Introduction
Domestic violence has adverse impacts on the development of a child. In fact, the emotional turmoil created by growing up in such an environment heightens the chances of the infant engaging in rebellious activities such as drug abuse and other denial behaviors in their youth. With this in mind, it is worth appreciating the fact that Susie’s exposure to childhood molestation at an early age contributed to her drug problems and overall response to his abusive marriage. Since she witnessed her mother withstand the abuse she received from his father, she felt obliged to keep up with his spouse’s ill-treatment. She was equally exposed to sexual, emotional and physical violence but was unaware of what action to take due to the impact created by her violent childhood. Marriage partners expose women to multiple forms of abuse. It is imperative to take the most appropriate actions to get out of an abusive marriage by seeking legal help (Allagia, Gadalla, Shlonsky, Jenney & Dacciuk, 2015). This paper evaluates the kind of ill-treatment Susie experienced during her childhood and while in her marriage. It proposes proper intervention measures and provides a rationale for the nature of this violence. For a fact, domestic violence has adverse impacts on the stability of a family as it leads to emotional trauma, physical, spiritual and sexual abuse.
Question one
Susie’s exposure to violence is indeed extensive. She experienced sexual abuse at an early age when she went to live with her aunt. According to the Journal of interpersonal violence, sexual assault occurs when a young person is pressurized, coerced, tricked or forced into taking part in any form of sexual activities with another young person or an adult (Al-Modallal, 2015). Precisely, these actions include kissing, inappropriate touching of the victim’s breast or genitals and engaging in intercourse or oral sex. In this case, Susie’s uncle took advantage of her age and vulnerability to defile her in multiple occasions. Additionally, Susie’s mother experienced physical abuse in her marriage due to the actions of her husband. Because physical violence involves the intentional act of causing trauma or injury to a person through body contact, Susie’s father’s alcoholic problem made her mother and brothers vulnerable to physical abuse. Susie’s dad repeatedly hit her mother and occasionally his three elder brothers.
A large section of Susie’s life has been overwhelmed by emotional turmoil. In this case, she had been exposed to emotional violence since her childhood when she experienced his drunkard father physically abusing her mother. Additionally, Susie’s spouse threatens her on multiple occasions about killing her in case she decides to leave him. The Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology defines emotional abuse as the action of deliberately scaring, humiliating, ignoring and isolating an individual with the intention of inducing negative feelings (Jeffries & Bond, 2015). Additionally, his uncle’s action of sexually abusing her lead to the emotional turmoil that contributed to the development of her drug abuse. On the other hand, she experienced mental ill-treatment at the hands of her spouse. According to Kim (2013), psychological violence involves the action of an individual subjecting a person to actions that spark the development of chronic depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. When Susie’s husband threatens her of murder in case she leaves him; this action leads to the development of cognitive trauma.
Susie is equally exposed to cultural violence due to the nature of the environment she was raised in. Arguably, her countryside home had a lesser regard for the welfare of women since no appropriate action was taken to stop her father from physically abusing her mother. Additionally, the fact that the woman is compelled to endure the ill-treatment posed by his husband justifies how culture is used to justify the violence experienced by the community members. According to Lloyd (2014), cultural violence denotes the extent of the utilization of culture in explaining unethical practices conducted by the members of a particular community. In this case, Susie was compelled to endure the torture in her marriage due to the ideologies maintained by her society. Additionally, her small community does not seem to retaliate the unethical actions conducted by Susie’s husband. As such, it participates in the development of cultural violence due to its inadequacies in protecting the welfare of its community members. It's erroneous beliefs foster the development of domestic violence among the couples since it undermines equality between men and women.
Susie mainly experienced financial violence in her life. According to Salter (2013), financial abuse is a widespread tactic utilized by abusers to gain power and control over their relationship. Specifically, partners limit their spouses’ access to assets and conceal information that could lead to the accumulation of wealth. Susie’s husband prevented his wife’s accessibility to money as he regularly confiscated it. This action made her powerless and unable to dictate the outcome of her life due to the lack of resources and independence. Finally, Susie’s children experience neglect due to the lack of attention from their alcoholic father. According to the Journal of Rural Studies, physical and passive neglect occurs when an individual with custody responsibilities fails to provide or withholds the necessities of life to the people they are supposed to care for (Owen & Carrington, 2015). Instead of providing for the needs of his children, Susie’s husband spends a larger section of his resources for entertainment leaving the burden to his wife.
