Domestic Violence and Advocacy
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Specific Populations and the Advocate Role
Stefanie Leafty
BSHS/442
February 17, 2013
Anita Payne
Living in an abusive situation is lonely, scary, and isolating. Many times one senses loss on which way to turn. Family can say things like,” Getting a divorce is a sin in the eyes of Lord. You will be shunned by those who know you.” The abuser may say things like, “I own you.” “You will never survive without me.” “I have all the money where will you go.” Then there is the small voice inside the head of the victim saying things like, “Where will I go? How will I survive? Maybe I am not worthy of being treated better.” A victim is shuffled in so many directions, he or she loves his or her abuser and does not want to see him or her arrested, if social services discovers the situation he or she lives in he or she may lose his or her children. What will happen to him or her if the abuser gets out of jail, will it make things worse? All of these directions and all of these questions need some clearing up, and this is where advocacy comes into play.
Personal Perspective According to Reference.com (2013), “Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes –including public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions- that directly affect people’s lives” (Advocacy). The role of an advocate is to provide a voice to one unable to because of a crisis. This voice is supposed to be an empowerment tool. Often times this empowerment tool can go wrong. Mandatory arrest was established because of advocates to amplify the law replying to domestic violence. The problem with mandatory arrest is that the choice taken away from the victim. He or she may call the police to help defuse the situation, instead the police show up and have to arrest the abuser. Doing this takes the choice away from the victim. “Despite her emotional involvement and trauma, the victim is usually in a better position than
Specific Populations and the Advocate Role
Stefanie Leafty
BSHS/442
February 17, 2013
Anita Payne
Living in an abusive situation is lonely, scary, and isolating. Many times one senses loss on which way to turn. Family can say things like,” Getting a divorce is a sin in the eyes of Lord. You will be shunned by those who know you.” The abuser may say things like, “I own you.” “You will never survive without me.” “I have all the money where will you go.” Then there is the small voice inside the head of the victim saying things like, “Where will I go? How will I survive? Maybe I am not worthy of being treated better.” A victim is shuffled in so many directions, he or she loves his or her abuser and does not want to see him or her arrested, if social services discovers the situation he or she lives in he or she may lose his or her children. What will happen to him or her if the abuser gets out of jail, will it make things worse? All of these directions and all of these questions need some clearing up, and this is where advocacy comes into play.
Personal Perspective According to Reference.com (2013), “Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes –including public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions- that directly affect people’s lives” (Advocacy). The role of an advocate is to provide a voice to one unable to because of a crisis. This voice is supposed to be an empowerment tool. Often times this empowerment tool can go wrong. Mandatory arrest was established because of advocates to amplify the law replying to domestic violence. The problem with mandatory arrest is that the choice taken away from the victim. He or she may call the police to help defuse the situation, instead the police show up and have to arrest the abuser. Doing this takes the choice away from the victim. “Despite her emotional involvement and trauma, the victim is usually in a better position than
References: Nichols, A. J. (2011, February). Gendered organization: challenges for domestic violence victim advocates and feminist advocacy. Feminist Criminology, 6(2), 111-131. doi:10.1177/1557085111398117 McDermott, M. J., & Garofalo, J. (2004, November). When advocacy for domestic violence victims backfire. Violence Against Women, 10(11), 1245-1266. doi:10.1177/1077801204268999 Reference.com. (2013). Advocacy. Retrieved from http://www.reference.com/browse/advocacy?s=t