Shelter Service Utilization of Domestic Violence Victims.

¶ … Shelter Service Utilization of Domestic Violence Victims.

Shelters have proven to be useful for women who have been domestically abused and for their children in numerous capacities. Yet it has been found that only approximately one out of four women use them. The question then is why some women choose to use them and others not even though, by not using them, they will be harmed further. The ecological model (or systems theory) is used for understanding this conundrum.

Systems theory posits that people operate within a system of interacting spheres that affect one another. These spheres operate on the individual, family, and societal level. These spheres also have their boundaries which impact how open or closed they are as well as influencing the mode of the individual's behavior.

An open system means that individuals have extended contact to people (and organizations) in the outside world through the resources within their own system. A closed system, however, represents the reverse. When the system -- whether open or closed -- has adequate resources and there is open flow of communication between individual and system, the individual's needs are met.

However, sometimes the individual's behavior deviates from that of the system or there are inadequate resources in the system. This provides challenges to the individual.

Explain how this concept, theory, or model is related to the assigned readings (200 words)

System theory was discussed by Clevenger and Roe-Sepowitz (2009) in their exploration as to why some women evaded using domestic violence shelters despite the clear support and other resources that the shelters could have given them.

The results of the study (directed by systems theory) were that the decision to use the shelter reflected the specific characteristics of the victims and that of their families.

Researchers found that women who had children at home were more likely to use the shelter than those who did not, whilst having a support system did not influence women to use the shelter.

The location of the crisis call was another factor. When it happened away from their home, victims were more likely to use the shelter. Finally, physical abuse where victim was injured also was a more crucial factor in impelling victim to seek shelter.

The bottom line of all of this -- as related to the theory -- was that when the victim's own circle / system failed in providing the sufficient resources, the victim was compelled to seek one outside his system. Because this would instantiate deviant behavior on her part and may seem threatening to individual (as well as to system), the victim preferred a shelter that provided a system of its own and was as much removed from her system as possible. The shelter had to be viewed as a safe social system in which victims could learn to build or re-establish boundaries.

Citation for the newly identified article (APA style)

Clevenger, BJM & Roe-Sepowitz, D (2009) Shelter Service Utilization of Domestic Violence Victims, Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 19:359 -- 374

Explain what you learned from the new article and how it is related to the assigned readings (300 words)

This article wondered why only one out of four victims of domestic abuse uses shelters despite their evident benefits.

The researchers used system theory as their exploratory perspective. They used Client Encounter Forms from police case files of 265 females (93.6%) and 18 male (6.4%) victims of domestic violence who were living in Tempe, AZ or surrounding areas and were between the ages of 11 and 76. 45% of the sample were Caucasian. Domestic violence had to be ranked as the number 1 presenting problem on the case file for the case file to be considered in this study. The case files also had details of the problem and the researchers could therefore see whether the victim was injured, whether she had a support system and whether she had children.

Researchers found that women who had children at home were more likely to use the shelter than those who did not, whilst having a support system did not influence women to use the shelter. The location of the crisis call was another factor. When it happened away from their home, victims were more likely to use the shelter. Finally, physical abuse where victim was injured also was a more crucial factor in impelling victim to seek shelter.