Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Domestic Violence Practice 2 PT 1
Domestic Violence Practice 2 PT 1
Domestic violence is considered the verbal, physical or emotional abuse that is used
towards one’s partener. Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), has
been shaped around stigmas based off an individual's gender and role in society. The
understanding of what counts as domestic violence has been called into question according to the
community environment in urban, suburban and rural areas. Violence towards women has been a
prevalent epidemic in society for many decades. Some women have been suffering abuse from
their partners with the lack of support. Although there are many interventions and legal reforms
to help women, only some are able to make it far enough to take these actions. According to,
author, Deborah Weissman, Domestic/IPV has fallen to a lower rate than other crimes (2017).
Dating violence in early adulthood has been a leading step in identifying the start of domestic
Population
Frequently, women in adulthood face the wrong hand of their partner’s violence. The
population of focus will be women in adulthood who have experienced the beginning, middle
and some, the end of IPV. Women between 25-35 years of age are more willing to open up than
younger adults about the beginning signs when they experienced dating violence and what led up
to them to become more intimate despite those early signs. Younger adults tend to be more
embarrassed about the abuse than older adults making it less likely for them to open up to
anyone, including those they trust. According to the results of recent stud by Greeman and
Matsuda, dating violence was statistically related to the increase risk of adulthood IPV ( 2016).
Women within this age bracket find it much harder to escape from such abuse due to many
factors that could hinder their process to move forward from IPV.
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Women under the age of 25 are less likely to go to community help centers such as
Domestic Violence Shelters, reach out to the Domestic Violence Hotline, hospitals, the judicial
system, and Department of Social Services because of the shame and stigma associated with
domestic violence. The stigma that is associated with domestic violence stems from early
society when women were looked at as being the glue that holds the household together, and are
responsible for making sure everything ran smoothly. By coming out and expressing the
uncomfortable truth of an individual’s family life, it may cause women to shut down or decide to
keep domestic violence private. Domestic Violence Shelters are in place for women for who
need a safe environment when conditions at home become unstable. The Domestic Violence
Hotline is for individuals to report Domestic Violence incidents that they have witnessed or
experienced. Hospitals are in place to help victims get treatment after the violence occurs and
offer resources. The Judicial System includes police stations and courthouses, this is important
because it gets the law and legal documents involved when a victim feels unsafe around their
partner, with documents such as restraining orders. Little explains that, “What we call and record
as domestic violence is at the heart of questions about how it is ‘made visible’, understood and
treated not only by individual service providers and the criminal justice system but also by
society as a whole” (Little, 2017). The Department of Social Service helps women get in contact
with different social systems that can help with their situation. According to Greenman and
Matsuda, strengthening social supports for those at risk during the transition to adulthood may
help disrupt longer-term trajectories of IPV perpetration (Greeman & Matsuda, 2016). Social
workers play an important role within this population on a macro level because women are
suffering with nowhere to turn, which can lead them down a path of destruction and bring
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unwanted consequences. Without the proper help, women may physically experience chronic
different consequences. Some which may have been life-threatening (long term) or short term.
Short term consequences are referred to situations that are not permanent and does little to no
damage to the victim. Physical marks (bruises, scratches, welts, etc.), concussions, and fear are
some of the most commonly experienced short term consequences. Victims of domestic violence
tend to be more fidgety around the opposite sex, with unintended reactions indicating their fear
of being abused again. While there are numerous short-term consequences, it is useful to be
Montero, et al. there are four negative health indicators of violence: Psychological symptoms and
2013). Psychological distress exemplifies and measures anxiety and depression of a victim. It
refers to the self-esteem of the individual. Being educated on the psychological distress test and
how it works is useful when trying to understand the emotions and feelings of the women.
Understanding the importance and dangers of depression and low self-esteem due to domestic
violence is also helpful because depression and anxiety can also lead to suicidal thoughts and
attempts. Somatic complaints are in reference to headaches, back pains, and any other body pain
or health problem that is reported. Being aware of intimate partner violence/ domestic violence
should be everyone’s responsibility if we are to end this abuse as a nation. Awareness and
information should be shared with little boys and little girls so they, too, are aware of the signs
of IPV and domestic violence in their homes and the homes of their relatives and friends. Prior to
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the peak age of IPV and dating violence, women should be well educated on the signs as well as
knowing when to get out of the situation and most importantly, how to safely get away from
Geographic Characteristics
The geographic community of Scotland County would be considered a small rural area,
with 320 square miles. The main geographical boundaries and natural barriers in Scotland county
include the Lumbee River basin and is also determined to be a coastal plain. The counties aside
to Scotland county are Hoke County which is the city of Raeford, Richmond County which is the
city of Rockingham, and lastly Robeson which makes up Lumberton and Pembroke. All of the
counties listed above are all shared with the similar geographic makeup.
