Family Violence: What You Can Do To Help

Family violence, including sexual, physical, and financial abuse, maltreatment and neglect of children, and abuse of elders is prevalent in many countries and happen every day. Unlike other crimes, family violence is not isolated, sudden, or unexpected (Smith, 2013). Individuals may endure many years of emotional and psychological may involve many years of psychological and emotional distress and physical injuries, which often become severe over time. Exposure to family violence has devastating effects on everyone involved, including children that live with and experience it as witnesses and not direct victims. Research has shown that family violence is common and usually involves interpersonal violence, and it is common for family members to be violent to each other than strangers or acquaintances to one another (Smith, 2013). Although it is not widely agreed what exactly makes up family violence, family violence means any coercive, abusive, threatening, or violent words or acts that a family member may inflict on another family member. Specifically, family violence encompasses acts of commission or omission by family members resulting in sexual assault, physical assault, neglect, or emotional abuse, or other maltreatment forms that hinders an individual’s healthy development. Knowing how prevalent domestic violence is, its types and definitions is difficult because it is viewed from different perspectives in social and historical contexts. The extent to which family violence is allowed and condoned in different cultures also varies. Yet, the harmful effects of family violence on individuals, especially their emotional, physical, psychological, and mental well-being are acknowledged by many researchers. Research on family violence has demonstrated that family violence is more prevalent and serious than it was previously believed and it occurs in all classes in society. Furthermore, research on domestic violence indicates that, since most family violence takes place in private, it normally stays hidden, ignored, and unnoticed. Thus, it is logical to assume that statistics on family violence is not entirely accurate and should be cautiously interpreted. Because of reasons that range from inability or unwillingness of the victims to divulge the abuse to taken-for-granted violence among members of the family, the majority of family violence remains unreported to law enforcement agencies. Since it is considered a global phenomenon that affects many lives, family violence, is included in international conventions and treaties that explicitly demand protection from family violence and take it as a human rights issue. That said, it is important to discuss family violence and the current laws in place which address it. Family violence was chosen because when a child is exposed to family violence, most of them become domestic abusers as an adult. Growing up in a violent family has adverse effects for child development and subsequent behavior when a child becomes an adult. Particularly, children who experience maltreatment and witness family violence in the home are predisposed to becoming victims and perpetrators of family violence as adults (Mercy & Hillis, 2019). Therefore, it is important to discuss family violence because of the devastating effects it has on children. For this reason, prevention of family violence is relevant to the overall health of a family. It is crucial to prevent family violence because it has severe health issues for the victim. It can result in adverse health outcomes such as the increased stroke risk, chronic pain, heart diseases, and diabetes. There are also behavioral health problems associated with family violence, such as alcohol and substance abuse, depression, and sexual behavior that is considered high-risk. Besides, family violence is linked to poor academic performance, poor performance at work, and absenteeism, which usually results in victims being socially isolated, financial and housing concerns, and more health risks for victims and their families. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 25 percent of women and one in nine men experience a form of family violence. Children witness more than 50 percent of family assaults and a 45 to 60 percent chance of experiencing child abuse if their parents are experiencing family violence. Given the above adverse effects of family violence on families, prevention will ensure the overall well-being of the family by preventing the harmful effects of this form of violence. Laws can have a significant effect on preventing family violence and creating relationships that are safer. Laws also ensure that family violence victims and their families are safe. Below are some of the laws that are currently in place to address family violence (Ellialti, 2016). Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. This law offers protection to victims of family or domestic violence, date violence, sexual assault crimes, and stalking. This law provides free rape examinations, housing protection, and programs that are specifically aimed at protecting immigrant women, women with disabilities, and teenagers or children. Family Violence Prevention and Service Act (FVPSA). This law provides shelter and resources to families that experience domestic violence. Although the act expired in 2015, it was reintroduced and extends to 2023. As of April 2019, the FVPSA had been approved but was still waiting for action from the senate. The Violence Against Women Health Act of 2019 (H.R. 973). This is a federal bill that was introduced to the House of Representatives to offer additional programs for domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assaults that are funded by grants. The bill develops from the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) strategy to deal with intimate partner violence. The key priorities of this bill include training the workforce in public health, forging partnerships for romantic partner violence awareness, increased access to healthcare for family violence services, and increased knowledge for impacts of abuse, risks of abuse, and abuse interventions. Family violence or domestic violence was not considered a violation of the law in the past. Although family