Rutledge, N. (2011). Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth—The Underutilization of Crime Victim Compensation Funds by Domestic Violence Victims. Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy, 19 , 223-273.
This article addresses critical issues that relate to the ineffectiveness of the existing legal and policy framework in addressing the needs of a crime relating to domestic violence. Outlines the unique needs of the victims of victims of domestic violence and how they have been erroneously generalized with other victims of crime by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. The article is divided into seven parts. The first part is the introduction. This part introduces the major issues affecting victims of violence as well as the victims of crime act. The introduction defines how the act addresses both distributive as well as restorative justice. It defines distributive justice as one that is interested in sharing of burdens as well as benefits in society. It further defines restorative justice as one that is interested in addressing the needs of the victims of crime.
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The second part of this article explains the needs that are unique to domestic violence victims. This part explains how crimes of domestic violence differ from other crimes and hence causes a unique set of needs to the victims. Most importantly, the article highlights the intimate relationship between the perpetrator of this crime and the victims of the crime. The author of the article notes the impact of this intimate relationship in causing physical, emotional and psychological damage to the victim that leads to the development of unique needs for such victims.
The third part of this article summarizes both the history as well as the purpose of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). The author further explains the intentions of setting up Crime Victim Compensation (CVC) funds. The author notes that the VOCA covers victims of domestic violence as well and seeks and explains the basic theories over which the concept of victim compensation was developed. In this section, he explains how the CVC funds allocated to the victims of crimes relating domestic violence is inadequate in addressing their needs.
The fourth part addresses the existing barriers that hinder victims of domestic violence from accessing CVC funds. Among other things, the author points out eligibility restrictions as a major factor that hinders access to CVC funds by victims of domestic violence. Such restrictions focus on crime prevention rather than the needs of the victims and put unnecessary restrictions on accessing CVC funds.
The fifth part addresses the notion that CVC funds provided for the victims of domestic violence are excessive because resources such shelter are available to them as well as other realities of the existing tort laws, restrictions, and private insurance. The main argument in this section is that CVC funds provide for unique needs among the victims that are not covered under other funds. The sixth part provides recommendations that could help in making CVC funds more accessible and more adequate in addressing the needs of victims of domestic violence. The last part concludes that the society has a moral obligation to support victims of crime financially and that CVC funds should not be viewed as gifts.
Banks, D., Dutch, N., & Wang, K. (2008). Collaborative Efforts to Improve System Response to Families Who Are Experiencing Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23 (7), 876-902.
This article addresses the need for multiagency collaboration in improving how the system responds to the Unique needs of children who are victims of domestic violence. The authors argue that collaborative efforts have been proven effective in solving many significant societal issues can equally be used in addressing the issues and the needs of the children who are victims of domestic violence. The article discusses several factors that lead to the success of a multi-agency collaboration in solving significant societal problems. Among other things, the authors of this article note the importance of shared resources and objectives as a significant factor that leads to effective multi-agency collaborations. The article further identifies clarity of objective as well outlining well-defined and clear roles as well as responsibilities as factors that further foster multiagency collaborations. The authors also explain the challenges faced in forming multiagency collaborations. They note that such collaborations require organizational change in both leadership as well as different levels of management. Such changes prove a challenge in effecting multiagency collaborations.
The article uses the case study of the Greenbook demonstration initiative to illustrate the effectiveness of collaborative approaches in addressing the critical issues facing the society. Under this initiative, the federal government provided funds to support a collaborative system among six communities that would help in the implementation practice change as well as policies in serving the needs of families and children who fall the victims of domestic violence. The principles of Greenbook Foundation provided a framework for the development of collaborative groups. The initiative involved bringing together representatives from multiple organizations, partners and the community at large at different levels of the collaborative system. Evidently, the initiative brought out the influence of factors such leadership, trust, resources and commitment in effecting the collaborative approach under the Greenbook initiative. The article concludes that this initiative was effective in addressing the needs of the children and proposes such a collaborative approach in dealing with the problems and the needs of children who are victims of domestic violence.
This article contributes to the overall topic under research by suggesting ways through which the problems facing victims of domestic violence can be addressed. As such, the article is resourceful in providing information on the effectiveness of a collaborative approach in dealing with the issue.