History of Community
The county was first formed in 1899 by a portion on Richmond County. Scotland County
got its name from a Scottish clan family, known as the McLaurin’s. The first settlers included
Saura (Cheraw) Indians, then followed by the Highland Scots and lastly the English Settlers. Just
like any rural community majority of the economic advances stemmed from agriculture. While
forest products, such as lumber and paper, supplement some of the county’s crop production,
corn, cotton, tobacco, swine, and soybeans are among the top agricultural products. Textiles,
cabinet accessories, mobile homes, and hospital equipment are the primary goods manufactured
within the region. The strengths that would be considered in our target population is the St.
Andrews Presbyterian College, a model of the original Christian university in Scotland, was
instituted in 1958 in Laurinburg. The Scottish Heritage Center, located inside the college, houses
numerous texts, books, and artifacts that provide a glimpse into early Scottish settlement. The
Richmond Temperance and Literary Society Hall, the Camp Mackall Military Reservation, and
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the Jesse Mason House are a few of the historical places within Scotland County. All these
institutions allowed women to work for them. A weakness of the community would be the rural
Economic Characteristics
Within the Scotland County community many jobs are fast food based, facilities that
work with the mental health population, and many individuals who reside in this community are
homeless. Fast food jobs are usually jobs that are at high demand and usually easier to obtain. In
Scotland county many individuals on a daily basis face mental illness challenges that could
contribute to their ability to obtain a job. Scotland County had a big homeless population due to
the lack of job ability with their mental issues or due to some form of substance abuse. This
county has many privileged commercial enterprises ranging from clothing stores and different
diverse food locations. Unemployment rates have been proven through the evidence of the
homeless population. With homelessness being at an all time high it proves that many does not
obtain a decent job if any at all. This community only has private transportation for those who
are diagnosed with some form of mental illness as well as older adults who needs assistance to
their medical appointments but as far as any other transportation it is not given outside of the
mental health population. If Scotland County provided more access to jobs, such as public
transportation, it would bring down the homelessness rates. As well as the transportation, having
more facilities/shelters that reduce the homeless rates would benefit the health of the local
economy by adding them to the work force which would expand the middle classes and overall
community. I believe shelters temporarily reduce homelessness, because most shelters that are
available have a time limit for all clients to find housing on their own. Shelters are usually not
permanent.
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Cultural Characteristics
Scotland County racial demographics consist of majority Caucasians with 45.7 percent
and African Americans 39.1 percent of the population . While visiting Scotland county, I noted
that the residents were welcoming . In Scotland County, there are many places citizens go to as
their places of worship. According to research conducted and conversations with local citizens
there are over 60 churches located in the area, and approximately 5 temples. There aren’t any
known mosques in the surrounding county. Scotland County has a variety of religious
Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, Quaker, Evangelical and many other denominations. The
most well known denomination is Christianity in Scotland County. Most churches are located on
the corners of streets, in good condition. Many churches are good sizes and are typically made of
bricks. When riding in Scotland County, you’ll see a church on just about every corner, some in
which may be side by side to another church in most situations. There are a lot of churches
situated in the low-income parts of the community. In Scotland, there are professional places and
other areas that are not so much on the professional side. The downtown area of Laurinburg is
where most formal places of meeting are located. The outskirts of Laurinburg is where you may
find other meeting places. The downtown area of Laurinburg consists of restaurants and nice
gathering places such as galleries and coffee shops. Many of the citizens of Laurinburg mention
a restaurant (215) that is typically the meeting place for business related conversations or
“formal” meetings. The source of recreation available in the community is their public pool,
movie theater, sports bar, and gym clubs. It is difficult to access the public resources without a
car because everything is so spread out and is not walking distance. Scotland County has public
parks, a library and recreation centers for the residents to enjoy free of charge. There are no bike
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paths but there are sidewalks throughout downtown. Typical housing conditions are kept clean.