Question two
Considering Susie’s current conditions, I would offer the best services as a social worker if she were to approach me. According to Wendt, Chung and Elder (2015), social workers support families and protect vulnerable children to cope with disturbing relationships and life experiences. In this case, Susie finds it difficult dealing with her disturbing childhood due to the non-conducive living environment created by his alcoholic father and sexually abusive uncle. She finds it difficult dealing with the psychological trauma caused by these disturbing experiences and she resolves to engage in drug abuse to minimize her pains. As a social worker, I would engage her in cognitive therapy to help her accept the outcome of her childhood and move on with her life more efficiently. This would best be achieved through outlining the impact of her denial to the welfare of her children. Since she had resolved to be an alcoholic to escape the realities of her challenging life, I would explain how this behavior accepts her responsibilities as a mother and her relationship with her children.
I would help Susie to deal with her emotional trauma as a social worker by utilizing appropriate treatment methodologies. For a fact, she experiences emotional turmoil when she recalls how her mother was physically abused. Additionally, his husband’s adverse treatment makes it challenging for her to maintain a peaceful mind since she has to connect appropriately with her children and ensure they do not experience a similar infancy environment to hers. According to Maher and Askew (2014), the lack of acceptance leads to the development of emotional turmoil that affects the overall behaviors of an individual. Coming to terms with her maternal responsibilities resulted in the development of cognitive stress, as she felt overwhelmed by her responsibilities as a wife and a mother. As a social worker, I would give her the moral support she needs to neutralize her emotional turmoil. Dutton and Sonkin (2013) argue that ethical support augments the development of self-esteem and minimizes the chances of suffering from depression. I will explain the most appropriate actions she needs to engage in to eliminate her discomfort in associating with her children and quitting her drinking habits. I would help her deal with her alcoholism problem by utilizing the behavioral therapy to outline the constructive impacts of maintaining sobriety.
I would engage the most appropriate measures to help Susie deal with her financial problems. According to the British Journal of Social Work, many people suffer from economic violence because they lack the means of being economically independent (Kim, 2013). In this case, Susie’s reliance on his husband’s resources has led to her vulnerabilities to financial exploitation. I would make this situation lesser disheartening by utilizing counseling measures to encourage Susie into being independent. The lack of being engaged in productive activities has sparked the development of her alcoholism problems since her youth. If she were indulged in more productive initiatives, she would not be so consumed in intoxication. According to Jackson, Coleman and Sweet Grass (2015), boredom substantially exposes one to the threats of being alcoholic, developing eating disorders and anxiety problems. In this case, Susie’s drinking problem is heightened by her lack of productive activities and anxiety problems. As such, I would offer my advice as a social worker by telling her to engage in work activities to provide for the needs of her children and nurture her maternal responsibilities.
Since Susie is unaware of her parental responsibilities, I would utilize my social worker skills to enforce them to her. According to House and Lundy (2014), parents are responsible for disciplining their children, providing education and other essential needs to enhance their proper development. In this case, Susie feels she does not meet the expectations of an all round parent. For a fact, she does not since her alcoholism problem is affecting the way she connects with her children. Additionally, the constant quarrel she has with her husband enhances the possibilities of her children experiencing a similar infancy to hers. I would utilize my social worker skills to explain to Susie what she needs to do to meet the parental requirements. For instance, she needs to avert the development of a violent environment in the presence of her childhood. I would advise her to keep the children away from the quarrels with her husband. The International Journal of Men's Health argues that keeping children away from a violent environment heightens their chances of developing ethical characters and a positive perception towards the development of peace (Ellington, Brassard & Montminy, 2015). As such, I would use my social worker skills to enforce the importance of this action. Additionally, I would advise her to change her behaviors and shift her focus towards maintaining sobriety and creating a conducive environment for the ethical development of her children.
As a social worker, I would explain the need for seeking legal help in restoring stability to her marriage. According to Laing and Humphreys (2013), seeking legal help can restore balance to marriage by ensuring the children are exposed to a favorable environment for growth. In this case, Susie’s marriage does not harbor a promising growth environment. Instead, it enhances the exposure of the children to a violent infancy that could affect them negatively in their future. Advising her to seek medical intervention and override the conservative cultures upheld by her countryside community is an influential response I would offer as a social worker. Through the utilization of this provision, Susie, and her children would get the most out of the legal requirements that would be specified by the court. Additionally, she would avert the possibility of her children growing in a similar violent environment as she did. Consequently, my role as a social worker would lead to the betterment of her lifestyle and that of her children.
