Domestic violence against Australian Women-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Domestic violence against Australian Women. Answer: Introduction Domestic violence is an act of violence that take place in domestic setting involving two people who were or are in an intimate relationship. Domestic violence against women (DVAW) can be termed as abuse by men to women who were or are having an intimate relationship (Baird, 2008). DVAW has been recognized as problem in Australia that has significant magnitude. Domestic violence includes emotional, sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. Physical violence refers to physical aggression and abuse by a partner that involves kicking, beating, hitting, or slapping. Sexual violence entails sexual coercion, rape, unwanted sex or harassment or forced prostitution against women. Emotional and psychological violence refers to controlling behaviors like continued humiliation, isolation, control of fiancs, threatening children or threatened with death. Domestic violence cause serious impact on women health and wellbeing (Coker, 2016). The following essay with outline a research problem statement on DVAW in Australia and review relevant literature on the topic under study. The essay with also discuss ethical problems that will be uncounted in the research, strategies to solve the problems, hindrances and enablers in the implementation of the strategies. The research is a case study of Public Health Association Australia (PHAH). Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) PHAA is a nongovernmental organization involved in public health with a vision at promoting well being and health to all Australians. The organization seeks to improve population health based on equity principles, prevention, and social determinants of health. PHAA has more than 1900members who comprise more than 40 professional groups. The organization role in the public health includes advocating or developing health policies and building capacity. PHAA provides a forum for discussing issues and public health and voice to professional workers in public health. The organization publishes to journals namely Australian and New Zealand journals of public Health (ANZJPH). Problem statement DVAW in Australia has seriously increased in the past decade that has led to significant individual and social impact. Women are losing their life or getting chronic diseases as a result of domestic violence. It is estimated that one woman is killed on average per week in Australia by their partners (Humanrights.gov.au, 2017). According to Coker (2016) one in five women in Australian has experienced sexual violence while one in every three women in Australia has experienced physical violence. From these statistics, women are vulnerable and are victims of domestic violence that causes profound effects on women health and well being. Violence from intimate partners in Australian cause more disabilities, illness, and death in women that any other causes that are preventable. Therefore, the aim of this report will aim at studying on the impact of DVAW and outlining preventable measures that can be implemented to reduce domestic violence. The research will involve reviewing relevant liter ature to understand health consequences of domestic violence and be used to advice the ministry of health on how to prevent or avoid domestic violence in Australia. Literature review Struthers, Tilbury and Williams (2017) defined domestic violence as patterns of behaviors where one person causes violence and abuse against the other in a marriage or cohabitation. According to WHO, domestic violence is an intentional use of ones power or force, actual or threatening against a partner that lead to death, injury, psychological harm, deprivation or maldevelopment. DVAW incorporates all types of violence experienced by women as a result of their gender. Moynihan (2012) in his result found that domestic violence caused depression, phobias, and anxiety to women. Women who experience violence got stressed that were prolong that led to depression. He recorded that half of the women who were experience domestic violence had children under their care. The research result also showed that 75% of women who experienced violence in their previous relationship were unwilling to get married. Kasturirangan (2008) recorded that domestic violence were leading to women attempting suicide. The statistics analyzed showed that out of ten women who attempted suicide four were as a result of domestic assaults. The research also found that domestic violence were leading cause of suicide among women in Australia. McPhedran and Baker (2012) research on chronic pain syndromes found that domestic violence was a major cause. Domestic violence caused emotional and psychological violence that led to stress. The chronic pain syndromes caused an individual to suffer body pain abnormally as a result of improper body functioning. Moynihan (2012) also found that domestic violence was a major cause of psychosomatic disorders. Individuals physical diseases were worsen by the mental factors that the victims were undergoing through. These mental conditions that cause psychomatic disorders were stress and anxiety. Baird (2008) established in his research that domestic violence is preventable. He found that despite the many factors that