Reports Of Domestic Violence Research Articles

Obstacles facing the application of the law of protection from abuse, from the point of view of workers in the Social Protection Department in Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region

The aim of the research is to uncover the obstacles facing the application of the law of protection from abuse, in the face of domestic violence, from the workers' point of view, using the case study approach. For collecting data, the study relied on the interview and simple observation tool. The research community consists of specialized workers in the three cities during the study period, as their number reached (41) employees. The most important results were an increase in the volume of reports of domestic violence and a steady increase, with the total number during the three years (2107, 2018, and 2019), respectively (4748, 25375, and 33085). The results showed that the Social Protection Unit in the three cities plays a good role in handling reports of domestic violence and dealing with them. It also showed the weakness of the work environment in all its details, in terms of offices, devices, electronic system and means of communication, the lack of transportation, the absence of a shelter in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the need for many cases to enter the home and the difficulty of accepting cases in other regions. The lack of a cadre of social workers, psychologists and administrators, the lack of financial incentives, the lack of a cadre of social workers on par with the psychologists, the poor knowledge of some employees about the role of social protection, the absence of a task guide for the employees, the lack of specialized training courses, as well as the new psychological measures, the female employees assigned to the role observers inside the home are not qualified to deal with cases of protection and social work, the weak role of the authorities in cooperation with social protection, and the lack of awareness of the importance of their work, and the weak response of the police. In light of these results, a number of recommendations were developed to reduce these obstacles.

Domestic violence in families in the Netherlands during the coronavirus crisis: A mixed method study

BackgroundThe consequences of the coronavirus crisis are considerable for everyone in the Netherlands. Although there were concerns about the many vulnerable families who were forced to stay at home because of the measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus in the Netherlands, there has been no increase in the number of reports of domestic violence or child abuse. ObjectiveTo gain insight by a mixed method study on what has happened during the lockdown within families who were already known to social services. MethodsA quantitative study was performed among 159 families recruited before the coronavirus crisis, and 87 families recruited during the lockdown in the Netherlands through child protection services. Family members (parents, children) completed questionnaires about interparental violence, (historical) child abuse and neglect, and emotional security. In a qualitative study 39 of these respondents and 13 professionals were interviewed. ResultsNo difference was found in violence between families who participated before and after the lockdown. The level of violence is still high in most families. The absence of assistance promoted the self-reliance of children and parents to deal with this difficult period. Professionals found new ways of connecting to families at risk. Every form of support is important to these families because it made children feel seen and heard. Isolation of families where domestic violence and child abuse occurred, remains a risk factor, even outside the coronavirus crisis.

Examining the Role of Child Protection Services in Domestic Violence Cases: Lessons Learned from Tragedies

Exposure to domestic violence (DV) reports account for a significant portion of child welfare cases. However, there is a lack of resources for specifically working with cases that present a high-risk for lethality. The present study examined the involvement of child protection services (CPS) prior to domestic homicide cases. A retrospective case analysis was conducted utilizing cases reviewed by a domestic violence death review committee in Ontario, Canada. The study also examined the recommendations made by the committee to the child welfare sector. Overall, less than one-quarter of the homicide cases with children in the family system had CPS involvement. There were no differences in the presence of CPS involvement in cases where children were killed compared to cases where children were not killed. CPS-involved cases had significantly more risk factors and the family was involved with significantly more agencies overall. Recommendations directed to the child welfare sector highlighted the need for enhanced ongoing service provision to promote safety and hold perpetrators accountable, specialized DV training, and increased cross-sector collaboration. The child protection sector plays a critical role in assessing and managing risk in DV cases and preventing tragedies. The findings stress the importance of multi-disciplinary collaborations, and specialized ongoing training in engaging perpetrators and managing risk.

The Effect of Social Distancing on Police Reports of Domestic Violence

We analyze the effect of social distancing related to COVID-19 on domestic violence incidents in the U.S. using novel daily mobile device tracking data, the timing of stay-at-home orders, and dispatch and crime data from twenty-eight police departments. We find that reported incidents of domestic violence increase after local stay-at-home orders are enacted and that domestic violence increases with mobile device tracking measures of social distancing. Our result is consistent with an exposure reduction theory of domestic violence. When applied to the entire U.S., we estimate that social distancing increased domestic violence by approximately 6 percent, or more than 24,000 cases, from March 16 to April 30, 2020.