Waechter, R., & Ma, V. (2015). Sexual Violence in America: Public Funding and Social Priority. American Journal of Public Health, 105 (12), 2430-2437.
This article largely addresses the concerns on the funding of victims of sexual violence. It notes the several circumstances under which sexual violence occurs and the associated physical and emotional damage of such violence. The article explains the risks of sexual violence in the American society as well as the economic burden that comes with sexual violence. The authors discuss several health complications that could potentially arise from incidences of sexual violence. These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and HIV/AIDS. The article further reviews data to examine the amount of funding provided by the federal government in combating sexual violence and the resultant health complications. The authors use this data as indicators of the priority that the American government has given to the sexual violence and subsequent health complications. Clearly, sexual violence receives very small funding despite the fact that it is more costly and more prevalent.
This article discusses the prevalence of sexual abuse. It highlights a study that indicated 20% of all American women had experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. The study further indicates that 40% of these victims experienced sexual violence before they attained 18 years. As such, they conclude that the majority of cases of sexual violence in America can be classified as child sexual abuse. The article further notes the burden that sexual violence places on the American health systems. The increasing health complications occasioned by the increased prevalence of sexual violence has placed great pressure on the American health system. The authors note that women who undergo sexual violence during their childhood age are more prone to mental and psychological disorder, immunity disorders as well as reproductive health complications. All these factors contribute to the overall pressure that sexual violence exerts on the American healthcare system.
This article presents a study that examines the lifetime risks, annual economic burden and annual incidences of sexual violence. It examines how this information correlates with major health issues in the United States and cases of HIV/AIDS and cardiovascular diseases in particular. The findings of this research indicate that 19% of women in America are at risk of experiencing rape or an attempt of rape. The study further indicated that 39% of women are at risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases and 0.71% of the women are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. The study further established that each case of sexual violence imposes an average of about USD 448,000 in the cost of medication, seeking justice and loss in earning. The research also established that an average of only $410 million annually is allocated to sexual violence offense by the federal government. Therefore, the authors conclude that there is a glaring discrepancy in the financial needs of the victims of sexual violence and the financial support provided by the federal government.
Reina, A. S., & Lohman, B. J. (2015). Barriers Preventing Latina Immigrants from Seeking Advocacy Services for Domestic Violence Victims: A Qualitative Analysis. Journal of Family Violence, 30 (4), 479-488.
In this article, Reina and Lohman (2015) examine the factors that lead to an increase in the prevalence of domestic violence among the Latino Immigrants. In their assertion, domestic violence is evident among communities regardless of race or social, economic status. However, the article is concerned with the increased vulnerability of the Latina population to domestic violence. The article presents a study whose aim is to report, document and analyzes the experiences of Latina immigrants in Central Iowa. The research employed in this article makes use of individual interview methodology as well as focus groups interviews. The interview is semi-structured in a way that allows the respondents to explain their personal experiences about Domestic violence. The findings of this research attribute the difficulties among the Latina immigrants in reporting domestic violence to complications arising from structural and institutional issues.
This article notes that the 20 th century saw a widespread increase in advocacy against domestic violence as well as improved legal and policy frameworks that protect people from acts of such violence. Despite this widespread advancement in protection and awareness, the article regrets that majority of the Latina Immigrants still find it difficult to report acts of domestic violence to the relevant authorities. The authors attribute this difficulty to factors such as low levels of education, lack of permanent residence, limited economic mobility as well as cultural practices that hinder women from divorcing their abusive partners.
The study presented had ten participants who were immigrant Latina women. All the participants were divorced at the time of the interview and had experienced domestic violence at early years of their marriage. The findings of this research indicated several factors that hinder Latino Immigrant women from seeking legal help against domestic abuse. The participants admitted that their status of being undocumented immigrants was the major hindrance to their seeking legal redress. Secondly, the behavior and attitude of public servants towards Latina immigrants was another hindrance to seeking redress through the existing criminal justice system. Issues of culture equally featured prominently.
Lee, M. (2013). Breaking Barriers: Addressing Structural Obstacles to Social Service Provision for Asian Survivors of Domestic Violence. Violence against Women, 19 (11), 1350-1369.