Scotland county has majority apartments and townhouses but there are some Section 8 housing,
Political Characteristics
When visiting Scotland county there are many things you may notice. You may notice
the sound of the road as you drive. Roads in Scotland aren't that reliable, and are often getting
repair work done to them. When driving in Scotland County, you may notice that the only
sidewalks present are the ones downton Laurinburg. There are not many elsewhere around the
city. Scotland County has a public library, which is located downtown Laurinburg. The public
library has many programs during the summer for local kids. When riding through downtown
Laurinburg, you may also notice that there isn’t a big distance between the library and the post
office. The post offices hours are 9am to 5pm Monday- Friday, 9am-12pm on Saturdays and
Sundays being closed. The garbage collection in Scotland County are typically everyday, with
neighborhood pickups falling on different days of the week. The most popular area for political
campaigning is the downtown, but signs and ads are also posted in neighborhoods on signs and
Interviews
With great opportunity, we had the chance to interview Sharon Armstrong, who is the
director of Scotland County Domestic Violence Center. Mrs. Sharon does not have a degree in
social work but have 20 years of work experience with Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse.
Along with her extensive work experience, she is a certified advocate and practitioner and she
has been holding this position since August 2016. She started as a volunteer and worked her way
to the top. Mrs. Sharon was a great woman for this position due to the fact that she is a Scotland
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native as well as a victim of domestic violence herself, which led to her self-interest within this
particular population. Starting off the interview, the first question we asked was: What is the
population of victims in Scotland County? There is a variety of populations that are cared for at
this center, they take anybody from 18 years and older, both men and women. Women and their
children are in-housed and the men are booked in local hotels, but majority of the clients they
serve are 40 and older women with children. What is the procedure for victims coming in? They
start off with phone screening to meet criteria, after the screening Laurinburg Police Department
escorts them to the shelter for safety. What training is required for staff? 40 hour online training,
also 20 hours a year training. What do you recommend for clients who try and go back to their
domestic spouse? She starts by explaining a myth that people most associated with clients that
come to DV centers is “ do not go there, because they tell you to leave your spouse” which is
typically not true. They develop a safety plan according to the victim and how the victim wants
to proceed, which is to either stay or leave. Safety is number one priority when working with
victims. Domestic violence centers also helps the victims find employment, as well as offer
parenting classes to clients. What are the red flags or early signs of domestic violence? Unequal
relationship. If rights such as freedom or being able to do what pleases you are denied by your
spouse, it is considered unhealthy and a sign that leads to domestic violence within one's
relationship. While interviewing Mrs. Sharon, she mentioned the cycle of DV. She educated us
on the 3 stages included in the cycle, which are: 1. Intimidating (building of jealousy) 2. Striking
(physical act) 3. I’m Sorry (the honeymoon). Do majority of victims go back to their spouse
when children are involved? Majority of victims do go back when children are involved due to
comfortability or drug issues. Lastly, is there any additional information you would advise as we
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try to understand and research more about this population? Take everything a victim says as true,
always be supportive, be aware of emotions of victims, and domestic violence is a crime, which
As a group we had the opportunity to meet with an officer at the Scotland County Police
Department, by the name of Michael Leak. Officer Leak has had the experience of serving and
protecting his community for almost 30 years. Officer Leak mentioned at the beginning of the
interview his passion for helping make his community a better place and helping those in need.
He states how people from different backgrounds and situations typically are cared for in
different ways. Victims of domestic violence are treated with care, he also states that when
working with these victims as an officer in place to help them it is essential to have empathy no
matter what. Empathy is known as a big part of getting to know the victim, as well as
understanding how to care for them during the process of them being under the care of the
officer and the center of domestic violence in their community. We asked Officer Leak a series
of questions during our interview and received useful information. In reference to question 1:
How many cases a week do you deal with that pertains to domestic violence? Officer Leak stated
that there are at least 1-5 cases of domestic violence reported every week. 2: What protocols do
you undergo when dealing with domestic violence cases? The protocols followed by the
reporting of domestic violence as an officer they must investigate their findings, all the while
finding a safe place for the alleged victim, they must also see if the victim would like to press
charges. He also mentioned if the victim would like to press charges that as an officer they must
transport them to the magistrates office to press the charges. Officers also talk with the victims
while the phone screening is being done to be able to escort them and children to shelters. 3:
What advice do you give victims? The advice an officer gives to a victim is typically the
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encouragement of pressing charges for the safety of the victim and others who may be involved.
