programs that offer only limited effectiveness may appear to be successful on the basis of evaluation studies that did not consider the significant points of vulnerability and limitations in the service design or offer a comparative analysis with the benefits to be derived from routine services.

The establishment and documentation of a series of consensus conferences on relevant outcomes, and appropriate measurement tools, will strengthen and enhance evaluations of family violence interventions and lead to improvements in the design of programs, interventions, and strategies. May opportunities currently exist for research to inform the design and assessment of treatment and prevention interventions. In addition, service providers can help guide researchers in the identification of appropriate domains in which program effects may occur but are currently not being examined. Ongoing dialogues can guide the identification and development of instruments and methods that can capture the density and distribution of relevant effects that are not well understood. The organization of a series of consensus conferences by sponsors in public and private agencies that are concerned with the future quality of family violence interventions would be an important contribution to the development of this field.

Reports of mistreated children, domestic violence, and abuse of elderly persons continue to strain the capacity of police, courts, social services agencies, and medical centers. At the same time, myriad treatment and prevention programs are providing services to victims and offenders. Although limited research knowledge exists regarding the effectiveness of these programs, such information is often scattered, inaccessible, and difficult to obtain.

Violence in Families takes the first hard look at the successes and failures of family violence interventions. It offers recommendations to guide services, programs, policy, and research on victim support and assistance, treatments and penalties for offenders, and law enforcement. Included is an analysis of more than 100 evaluation studies on the outcomes of different kinds of programs and services.

Violence in Families provides the most comprehensive review on the topic to date. It explores the scope and complexity of family violence, including identification of the multiple types of victims and offenders, who require different approaches to intervention. The book outlines new strategies that offer promising approaches for service providers and researchers and for improving the evaluation of prevention and treatment services. Violence in Families discusses issues that underlie all types of family violence, such as the tension between family support and the protection of children, risk factors that contribute to violent behavior in families, and the balance between family privacy and community interventions.

The core of the book is a research-based review of interventions used in three institutional sectors—social services, health, and law enforcement settings—and how to measure their effectiveness in combating maltreatment of children, domestic violence, and abuse of the elderly. Among the questions explored by the committee: Does the child protective services system work? Does the threat of arrest deter batterers? The volume discusses the strength of the evidence and highlights emerging links among interventions in different institutional settings.

Thorough, readable, and well organized, Violence in Families synthesizes what is known and outlines what needs to be discovered. This volume will be of great interest to policymakers, social services providers, health care professionals, police and court officials, victim advocates, researchers, and concerned individuals.

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• Family Essays

Family violence Essay

Until recently, the family setting was a safe haven for people and crime only happened in the streets. However, this reality has been distorted by the rising crimes that occur in homes among family members (Pagelow & Pagelow, 1984). The family law action and the family violence refer to the aspects of family violence ant the courts role in dealing with violators of this law. This is a bid to protect the innocence of the children. The family law act 1975 section (60 b) stipulates underlying principles that promote their interests. It “protects children from physical and psychological harm, from being subjected to or exposed to abuse, neglect or family violence”.

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According to Barnet et al. (2011), family violence refers to violence between family member’s i.e. husbands, wives, children and parents. The APA dictionary of psychology defines domestic violence as “any action by a person that causes physical harm to one or more members of his or her family unit” (p.23).Family violence can be learned through cultural values which are repeatedly communicated through media and institutions that tolerate it. Alcohol and drug abuse could be another force of family violence. According to Halter & Varcarolis (2014), alcohol and drugs cloud one’s judgment (p. 540). However; alcohol could be used as a scapegoat to avoid arrests and punishment when caught in the act. Anger is another force that could cause people to be entrapped in family violence. Lack of skills to handle anger and stress may cause overwhelming problems for both victim and perpetrator as forms of communications may have broken down (p.11). Psychological conditions such as bipolar may contribute to cases of violence. Such conditions should be treated and people informed of the condition in case of an attack.

In all different cases discussed above aggression stands out as perpetrators of violence use this tool to overpower their victims. It is also important for afflicted families and individuals to come out and seek the protection of the law and access counseling services.

Physical child abuse

The children’s act 38 of 2005 gives clear outlines children’s rights and parents responsibilities towards children. The law has provisions of protection against physical child abuse. Many facets have been associated with child abuse. These include individual pathology, parent –child interaction, past abuse in the family and situational factors. (Bryant, 2011) discusses different theories of physical abuse according to Crosson-Tower (2008) which are linked to the children’s act of 2005.

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The pathology theory focuses on the idea that abusers have personality or biology makeup issues. The issues may include anger control problems, low tolerance for frustrations, rigidity or being disorganized. Such instances point to parent’s failure to manage their lives, therefore, intruding into their children’s lives. Such parents may not be in a position to empathize with their children and expose them to ridicule and physical punishment. Parent child relationship theory explains the types of parents who are prone to abuse their children and children likely to be abused. So parents concentrate on children’s the wrong instead of achievements and offer no praise. In this theory, the child may assume the responsibility of the care giver .The less skilled parent has a negative perception of the child and sees nothing in them.

Social learning or past abuse theory concentrates not only on what children learn or experience but also what they do not learn as a result of the experiences. The abusive parents become role models. Such children believe that violence is acceptable as a method of child rearing and discipline, (Crosson-Tower, 2008). It is crucial to note that not all children in abusive homes become abusive in their later years. Those who break the cycle maintain a healthy relation with those that supported them emotionally while growing up.