Question three
The Duluth Model of intervention would be resourceful in evaluating Susie’s marriage partner. This situation is largely attributed to the fact that the response method focuses on the male gender as the cause of domestic violence and women and children as the victims. In this case, Susie’s partner is the overall perpetrator to the rather extreme levels of domestic violence as he makes tremendous contributions in making the life of his wife and children difficult. The Duluth intervention model focuses on challenging the conservative perception of male dominance in a marriage and their entitlement as the leading partners. Utilizing this approach in creating a rationale for the behavior of Susie’s partner is bound to be influential. It can be used to understand his power of control, dominance, and abuse to his wife. The practice components provisioned by this assessment model can be used to define his nature and develop a rationale for the development of a solution.
Because the Duluth model makes use of the Power and Control Wheel, the behavioral patterns of Susie’s spouse can be best explained through these provisions. According to Felus, Morris and Sigley (2013), the Duluth wheel contains eight items that can be used to define the behaviors of an abusive partner. In this case, the victim’s spouse falls in all the categories specified in this approach. He uses intimidation and emotional abuse to gain control over his wife. This aspect can be best explained by the threats he issues to his partner in case she decides to live. He causes emotional trauma by intimidating his spouse about killing her. Additionally, he uses economic abuse and isolation to monitor his wife’s actions. For instance, he confiscates her money and punches holes in walls when she does not do as he asks. Coercion, threats, and utilization of the dominant male privileges can be used to define Susie’s partner. Finally, he uses his children as a means of retaining his wife and denies her the right to be happy. These qualities fit those of an abusive individual that can be helped through this approach. Consequently, Susie’s partner’s character t can be advised through the Duluth model.
In addition to defining the nature of the partner’s character, this approach can be used to propose the most appropriate solution for the betterment of the marriage relationship. According to Fawcett and Waugh (2013), the goal of utilizing the Duluth wheel is to convince men to embrace non-violent strategies that are speculated in the Equality Wheel to retain their marriages. For instance, the wheel gives a provision for fairness and negations in solving conflicts. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of economic partnerships in enhancing the stability of marriage. In this case, the partner will be informed of the importance of supporting her wife financially instead of confiscating her cash. Moreover, this model emphasizes the importance of shared responsibilities and responsible parenting. Instead of leaving all the duty to his wife, Susie’s partner will be encouraged to play a significant role in caring for the children. According to Bacon (2015), honesty, accountability, trust, and support are emphasized in the betterment of domestic violence. These provisions are also specified in the Duluth approach and would be resourceful in proposing a solution for Susie’s partner. As such, the utilization of this method would be resourceful in making the marriage more constructive.
With the rationale provided above, it is essential to note that the behavior of Susie’s partner can be defined through the utilization of this approach. Specifically, his actions reflect those of a dominant male who supervise the running of his marriage. As such, he uses this post to uphold his leadership position at the expense of his wife and children. All the characters specified in the power and control wheel make it fit the personality of Susie’s partner. The remedies proposed through this model can aid in the betterment of his character. Consequently, this treatment approach can be used in defining his spouse’s behavior and offering a rational solution to the improvement of the marriage.
Question four
In spite of the multiple intervention measures utilized in addressing domestic violence among Aboriginal families, some barriers reduce the efficiency of the measures taken to restore marriage stability. According to Bugeja et al. (2013), leaving an abusive relationship is not an easy task for the victims as one might anticipate as many considerations need to be made before departing from the abusive spouse. For instance, economic necessity is a barrier towards addressing domestic violence among Aboriginal families. The Journal of interpersonal violence argues that the abusive partners control the accessibility of finances thereby limiting their spouses from having financial freedom (Al-Modallal, 2015). Additionally, victims of domestic abuse in Aboriginal families experience the fear of retaliation from their husbands. According to Clark (2014), women in abusive marriages fear the abusers hurting their loved ones or killing them if they take any action against them. This fright makes them more susceptible to the dominance of the abusers thereby making it challenging to remedy an abusive relationship. Consequently, financial necessity and fear of retaliation are barriers to addressing domestic violence in Aboriginal families.