Officer Leak says his main advice to victims are to do what makes them happy and do what
keeps them safe. 4: How important is it as your role for your job and your personal role to keep
personal beliefs out of your cases? The importance of the separation of beliefs as a Pastor and an
officer are important. He goes on to say sometimes it is very hard to keep his personal beliefs out
of his decisions but as an officer keeping those beliefs separate are typically useful due to the
safety and well being of an individual. He says he thinks of it as “you can’t tell people to just
leave their abuser and wait on someone who knows their worth.” As the talk with Officer Leak
came to an end, he wanted us to leave with encouraging words “Domestic violence is real, and as
young women we need to put our safety first and always remember to stay strong and be happy
in everything we do in life.” A key factor that stood out in every interview was trust. While
We had the pleasure of getting in contact and interviewing both a surviving victim as
well as a current victim. The surviving victim’s name is Turwanda Robinson who has gone
through domestic violence for six years, at the hands of her ex-husband. She has three children,
two boys and a girl, ages 20, 17 and 10. Turwanda works as a production manager overseeing all
day-to-day productions. She has various degrees and different pathways and hopes to go back for
more degrees. When asked the question, “What effects /roles does your previous situation play in
your life now? ”, she stated that it made her a stronger woman and she found an abundance of
strength when she looks in the mirror versus how she found herself thirteen years ago. She stated
many times that she didn’t have a support system or any encouragement because she chose to
remain silent throughout the abuse. She explains that she couldn’t see any previous signs because
her ex-husband portrayed himself to be the perfect gentleman even during the abuse when in
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public and around others. . Turwanda does not have any contact with her ex-husband at all and
has completely moved away from him and prefers to never communicate with him again., We
asked Turwanda was there anything positive that she took away as a lesson learned and she
opened up and explained that she had to realize that there is no perfect man but God and that she
didn’t have to continue to go through the abuse. What pushed her to get away was the love she
had for her children as well as her being at the point where she felt as though getting a murder
charge was the only way out. When looking at her children she realized that she was exposing
them to things that they should never look at as being ok. Her daughter was looking up to her and
she had boys that could grow up thinking that abusing their spouse was the right way to do
things. . Lastly, when we asked what advice she would give to a current victim she commented
that “ Strength grows in the moment when you can’t keep going on but keep going on anyway.”
Following the interview with the survivor, we had the honor to interview a current victim
Lisa Morgan. She has a 2-year old little boy, name Liam. She is currently back in school to
become a nurse while working full-time. She recently just received her phlebotomy certificate.
We asked Lisa a few questions because we didn’t want to get too deep into her situation because
domestic violence is a sensitive topic. We started by asking her if she was aware of any resources
that were offered within the community once she found the strength and courage to walk away.
She said although she knows of many resources, she still finds it difficult to report due to the fact
that her and her partner have a son together. She found that her greatest coping skills were not
what many should turn to but found that school was the best way to escape the abuse for the time
being. She confined in us that at many points she tried to give up and thought that a suicidal
approach would be better for her and her son. Lisa mentioned it is typically harder for women
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who has kids with the abuser to leave, which she stated is her current situation. Women are
strong willed when it comes to the belief of keeping a family together, Lisa also stated. “The idea
of having a happy family still sits in the back of my head” (Morgan, 2018). Morgan goes on to
say she has hope that it will get better one day, but also hopes it’s not too late.
The social problem that we explored was Domestic Violence in women ages 25 to 35
years old in the Scotland County. In the downtown Laurinburg area, there are some local
organizations that support and offer help services: local churches, Sandhills Behavioral Center,
Scotland County DSS and the Domestic Violence Center. Local churches have had fundraisers to
raise money for treatment plans and facility upkeep. Sandhills Behavioral Center is a mental
health and substance abuse agency that has realized that there is a abnormally high connection
between mental illness and domestic violence. To help lower the ratio Sandhills Behavioral
Center is developing a program for individuals suffering with these two factors. Scotland County
Department of Social Services serves classes to educate individuals of the cycle of domestic
violence, red flags that may appear when a individual is in a domestic violent relationship and
how to find the local help agencies in their community. Stated previously we had the honor to
interview Sharon Armstrong, who is the director of Laurinburg Domestic Violence center. The
domestic violence center is a facility where women and children can come for safety, and can
also be inhoused after proper assessments are taken. While being inhoused in the domestic
violence center, resources are available to individuals which include: job employment, housing
assistance, food bank, and clothing drive. The Laurinburg Domestic Violence center is one of the
most important and useful organization in the community for downtown Laurinburg. In reference
to our population, women the ages of 25-35, the domestic violence center of Laurinburg offers
many services to those in need. The women who come out to the center and report the domestic
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violence are provided with therapy, as well as job opportunities and housing arrangements as
stated before. Children along with the women are also provided with housing. The purpose of the