Child sexual abuse

Every society has established rules that govern mating or sexual intercourse. The prohibition to mate with certain relatives is known as an incest taboo. The most universal form of an incest taboo involves mating between members of the nuclear family. The protection of children from sexual offenses Act, 2012 is a comprehensive law provided to protect children from all forms of violence by incorporating friendly mechanisms to report, record, and investigate and trial of offences through special courts.

The inbreeding theory explains the existence of the incest taboo focuses on and the potential harm it causes to the family. The theory was proposed before the introduction genetics which holds that mating between family members may produce children with genetic defects. Evidence to support this information is lacking. Outbreeding which is practiced by human populations has positive benefits such as an increase in genetic variation, improved health and lower rates of mortality. This is because the inbreeding theory elicits different views among the legislatures. The theory focuses on the biological consequences of incest (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2010).

The family disruption theory associated to Bronislaw Malinowski, 1927 holds that mating between mother and son, brother and sister, father and daughter will lead to jealousy and disrupt the family’s ability to function as a unit. For example if this kind of arrangements would be allowed, it would unhealthy competition for sexual satisfaction leading to conflict. This theory originated to repress sexual urges within the nuclear family. This also would cause the problem of the role ambiguity within a family setting. The theory holds that there is more to be gained when one marries from another group. Marrying from different families strengthens social ties. This theory endeavors to create a wider social network of inter family alliances (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2010).

Characteristics of a spousal abuser

The family act of 1975 shields victims of violence from violent actions by abusers. In this case, we will discuss the spousal abusers. The perpetrators have low self-esteem and build dependency on women perceived as ‘winner’ and gain satisfaction through their partner’s accomplishments. When they lose control they dominate and feel superior to their women. In such scenarios, the abuser is comfortable in isolation and may have difficulties in building and maintaining close and personal ties within the family and outside.

The perpetrators are also traditional in that they believe in the patriarchal system, male supremacy and stereotyped the masculinity. They have authoritarian styles of leadership in the family and esteem persons of higher authority. They are very moody and may pose as loving husbands, mothers and sometimes with no apparent reasons revert to anger. This is sometimes referred to as dual personalities where a victim’s mood suddenly changes. In this state, they are unable to express their feelings. They are often unemployed, underemployed or are dissatisfied with their jobs. They may also be very unproductive and unorganized when executing their work. This causes problems in the work place as they pass off as unreliable and demotivated in their duties (Pagelow & Pagelow, 1984).

Abusers lack assertiveness which results to aggression to get what they want. They lack a sense of direction which makes it difficult for people to get reach them. In some instances the aggressor may result to absconding all his duties due to the belief of being inefficient and unproductive. The aggressors shift to alcohol and are highly dependent. Alcohol helps the aggressor to escape from troubles. If the aggressor was socialized or brought up where alcohol consumption was associated with drunken behavior (Pagelow & Pagelow, 1984).

Criminal justice response to partner violence

Historically, the criminal justice failed to adequately respond to domestic violence acts within homes. To rectify this situation pro arrest policies were initiated by law enforcement agencies due to activism by feminist groups reacting to police inaction. The changes made in the 1980’s focused on the impact of pro arrest when dealing with battered women. The crime of intimate violence then was largely viewed as a private issue rather than a social problem as legal and social institutions preferred the hands-off-approach (Schmidt, & Sherman 1996).

The Minneapolis domestic violence that sort to evaluate the effectiveness of police responses was implemented in 1981-1982 by Lawrence Sherman who was director of the police foundation. The design called the police to randomly select three categories of offenders who would face arrest, forced separation from their spouse and forced counseling. The findings for this response bent towards arrest as the more effective response. Those that faced arrest had lower rates of committing the offence again as opposed to those who went through counseling or spouses separated from them (Sherman &Cohn, 1989).

Sherman & Cohn (1989) hold that the subsequent experiments commissioned by the institute of justice were required to address domestic violence incidents that drew police attention. They were also to use see repeat offenders determine the extent and use arrests as one of the treatments. The results from these tests showed variation as no one state recorded similar results as Minneapolis. The different results recorded were as a result of sites studied, the alternative treatments that were compared to arrests and many more factors. The sites studied include Nebraska, charlotte, Wisconsin, Miami-Dade county, Colorado among others (p.117-144).

Barnett, O. W., Miller-Perrin, C. L., & Perrin, R. D. (2011). Family violence across the lifespan: An introduction. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Bryant, C. D. (2011). The Routledge handbook of deviant behaviour. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Crosson-Tower, C. (2008). Understanding child abuse and neglect. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

Ferraro, G. P., & Andreatta, S. (2010).Cultural anthropology: an applied perspective (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Halter, M. J., & Varcarolis, E. M. (2014). Varcarolis’ foundations of psychiatric mental health

nursing: A clinical approach. St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier.

Pagelow, M. D., & Pagelow, L. W. (1984). Family violence. New York: Praeger.

Schmidt, J. D., & Sherman, L. W. (1996). Does arrest deter domestic violence. Do arrests and restraining orders work, 43.

Sherman, L. W., & Cohn, E. G. (1989). The impact of research on legal policy: The Minneapolis domestic violence experiment. Law and Society Review, 117-144.

The Family Law Act and family violence. (n.d.). The Family Law Act and family violence.

Retrieved April 22, 2014, from http://www.familylawcourts.gov.au/wps/w

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Essay on Domestic Violence

Students are often asked to write an essay on Domestic Violence in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Domestic Violence

Understanding domestic violence.

Domestic violence refers to harmful acts between family members or partners. It can be physical, emotional, or psychological, causing pain and fear.

