Sample for SOWK1001 UWI Mona

1. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

2. WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
Domestic Violence is a pattern of targeted unrelenting coercive and assaultive behavior that is
systematic in nature, which is aimed at imposing control and dominance on the victim.
It is not a one-off event and is not limited to physical aggression. It usually manifest itself in:-
• Physical harm (i.e assaults-hitting, fights),
• Psychological attacks (name calling, mocking, insulting or swearing the person, and leaving
them out of decision making activities) ,
• Sexual violence (i.e rape, forcing victim into unwanted sexual practice),
• Verbal confrontations (i.e arguing),

3. WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONT’D?
• Economic manipulation/bullying (i.e limiting or without financial support, preventing the
other party from gaining and maintaining employment), and
• Subjective deprivation of liberty (i.e isolating the person, limiting the person ability to going
out allow, with family or friends)
The objective of this kind of behaviour is to make the person feel “less of a
person” diminish their self-worth, sense of dignity, and identity.
Data indicates that abused persons often report that the psychological or emotional
abuse is the most hurtful type of abuse, because they become fearful or suffer from
mental anguish, become with drawn and learn to be uncertain of themselves and their
abilities.

4. VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Victims can be anyone, they all share the common experience of being abused by someone
close to them:-
Men,
Women,
Children,
 Parents – the elderly,
 The physical challenged,
 Be of any age or social class or employed any where, and
They could be your next door neighbour

5. Denis Campbell’s September 2010 article (in the UK’s Guardian) on
domestic violence, indicated that men are also victims; he shared the
concern of men rights campaign group Parity that two in every five cases of
domestic violence cases have male victims, a reality completely ignored by
the media and police.
In it’s report “Domestic violence: The male perspective” Parity claims that
domestic violence is often seen as a male perpetrator female victim issue.
However, research shows otherwise.
Year Male Victims
2004 - 2005 40.0%
2006 - 2007 43.4%
2007 - 2008 45.5%

6. Traits of the Abuser
 Threatening and intimidating e.g. Breaking and
smashing; Glaring or staring at the victim to force
compliance.
 Demanding economic coercion e.g. Preventing the
victim from obtaining employment or income in
general as a means of control.
 Displaying territorial behavior; Treating the
victim like a servant/property; Defining gender roles
in the home and relationship.

7. Issues Resulting From Domestic Violence
According to the World Health Organization (2013):-
Domestic violence have serious short- and long-term physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems for
survivors and for their children, and lead to high social and economic costs;
Violence against victims result in homicides and suicides etc;
Women who had been physically or sexually abused were 5 times more likely to have a sexually transmitted
infection to include HIV in some regions, compared to women who have not experienced partner violence;
Women suffer unintended pregnancies, induced abortions, gynaecological problems, and sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV;
8

8. Deborah King’s
Cycle of Violence
1. Tension Building – Stress starts to build
(money, children, jobs) and verbal abuse starts.
The victim tries to please or placate the abuser.
When the tension boils over, physical abuse
begins.
2. Acute Battering Episode-triggered by the
abuser’s emotional state This is triggered by
the abuser’s emotional state, not the victim’s
behaviour. It is unpredictable and not in the
victim’s control.
3. The Honeymoon Phase-The abuser feels
ashamed and apologizes. The abuser feels
shame about his behaviour, is remorseful and
apologizes, or tries to blame it on the victim. He
insists that the abuse will never happen again,
and convinces the victim not to leave.

9. WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Social stratification! Culture!
Socialization!
 Mental illness, such as anti-social personality disorder (perpetrate);
Learnt Abusive violent behaviour, which usually leads to gender discrimination and
gender related violence (perpetrate and experience)
Living in a culture of violence -exposure to home, community, school or peer
violence etc (perpetrate and experience);
Childhood observation of domestic violence and victimization experiences,
 Low self esteem, jealousy/ controlling issues (perpetrate and experience);
Harmful use of alcohol (perpetrate and experience); and
Having multiple partners or suspect partners of infidelity (perpetrate).
10

10. HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
 Pregnancies increases the likelihood of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term delivery and low birth weight and
deformed babies;
 Lead to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep difficulties, eating disorders, emotional distress and
suicide attempts. The same study found that women who have experienced intimate partner violence were almost
twice as likely to experience depression and drinking problems;
 Health issues range from headaches, back pain, abdominal pain, fibromyalgia, gastrointestinal disorders, limited
mobility and overall poor health; and
 Sexual violence, particularly during childhood, can lead to increased smoking, drug and alcohol misuse, and risky
sexual behaviours in later life. And is associated with perpetrated violence (for males) and being a victim of
violence (for females).
11

11. Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Domestic Violence
Crime Pattern from 1997 to 2007
Years Offence
Murder
Total % Dom/Related ASSAULTS WOUNDINGS Rape/C/Abuse TOTAL
1997 1038 21 % 216 13136 1297 1620 16269
1998 953 27 % 260 11319 1739 1420 14738
1999 849 27 % 226 9837 1625 1261 12949
2000 887 33 % 294 6779 5636 1304 14013
2001 1139 29 % 331 3373 3735 1218 8657
TOTAL 4866 27 % 1327 44444 14032 6823 66626
There were 9,625 incidents of domestic violence in 2007, a 29.2 per cent increase over 2006 (Economic and Social Survey).
Approximately 4.4% of 2007 national murders were attributed to domestic disputes, a 0.1 %-point decline over 2006.
ARTICLE: Domestic violence statistics Alarming BY: Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer published: Monday | July 21, 2008
12

12. Petherbridge (2016) 12 Traits of an Abuser
An abuser is usually:-
 1. Charming: Initially, he showers his woman with praise, adoration, and attention. His
courtship is sweet and intense filled with phrases such as, “I can’t live without you.” He
quickly pushes for an exclusive relationship or engagement.
 2. Jealous: He views other men as a threat to the relationship and accuses you of flirting
with everyone from his brother to the mailman. “I know you are looking at him.” The irony
is that he often is the one who is cheating.
 3. Manipulative: This man is very intelligent. He knows how to detect your weak spots,
and he uses your vulnerability and past pain to his advantage. “You were abused as a kid
because you are so ugly.”

13. Petherbridge (2016) 12 Traits of an Abuser Cont’d
 4. Controlling: He wants to know where you are going and who you are with at all times.
He may check the mileage on your car or follow you to the grocery store. He often refuses
to allow you to work because you might “meet someone.”
 5. A Victim: His poor choices are everyone else’s fault. When he loses his job, gets into a
fight, or a business deal falls through, it’s always because of the other person. He is never
at fault. “You make me hit you.”
 6. Narcissistic: The whole world revolves around him. As the “little woman who is beneath
him,” it is your job to meet his every need. He is the master; you are the unworthy slave.
It’s invigorating for him to know that everyone around him “walks on eggshells.”
 7. Inconsistent: Mood swings are a common trait for an abuser. One minute he seems
happy and sweet, the next he is pounding his fist.

14. Petherbridge (2016) 12 Traits of an Abuser Cont’d
 8. Critical: No matter how hard you try you will never be able to satisfy this kind of man. He thinks
nothing of degrading and verbally assaulting you. “You are a stupid, fat, disgusting tramp. You can
never leave me. No other man would have you.”
 9. Disconnected: His main goal is to isolate his victim from family and friends so that you are totally
dependant on him. “Your family causes too much trouble for us. I don’t want you seeing them
anymore.”
 10. Hypersensitive: The slightest offense sends him ranting. Everyone is out to “get him.”
 11. Vicious and cruel: A significant number of abusers harm children and animals as well as a
partner. Inflicting pain and intimidating others is what gives him power. “I’ll kill you before I’ll let
you go. If I can’t have you, no one will.”
 12. Insincerely repentant: He will swear to never “hit you again.” But unless he receives professional
help and strong accountability it’s very unlikely that he will change.

