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Mojoyinola 2006
Mojoyinola 2006
J. K. Mojoyinola
To cite this article: J. K. Mojoyinola (2006) Social Work Interventions in the Prevention
and Management of Domestic Violence, Journal of Social Sciences, 13:2, 97-99, DOI:
10.1080/09718923.2006.11892537
ABSTRACT The paper examined the nature and causes of violence within the family. It also highlighted some of its
effects on the individual victim, the family, the society and the nation. Among such consequences are physical
injuries, poor health, general emotional distress, nightmares, phobia, low self esteem, poor marital relationships,
broken homes and so on. The paper also discussed some social work interventions that can help in managing or
preventing domestic violence or reducing its scourge in our societies. Such useful interventions include, crisis intervention,
counselling. Psychotherapy, psycho-education and provision of adequate security for the victims. It is highly advocated
in this paper that social workers and other care-givers should be more committed to solving the problems of victims
of family violence. It is also suggested that the government and non-governmental organization should help in
preventing or reducing the occurrence of domestic violence.
stance abuse, physical injuries or trauma, where they will experience less tensions.
death, low self-esteem, violent practices in 4. Psychotherapy: This is a form of
the home, sexual problems and so on. psychological means for treating emotional
iii. Effects on the Family, Society and the Nation: problems associated with domestic violence.
Poor marital relationship, broken homes, anti- As victims of domestic violence (e.g. sexually
social behaviours (prostitutions, drug abused or raped women/girl) may be
addiction), criminal behaviours, economic stigmatized or feel ashamed, their wounded
burdens and so on. ego needs to be boosted. To this end, the
social workers have the responsibilities of
SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION FOR reducing their emotional problems (e.g.
THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT anxiety, fear, worry, depression, guilt, shame
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE etc) through psychological means such as
reassurance, words of encouragement,
The injuries, trauma, stigma, and psycho- advice and emotional support.
logical frustration associated with domestic 5. Psycho-education: Women need to
violence (e.g. spousal sexual abuse, child sexual understand the severity of domestic violence.
abuse, wife battering, rape, etc.) call for social Hence, social work programmes need to be
work interventions. These interventions also help responsive to the abused women’s emotional
in reducing the incidence or future occurrence of state. Women need to be taught to re-evaluate
domestic violence. They include: their situations, to develops self-esteem and
1. Crisis Intervention: Battered, raped, or decide a resolution for their problems. The
sexually abused women or girls need urgent social workers have to educate the victims
attention or immediate care. Therefore, the to understand that though, they were
social workers have the responsibility of abused, they still need to relate with their
assisting such women get over their shock spouse. They should be properly educated
as quickly as possible. They should assist on legal interventions. While doing this, the
such victims to get prompt medical treatments social workers should be less judgmental. In
in the hospitals for their trauma or injuries other words, they should allow the victims
sustained during the violence. to take their own course of actions.
2. Counselling: The social workers have the 6. Advocacy/Linkage with the Community
responsibility of working with both the abuser Resources: A comprehensive treatment
and the victim (spouse or child). Through includes collateral contacts which serve to
counseling, the social worker could protect potential victims, such as shelters,
determine the cause of the abuse. They appropriate supporting resources, victims
should help in counseling the victim and the advocates; and so on. The social workers
abuser and try to work through their should therefore link the victims of domestic
problems. They should assist in building up violence with resources in their localities,
the victims’ self-esteem and allow them to which can help in ameliorating their burdens
decide what measures they want to take. or sufferings.
Legal redress should be the last option. 7. Community Education: The social workers
3. Safety and Protection of the Victims: Victims have the responsibilities of organizing a
of domestic violence undergo emotional community wide education campaign that will
turmoil and fear as a result of violence challenge the believe that family or domestic
inflicted upon them. Hence, their feelings and violence is a private and not a public concern.
potential for further harm should always be The campaign will also help the community
of utmost consideration. Since they may not to become aware of the dangers of domestic
be able to protect themselves, the social violence and report cases of such (wife
workers must give extra attention to their battering, rape, etc) to the law enforcement
safety and protection. agents as quickly as possible in order to bring
To this end, they should help in making the perpetrators to book.
alternative arrangement for their living. As
the victims may be constantly afraid of where CONCLUSION
the violence takes place, such individuals
may be helped to get a new house or location It is not a gain-saying the fact that social
SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTIONS IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT 99