The Impact of Domestic Violence

Victims often feel scared and helpless. It can affect their mental health, leading to anxiety or depression.

Preventing Domestic Violence

Education is key to prevention. Understanding that violence is wrong helps people stand against it. Also, supporting victims is crucial.

Domestic violence is a serious issue. It’s our duty to educate ourselves and others, and support victims.

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• Paragraph on Domestic Violence

250 Words Essay on Domestic Violence

Introduction.

Domestic violence, a pervasive global issue, is a form of abuse that occurs within a familial or intimate relationship context. It encompasses physical, emotional, and sexual violence, along with neglect and economic deprivation.

Root Causes

The root causes of domestic violence are multifaceted. They include socio-cultural norms that perpetuate power imbalances, patriarchal societal structures, and issues related to mental health. Economic factors also play a significant role, with financial stress often serving as a trigger for violent behavior.

Implications

The implications of domestic violence are profound and far-reaching. Victims may suffer physical injuries, mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and even death. Children who witness domestic violence are at a higher risk of developing behavioral issues and repeating the cycle of violence in their future relationships.

Prevention and Intervention

Prevention and intervention strategies for domestic violence are crucial. These include public awareness campaigns, legal protections, and community-based support systems. Education is key in changing societal norms that condone violence, while legal measures ensure offenders are held accountable. Support systems offer victims the necessary resources to escape abusive situations.

Addressing domestic violence requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach. While significant progress has been made, much work remains. It is our collective responsibility to challenge the norms that perpetuate violence and to support victims in their journey towards safety and recovery.

500 Words Essay on Domestic Violence

Domestic violence, a deeply entrenched social issue, represents a widespread violation of human rights. It is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that one partner uses to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. This essay delves into the complexities, implications, and potential solutions to domestic violence.

The Complexity of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a multifaceted issue that transcends geographical, economic, and cultural boundaries. It can include physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats. The complexity arises from the fact that it often occurs within intimate relationships where love, dependency, and commitment coexist with violence and fear. This paradoxical nature makes it difficult for victims to seek help or for outsiders to intervene.

Implications of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence has profound implications on victims and society. Victims may suffer physical injuries, mental health disorders, and may even face death. The trauma can lead to self-harm, substance abuse, and other negative coping mechanisms. Children witnessing domestic violence are at risk of developmental issues, academic struggles, and becoming perpetrators or victims in their future relationships.

At a societal level, domestic violence burdens healthcare, law enforcement, and social services. It also perpetuates gender inequality, as women are disproportionately affected. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 3 women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence, mostly by an intimate partner.

Addressing Domestic Violence

Addressing domestic violence requires a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach. Education and awareness are crucial to challenge societal norms that perpetuate violence. School curricula should include lessons on respectful relationships, consent, and conflict resolution. Public campaigns can debunk myths and raise awareness about the signs of abuse.

Legal measures are also essential. Laws should protect victims, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide survivors with access to justice and support services. However, laws alone are insufficient if not enforced or if victims are unaware of their rights.

Community-based interventions can provide immediate support to victims. These include hotlines, shelters, counseling, and legal aid. However, these services need to be adequately funded and accessible to all, regardless of location, income, or language.

Domestic violence is a pervasive issue that requires concerted efforts from individuals, communities, and institutions. By understanding its complexities and implications, we can better address this problem. It is essential to foster a society that does not tolerate violence, supports victims, and promotes healthy, respectful relationships. As we strive towards these goals, we affirm our commitment to human rights, gender equality, and social justice.

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Essay on Family Violence

In the United States, family violence covers a range of behaviors committed by an individual against a family member. All the behaviors aim at controlling a family member through fear and include economic abuse, intentionally damaging property of a family member, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and any other behavior that makes a family member feel that their security is jeopardized. Violence is a reality in many households across the globe. Additionally, an act of violence occurs if a kid sees, hears, or lives in a family that experiences violence. The law safeguards that kid and family member who was the victim of the violence. Family violence can affect anyone irrespective of their location, status, wealth, religion, ability, cultural background, sexual identity, gender, or age. Family violence is among the main factors to illness, disability, and even death to women aged 15 to 44 years. Family violence is an essential social issue since it has a large negative effect on the victims. Even though either females or males can cause family violence, it is normally caused by a male because of large physical identity.

Family violence is intimidation, force, threats, or violence to manipulate or control a partner or a family member. There is a significant gap in such relationships as far as power is concerned where violence or abusive behavior is used to control others. Research by Fitz-Gibbon et al. (2018) has revealed that men are the most the perpetrators of family violence, and women and children are the victims. One in three women across the globe experience violence from their partners. Family violence can occur in any relationship, including between homosexual, and heterosexual relationships, family members, couples, and against persons who are disabled or elderly. Family violence can affect every person irrespective of their economic or social status or cultural and racial background.

Causes of Family Violence

Family violence is all about control and power. Abuse can be experienced by anyone irrespective of religion, sexual orientation, gender, or race. Being hurt by a spouse or an intimate partner can be a very traumatizing and confusing experience for victims. Persons on the outside might wonder why victims do not “simply go away.” Still, violent or abusive relationships are often marked by complicated dynamics that make it complex when it comes to getting away. Additionally, despite cultural and societal stigma around who may experience family violence can occur to anyone. About ten million people in the United States experience family violence annually. If you are going through family violence, you mustn’t be at fault for your partner’s behavior. Victims of family violence do not make their abusers punish or target them with psychological or physical abuse. Perpetrators use family violence as a tool for gaining control and power over their targets. Family violence is a choice on the part of the perpetrator. However, some underlying aspects may at times contribute to the propensity of a person. Family violence causes worsened physical and psychological health, decreased quality of life, decreased productivity, and mortality in some cases. It can be complex to identify. Many cases of family violence are not reported to legal authorities or healthcare providers. It is normally the victimization of a person with whom the perpetrator takes advantage of their victim in the quest of having control and power over them.