In this article, Mihan Lee addresses the general notion that domestic violence among the Asian community can only be attributed to the patriarchal structure of these communities. Lee argues that domestic violence among the Asian community is a result of a larger scope of social inequalities rather than just a restriction to the patriarchal structure of the society. The article particularly examines the funding provided in support of Family Violence Prevention Services Administration (FVPSA). It presents research that aims to demonstrate how programs that seek to help minority groups in the Asian community have been undervalued and greatly underfunded.
The article begins by providing important and interesting statists about domestic violence. It notes that women who have experienced domestic abuse have 50%-70% higher chances of contracting psychological, gynecological and neurological health complications compared to those that have not. It further observes that 41%-60% of Asian women experience at least one incident of domestic violence during their lifetime. Therefore, the author postulates that this prevalence in domestic violence goes beyond the cultural norms of patriarchal setting that characterize the Asian community. The article further notes the bias of most publications in gender violence particularly among the Asian community towards individual attitudes and cultural norms. Therefore, majority of these publications have been skewed towards cultural norms and have not explored a broader perspective of potential causes.
The research in this article utilized the methodology of survey and survey and structured interviews. The respondents were mainly Asian women living in New York who had been victims of domestic violence. The researchers observed that two major barriers hindered Asian women from seeking legal redress against acts of domestic violence. The first fact was immigration policies while the second factor was the language barrier.
The article further highlights the inadequacy of the funding provided for under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act ( FVPSA ). The author notes that FVPSA provides for funding that supports short-term outcomes rather than long-term outcomes. He notes that unique nature of Domestic violence victims particularly among the immigrant Asian community demands for more strategies that go beyond what is funded under FVPSA.
In general, the very nature and cause of domestic violence has largely been misunderstood to be restricted to cultural norms. Consequently, the funding that deals with this situation has been limited to such causes. The funding has not been adequate in addressing long-term outcomes in programs that address domestic violence among the Asian communities.
Eastman, B. J., & Bunch, S. G. (2007). Providing Services to Survivors of Domestic Violence: A Comparison of Rural and Urban Service Provider Perceptions. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22 (4), 465-473.
This article address explores the unique needs of women who suffer domestic violence, particularly from rural areas. They confirm the existence few studies that have been dedicated to the question of domestic violence in rural settings. The article presents a study that seeks to interrogate service consumer perception among provider organizations and the public in respect to support offered towards victims of domestic violence both in rural and urban settings. The research interrogates perceptions in areas such as resource availability, provider training, and urgency funding and worker safety. The article then discusses the implications of the different perceptions in both rural and urban settings concerning the above aspects.
Although the article acknowledges that domestic violence occurs across all geographical settings in equal measure as outlined by most studies on domestic violence, the authors note that the unique characteristics of rural areas hinder the people from accessing interventions and seeking legal redress. Among other factors, the authors note that geographical isolation, unemployment, poor public transport system and attitudes that tolerate Domestic violence are factors that characterize the domestic violence landscape in rural areas.
The research concludes that the unique nature of rural setting requires interventions and support tailored to such areas. He further observed that limited resources and inadequate funding had limited the efficiency and effectiveness of service providers in offering support to victims of domestic violence in rural settings. As such, the findings of this article suggests that increased funding and provision of resources to support organizations particularly in rural arrears will empower them to be effective in helping victims of domestic violence in the confines of the unique challenges in rural settings.
References
Banks, D., Dutch, N., & Wang, K. (2008). Collaborative Efforts to Improve System Response to Families Who Are Experiencing Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 23 (7), 876-902.
Eastman, B. J., & Bunch, S. G. (2007). Providing Services to Survivors of Domestic Violence: A Comparison of Rural and Urban Service Provider Perceptions. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22 (4), 465-473.
Lee, M. (2013). Breaking Barriers: Addressing Structural Obstacles to Social Service Provision for Asian Survivors of Domestic Violence. Violence against Women, 19 (11), 1350-1369.
Reina, A. S., & Lohman, B. J. (2015). Barriers Preventing Latina Immigrants from Seeking Advocacy Services for Domestic Violence Victims: A Qualitative Analysis. Journal of Family Violence, 30 (4), 479-488.
Rutledge, N. (2011). Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth—The Underutilization of Crime Victim Compensation Funds by Domestic Violence Victims. Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy, 19 , 223-273.
Waechter, R., & Ma, V. (2015). Sexual Violence in America: Public Funding and Social Priority. American Journal of Public Health, 105 (12), 2430-2437.
