Domestic Violence: Assessment and Treatment

Domestic Violence: Assessment and Treatment

Abstract

Domestic violence (DV), or intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States is a major trauma and crisis that many women face every single day. Many women are being emotionally, physically, and sexually abused by their husbands or intimate partner, and many are caught off guard with barely enough time to respond. Many women will develop posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and substance abuse as a means of coping with their abuse. How the crisis intervention counselor responds on the initial contact will determine the effectiveness and level of trust the victim can lean on for support and compassion. It is vital for the crisis counselor to have a thorough knowledge resources available for the victim so that she has the support need to heal. This paper will address what domestic violence is, the different types of violence, consequences of domestic violence, proper assessment tools for the crisis intervention counselor to use to develop an individual treatment plan, and finally a Christian perspective and spiritual intervention for victims of domestic violence. With proper intervention many women can become survivors and live a fulfill life.

Domestic Violence: Assessment and Treatment

Introduction

Domestic violence (DV) or intimate partner violence (IPV) is a traumatic event many women are facing in the United States every day. Every nine seconds in the United States a women is beaten, and on average 20 individuals are being beaten by their husband or intimate partner (National coalition against domestic violence, 2015). Sadly women are being physically, sexually abused, and psychological abused by either their husbands or partner who they are supposed to trust and receive love. In this paper this author will use domestic violence interchangeably for intimate partner violence. The author of this paper will be addressing the following: the definition of domestic violence, current statistics in the United States, the different types of DV, consequences of DV, proper assessment of the victim, crisis intervention techniques, and a Christian worldview and spiritual interventions that can help the victim become a survivor and live a fulfilled life.

Definition and types of domestic violence

Domestic violence can be defined as: “an abusive pattern of physical, sexual, or psychological abuse” (Reyes, Elhai, & Ford, 2008).  The U.S. Office on Violence against Women (2015) further defines DV as a “pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.” It can affect any women regardless of their age, race, socio-economic status, or educational back ground. When DV occurs it usually follows a circular pattern that involves the following steps: 1) Buildup of tension of the abuser until he will lose control 2) DV occurs and the abuser believes that the victim deserves to be beaten or abused and 3) Abuser has remorse and will ask the victim for forgiveness and this cycle keeps on going until either the women leaves or ends of being killed (Clinton & Hawkins, 2009). When working with women that are being abused it is important for the crisis counselor to educate the victim on this cycle and also that they are not the cause of the abuse and it is all about the abuser’s need to control.

Types of Domestic Violence

        Physical violence occurs when the abuser uses force to either cause injury, harm, some form of disability, or even death. This can include beating, shoving, slapping, pushing, pulling hair, biting, hitting with their fist or using an object, kicking, strangling, or the use of a weapon (Reyes, Elhai, & Ford, 2008). According to the Women’s Justice Center (2010) there are five risk factors to determine the risk of the victim being killed by her abuser: 1) has the abuser ever used or has threatened to use a weapon against the victim 2) has the abuser ever threatened to injure or kill the victim 3) has the abuser ever attempted to strangle the victim 4) is the abuser constantly jealous and violent and 5) has the abuser ever raped the victim.

        Sexual violence occurs when the abuser touches the victim’s genitalia, breast, anus, buttocks, or thigh of the victim without consent. This usually involves the use of physical force which ends up in a forcible rape (Reyes, Elhai, & Ford, 2008). Sexual violence is usually the hardest form of abuse for the victim to discuss so the crisis counselor needs to be sensitive and assist the victim to discuss the abuse and help her to understand that it was not her fault.

        Psychological abuse usually includes isolation from others, blaming the victim, verbal threats, the use of intimidation, attempting to control the victim’s daily activities and money, using their children to manipulate the victim, and the use of humiliation (Reyes, Elhai, & Ford, 2008). This form of abuse could accompany physical violence to produce fear or degradation of the victim (Everstine & Everstine, 2006).

Consequences of Domestic Violence

        With DV a victim is usually abused multiple times and can often persists for years until the victim leaves or is killed. The consequences that can occur can be devastating and exist for a long time so the victim feels that they will never regain their happiness and sanity for the rest of their life. The following are consequences that a victim could develop.

        Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur and it usually happens when there is more severity and frequency of physical violence, sexual abuse or psychological abuse.  It has also been seen in women who have a past history some form of victimization in either their childhood or adult life (Khadra,Wehbe, et al 2015).  Other factors that can determine the intensity of PTSD in a victim are their age at the onset of the abuse and the severity and type the abuse (Dutton, 2009).

        Women who tend to develop PTSD may also have developed major depressive disorder and it can occur in more than 50% of DV victims (Reyes, Elhai, Ford, 2008). Due to the chance of depression crisis counselors need to assess for any thoughts of suicide, or possible revenge against their abuser (Floyd, 2008). Since many abused women have conflicting emotions such as anger, feeling powerless, shame, and resentment; these can lead to other psychological and physical problems (Alizadeh, M., et al, 2015).

        The cost of medical care for DV victims is high. Many women will experience poor health which carry through their entire life. In a study done by Hassan (2014) he found that women who were pregnant had a high chance for having preterm labor, vaginal bleeding and caesarean sections. Victims of DV can experience other physical problems such as difficulty sleeping, headaches, numbness or tingling, gastrointestinal problems, and periods of fatigue (Kenney, 2006). According to Robert and Kin (2005) women who have been abused will suffer from substance abuse, higher chance of being victimized by rape, higher incidence of suicide ideation and attempts, higher possibilities of having a miscarriage, and other medical problems.

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