The rates of family violence are higher in remote, rural, and regional areas. Social and geographical frameworks in these societies and unique social norms and values result in particular experiences of family violence. The issues mentioned above affect responses to family violence in rural societies and the ability of women to look for help and access services. Poor understanding of family violence by legal, social, and health services in remote, rural, and regional communities has been identified as an important matter as far as victims of family violence are concerned. It is complex when it comes to ascertaining accurate rates of family violence in any context since most victims do not report the cases to the authorities. Additionally, family violence is less likely to be disclosed to involved parties in non-urban communities. However, several types of research have revealed that women in remote, rural, and regional areas are more likely to have experienced family violence from their partners. Straus & Smith (2017) pointed out that the higher rates of family violence in non-urban communities were most times due to the higher indigenous population in the areas mentioned above. On the other hand, in recent research, most family violence cases in the United States included certain predominantly white agricultural areas. Family violence has to be understood in the context of a history of colonization, discrimination, racism, forced child removal, and the resulting intergenerational trauma from this history. There are many shared aims in victims of family violence and the barriers to leaving a toxic relationship between victims in rural societies and victims from other geographical areas. These include family pressure to remain in a relationship, limited means of leaving, economic concerns, and fear of the partner’s threat as if they move from a relationship. On the other hand, there are geographical and social issues that are particular to the experience of family violence for victims living in rural areas.

Interventions to Address Family Violence

In today’s world, most societal efforts to address family violence in the United States have focused on crisis intervention through community organizations. While the agencies mentioned above offer important help when addressing family violence, this is at most times only appealed for the greatest cases. Government apparatus rely on notification of family violence from outside sources. Consequently, they might be responding to only ten percent of family violence cases. Healthcare professionals are in a good position to affect victims of family violence before the abuse goes to unmanageable levels. Healthcare professionals come into contact with victims of family violence for routine healthcare services. The victims visit healthcare facilities to seek routine treatment (Segrave et al., 2020). As a result, healthcare providers can help the victims to seek help from the involved parties so that perpetrators can be made to face the full force of the law. They are in a good position of engaging in early identification, support, and referral of victims before the abuse reaches unmanageable levels (Douglas & Nagesh, 2021). When we talk about family violence, we normally think about family violence, yet the experience of abuse affects spiritual, social, and mental health equally. There is nothing new when it comes to family violence (Bozzay et al., 2020). What is new in violence within families is to treat it as a health issue and develop interventions and policies to prevent it from taking place. The guidelines mentioned above are part of that emerging intervention structure. Healthcare professionals are progressively recognized as having an important part in the early intervention and avoidance of violence within families. In the United States, health strategy and consultation with clients, family violence has been regularly positioned as among the top priorities for social workers and healthcare professionals to address.

Long-term Outcomes of Family Violence

If you are a victim of family violence, it can hurt you in numerous ways – sexually, emotionally, socially, mentally, physically, and more. Additionally, family violence may affect the relationship you have with other family members. It can have a significant impact on the love and attention needed by the family members mentioned above. If you are in the situation mentioned above, you need to be aware that family violence is not your fault. The perpetrators of family violence are responsible for it and how it affects the day-to-day activities with other family members (Fitz-Gibbon et al., 2018). Family violence has a significant effect on the relationship with other family members. This can occur if the perpetrator uses emotional abuse to undermine the relationship with other family members. The perpetrator may use family violence to say nasty things to other family members, force them to disobey others, and prevent them from being happy (Douglas & Kerr, 2018). Additionally, it might affect the mental health of the victims. It is common for persons subjected to family violence to go through sleep problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, stress, anxiety, depression, and self-medication with substance abuse. Family abuse has numerous serious impacts on households. It can result in injury or even death in extreme cases.

Additionally, it can result in ongoing issues for family members living or have lived in a violent family. A person who has lived in a violent home learns to address their issues violently instead of developing strategies for solving problems amicably. Some long-term effects include copying violent means and behaving similarly when faced with stressful issues (Reeves, 2020). They might learn that there is no problem behaving in a manner that is degrading to other persons, as they have seen this occur in the violent situations they witnessed. Proper counseling and support will help them to learn how to treat others with respect and trust. Some people who depend on alcohol and other drugs cannot relate with other family members with the necessary respect. For some, drug and alcohol dependence is overwhelming to the extent that it takes priority over everything else without excluding looking after the needs of other family members. It is important to note that family violence does not resolve itself. If you look for reinforcement to take action against family violence, it shows other family members that abuse is unacceptable and should be brought to an end. Social workers and other involved parties can help stop family violence at the end of the day. In other words, victims of family violence should seek the assistance of social workers trained to help them overcome the experience they have been made to go through by their perpetrators. Reports of family violence continue.

Reports of family violence continue to strain the capacity of medical facilities, social services agencies, courts, and law enforcement agencies. Simultaneously, many prevention and treatment programs are offering services to perpetrators and victims. Limited research knowledge exists concerning the efficiency of the programs mentioned above. However, such information is inaccessible, scattered, and complex when it comes to getting it. Social workers and other involved parties aim to increase the uptake and evidence-based health promotion interventions and programs that are important for the prevention and looking at the issues that contribute to family violence (Reeves, 2020). The programs mentioned above are meant to prevent and address family violence and support the health of the victims. The programs should have the capacity to support scale-up and sustainability of strategies that are thought to be effective.