center is to help all women and men in need. Men who report domestic violence are also
benefited by the Laurinburg Domestic Violence Center. Men although they are not inhoused like
women, are still provided with housing and benefits similar to the women. Men are provided
with housing of a local hotel, but protocol still remains as it does for women. Attached to the
Domestic Violence Center in Laurinburg, there are a few human service organizations. A few
services we have learned about through to research and communication with local residents in
Department of Health, and Volunteer Programs. The Children and Families provides services
such as housing for families, especially those with children involved. The safety of children is
the main goal of the Children and Families Services. The Department of Corrections deals with
the victims of the violence. The services provided for the victims are help from officers to find a
place to stay. The proctol for officers in the department of corrections takes the victim to the
Domestic Violence Center in Laurinburg to continue their process of getting help. The
Department of Corrections ensures safety of the victim and their family. The Department of
Health in Laurinburg provides the victim with health tips as well as health care. They are
educated not only by the Domestic Violence Center on healthy relationships and how to
maintain healthy relationships. The Volunteer Programs in Laurinburg are those that consists of
donations such as food and clothing banks for the victims in need. Along with the human
services provided, there are other agencies that are not government run that play a role in helping
victims of domestic violence in Laurinburg. There are a couple major informal resources that
offer support within the community; family members, community leader such as pastors and the
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domestic violence hotline. Family members see the issue first hand and are able to spot red flags
quicker than a community member because they know the individual personally and can tell one
something is different about them. Pastors are another option because stated previously there are
over 60 churches in Scotland county which means people go to church frequently. Religious
individuals tend to confide in their pastor when situations arise. Victims may find comfort in
talking to their pastor about their situation. Lastly, there is the domestic violence hotline that is
24 hour on call service with trained volunteers that can assist individuals that would like to
report, or individuals who are trying to recieve help. Local community programs that are
discussed that are not directly affecting to the population is the youth volunteer programs. The
youth volunteer programs are not directly linked because it does not affect the population of
older women. The programs that directly affect the women ages of 25-35 are programs that are
intact with the domestic violence center. The police station and the help centers are directly
addressed for our population. The different domestic violence hotlines are also helpful to the
victims we are focused on. After looking at the literature and listening to our interviewees, our
hypothesis of what cause of domestic violence is a behavioral issue. The first step of domestic
violence is intimidating which is started when a partner experiences extreme jealousy, and low
self-esteem. To close the gap of domestic violence, we have to understand that domestic violence
is a crime and that abusers need proper help and it is not an anger management but behavioral
issue.
Conclusion
Intimate partner violence and dating violence are significant forms of violence that do not
receive the attention that it should. People in general, lack knowledge on these serious violations
of human rights. The needs of people who have experienced domestic violence need the attention
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and help of the community. People experiencing this should be aware of all help centers in their
community, such as the hotline for domestic violence, shelters for victims, resources that DSS
provides them with. These help centers need to make themselves more visible throughout
communities as well. Victims should be aware of law reforms the courthouses and police stations
have in place for them to stay safe once they leave these abusive situations. No being
knowledgeable about domestic violence leads to an increase of victims due to not knowing any
resources are laws in place. As women between the ages of 25-35 are known to experience these
particular situations the most, there should be specific classes or programs in the communities to
help educate them. After interviewing all interviewees, we realized domestic violence is deeper
than the average person may portray it. We also gained more insight on the issue as a whole. It
may be factors that leads to the fear of someone getting help. We were also educated on the
strength it takes a person to report it as well as talking about it. Domestic violence is an
extremely sensitive topic. After getting to know the victims and survivors of DV, we learned
how to be more sensitive and caring to this vulnerable population. Often times, victims of DV
are in fear to talk about their situations because of the judgement involved and the lack of
encouragement from family and even friends. Compassion, strength and trust are three
motivators that lead victims towards getting help. It is of great encouragement to always be a
listening ear and supportive person because you may never know what a person may be hiding or
dealing with. After research and communication with local residents of Laurinburg, we learned
that there were many services tied to Domestic Violence. We also learned that the Domestic
Violence Center in Laurinburg offers many resources to help those in need and the victims.
Domestic Violence is a crime that needs to be taken serious. Victims of domestic violence tend
to need strong support systems when they are suffering. We were also informed about men
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victims of domestic violence, along with the protocol of them. Even though they are not
inhoused, the Center of Domestic Violence still provides them with safety. The main purpose of
the Domestic Violence Center in Laurinburg is safety, for anyone no matter the gender.
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Reference
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