15. IMPLICATION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
 It is a high security risk that usually a root cause for crimes, such as murders,
assaults, rapes, which ends in crime scourge;
 In Jamaica, all police stations have to respond to domestic violence
calls/situations; as domestic violence calls are the single largest type of police
calls, it is estimated that more than 50% of the calls are violent;
 60% of domestic violence offenses occur between 6 pm and 6 am, when the
victim’s are usually at home.
16

16. Domestic Violence
Issues Facing Client Population

17. The Issues within Domestic Violence
 The shame/blame effect;
 Creates gender related violence/gender discrimination;
 Domestic violence issues damage/drain the victim’s emotional; mental; physical; and social
state;
 The victim returns to their abuser because of a promise to get help, change or stop;
 Victims stay in an abusive relationship because they believe that help is not an option and
that they are in love with their partner; and
 To maintain the family support structure primarily because unemployment and children

18. Returning to the Abuser
 Things have changed.
 Will be better in the future.
 Sometimes they convince themselves.
 Nowhere to turn.
 Guilt trip.

19. Staying in an Abusive Relationship
 Fear
 Victims are not independent.
 Guilt and shame
 Isolation
 Emotional and physical impairment

20. Help - not an Option
 Victims do not believe that they are victims so they do
not seek help.
 Victims feel ashamed and scared to speak up, scared to
be judged. (Isolation).

21. Children in the Mix
Domestic Violence negatively affects children.
 Chaos within home environment causes misbehavior in children.
 Act out at home, school and other parts of their environment.
 Children reflect pain and anger from what they experience at home.
 Process violent behavior according to the developmental stage they are in and what they
understand from it.
 Trust versus mistrust

22. KEY TERMS IN TREATING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Domestic Violence Act (1996) - is law to protect victims from partner and family violence.
The Jamaica Police should effect an arrest on view or after recording the victim’s statement
for breach of the Act and/or a court order.
The Act offers :-
 An Ex-parti Application- an application made to the court without the abuser, where a
temporary order is issued for the abuser to vacate the dwelling and/or limit access to the
victim(s);
 Occupation Order – the Court grants the abused the right to live in the home without the
abuser; and
 Protection Order- the Court prohibit the abuser from entering or remaining in the home,
visiting the person’s place of work, church or school etc.
23

23. DUTIES, ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF A:
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL WORKER

24. ROLES OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL WORKER
 Broker
 Advocate
 Case manager
 Educator
 Enabler
 Counselor
 Facilitator
 Manager
 Organizer

25. ROLE OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL WORKER
A domestic violence social worker:-
 Advocate on behalf of their clients - victims of domestic violence
 Support and assist their clients’ who have been abused by those in their lives'/homes to
understanding what is happening,
 Explain the options available to the victim and guide the client to path to decision making,
coping and recovery from trauma experiences
 To support the client’s right to choices and assist in dealing with the consequences that follow
the choice;
 Seek to empower family members to take control of their lives and move beyond the effects of
domestic violence.

26. How do Social Workers Receive their
Cases?
Social workers in domestic violence receive their cases from:
 The Police;
 Medical Practitioners;
 Neighbours of the victim;
 Relatives of the Victims;
 Guidance Counselors;
 The Court; and
 Personal Observation

27. FUNCTIONS OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SOCIAL WORKER
 ASSESSMENT
 DOCUMENTATION
 RESPECT
 REFERRALS
 ADMINISTRATION
 INTERVENTION

28. Intervention Methods of Social Worker
in Crippling Domestic Violence
 Goals of effectively responding to domestic violence victims
 Listen to the patient and provide validating messages
 Provide information about domestic violence to the patient:
 Listen and respond to safety issues
 Make referrals to local resources
 Follow-up steps for health care practitioners
 Community Education Coordinator

29. STRATEGIES OF SOCIAL WORK
STRATEGIES
In working with the victim, social workers must seek to identify:-
 Available resources
 Community resources at hand
 The client’s capabilities
 The client’s motivation