In summary, in the United States, family violence covers a range of behaviors committed by an individual against a family member. All the behaviors aim at controlling a family member through fear and include economic abuse, intentionally damaging property of a family member, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and any other behavior that makes a family member feel that their security is jeopardized. Violence is a reality in many households across the globe. Additionally, an act of violence occurs if a kid sees, hears, or lives in a family that experiences violence. The law safeguards that kid and family member who was the victim of the violence. Family violence can affect anyone irrespective of their location, status, wealth, religion, ability, cultural background, sexual identity, gender, or age.

Bozzay, M. L., Joy, L. N., & Verona, E. (2020). Family violence pathways and externalizing behavior in youth. Journal of interpersonal violence, 35(23-24), 5726-5752.

Douglas, H., & Kerr, K. (2018). Domestic and Family Violence, Reproductive Coercion and the Role for Law. Journal of law and medicine, 26(2), 341-355.

Douglas, H., & Nagesh, R. (2021). Domestic and family violence, child support and ‘the exemption’. Journal of Family Studies, 27(4), 540-555.

Fitz-Gibbon, K., Elliott, K., & Maher, J. (2018). Investigating adolescent family violence in Victoria: Understanding experiences and practitioner perspectives. Monash University.

Reeves, E. (2020). Family violence, protection orders, and systems abuse: views of legal practitioners. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 32(1), 91-110.

Segrave, M., Hedwards, B., & Tyas, D. (2020). Family violence and exploitation: Examining the contours of violence and exploitation. The Palgrave International Handbook of Human Trafficking, 437-450.

Straus, M. A., & Smith, C. (2017). Family patterns and primary prevention of family violence. In Physical violence in American families (pp. 507-526). Routledge.

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Domestic And Family Violence

Updated 04 August 2023

Downloads 34

Category Family

Topic Domestic Violence

Domestic and Family Violence

Domestic and family violence is common in many homes involving wives, children, or husbands. In Mills' article domestic violence is presented as abuse towards women especially by feminists who tend to defend them without investigating the issue. Men are judged and associated with hurting their wives and never given a chance to offer self-defense. However, this dimension of thinking is biased since nowadays women are no longer housewives or victims of societal rules. Studies have revealed that men and women abuse each other and in some cases, women are the ones that strike at their husbands (Mill, 2009). Domestic violence is therefore presented in a one-dimension thinking in which the man carries the blame even when both are involved "women don't hit men. Only men are the abusers" (Mills, 2009). Mills therefore, notes that men and women abuse one another at similar rates but he injuries inflicted on males are less serious thus many are never reported. Several examples have been highlighted in the article including that of Rihanna and Chris Brown.

Family and Domestic Violence in Context

In Bacci (1999), family and domestic violence is presented and interpreted depending on its location of context. Many of the violent activities happen in people's homes and privacy thus it is difficult to address them. Feminist researchers interested in domestic and family violence focus on examination of the gendered context of evidence. Different actors including feminists have published the issue of family and domestic violence in this source. Policy makers affect the notion of gender symmetry debate in Australia. Feminist acknowledged domestic violence as a major problem affecting several people. Women are considered victims of sexual as well as partner violence which they suffer in the hands in male perpetrators. In Australia, policy on violence targets women as the main focus to monitor the progress and reduce the violence. Thus, in Bacci's work domestic and family violence is connected with women who are considered as the victims.

The Connection Between Sex and Domestic Violence

In Heberle and Grace (2009) domestic and family violence can be in form of sex, which is often theorized as an assault on women. Any unwanted sexual intercourse involving a man and a woman in the home is termed as domestic or family violence according to socialists. Women and girls are the majority victims although men and boys can also be sexually abused at home. Sexual violence has been politicized by feminist domestic movements through legislation thus in many cases, women are still the victims. Policies that are established in many countries tend to defend women and girls as they are considered the greatest victims. Sociologists and political activists have come up with policies to guard against family violence. However, many of them go unreported due to the societal norms that influence the attitudes of various people.

Gendered Victimisation and the Need for Equal Protection

Victimization of women is gendered thus are considered as the ones in oppression in a family setup in many cultures (Powell & Webster, 2018). Therefore, any violence against women is given special focus when policies and efforts are being put in place to guard against family attacks. Although men receive similar threats in their homes, the law tends to protect women as they are considered the weaker characters. The society is therefore biased and there is need for civil rights groups to intervene to ensure that the laws that are made by the state and other actors defend all genders.

Bacchi, C. L. (1999). Women, policy and politics: The construction of policy problems. Sage.

 Heberle, R. J., & Grace, V. (Eds.). (2009). Theorizing sexual violence. Routledge.

Mill, G. L. (2009). Everything You Need to Know About Domestic Violence But Were Afraid to Ask. The new faces and facts of intimate abuse.https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/embedded/200909/everything-you-need-know-about-domestic-violence-were-afraid-ask

Powell, A., & Webster, K. (2018). Cultures of gendered violence: An integrative review of measures of attitudinal support for violence against women. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 51(1), 40-57.

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Domestic Violence Definition

This essay about domestic violence sheds light on the pervasive nature of intimate partner violence, exploring its various forms beyond physical assault. It discusses the detrimental effects of emotional, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse on victims, highlighting the cycle of violence and the barriers they face in seeking help. However, it also emphasizes hope through support networks and prevention efforts, advocating for a future where homes are safe havens free from fear and oppression.