Self-report of domestic violence and forced sex are related to sexual risk behaviors in a sample of juvenile detainees

BackgroundJustice-involved youth have higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and a higher prevalence of the associated sexual risk behaviors. Sexual risk behaviors are also associated with alcohol and drug use. Research suggests that a history of trauma is an important predictor of alcohol and drug use in youth offenders, and therefore is a likely contributor to sexual risk behavior in this population. The objective of this analysis is to determine the association of trauma, specifically, domestic violence and forced sex, to six sexual risk behaviors and a history of chlamydia among detained youth.MethodsThe analysis uses data from a convenience sample of detainees assenting to HIV testing conducted December 2016 – August 2017 using the state-certified Voluntary Counseling Testing and Referral (VCTR) process.ResultsOf the 379 youth that received VCTR at the facility, 308 (81.3%) were used in this analysis. Report of domestic violence was significantly associated with sex under the influence of alcohol and was also significantly associated with sex under the influence of marijuana. Forced sex was associated with a sexual partner of unknown HIV status.ConclusionsTraumatic experiences were related to sexual risk behaviors in this analysis, and substance use was strongly implicated in the association. Trauma is known to be a catalyst to sexual risk behaviors, substance use, and delinquency in adolescence. Results support the findings of other investigators and re-iterate the need for trauma-informed interventions that can improve the life trajectories of detained youth.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on domestic violence: The dark side of home isolation during quarantine.

Domestic violence is a global public health problem. It takes many different forms and leads to significant physical and psychological consequences for the victim and the whole family. Situations that may prompt episodes of violence in the family include stress, emotional disappointment, economic factors, bad and cramped housing, and alcohol or drug abuse. How does the government's forced home isolation to contain Covid-19 infections impact on this type of abuse? Numerous articles have reported a decrease in reports of domestic violence since quarantine began but how reliable is these data? Is it a potential wake-up call for public institutions? We discuss the risks associated with quarantine measures during the pandemic and suggest the measures to prevent and improve the reporting of abuse cases.

TB OR NOT TB?

SESSION TITLE: Monday Medical Student/Resident Case Report Posters SESSION TYPE: Med Student/Res Case Rep Postr PRESENTED ON: 10/21/2019 02:30 PM - 03:15 PM INTRODUCTION: Testing for active pulmonary TB is often triggered by symptoms such as fever, cough, night sweats. We present an atypical case of pulmonary TB. CASE PRESENTATION: A 69-year-old Filipino man presented to ED for psychiatric clearance due to report of domestic violence. Initial work-up was only remarkable for chest XR finding of bilateral upper lobe infiltrates. Quantiferon was negative. Patient denies any cough, fever, night sweat, or weight loss. He had moved from the Philippines over 40 years ago, but had no recent foreign travels or known TB exposures. However, given chest XR finding, airborne isolation and TB rule-out testing with MTB-PCR and sputum cultures were pursued. CT chest showed bilateral upper lobe cavitary nodules. As patient could not produce sputum samples, he underwent bronchoscopy. Result of MTB-PCR was positive. Bronchial washing culture later was also positive for MTB, which confirmed the diagnosis of active pulmonary TB. DISCUSSION: Current diagnostic approach to pulmonary TB involves an initial clinical suspicion followed by chest imaging and if indicated, testing with MTB-PCR or sputum culture. However, in our case, the patient presented with a completely different chief complaint, and did not have any history or physical exam findings suggestive of TB. Had a chest X-ray not been done, the incidental finding of bilateral upper lobes infiltrates would not have been found, work-up for TB would not have been pursued, and his active pulmonary TB would not have been discovered. Also interestingly, his Quantiferon was negative, although final confirmatory TB testing was positive. Upon literature search, case report of subclinical active pulmonary TB in immunocompetent adults is rare. One population-based study in China in 2015 did find a high percentage of asymptomatic pulmonary TB patients, and called into question the conventional criteria for initiating TB testing. However, there was no follow-up study performed according to the best of our knowledge. Our patient similarly reminds us that subclinical pulmonary TB may not be uncommon as presumed. In addition, based on a study done in Europe in 2011, Quantiferon, which tests for interferon-gamma response to TB antigens, has a sensitivity of only 80% for active TB. Therefore, Quantiferon should not be used as a rule out test for active TB. Also of note, old age is a recognized risk factor for false negative Quantiferon, as the interferon-gamma response to TB antigenic targets decreases with age. CONCLUSIONS: Active pulmonary TB can present subclinically. Delay in treatment in these patients, due to our current symptoms-based trigger for TB testing, can have widespread effect on patient outcome and epidemiological consequences. Further re-examination of our diagnostic approach to active TB testing should be pursued. It is also important to remember that a negative Quantiferon test does not rule out active pulmonary TB Reference #1: M. Sester, et al. Interferon-γ release assays for the diagnosis of active tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Respiratory Journal Jan 2011 Reference #2: Cheng J, Wang L, Zhang H, Xia Y. Diagnostic value of symptom screening for pulmonary tuberculosis in China. Reference #3: Veerle de Visser, et al. False-negative interferon-γ release assay results in active tuberculosis: a TBNET study. European Respiratory Journal Jan 2015 DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Chia-Dan Kang, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Arhama Malik, source=Web Response