30. THEORIES TO BE USED BY THE SOCIAL WORK
Social works should focus on empowerment using the following theories;-
Client centered (Carl Rogers), offer counselling (active listening, empathy, acceptance, unconditional
positive regards; and the genuineness to foster growth by promoting a climate to enable the client to freely
discover and grow as she/he wants and needs to;
Holistic health (biopsychosocial) remind the client that we all have physical, intellectual, social, emotional
and spiritual needs and neglecting them will result encourage the client’s;
Strengths Perspective -to focus on what is going right with the client to build positive thinking /learned
optimism to foster recovery/letting go hurt and harm; and
Cognitive behavioural (ABC Model), is portrayed as “as I think, so I feel (and do)!” In any given situation
you have: A. Activating Event – the actual event and the client’s immediate interpretations of the event
B. Beliefs about the event – this evaluation can be rational or irrational
C. Consequences – how you feel and what you do or other thoughts

31. CONCLUSION
 Domestic violence usually occurs at the micro level, affecting one family at a time,
whilst demanding interventions to address this large scale social problem from the
micro, mezzo and macro levels of social work practice to be effective.
 Therefore, the pervasiveness of domestic violence mandates that social workers ought
to develop adequate knowledge and skills to counteract domestic violence issues
regardless of practice setting; in order to aptly respond to client situations.

32. THANK YOU

33. REFERENCES
Bragg, H. (2003) Child Protection in Families Experiencing Domestic Violence. Chapter 3: The Basics of Domestic Violence. Retrieved from:
file:///C:/Users/ADMIN/Documents/SOWK%20DVChapter%203%20%20T he%20Basics%20of%20Domestic%20Violence.htm. October, 2013.
Domestic Violence Statistics. Retrieved from: http://domesticviolencestatistics.org/domestic-violence- statistics/ September 9, 2016
Domestic Violence Act (n.d.).
In http://www.moj.gov.jm/sites/default/files/laws/The%20Domestic%20Violence%20Act_0.pdf. Retrieved September 9, 2016
Erik Erikson. (1902 – 1994) Psychosocial Development. (Trust versus Mistrust)
http://courses.open.uwi.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=18394
Ganley,A & Hobart, M. (2010). Children’s Administration, Washington State Department of Social & Health Services. Social Worker’s Practice Guide to Domestic
Violence. Retrieved from: http://www.wscadv.org/docs/Social_Workers_Practice_Guide_to_DV_Feb_2010.pdf. October, 2013.
Haralambos, Holborn and Heald, (2004) Social Stratification, p.4:
Janney, P. (n.d). Job Description of a Domestic Violence Social Worker. Demand Media.
Retrieved from: http://woman.thenest.com/job-description-domestic-violence- social- worker- 11595.html. September 10, 2016.
King, D. (n.d.). Deborak King's Domesttic Violence Archive: Healing From Spousal and Child Abuse. Inhttps://deborahking.com/topics/domestic-violence-abuse/. Retrieved
September 9, 2016.

34. REFERENCES (Cont’d)
LeGeron, M. & Savage Borne, J. (2010). Building Bridges: Training Social Work Students in
Domestic Violence Work. The Field Educator, Simmons School of Social Work, Volume 2.2. Retrieved from:
http://fieldeducator.simmons.edu/article/building- bridges-training-social-work-students- in-domestic- violence-work/. October 10, 2013.
Petherbridge, L. (2016). The Christian Broadcasting Network's 12 Traits of an Abuser. In http://www1.cbn.com/marriage/12-traits-of-an-abuser. Retrieved
September 9, 2016.
National Association of Social Workers. (2002) Equity. Volume 1, Number 1. Retrieved from:
http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/events/domestic_violence/equity0101.pdf October 10, 2013.
SOWK 1001. Introduction to Social Work. Unit 4, pp 146-161. Retrieved from: http://courses.open.uwi.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=18400
Step Two - Common Counseling Theories (n.d.). In http://www.basic-counseling-skills.net/b-theories.html. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
WHO | Violence against women - World Health Organization (n.d.). In http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs239/en/. Retrieved September 9, 2016

35. Group Members
 Carla Roye
 Paula Riley
 Christopher Brown’
 David Graham
 Kimberlee Simpson
 Shevel Thompson
 Jodeen Mckane