How it works

Domestic violence, often termed intimate partner violence (IPV), permeates the societal fabric, inflicting wounds that transcend physical bruises, leaving lasting imprints on victims’ psyches and communities. It’s a labyrinth of torment, where power imbalances skew reality, entangling victims in a web of fear and manipulation.

Defined by a myriad of abusive behaviors, domestic violence extends its sinister tendrils beyond physical assault, encompassing emotional, psychological, sexual, and financial coercion. The abuser’s arsenal includes demeaning remarks, threats, isolation tactics, and economic control, all orchestrated to exert dominance and strip victims of autonomy.

While physical violence may leave visible scars, the insidious nature of emotional and psychological abuse often renders wounds unseen but deeply felt. The relentless onslaught of insults, gaslighting, and manipulation erodes self-esteem, leaving victims imprisoned in a cycle of self-doubt and despair.

Sexual coercion further compounds the trauma, violating the sanctity of intimacy and erasing boundaries. Victims are coerced into unwanted acts, their bodies treated as objects for the perpetrator’s gratification, leaving behind a trail of shame and degradation.

Financial abuse serves as yet another tool of subjugation, trapping victims in a web of dependence and economic instability. Control over finances, employment, and access to resources becomes a means of coercion, further entrenching victims in the cycle of abuse.

The cycle of violence perpetuates a harrowing pattern, characterized by escalating tension, explosive outbursts, and fleeting moments of contrition. The abuser’s apologies and promises of change serve as temporary reprieves, luring victims back into the cycle, only to be ensnared once again in a vortex of fear and manipulation.

Breaking free from the shackles of domestic violence requires courage and support. Yet, the stigma and shame surrounding abuse often act as barriers to seeking help. Victims grapple with feelings of isolation, convinced of their own culpability or paralyzed by the fear of retaliation.

However, hope flickers amidst the darkness. Organizations and support networks stand ready to extend a lifeline to those in need, offering shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and a pathway to healing. Education and awareness initiatives strive to dismantle the myths and misconceptions surrounding domestic violence, empowering individuals to recognize the signs and seek assistance.

Prevention is paramount in the fight against domestic violence. By challenging societal norms that perpetuate gender inequality and condone violence, we can foster a culture of respect and equality. Empowering bystanders to intervene and support victims, and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions, are crucial steps in breaking the cycle of abuse.

In the tapestry of humanity, every thread counts. Together, we can weave a future where homes are sanctuaries of love and safety, where the echoes of violence are silenced, and where every individual is free to flourish without fear.

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Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Moscow, Russia

• Original article
• Published: 05 March 2008
• Volume 23 , pages 447–456, ( 2008 )

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• Andrew Stickley 1 ,
• Olga Kislitsyna 2 ,
• Irina Timofeeva 3 &
• Denny Vågerö 4  

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This study examines attitudes towards violence against women among the populace in Moscow, Russia using data drawn from the Moscow Health Survey. Information was obtained from 1,190 subjects (510 men and 680 women) about their perceptions of whether violence against women was a serious problem in contemporary Russia, and under what circumstances they thought it was justifiable for a husband to hit his wife. Less than half the respondents thought violence was a serious problem, while for a small number of interviewees there were several scenarios where violence was regarded as being permissible against a wife. Being young, divorced or widowed, having financial difficulties, and regularly consuming alcohol were associated with attitudes more supportive of violence amongst men; having a low educational level underpinned supportive attitudes among both men and women. Results are discussed in terms of the public reemergence of patriarchal attitudes in Russia in the post-Soviet period.

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Stockholm Center on Health of Societies in Transition (SCOHOST), Södertörns högskola, S 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden

Andrew Stickley

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Olga Kislitsyna

Baltic and East European Graduate School (BEEGS), Södertörns högskola, Huddinge, Sweden

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Stickley, A., Kislitsyna, O., Timofeeva, I. et al. Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Moscow, Russia. J Fam Viol 23 , 447–456 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-008-9170-y

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Issue Date : August 2008

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-008-9170-y

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Personal protection orders in Michigan. What you need to know

LANSING – Personal protection orders in Michigan are obtained through local county clerk's offices via circuit court, although finding out how to get one can be difficult based on information from some websites across the state's 83 counties.

Here's a how-to guide for PPOs in Michigan if you are at risk of domestic violence :

What is a PPO?

More: Domestic violence victims say Michigan's system is broken. There are solutions

PPOs are court orders that are signed by a judge and intended to stop threats, violence or harassment against the person requesting the order.

Michigan issues three kinds of PPOs — domestic relationship PPOs, non-domestic stalking PPOs, and non-domestic sexual assault PPOs.

The state issued about 17,000 such orders last year.

How do I get a PPO?

You begin the process at any county clerk's office. In some counties, you can download or print an application; for others you can call the clerk's office for more information, and in all cases, you can visit any county clerk's office in person and obtain an order. Michigan's largest county, Wayne, accepts PPO applications online. Forms are also available and printable from www.michiganlegalhelp.org .

There is no fee to file a petition. Your application will give the court information it needs to decide whether a judge will grant your request.

In an emergency, you can ask the judge to give you a PPO without notifying the respondent and without waiting for a hearing where the respondent will be present. That request is called an "ex parte" PPO, and you should explain why you think you will be harmed if the respondent is told you are asking for a PPO and if you have to wait for a hearing.