What works to prevent violence against children in Afghanistan? Findings of an interrupted time series evaluation of a school-based peace education and community social norms change intervention in Afghanistan.

BackgroundAgainst a backdrop of more than four decades of war, conflict and insecurity, Afghanistan is recognised as suffering from endemic violence and children are exposed to multiple forms of violence, including at the family and school levels. This paper presents the results of an evaluation of school-based peace education and a community-based intervention to change harmful social norms and practices related to gender and the use of violence in conflict resolution, implemented in Afghanistan with the aim of reducing violence against and between children.MethodsThe evaluation consisted of a cross-sectional, interrupted time series design with three data collection points over 12 months. Data was collected from students in 11 secondary schools (seven girls’ and four boys’ schools) in Jawzjan province of Afghanistan, with a total of 361 boys and 373 girls sampled at endline. All children were interviewed with a questionnaire developed for the study. Key outcomes included children’s experience of peer violence (both perpetration and victimization) at school, corporal punishment both at home and at school, and observation of family violence. Other outcomes included children’s gender equitable attitudes, attitudes towards child punishment, depression and school performance.ResultsBetween baseline and endline evaluation points, there were significant reductions in various forms of violence at the school level, including both boys’ and girls’ past month experience of peer violence victimization, peer violence perpetration, and corporal punishment by teachers. There were also significant reductions in boys’ and girls’ experience of corporal punishment at home and observation of family violence, with a particularly strong effect observed among girls. Both boys and girls had significantly more equitable gender attitudes and significantly less violence-supportive attitudes in relation to children’s punishment, and significantly fewer symptoms of depression. Girls’ school attendance was also significantly higher at endline.DiscussionTo our knowledge this is the first time that a peace education program has been evaluated in Afghanistan, with or without a community intervention to change harmful social norms and practices related to gender and the use of violence for conflict resolution. The evaluation suggests that the intervention may have led to a reduction in various forms of violence, including children’s peer violence, corporal punishment of children both at school and at home, and in children’s reports of domestic violence against women at the household level.

Introducing ‘Intimate Civility’: Towards a New Concept for 21st-Century Relationships

Introducing ‘Intimate Civility’: Towards a New Concept for 21st-Century Relationships

Automated Analysis of Domestic Violence Police Reports to Explore Abuse Types and Victim Injuries: Text Mining Study.