Many domestic violence victims in indigenous families are unaware of the legal system. Precisely, over-reliance on their conservative cultural beliefs overwhelms their perception of their fundamental human rights. For instance, appreciating the male dominance over their marriages leads them into ignoring their rights of fair treatment and freedom of physical, emotional and psychological molestation. As such, ignorance of the legal system and the fundamental human rights is a barrier to the neutralization of domestic violence among Aboriginal families. Additionally, the fear of children safety is a primary reason why the abused partners resolve to remain in their marriages. According to Andrea, Gill and McDonald (2014), most parents fear that the welfare of their children would be compromised if they left an abusive marriage. Moreover, being uncertain of the outcome of the legal system makes it challenging for the victims of domestic violence in Aboriginal families to seek help. Consequently, these shortcomings are barriers to the neutralization of domestic violence among indigenous families.
The hope of one’s spouse changing their character and becoming more accommodating leads to the development of domestic violence among indigenous families. According to Clark (2014), domestic violence victims often hope that their spouse would perceive them in a different way once they endure the challenges of the abusive marriage. In spite of the minimal possibilities of this assumption working, it is imperative to note that one’s endurance of their spouse’s abuse heightens the levels of domestic violence among Aboriginal families. Consequently, this is a barrier towards the neutralization of this problem. Isolation and lack of help from other family members equally lead to the development of domestic violence among Aboriginal families. According to Bacon (2015), domestic abusers tend to cut off communication of their spouses from their families. As a result, they become more vulnerable and susceptible to the rule of their husbands. This situation increases the number of domestic violence cases among Aboriginal communities. As such, this is a barrier towards the elimination of domestic violence in indigenous families.
Despite the challenges created by these barriers in addressing the domestic violence setback in indigenous communities, it is essential to note that there are some remedies aimed at minimizing the threats posed by these issues. For instance, educating aboriginal communities on the importance of taking legal actions against abusive partners can reduce the number of domestic violence cases among these families. According to Al-Modallal (2015), ignorance of the operations of the legal systems and personal rights attributes to a large section of the development of domestic violence. In this case, Aboriginal families are mostly isolated making it challenging for them to take legal measures against their abusive spouses. Additionally, the relevance of their conservative cultural beliefs makes it challenging for them to embrace the flexibilities of the modern legal systems. Consequently, creating enlightenment to the aboriginal communities about the relevance of the legal system can counter the barriers of addressing this issue.
The criminal justice system needs to enforce severe punishments on abusive spouses to minimize the development of domestic violence among aboriginal communities. Since most abusers issue threats to their wives about inflicting physical harms to their loved ones or killing them if they take the necessary legal measures, the criminal justice system should counter the development of these threats by enforcing appropriate punishments. Through this approach, the number of domestic violence cases among Aboriginal families will reduce significantly. Additionally, the law should offer enough protection for the victims and children in an abusive marriage to enhance their willingness to seek legal help. According to Kim (2013), most people fear to go to the authorities once they are physically abused because they are afraid of what their spouses might do to them once they find out. Additionally, the fear of children’s welfare makes it challenging for the victims to retaliate from their abusive marriages. Consequently, the legal system needs to be flexible in protecting the victims of abusive marriages to foster the development of peaceful communities free of domestic violence.
The reduction of the domestic violence barriers can best be achieved through knowledge empowerment. If the aboriginal communities are informed of their rights and the power of the legal system, the society will experience a great decline in the number of domestic violence cases. These initiatives would lead to the betterment of the globe through the creation of conducive developmental environments for infants and peaceful atmospheres for the married couples.
Conclusion
In conclusion, domestic violence is pervasive among aboriginal communities. As such, there is a need to develop appropriate measures to deal with this issue as it has adverse impacts on the development of a child. It leads to emotional and psychological trauma if an infant is exposed to a violent environment through the quarrels of the parents. Experiencing such events augments the chances of the child to engage in drug abuse and other denial activities during their youth. This situation has a domino effect on the overall lifestyle likely to be embraced by the victim. However, if appropriate measures are taken towards the seizure of such activities, the globe would embrace a better living environment free of discrimination and domestic violence. Without a doubt, domestic violence has adverse impacts on the stability of a family as it leads to emotional trauma, physical, spiritual and sexual abuse.
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