Wspieranie ofiar przemocy domowej – jak pomagać?

Abstract

Violence is an interdisciplinary problem that involves numerous professionals, mainly from the fields of law, health science and social sciences. It is important to know the characteristics of violence and the scale of this phenomenon. In recent years, there have been many publications dealing with the consequences of experiencing violence. The purpose of this article is to elucidate the issue of domestic violence, its consequences and possible forms of assistance for its victims. The consequences of experiencing violence during both childhood and adulthood are discussed. The legal regulations concerning persons exposed to domestic violence in Poland are presented. The latest statistics on victims of domestic violence are also cited. The forms of psychotherapy are discussed. The role of systemic, individual and group therapy in the help process is highlighted; supportive factors are discussed. Helping victims of domestic violence requires the cooperation of professionals from a wide range of fields, dealing with broadly defined mental and public health. It is also crucial – from the perspective of building and strengthening social as well as health support networks – to constantly discuss this subject in pedagogical, psychological and medical literature.