BackgroundThe police attend numerous domestic violence events each year, recording details of these events as both structured (coded) data and unstructured free-text narratives. Abuse types (including physical, psychological, emotional, and financial) conducted by persons of interest (POIs) along with any injuries sustained by victims are typically recorded in long descriptive narratives.ObjectiveWe aimed to determine if an automated text mining method could identify abuse types and any injuries sustained by domestic violence victims in narratives contained in a large police dataset from the New South Wales Police Force.MethodsWe used a training set of 200 recorded domestic violence events to design a knowledge-driven approach based on syntactical patterns in the text and then applied this approach to a large set of police reports.ResultsTesting our approach on an evaluation set of 100 domestic violence events provided precision values of 90.2% and 85.0% for abuse type and victim injuries, respectively. In a set of 492,393 domestic violence reports, we found 71.32% (351,178) of events with mentions of the abuse type(s) and more than one-third (177,117 events; 35.97%) contained victim injuries. “Emotional/verbal abuse” (33.46%; 117,488) was the most common abuse type, followed by “punching” (86,322 events; 24.58%) and “property damage” (22.27%; 78,203 events). “Bruising” was the most common form of injury sustained (51,455 events; 29.03%), with “cut/abrasion” (28.93%; 51,284 events) and “red marks/signs” (23.71%; 42,038 events) ranking second and third, respectively.ConclusionsThe results suggest that text mining can automatically extract information from police-recorded domestic violence events that can support further public health research into domestic violence, such as examining the relationship of abuse types with victim injuries and of gender and abuse types with risk escalation for victims of domestic violence. Potential also exists for this extracted information to be linked to information on the mental health status.

Resilience and mental health problems in children and adolescents who have been victims of violence.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE:To understand the process of resilience (social support and resources of the family environment) and the chance of mental health problems in children and adolescents (9–16 years) who have been victims of domestic violence, assisted in specialized services (Group 1 – G1) and in school services without reports of domestic violence (Group 2 – G2).METHODS:Various semi-structured instruments were applied to the pairs (guardian and child or adolescent): the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA), including Scale I (SI – sense of control), Scale II (SII – relationship skills) and Scale III (SIII – emotional reactivity); the Social Support Appraisals; the Home Environment Resources Scale and a questionnaire created by the authors to characterize the population.RESULTS:There was no difference in the prevalence of resilience between G1 and G2. Children and adolescents of both groups had a higher chance of low resilience in the absence of perception of social support from the teacher (SI; SIII) and other people in the community (SI; SII). Girls had higher chance of low resilience (SIII). The establishment of routine or rules in the lives of the children and adolescents facilitated the development of resilience (SIII). In G1, the prevalence of mental health problems was 65% for the self-application version of the SDQ for children and adolescents (SDQ/CA) and 54% for the version answered by the guardians (SDQ/G). In G2, it was 33% for SDQ/CA and 37.9% for SDQ/G. Domestic violence against children and adolescents was a risk factor for the development of mental disorders (SDQ/G). Subjects with low resilience (SI) had a higher chance of developing mental health problems (SDQ/CA). Despite originating from the same regions, the groups had socioeconomic differences, which showed no relationship with resilience.CONCLUSIONS:The quality and perception of social support and resources present in the home environment may have facilitated the development of resilience in the studied children and adolescents. Violence may have increased the chance of mental health problems, domestic violence being an aggravating factor. There is need for research on aspects that predict resilience and investment in intervention strategies for this population, as a way to promote mental health.

Coping strategies for domestic violence: Testimony of women involved with drugs

ABSTRACT Objective: To understand strategies used by women involved with alcohol and/or other drugs to cope with domestic violence. Methods: A qualitative study using the theoretical framework of coping strategies proposed by Folkman and Lazarus. 19 women with reports of domestic violence and involvement with alcohol and/or other drugs attended to at Family Health Units in a city of Bahia, Brazil. The data were systematized based on Discourse of the Collective Subject. Results: Given the context of domestic violence and drug use, women confront their partners; they try to have a conversation; they seek family and institutional support and take responsibility and blame for the aggression suffered. Conclusions and implications for practice: The strategies listed may support actions to prevent and cope with the phenomenon, especially from the intersectoral articulation.

