Home is supposed to provide a safe-haven for families especially after a devastating and stressful day on the job or at school. It is however unfortunate that homes have become fierce battlegrounds for families whereby both men and women engage in fighting and violence. Cases of family violence have increased in recent years to the point of reaching epidemic levels. Though family violence can be directed to any gender –both men and women- it is the women who feel the most devastating effects when domestic violence occurs. It is rare to find a woman battering her husband. In most cases, it is women who face battering from their spouses (husbands). Children in such a family also become vulnerable to both physical and emotional assault from people who have to safeguard and nourish them. For example, in Smith's family, Michelle Smith and her two children become the target and victim of family violence from husband, Mr. Jones Smith.
Types of Family Violence
There are different types of family violence that an abusive partner can use to hurt the victim. In the case of Smith's family, Mr. Jones abused his wife physically, financially, and psychologically. Physical abuse occurs when an abuser uses force against the victim thereby inflicting body injury. Physical abuse involves punching, kinging, choking, slapping, stabbing or forcing the victim to use drugs (Straus, Gelles& Steinmetz, 2017) . Michelle Smith was abused physically by her husband, Corner Jones. It is evident that Mr. Jones was accustomed to physically abusing his wife. Their 8-year-old child, Taylor Jones yelled out that daddy (Corner Jones) always hit mommy especially after they use the white pipe. Taylor further says that her mother cries after being beaten and she (Taylor) does not like it. Mr. Jones seems like a notorious wife batterer. His wife was lying on the floor, and bleeding from multiple sites in he attempted to kick her where she was lying despite being under the escort of Officers Smith and Jones. Ms. Smith says that Mr. Jones slapped her on the face while pushing her onto the bed. Mr. Jones further punched her in the face as she tried to get up. As a result of the punches, she blacked out and only regained consciousness after the police had arrived. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) informed Officer Jones that Ms. Smith had suffered contusions in various body parts including her arms, legs, and face.
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Both Ms. Smith and her children were subjects of psychological abuse by Mr. Jones. Psychological maltreatment arises when an abuser uses intimidating, threatening, and fear-causing behavior against the victim. Taylor said that his father always walks fast around the room when he is mad at something. Ms. Smith and her children usually develop a sense of fear whenever Mr. Jones starts walking quickly around the room. To avoid any violent encounter and meet the rage of her husband, Ms. Smith packs her clothes and that of her children and leave the house. They only return when Mr. Jones temper has cooled down. However, Ms. Smith did not make it in time to leave the house thereby becoming a victim of physical assault. Mr. Jones' behavior of pacing around the house when mad is a sign of psychological abuse to his family because they become aware of the looming gander awaiting them. Ms. Smith was also a subject of financial abuse from her husband. Her husband continually asks her for money which he uses to get high with drugs. Mr. Jones becomes angry when Ms. Smith says that she doesn't have any money left after paying the room they were staying in for two more nights.
Issues Related to Family Violence
Family violence is not an uncommon phenomenon. Inhumane treatment directed to family members by close relatives brings a lot of problems that affect them in adverse ways. Some of the issues include public health, socio-economic issues. Family violence results in a severe public health issue capable of causing both short-term and long-term health problems and even lead to deaths. Health issues can be physical, mental, or behavioral (Roberson & Wallace, 2016) . Children and adults experience different health problems. Adults may suffer from diseases or pain. As a result of physical and psychological abuse from her partner, Ms. Smith sustained body injuries in the face, legs and arms that were painful, had an elevated body temperature and had a sore spot around her stomach.
Family violence negatively affected Smith's family socially. The violence made the family unstable, and both Ms. And Mr. Smith found refuge in using the crystal (methamphetamine) to forget their problems. It is evident that the Smith family was living in deplorable conditions. They were living from hand to mouth and limited options for safe and affordable housing. They had financial difficulties in paying for the Inn they were staying in. Poor housing situations coupled with economic problems made Smith' family vulnerable to family violence. The education and schooling of Smith's children were also at stake. Ms. Smith says that her kids were already late for school, but Mr. Jones slapped her before she could get out of bed. It is evident that Mr. Jones had not placed his children's education as a priority. What he cared about was getting high on drugs. Furthermore, the family had difficulty in ensuring that their children are in a position to access meals whenever they were hungry. Their eldest daughter, Taylor, confined to Officer Jones that they had not eaten anything since the day before after school. It is not a secret that the continuous family violence in Smith's family had taken a toll on the children. The children, especially Taylor, sounded bitter by both her father and mother. She does not like it when her mother cries after being hit by her father. Mr. Jones and Ms. Smith smoke methamphetamine in front of their young children and usually fight after using the white pipe. Suchparental behaviors expose children to develop behavioral problems, fail at school, and have difficulty in building and maintaining friendships (Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 2017).
