Assignment 2.1 the People Need to Know

Assignment 2.1: The People Need to Know

Sheena Bailey

Professor Dana Kerrigan

English 115- English Composition

February 1, 2016

Domestic violence is an epidemic that has been plaguing our communities for a very long time. There were 11,766 American women killed during 2001-2012 verses 6,488 American troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq war. (Vagianos 2014). When you recognize the signs of domestic violence and those abused we can better understand the need for Domestic Violence shelters in the community. Most women who find their selves in that particular situation, feel as though that they have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Not all women will seek shelter from their abusers, most women will return to their abusive relationships. “Women are 7 to 14 times more likely to report that an intimate partner beat them up, choked or tried to drown them. (Tjaden, Patricia, & Thoennes, Nancy 2000, 25).  When these situations arise victims need to know that there are places for shelter that provides them comfort and safety along with help thru residential facilities, outreach programs or support groups. Domestic Violence shelters have been designed to assist the survivor with making positive changes and choices in their life. A domestic violence shelter can help woman make better choices and help enabling them to gain their freedom back one step at a time.

Although Domestic Violence shelters are very much needed in the community, the process to attaining one is very tedious and nowhere near easy.  The first step into establishing a domestic violence shelter is adequately proving that there is a need for the shelter in the community. Some ways that this can be completed is by taking simple surveys from various sources within the community. You can reach out to local law enforcement, healthcare professionals, community leaders and religious places for surveys. The survey can consist of questions such as the scope of the problem, how many women seek help within a certain time frame and the type of services that are available. To offer the best services to those that may participate in the program the stipulations that need to be considered are the ratio of women to men, the neighborhood, and the community services that are currently being offered. To ensure successful interactions with participants in regards to meeting their needs we have concluded that the services that would have the best benefit for individuals are educational programs, learning and improving workforce skills, safety measures, counseling and of course therapy sessions.

Victims that seek out shelters are likely to be those of financial and emotional instability, lack of education, support mechanisms and the inability to find work. (Saathoff, A., & Stoffel, E. 1999,97). Plenty of women that stay in abused relationships seem to feel that they don’t have a choice in their situation due to their lack of certain skills. This is where the shelter can prove to be a benefit as we will have staff that can assist with the individual with qualifying and meeting testing requirements for their GED. Those that have their GED can also benefit by learning new skills that can help them gain employment as well. The shelter can also teach employability skills, soft skills that are needed for today’s workforce. Skills that the shelter would offer to help victims would be communication skills, analytical and critical thinking, computer skills, time management and interpersonal skills. Many of the women that have been abused lack the genuine confidence that comes natural to some. That lack of confidence may make the victim feel as though that their abuser was the only one that cared.

The domestic violence shelter can serve as a positive place that can encourage those individuals to gain back their self-esteem and build that person back up with a positive mind frame into society.

The intake process to get into the program must be outlined with guidelines to be fair to each individual. Providing guidelines prepares the victim for the rules that must be followed in order to be successful and returned back into a functioning society. Rules are necessary but the shelters practice to keep the rules at a minimum. If the rules are not kept at a minimum the individual may become overwhelmed and feel that they are being abused and controlled. (Tjaden, Patricia & Thonnes, Nancy 2000,25). Upon entrance to the facility, face-to-face contact will be made to determine a person’s needs. Participation into the program would be determined by the severity of the abuse. Initial consideration should be given to those victims that are in severe crisis. Admission to the shelter will be based upon factors of physical abuse, sexual abuse, threats, and use of weapons, emotional and or psychological abuse based on an assessment. Immediate consideration should be given to those victims that were referred to the shelter through outside agencies, health professionals, and or law enforcement. A hotline can be provided to different agencies within the community, but the location will be undisclosed to protect the victim’s whereabouts. Shelter will be offered 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. The shelter staff will partner with local agencies to offer services to participants that are in need, providing professional services and recommendations from qualified physicians and medical staff. It will also be the responsibility of the staff to conduct exit interviews on participants that are transitioning into permanent housing. During the 1970’s, women began to speak up against battering. Women insisted the public listen, informing others that domestic abuse was not a private matter. Now it has become possible to protect women, educate doctors, counselors, and law enforcement agencies. (NiCarthy & Davidson 2006, 58) In my conclusion, a Domestic Violence Shelter would greatly benefit the community. Not only would we be able to offer assistance to victims, but the community of volunteers would be giving back to their local society by providing time. A Domestic Violence Shelter would change the lives of those that are being abused; it would give them hope and support where they thought they had none.