Professionals' Readiness to Manage Violence Against Women.

Abstract

Over recent years, community-based responses to domestic violence against women have become an important topic, and there is growing recognition that domestic violence requires a comprehensive response from agencies across a variety of community sectors. When reaching out for help, female survivors of domestic violence need to have access to a broad range of services, empowering professionals to manage violence against women, and coordinated community responses that promotes safety, autonomy, and integration. Since the early 1990s, Portugal has been gradually moving toward a community-based approach to domestic violence against women where local organizations and professionals are major stakeholders of this policy. Besides having had an increased network of services implemented, it is important to examine how prepared service providers are to respond effectively. The current study analyzed how ready professionals in Portugal are to deliver interventions targeting violence against women. A total of 585 professionals from different backgrounds completed a readiness survey. The results revealed that, despite their perceived readiness, professionals are not duly prepared to respond effectively to violence against women. They lack the appropriate knowledge and training to respond effectively to survivors. Hence, further efforts must be made to change professional practices and services to ensure that abuse is recognized, barriers are overcome, and interventions are more effective.