Entrapment and institutional collusion: Domestic violence police reports and the ‘couple rule’ in social security law

In Australia’s heavily targeted social welfare apparatus, couples are assessed jointly for their eligibility for social security payment. Specific guidelines for deciding if a social security recipient is a member of a couple are provided by the ‘couple rule’ in section 4(3) of the Social Security Act 1991 (Cth). A plethora of information is used by the Department to decide if a social security recipient is a member of a couple for social security purposes. Of particular concern is the use of domestic violence police reports as evidence of a couple relationship. This article argues that the current use of police domestic violence reports in ‘couple rule’ decisions is problematic. This is because it effectively entraps women in violent relationships, provides a financial barrier to leaving and is used by perpetrators to further control their victims.

Associations Between Unintended Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, and Sexual Assault in a Population of Queensland Women

This study aimed to establish the proportion of women seeking information regarding unintended pregnancy in the context of domestic violence (DV) and/or sexual assault (SA) experiences in Queensland. Mental health, sociodemographic variables, and gestation at first and repeated contacts were examined for 6249 women primarily seeking information regarding abortion options during an unintended pregnancy over the 5-year period from July 2012 to June 2017. Reports of DV and SA and associations with mental health issues increased significantly across the 5 years. First contact rates of disclosure were 12.2% for DV and 3% for SA, and higher among repeat contacts (38.1% for DV and 14.1% for SA), with recurring contact facilitating violence disclosure. Restricting access to abortions in the context of violence impedes a woman’s agency in attempts to separate from violence and highlights the need for safe, supportive, and accessible services, to assist in screening and assisting with violence.

Are Immigrant Women Visible in Australian Domestic Violence Reports that Potentially Influence Policy?

Through an intersectional lens, this article explores whether immigrant women are represented in a sample of Australian government documents aimed at providing information about family violence in Australia, and discusses implications for policy development. The authors find that while these documents pay lip service to the special vulnerabilities of immigrant and refugee women; arguably, they do not engage with the complexities of the intersection of gender and other social categories. Given that the reports do not focus adequately on how race, ethnicity, culture and immigration status play a role in these women’s experiences of domestic violence, this may limit the effect of policies that address the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) victims’ needs and rights to protection. We argue that a more intersectional approach is necessary to address CALD women’s specific needs.

Singing, Laughing, and Napping: Foster Care Babies Making Music in Brazil

After years of working as teachers in a private music school in Curitiba, southern Brazil, we created a project in 2016 involving babies in foster care homes. Amongst dozens of foster care homes, Lar Dona Vera is one in the city of Curitiba that shelters about 20 children, aged 0 to 9, who are taken away from their families due to reports of domestic violence and abuse. These children live at Lar Dona Vera while they wait to be reunited with their biological families or until they are directed toward adoption (LAR, 2018). In the last 2 years, this institution, especially the unit that shelters babies aged 0 to 2, has been involved in a project with the music school Alecrim Dourado Formação Musical, where a group of six to eight babies go every Friday morning to participate in musical activities.

Predictors of person-centered maternity care: the role of socioeconomic status, empowerment, and facility type

BackgroundLow use of maternal health services, as well as poor quality care, contribute to the high maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In particular, poor person-centered maternity care (PCMC), which captures user experience, contributes both directly to pregnancy outcomes and indirectly through decreased demand for services. While many studies have examined disparities in use of maternal health services, few have examined disparities in quality of care, and none to our knowledge has empirically examined disparities in PCMC in SSA. The aim of this study is to examine factors associated with PCMC, particularly the role of household wealth, personal empowerment, and type of facility.MethodsData are from a survey conducted in western Kenya in 2016, with women aged 15 to 49 years who delivered in the 9 weeks preceding the survey (N = 877). PCMC is operationalized as a summative score based on responses to 30 items in the PCMC scale capturing dignity and respect, communication and autonomy, and supportive care.ResultsWe find that net of other factors; wealthier, employed, literate, and married women report higher PCMC than poorer, unemployed, illiterate, and unmarried women respectively. Also, women who have experienced domestic violence report lower PCMC than those who have never experienced domestic violence. In addition, women who delivered in health centers and private facilities reported higher PCMC than those who delivered in public hospitals. The effect of employment and facility type is conditional on wealth, and is strongest for the poorest women. Poor women who are unemployed and poor women who deliver in higher-level facilities receive the lowest quality PCMC.ConclusionsThe findings imply the most disadvantaged women receive the lowest quality PCMC, especially when they seek care in higher-level facilities. Interventions to reduce disparities in PCMC are essential to improve maternal outcomes among disadvantaged groups.