If you don't think you need an ex parte order, or if the judge requires a hearing before giving you a PPO, a copy of your petition and a notice of the hearing must be served to the respondent.

What does serving a PPO mean?

Michigan does not mandate that law enforcement serve PPOs. You cannot serve it yourself, but the state suggests a family member, friend or someone else over the age of 18 deliver the documents. However, experts and advocates say this could put them at risk.

Some police and sheriff’s departments will serve PPO papers free, while others won't. Marquette County, for example, will deliver a PPO inside the county for $26.

After you have the PPO served, you must file at "proof of service" form with the court clerk.

Will a PPO help?

Ultimately, a circuit court judge can order the person who is the subject of the protection order not to have contact with you, follow or approach you, enter the home you live in, contact you via electronic means, purchase or possess a firearm or interfere with your place of employment.

PPOs are not a cure-all, but if the person you obtained the PPO against, referred to in court language as the "respondent," violates the order, you can call police. Law enforcement may or may not arrest the person, but if they don't you can file a motion in court to show cause, which requires the person to come to court. They can be fined up to $500 or sentenced to up to 93 days in jail.

More: Domestic violence in Michigan: Small changes to laws could mean difference between life and death

What resources are available?

• The state of Michigan website has information about PPOs at https://www.michigan.gov/voices4/legal/ppo .
• You can also go online to Michigan Legal Help at https://michiganlegalhelp.org/self-help-tools/personal-safety/overview-of-personal-protection-orders .
• Many local sexual assault or domestic violence programs can provide assistance. The state has a link to local resources in each county at https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/safety-injury-prev/publicsafety/crimevictims/assistance/domestic-violence-hotline
• You may also hire your own attorney to help you handle the process.

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How the Ruby Garcia case generates conversation around domestic violence and immigration

By: anna liz nichols - april 11, 2024 8:00 am.

LA VIDA Partnership’s Bringing Hope to Survivors Trunk or Treat in 2023

The killing of a West Michigan woman has become the center of a national debate on immigration and it has domestic violence advocates worried that anti-immigrant rhetoric could stop victims from seeking help.

State police alerted Michiganders on March 23 that they had found the body of a woman on the side of the highway in West Michigan. The woman has since been identified as 25-year-old Grand Rapids resident Ruby Garcia . 

Court documents show the suspect, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, 25, whom law enforcement say was  dating Garcia, confessed to shooting and killing her during an argument.

But Ortiz-Vite’s immigration status, having been deported to Mexico in 2020 , has turned the case into a national discussion on border policy.

“My stomach dropped like everybody else when you hear about a horrific murder and domestic violence is connected to it,” said Ruby Robinson, managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. “Knowing that the alleged perpetrator was a non-citizen, that fuels this myth that has no basis in fact or reality that immigrants are dangerous and that makes the clients in the communities that we’re working with more uncomfortable and fearful to reach out.” 

Former President Donald Trump joined several Michigan Republican leaders, as well as members of law enforcement on April 2 in Grand Rapids to reinvigorate the conversation surrounding border security and condemn the killing of Garcia and other victims, casting the blame on  President Joe Biden’s border policies.

“Under crooked Joe Biden, every state is now a border state. Every town is now a border town because Joe Biden has brought the carnage and chaos and killing from all over the world and dumped it straight into our backyards,” Trump said. “And people are coming in from prisons and mental institutions and nobody’s ever seen anything like it. Under the Trump administration we had a tough policy of getting the bad people out. We wanted to get them out and we took them out by the 1000s.”

Trump went on to call immigrants who have entered the country illegally “animals” and “not human”. 

But it’s inaccurate to paint the actions of one person as the behavior of an entire community, Robinson said. His primary focus at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, or MIRC is addressing the unique struggles of victims of domestic violence who are immigrants or who are non-citizens.

“The destructiveness of violence and abusive relationships in general, and intimate partner violence does not notice and does not make decisions between citizens or non-citizens. It pervades every community and every type of relationship that’s out there,” Robinson said. 

Having worked with clients with varying immigration statuses seeking help from intimate partner violence for 13 years, Robinson said the seriousness of domestic violence as an “epidemic” is rarely publicized. He hopes that conversations on domestic violence prevention and care can take priority over false claims that non-citizens increase crime rates.

“I hope that people, policymakers and others see this not as something about non-citizens or immigration status and see it really as about domestic violence and intimate partner violence, and thinking about ways that we can bring more awareness to that,” Robinson said.

And while a recent increase in deadliness of domestic violence in Michigan is suggested by a combination of state police data, COVID-19 pandemic era research and observations by domestic violence care providers, a correlation between crime rates and undocumented residents has been refuted by several extensive studies .

The Marshall Project in particular, cross-referenced local crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, and estimates of undocumented resident populations from the Pew Research Center from 2007 to 2016 to show that there is “no evidence” to support a connection between undocumented immigrants and crime.

On the contrary, a study published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that in examining arrest data in Texas from 2012 to 2018, undocumented immigrants were responsible for “substantially” lower rates of crime compared to native-born citizens or legal immigrants. The research further determined that native-born citizens were more than twice as likely to be arrested for violent crimes and drug crimes than undocumented immigrants.

Law enforcement hasn’t released extensive information about the case outside of how Garcia was found and her relationship to the suspect. Not much is known by the public about what led to her death and her family has limited their interactions to a few local news outlets in Grand Rapids.

Trump said during his event in Grand Rapids that he had spoken to Garcia’s family, which her sister Mavi Garcia promptly told WOOD-TV was not true. She added that it makes her mad that anyone would politicize her sister’s death.