violence has been historically prevalent, mistreated and abusing women and mistreating intimate partners has been viewed as a normal part of intimate relationships or marriages. Family or domestic violence was only defined as a crime in the 1970s, justifying interventions by the criminal justice system (Mercy & Hillis, 2019). However, over the last few decades, innovative laws have been enacted, and the judiciary has helped to expand the responsibilities and scope of criminal justice agencies in family and domestic violence. Recent legal innovations that have dealt with reforms within the adjudication and prosecution processes. They include conditions under which protection orders are given and recognition of special legal defense for victims of family violence, especially women who have killed their partners. Further, civil protection orders, which were once only available pending a divorce, were extended through legislation to battered women who were not in proceedings of divorce. Also, through various legislation pieces, attempts have been made to enhance prosecution strategies and services, victims, encouraging collaboration between the criminal justice system and victims, and evaluative help from researchers. The prosecution of family violence cases continues to be the target of reforms, which are aimed at producing more charging decisions, courts delivering more protection orders. One of the resources that are available for victims of family violence includes National Domestic Hotline, which listens to victims and empowers them with information. State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions is also a resource that includes coalitions that represent sexual violence and domestic violence service providers in their territory or state. These coalitions are connected to over 2,000 local family violence shelters and programs. Lastly, Local/Community-based Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Programs, in addition to providing safe emergency shelters, there are many ways in which they partner with people to live violence and abuse-free lives. Although services vary, most services include safety planning assistance, support groups and counseling for survivors and their children, and safety planning assistance, among others (Hines, Malley-Morrison, & Dutton, 2013). From failure to take family violence seriously to arresting victims who seek help, the response from law enforcement is discriminatory and inadequate. Therefore, resources should be available that ensure that family violence is adequately dealt with. Also, formal information systems that recognize the horrific effect of family violence on vulnerable individuals are needed. Social services, law enforcement, and government agencies should offer a network of resources and services to help victims in coping with and escaping from family violence. Further, there should be social-emotional learning programs for young people and healthy relationship programs for people who are in romantic relationships. This would help in disrupting the pathways towards partner violence. More early home childhood visitation, preschool enrichment with family engagement, and family relationships and parenting skill programs are also needed. Further, resources for treating children who are at risk, families, and youth are also necessary for preventing and fighting family violence. Lastly, resources that help in creating protective environments strengthen financial support for families, strengthen households economically, improve safety and environment at school, and modify social and physical environments of neighborhoods are needed. Family violence is prevalent in society. In the United, it is approximated that between two to four million women become victims of family violence every year. This implies that there is a victim of family violence in every 18 seconds (Huecker & Smock, 2019). That said, family violence is never an isolated problem that only affects families. Children who witness family violence against one of their parents are highly likely to develop behavioral problems as adults. There are over 3 million children in the United States alone who are exposed to family violence. These children are likely to have high levels of anger, hostility, mental health instability, and anxiety. Thus, one can imagine this high number of children becoming adults and starting their own families. Since family violence is a learned behavior, male children who have witnessed their fathers abusing their mothers are at a higher risk of growing up and do the same thing to their partners. Although some recover from witnessing family violence, others are certain to continue the cycle of family violence within their own families (Huecker & Smock, 2019). Generation upon generation, family violence dismantles family unit over time. More than crumbling the family unit of society, family violence causes chaos in communities and entire societies. 

Conclusion 

From the above discussion, it is evident that family violence is prevalent and is a global problem. Family violence has devastating effects on individuals and society. It has been shown that victims of family violence often turn to alcohol and substance abuse as a coping mechanism. The situation worsens until they eventually continue the cycle of family violence and harm someone they probably profoundly care about. While family violence is prevalent, there are means of preventing this form of violence. 

References 

Ellialti, T. (2016). Family Violence. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 

Hines, D. A., Malley-Morrison, K., & Dutton, L. B. (2013). Family Violence in the United States: Defining, Understanding, and Combating Abuse. New York: SAGE Publishing. 

Huecker, M. R., & Smock, W. (2019). Domestic Violence. International Journal of Gender Studies , 124-138. 

Mercy, J. A., & Hillis, S. (2019, December 2019). The Importance of Integrating Efforts to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children . Retrieved from Unicef Web site: https://www.unicef-irc.org/article/983-the-importance-of-integrating-efforts-to-prevent-violence-against-women-and-children.html 

Smith, C. (2013). Family patterns and primary prevention of family violence. Trends in Healthcare Law , 17-25.