led to DVAW, it possible to prevent or stop from recurring. They also found that the major causes of violence against women were as a result of unequal distribution of resources and power in a family. And an adherence to old rigid gender roles that meant people in a relationship living as feminine and masculine. Loxton et al (2006) in their research found that there were three best practices to prevent violence against women. These preventative measures are distinct and their interventions are specific. They include primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention referred to a prevention mechanism applied to the whole population with an objective of ensuring violence does not happen. This method aimed at sensitizing the population against women based violence. Secondly is the secondary prevention that targets early signs of domestic violence. This preventive method is specific to communities, individuals, or context from escalating in violence. Thirdly, the tertiary prevention method referred to response to avoid recurrence of domestic violence. This method seeks to minimize violence impact by stopping the violence. Enablers and barriers of best practices The enablers of best practices of preventing DVAW are as follows; Availability of communicating medium: Following the current internet coverage and media enables the best practices to be implemented in informing the whole population to avoid violence against women from happening. Availability of adequate professional: There are available professionals to offer guidance on how victims of domestic violence can recover and avoid it impacts. There are adequate trained psychologists, nurses and doctors that can help in ensuring the impacts of domestic violence are managed at their early stages. The barrier or hindrances of implementing the best practices are as follows; Failure to report: Ignorance or late reporting of domestic violence cases will hinder the implementation of best practices to contain and prevent further adverse effects. Lack of government support: Inadequate support from the government in implementing best practices can hinder the prevention of DVAW by advocating it not happening at all. Inadequate resources: The unavailability or lack of resources to run the campaign against domestic violence on women can hinder the implementation of the best practices. It requires resources to finance campaign on internet or in the media. Ethical implication The following are ethical implications associated with the research project; Make the research inclusive: There is a need when recruiting the focus group to ensure all stakeholders are included and protecting vulnerable individuals in the research. Voluntary informed consent: Participants in the research will have to be obtained voluntarily. This ethical implication ensures that there is respect of individuals enrolled in the research. Independent review of potential benefits and risks: This ethical implication entails that participants have to independently assess risks in the proposed research. This will ensure that the risks are reasonable compared to the potential benefits. Respecting research participants: The research proposal involves interviewing people about their personal life which will require respect for human condition. The participants will also require to be protected. Conclusion DVAW is a major cause of illness and death amongst women in Australia. The effects of domestic violence among women have adverse impact on their economic and social costs. Domestic violence in Australia are commonly caused by unequal distribution of resources and power between women and men and adherences to defined gender roles that are rigid that mean people in relationship to live as feminine and masculine. DVAW is preventable by implementing three best practices that are primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention. In summary it critical to consider the ethical implications of the research proposal References Baird, K. (2008). Supporting women after domestic violence Hilary Abrahams Supporting women after domestic violence Jessica Kingsley 160 19.99 9781843104315 1843104318. Primary Health Care, 18(2), pp.8-8. Coker, D. (2016). Domestic Violence and Social Justice. Violence Against Women, 22(12), pp.1426-1437. Crisp, B. (2011). Domestic Violence in Rural Australia. Social Work Education, 30(1), pp.115-117. Humanrights.gov.au. (2017). Violence against women in Australia (2017) | Australian Human Rights Commission. [online] Available at: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/submissions/violence-against-women-australia-2017 [Accessed 25 Aug. 2017]. Kasturirangan, A. (2008). Empowerment and Programs Designed to Address Domestic Violence. Violence Against Women, 14(12), pp.1465-1475. Loxton, D., Schofield, M., Hussain, R. and Mishra, G. (2006). History of Domestic Violence and Physical Health in Midlife. Violence Against Women, 12(8), pp.715-731. McPhedran, S. and Baker, J. (2012). Lethal and Non-Lethal Violence Against Women in Australia. Violence Against Women, 18(8), pp.958-972. Moynihan, R. (2012). Domestic violence: can doctors do more to help?. The Medical Journal of Australia, 197(2), p.75. Struthers, K., Tilbury, C. and Williams, G. (2017). Young People Leading Change in Domestic Violence Prevention: R4Respect. Children Australia, pp.1-12.