A REPORT ON THE RESOURCES IN MY COMMUNITY THAT ASSIST THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING VIOLENCE OF ANY KIND.
In most of the societies, violence is used as a strategy to solve a conflict in different kind of relationships. There are different types of violence, for example, intimate partner violence, domestic violence and work-related violence. Violence is mostly caused by disagreements due to finances, power and sexual identity. In our community, we have different resources to assist those who are experiencing any kind of violence to avoid such kind of violence in future. These resources are:
- Health sectors have intervened to help in the prevention of any kind of violence. They have come up with health information campaigns to educate women and men on their rights and still inform them how the law handles cases associated with violence. Health sectors have offered training on health staffs on how to handle people who have suffered any kind of violence. On how they will be able to offer guidance on people who have suffered any abuse like domestic violence. They have still assisted in offering women with contraceptives to assist in their fertility so that they can prevent domestic violence due to unplanned pregnancies. Campaigns have been held by health sectors to promote sexual equality in terms of employment within the health industry to ensure that still women are been considered in the job market.
- In our community, there are certain violence programs like “Battered Women’s’ Movement”, which is the foundation for community-based programs in our country. This programs help in fighting violence by creating public awareness campaigns, still create collaborations with service providers in the community and they ensure that they are active in all political efforts aimed at improving victims and their children safety. These programs advocate the creation of certain sectors like child warfare, mental health, health care facilities, treatment areas for substance abuse victims, business and faith communities.
- Our neighbouring communities health sectors have advocated other sectors to intervene to assist in solving violence in the communities. This sectors train police and the criminal justice system and monitor them on how they will handle victims of violence. They come up with ways to raise awareness in the media like using educational dramas. For example, South Africa have Soul City and the United States have the Archers that help in supporting non-governmental organisations in assisting women who have been abused. These sectors still pass information to people by crating basic messages like “No woman deserves to be abused physically.”
- Lastly, most of the societies have encouraged improvement in the level of education within their different communities. They have encouraged equality in gender in terms of obtaining an education. They have tried to avoid some cultures which are causes of violence in some communities.
In conclusion, violence has a lot of negative effects on victims like death, divorces, street children, rape and jail for life or a certain number of years. Therefore people should have all forms of conflicts that will bring violence between them. People are encouraged to live in peace to avoid the creation of violence. In my view, the best way to avoid conflict is to ensure that people in our community are educated since with knowledge and wisdom you will be able to avoid some unnecessary conflicts which will result to violence.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Question one: Effective preventive measures on domestic violence.
Education of women can help in the prevention of domestic violence. Education has empowered women via social networks, has improved their self-confidence and have been able to use the information and resources in their communities to create wealth. Creation of wealth reduces poverty which is one cause of domestic violence.
The government should enforce legislative and fiscal policy measures which will help to reduce consumption of alcohol. Alcohol is the main cause of domestic violence therefore tough actions should be undertaken on reducing its consumption.
Men’s groups addressing issues to deal with men violence towards women should be promoted. Those sectors still dealing with domestic violence should be supported with funds to help them in their research and development on measures to deal with domestic violence.
Communities should change their norms on how they address issues to deal with domestic violence. Like most of the norms don’t empower women’s education. Some norms encourage women’s to be beaten in case of disagreement between a man and a woman. This norms should be changed.
Question two; a: Root causes of domestic violence
Abuse of power and control whereby perpetrator’s goal is achieving power and control on their partner, therefore, will use all tactics to achieve his or her goal. Therefore because of this the other partner may suffer from violence.
Childhood histories can still cause domestic violence. If someone suffered from abuse like being sexually abused or neglected will take abuse on some else as something which is allowed.
Another cause of domestic violence is substance abuse and mental disorders. Substance abuse may influence a perpetrator to act in an abusive manner.
Question two; b: Is the victim ever responsible for domestic violence?
The victim is not always responsible for domestic violence because some abusers are violent because of substance abuse, want to gain power and control and others have childhood abuse. Therefore, abusers are not always triggered by violent behavior by their victims.