Plan for Human Service Worker to Work with the Family
As a human service worker, the plan is to engage with the Smith's family and link their experiences experience of the victim, the perpetrator, and the children. The overall strategy is to ensure that the involved parties in family violence are safe. The Smith's family is going through a traumatizing experience as a result of the family violence they have witnessed. According to World Health Organization (2013) , the primary role of a human service worker is to work with the parents, encourage them to see the world how their children do and motivate them to change the situation the family is in. It is evident that both Ms. Smith and Mr. Jones are drug addicts. They are addicted to using methamphetamine which has made them both to become irresponsible for their parenting. Possible clinical intervention is to liaise with a drug rehabilitation center where Ms. Smith and Mr. Jones will undergo treatment to help them recover from their drug addiction. It will also prove useful to place Mr. Jones into a therapeutic intervention program to enable him to self-reflect and change his behavior. Therapeutic behavior change programs are helpful as it allows people to be accountable and responsible to family members. Change in behavior in men will promote the safety of both Ms. Smith and her children.
Guidance and Counselling centers should be established schools to advise parents and their children whenever there are telltale signs of family violence. Teachers responsible for the guidance and counseling department will be in a position to work collaboratively with children and their parents solve family problems. According to Sylaska and Edwards (2014), early intervention strategies through guidance and counseling will offer post-crisis support to prevent occurrence, escalation or recurrence of family violence. Schools should develop a colocation model that ensure that domestic violence advocates are placed in their institutions. Domestic violence advocates provide training and case consultation on domestic violence to help families experiencing intimate partner violence. As a human service worker, there are ethical considerations that are worth noting while disclosing information about family violence to an agency or private setting.A human service worker has an ethical duty to protect the confidentiality of information divulged by a client. Human service workers are prohibiting from disclosing confidential information unless permitted by law (Sylaska& Edwards, 2014). In the case of Ms. Smith, a human Service worker is obligated to keep the information about Michelle Smith's pregnancy confidential and not share the information with Mr. Jones. However, a human service worker has a mandatory obligation to report when the secret information is a harm to the client and others. Confidential information can be shared with a third party as a duty to warn others of the potential dangers from the client.
Role of Human Service Worker
Human service workers play a vital role in preventing and ending family violence. One of the roles includes raising awareness of family violence and changing norms. Raising awareness of the problem ensures that people know the impact of domestic violence. Stanley and Humphreys (2014) assert that those affected will, therefore, know where to turn for help and communicate the unacceptability of family violence. Another vital role is to help victims by connecting them to services. Needed services like housing and counseling protect victims from more harm? Children can be taken into foster care when the parents have separated or are unable to look for them. Such services help victims to change the course of their lives. Human service workers promote social justice by making a significant difference in social policies. The workers can, therefore, get involved in organizations that lobby for victim's rights or become developers for innovative programs that help victims (Roberson, & Wallace, 2016).
References
Roberson, C., & Wallace, P. H. (2016). Family violence: Legal, medical, and social perspectives . Routledge.
Stanley, N., & Humphreys, C. (2014). Multi-agency risk assessment and management for children and families experiencing domestic violence. Children and youth services review , 47 , 78-85.
Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J., & Steinmetz, S. K. (2017). Behind closed doors: Violence in the American family . Routledge.
Sylaska, K. M., & Edwards, K. M. (2014). Disclosure of intimate partner violence to informal social support network members: A review of the literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse , 15 (1), 3-21.
World Health Organization. (2013). Responding to intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women: WHO clinical and policy guidelines . World Health Organization.