Animal Cruelty, Domestic Violence, and Social Disorganization in a Suburban Setting

ABSTRACTBreaking away from a focus on the influence of individual characteristics on animal cruelty and guided by social disorganization theory, we investigated animal cruelty violations in block groups in a city in coastal Virginia. We discovered that block groups with higher levels of social disorganization, measured by economic disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, residential mobility, and family disruption, had higher levels of animal cruelty violations and reports of aggravated and simple domestic violence. The rates of animal cruelty violations were significantly correlated with aggravated domestic violence but not reports of simple domestic violence.

‘Home game’: domestic abuse and football

Increased reports of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) following football matches have been documented, within both quantitative studies and the media, leading to questions about the policy and practice responses required. However, qualitative research facilitating understanding of the apparent link between football and DVA is lacking. Drawing upon research with key stakeholders across England and Scotland, this paper provides a rare insight into their understanding of the contested and complex relationship between football and DVA, including the role of contributory and confounding factors such as alcohol, match expectations, masculinity, entitlement and permissions. It is argued that while football may provide a potential platform for challenging DVA, focusing on football (or other specific factors or events) as causative risks re-incidentalising DVA and detaching it from feminist frameworks that have established DVA as a sustained behaviour grounded in gendered inequalities. This paper concludes by considering the broader conceptual implications of these findings for future research, policy and practice.

Intervenir dès les signalements : analyses victimologiques du protocole interpartenarial de lutte contre les situations de violence conjugale (France)

ObjectiveThe detection and socio-judicial or psychotherapeutic care for victims of domestic violence appears to be a difficult daily work for both victims and professionals. We analyzed an experimental protocol that presents the case of victims reporting first but refusing afterwards to file a complaint. Via the records of the first reports, we sought to determine the types of the demand of both victims and perpetrators and to find out how to help these vulnerable groups. Method and MaterialsOur research is conducted in collaboration with the service for victims and the police in the French department Indre and Loire. The 34 questionnaires submitted to the victims of the protocol and the different interviews with victims and institutions have been analyzed with quantitative (i) and qualitative clinical (ii) methods. (i) The statistical frequency analysis questions the generic portrait of victims and perpetrators on the one hand and the typological portrait of victimization process that these victims face (aspects of socio-demographic vulnerability process and physical, psychological and social influence) on the other. (ii) The qualitative results deepen the quantitative approach based on questionnaires by referring to the findings of the police and interviews with ADAVIP37. A discourse analysis allowed differentiation of six dimensions of victimization within the first reports. ResultsQuantitative statistical analyzes establish several types (of victims, perpetrators and victimization). From a typological point of view, victims are mostly mothers or women, 35 to 44 years old, living with their partner at the time. They report having experienced verbal abuse associated with other forms of violence (psychological, economic, physical, sexual), but felt not to be vulnerable and had no recourse to medical, social, civil or judicial help. The qualitative analyzes develop six dimensions with specific issues. The three portraits of victims perceived by the support services are clinical vignettes of a prototypical case of battered woman, reporting only slaps and refusing any action (i), a case of psychological hold denying the complaint but considering separation (ii), and a case of multiple victimization suffered during and after separation and wishing complaint (iii). These three cases illustrate profiles of victims in the long path leading to the legal complaint. Three other dimensions are more problematic for the intervener and concern: a case of legitimized violence by the victim who refuses than any further spouse (i), a particular gender case with an example of a male victim (ii), and a case of sexual victimization revealed only in a second time or report (iii). ConclusionConfronted with a vulnerable public who hesitates to report suffered violence, professionals will find in these analyses some indicators to facilitate the detection and adapt the treatment after the first reports of domestic violence.