“It’s always been about illegal immigrants,” she told WOOD-TV . “Nobody really speaks about when Americans do heinous crimes, and it’s kind of shocking why he would just bring up illegals. What about Americans who do heinous crimes like that?”

Domestic violence isn’t about immigration status, it’s about relationships and power and control, Jessie Urban-Guzman, a domestic and sexual assault care advocate in Detroit, said.

Urban-Guzman is the Youth and Legal Program director for the LA VIDA Partnership program at Community Health and Social Services Center which provides specialized care for victims in the Latinx community.

“For many survivors who are immigrants, they are more vulnerable in certain ways,” Urban-Guzman said. “The dynamic where the perpetrator is the citizen or U.S. permanent resident and then the survivor is not…the perpetrator will use that and take advantage of that and use that as another power and control tactic or potentially against their family members. So even if the person is documented, or has legal residency, they could say ‘I’ll call ICE on your mom or your dad.”’

That family component is very important when considering particularly the needs of the Latinx community in Southwest Detroit and Southeast Michigan who Urban-Guzman said made it clear to LA VIDA early on that rather than investing in a shelter that specialized in care for the Latinx community , they wanted counseling services for all ages.

“People didn’t feel comfortable going to a shelter, they prefer to stay with family or friends,” Urban-Guzman said. “The vast majority of our staff either has ties to Southwest Detroit or they’re Detroit residents or they speak Spanish, so our community and our program is very much community based and so that really helps a lot with building relationships.”

Domestic violence services across the state are limited , Urban-Guzman said, adding that COVID put a huge strain on providing services and care providers haven’t really caught up on the need for services from those trying to leave abusive situations.

And even when someone is able to climb barriers and can finally leave an abusive relationship, especially for non-English speaking survivors, regardless of immigration status, the task of continuing life after abuse carries even more challenges.

It can be hard to find employment to sustain a survivor if they don’t speak English regardless if they are a legal resident, Urban-Guzman points out. Michigan’s lack of public transportation and barriers to education also add on to difficulty in finding a job .

LA VIDA tries to work with survivors on micro entrepreneurship endeavors where survivors can sell food or handmade items to become financially independent. But as organizations do the work of helping immigrants who experience domestic violence seek wellness and justice, Urban-Guzman said the anti-immigrant rhetoric surrounding the Garcia case is affecting the general well-being of the community. 

“People get scared. People start to post on Facebook groups about ICE raids,” Urban-Guzman said. “It’s a heightened sense of fear from 2016 for sure and I would anticipate that that’s going to be building throughout the summer.”

The suspect in Garcia’s killing was deported, but he returned. He could have gone to jail, been released and the same thing would have happened, Urban-Guzman said. Jail and deportation are not adequate deterrents for domestic violence, neither fixes the problem.

“We… need to be able to figure out a way to intervene more effectively in these high lethality cases,” Urban-Guzman said.

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.

Anna Liz Nichols

Anna Liz Nichols covers government and statewide issues, including criminal justice, environmental issues, education and domestic and sexual violence. Anna is a former state government reporter for The Associated Press and most recently was a reporter for the Detroit News. Anna is a graduate of Michigan State University.

Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom , the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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Mother Is Charged With Murder of Twins Found Dead in the Bronx

The mother, Gloria Asamoah, had been recently hospitalized, the police said, and was discharged from a psychiatric ward before her arrest.

By Claire Fahy

A Bronx woman whose twin children were smothered to death in their family’s apartment in December has been charged with their murders, the police said on Thursday.

The woman, Gloria Asamoah, 42, called 911 on Dec. 18 to report that she had found her children, a boy and a girl, both 5 years old, stiff and cold in their East 175th Street apartment. They had both been ill and she had kept them out of school on the day they died.

At first, it appeared the children, George and Gianna Kantanka, might have died from their illnesses — there were no signs of abuse on their bodies and no weapons or drugs in the apartment, the police said. But in March, the medical examiner found that the twins had been smothered and ruled their deaths homicides .

Ms. Asamoah was taken to a nearby hospital soon after the children died and was recently hospitalized again in a psychiatric ward, the police said. She was discharged on Thursday, arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter in both deaths, the police said.

“During the incident, she was so despondent that they removed her to a psych ward,” Joseph Kenny, the chief of detectives for the Police Department, told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.

Both children were autistic, Chief Kenny said. George had been sent home on Nov. 30 after vomiting at school and had cold symptoms two weeks later, while Gianna had an ear infection and had been acting out, biting and spitting at school, the chief told reporters in December.

The children’s father, a health aide, worked overnight and was not home when they died. Ms. Asamoah told officers at the scene that she had slept with the children in her bed and last saw them alive at 5 a.m. before waking up at 11:20 a.m. and finding them unconscious. When emergency workers arrived, the children were foaming at the mouth, and they were pronounced dead 10 minutes later, Chief Kenny said.

Neighbors reported waking up that day to Ms. Asamoah’s screams. As the police inspected the apartment, she sat on the stairs in the hallway, sobbing.

There were no previous reports of child abuse or domestic violence in the home, Assistant Chief Benjamin Gurley, the commanding officer of the Bronx patrol borough, said at a news conference in December.

At the briefing on Tuesday, Chief Kenny said the police had video footage of Ms. Asamoah pacing in the hallway at 5 a.m. on the day of the murders. He said the police did not have a motive.

Chelsia Rose Marcius contributed reporting.

Claire Fahy reports on New York City and the surrounding area for The Times. She can be reached at [email protected]. More about Claire Fahy

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