Domestic violence prevalence and prevention in California communities

Domestic Violence is considered nowadays to be one of the most important issues affecting societies, whether we are talking about evolved societies or poor ones. It is not necessarily only a matter of economic distress, but also an issue of education and perception of the persons involved.

Need / Problem statement

Domestic violence, according to the Californian legal framework is defined as being "abuse committed against an adult or fully emancipated minor who is a spouse, former spouse, cohabitant, or person with whom the suspect has had a child or is having or has had a dating or engagement relationship" (California Penal Code, Section 13700). Although the definition given by the legal code is rather comprehensive, it has not discouraged the abuse, as figures have shown. Statistics from the State of California point out the fact that 5.8% of women are victims of domestic abuse each year (Weinbaum, 2006). The ethnic groups that suffer the most in terms of domestic abuses are the African-Americans and the Hispanics, which have an almost 8% rate of domestic abuse among women (Weinbaum, 2006). In this sense, it can be said that the most preoccupied communities with this issues are also the ones facing the most discriminatory behavior from the part of the majority of the society.

From the perspective given by the data gathered throughout extensive research programs, there are a certain number of elements which make clear the identification of the main areas in which action needs to be undertaken.

The targeted population is without a doubt the female population. Although there are statistics on domestic violence against men, these are considered to be less dramatic that the situation involving battered and assaulted female partners (Corry, 2002).

There are no official statistics of the actual number of victims of domestic violence and abuse due to the fact that most of the victims are too afraid to report the abuses and such cases go unnoticed by the official investigations. Nonetheless, according to data from the Justice Department, the law enforcement patrols responded in 2006 to 176,299 calls reporting domestic abuses (California Dept. Of Justice, 2006). Therefore, in the first instance, a figure of almost two hundred thousand victims should be taken into account for any program destined to reducing the rate of domestic abuses in California in general, and in the Orange County, in particular. In terms of local data, there is no particular number available yet; however, taking into account the wide spread of the phenomenon throughout the state, it does represent an issue for the Orange County as well.

Factors contributing to the problem

There are different elements which contribute to the rise in domestic violence. However, these must be taken into account by addressing the particular communities in which domestic abuses manifest.

Especially in the African-American communities, the issue of domestic violence is indeed a problem because of the high rate of homelessness and poor living standards.

They are still widely considered to be a discriminate social group and from this point-of-view, the opportunities are limited. Similar to the Hispanic community, everyday financial issues represent an increasing worrisome affair, which in turn triggers a hostile attitude towards the spouse or children.

However, there are also underlying factors that determine domestic abuse. In this sense, education is an important factor in the equation. Thus, more than half of the ones accused of domestic abuse have college studies or above, while 47% have lower studies (Weinbaum, 2002). Furthermore, a key factor which can determine domestic violence in the future is the degree to which children become subject to such a treatment; thus "children who are subjected to domestic violence too often grow up and inflict violence on others, creating a cycle of violence that must be stopped" (Safe State, 2007). Therefore, action must be taken both in order to stop the abuses, as well as to prevent future ones.

Promising Approaches for Improved Results

In the Orange County there are various programs which try to deal with the issue of domestic violence. The Home of Green Pastures shelter house provides shelters for victims of abuse of Korean origins, taking into account the difficult condition the minority group is facing in this sense. Also, there are additional means though which the state can intervene in support of domestically abused spouses or children. These include programs supporting help lines and counseling.

Still, these actions must be set to follow similar objectives. Thus, the program proposed should envisage the coordinated action of a center with trained personnel in order to offer assistance in terms of philological support for victims of abuse. At the same time, the particular shelter should also include the financial capabilities to support a larger number of victims asking for help. Finally, the program should take into account a preemptive action as well, in order to limit the implications of current domestic abuses taking place. In this sense, children who have been subject to such treatments should receive proper care, physical and psychological one in order to help them reintegrate in the society and in a sound family environment.

In addition to obvious measures that would have a practical effect, there is also the issue of education in the identification of signs of domestic violence and means to fight this phenomenon. In this sense, a coordinated activity between the centers involved in domestic violence prevention should have in mind an education program for women that would enable them to react and prevent future domestic abuses.

Reference

California Department of Justice. Criminal Justice Statistics Center. Accessed 21 December 2007, at http://caag.state.ca.us/cjsc/index.htm.

California Penal Code. Penal Code Section 13700-13702. Accessed 21 December 2007, at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=13001-14000&file=13700-13702

Corry, Charles E. "How Common Is Domestic Violence?" Equal Justice Foundation. 2002. Accessed 21 December 2007, at http://www.dvmen.org/dv-31.htm#pgfId-1000404

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. 2003. Accessed 21 December 2007, at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/ipv_cost/IPVBook-Final-Feb18.pdf

Orange County Sheriff. "Orange County Domestic Violence Assistance Programs." Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department website. 2000. Accessed 21 December 2007, at http://www.ocsd.org/VictimRefSrv/DomesticViolence.asp

Safe State. Key Message and Talking Points. Domestic Violence. 2007. Accessed 21 December 2007, at http://safestate.org/documents/DV_Tookit_2007_Key_Messages_and_Talking_ADA_dh.pdf

Weinbaum, Zipora. Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence, California, 1998-2002. 2006. Accessed 21 December 2007, at http://www.ucsf.edu/fhop/_docs/pdf/ph_data/whs_violence.pdf