Violence and Diversity Cultural Basics
The diversity of culture may bring confusion and conflicts in some situations. Also, some individuals may end up in wrong judgments and fail to help the victims of domestic violence due to cultural misunderstanding. According to Bettinger et al. (2011), the violence against some gender is a culture, particularly among the Muslims, who believes that men have a patriarchal power that places them above females. Therefore, to help a female Muslim in a case of domestic violence is a big challenge since she may be stuck too much to culture to the extent of not disclosing information that would facilitate reconciliation (Lewis & Gates, 2005). However, it cannot be concluded that the client should go home without the solution to her problem simply because her culture supports domestic violence.
The fact that the woman came to the room in the company of her husband provides an opportunity to assess the issue and offer the best solution. Addressing the issue from the woman’s side may not help. Therefore, the therapist needs to understand the case as emanating from both the culture and family and address the couple on how to accommodate each other and not to focus on helping the woman. It is true that Muslim immigrants face many domestic challenges. However, the solution to these challenges should not involve criminal investigations. An understanding of the cultural constructs is the best way to help individuals with abusive cultures (Bettinger et al., 2011). Therefore, the physician should not think of helping the woman by referring her to the security department or treating the woman from the perspective that she subjected to violence. He needs to understand that as much as the woman had been subjected to abuse, the violence is tied to cultural beliefs. Therefore, appropriate methods should be designed to deal with cultural issues, which should involve both spouses.
The role of forensic health professional in female genital cutting
FGM (female genital mutilation) is a culture practiced by some communities. This culture has been criticized as being outdated and exploitative. However, some communities still uphold it and view it as acceptable. A forensic professional like a nurse would be needed in a case of genital cutting in female if it was done against the law or in an abusive manner. The professional would collect the evidence and present it in a court if the practice was done contrary to the established laws (Kalmbach & Lyons, 2006). However, if the practice is accepted in the community, a forensic professional will not be required even if the cutting led to some injury since the community has its ways of treating such injuries.
References
Bettinger, C., Brandt-Young, C., Carlson, K., Davis, G., Drew, M., Landy, R., & Soohoo, C. (2011). Domestic violence in the United States.Violence against women in the United States and the state’s obligation to protect: Civil society briefing papers on community, military and custody, 37-94.
Kalmbach, K. C., & Lyons, P. M. (2006). Ethical issues in conducting forensic evaluations. Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, 2(3), 261-290.
Lewis, R. D., & Gates, M. (2005). When cultures Collide: Leading across cultures (3rd ed.). Boston: Nicholas Brealey International.
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