scholarly journals “Are you safe to talk?”: Perspectives of Service Providers on Experiences of Domestic Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny K. Leigh ◽  
Lita Danielle Peña ◽  
Ashri Anurudran ◽  
Anant Pai
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Additional Tool ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractThis study aimed to better understand the factors driving reported trends in domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the effect of the pandemic on survivors’ experiences of violence and ability to seek support. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 32 DV service providers operating in organizations across 24 U.S. cities. The majority of providers described a decrease in contact volume when shelter-in-place orders were first established, which they attributed to safety concerns, competing survival priorities, and miscommunication about what resources were available. For most organizations, this decrease was followed by an increase in contacts after the lifting of shelter-in-place orders, often surpassing typical contact counts from the pre-pandemic period. Providers identified survivors’ ability to return to some aspects of their pre-pandemic lives, increased stress levels, and increased lethality of cases as key factors driving this increase. In addition, providers described several unique challenges faced by DV survivors during the pandemic, such as the use of the virus as an additional tool for control by abusers and an exacerbated lack of social support. These findings provide insight into the lived experiences driving observed trends in DV rates during COVID-19. Understanding the impact of the pandemic on survivors can help to shape public health and policy interventions to better support this vulnerable population during future crises.

scholarly journals Locked Down with the Perpetrator: The Hidden Impacts of COVID-19 on Domestic and Family Violence in Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 204-222
Author(s):  
Christine Morley ◽  
Kerry Carrington ◽  
Vanessa Ryan ◽  
Shane Warren ◽  
Jo Clarke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Family Violence ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Violent Relationships ◽  
The Public ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The Impact

Prior to the COVID-19 global pandemic, domestic and family violence (DFV) had been recognised globally as an epidemic in its own right. Further, research has established that during times of crisis and/or after disasters, rates of DFV can escalate. The COVID-19 pandemic has been no exception, with emerging research from around the world confirming that the public health measures and social effects associated with COVID-19 have increased the frequency and severity of DFV in various countries. In contributing to this evolving body of literature, this paper reports on the findings of a national research project that examined the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on DFV in Australia. This nationwide survey of service providers indicates the public health responses to COVID-19 such as lockdowns and travel restrictions, while necessary to stem the pandemic, have had profound effects on increasing women’s risk and vulnerability to domestic violence, while at the same time making it more difficult for women to leave violent relationships and access support. However, this vulnerability is not evenly distributed. The pandemic pushed marginalised voices further underground, with many unable to seek help, locked down with their abuser. Our survey sought to amplify the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities; Indigenous communities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, + (LGBTIQ+) communities; women locked down with school-age children; those already in violent relationships; and those whose first experience of domestic violence coincided with the onset of the pandemic. For logistical and ethical reasons, we could only access their voices through the responses from the domestic violence sector.

scholarly journals Exploring the Impact of Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Its Relationship with Domestic Violence: A Qualitative Study on Experts’ Perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 233339362110281
Author(s):  
Renee Fiolet ◽  
Cynthia Brown ◽  
Molly Wellington ◽  
Karen Bentley ◽  
Kelsey Hegarty
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Specialist Service ◽  
Data Coding ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Impact Of Technology ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

Technology-facilitated abuse can be a serious form of domestic violence. Little is known about the relationship between technology-facilitated abuse and other types of domestic violence, or the impact technology-facilitated abuse has on survivors. The aim of this interpretative descriptive study is to understand domestic violence specialist service providers’ perspectives on the impact of technology-facilitated abuse, and the link between technology-facilitated abuse and other forms of domestic violence. A qualitative approach using 15 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with Australian domestic violence specialist practitioners, and three themes were identified through data coding using inductive thematic analysis. Another form of control describes technology-facilitated abuse behaviors as enacting controlling behaviors using new mediums. Amplifies level of fear characterizes the impact of technology-facilitated abuse. A powerful tool to engage others describes opportunities technology offers perpetrators to abuse through engaging others. Findings highlight technology-facilitated abuse’s complexity and integral role in domestic violence and can assist clinicians to understand the impact and harm that can result from technology-facilitated abuse.

Students Exposed to Domestic Violence

2012 ◽  
pp. 129-138
Author(s):  
A. BURGESS Deseri ◽  
Lisa Weed Phifer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Domestic Abuse ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Performance Behavior

Domestic violence is a growing public health problem that affects children nationwide. In fact, research estimates that anywhere between three and 17.8 million children witness domestic abuse each year5. Therefore, it is likely that teachers will regularly encounter students in their classroom who have been exposed to domestic violence. The impact of domestic violence is widespread, affecting academic performance, behavior, and social development. Teachers can make a positive impact by learning how best to identify and support these students. The following chapter will provide an overview of domestic violence, developmental considerations, and strategies for helping children who have been affected by it.

scholarly journals Domestic violence policies in the Netherlands: A regime of deficiency

2020 ◽  
pp. 146349962095885
Author(s):  
Arne Mellaard ◽  
Toon van Meijl
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Technical Problem ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
The Past ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Poor Women ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Impact

In a number of countries, domestic violence is represented as a governable phenomenon that is amenable to policy interventions. Over the past 40 years in the Netherlands, however, this approach has not resulted in a reduction of domestic violence. Yet new policy strategies continue to be designed to improve existing interventions. In this article, we focus on a Dutch policy measure that aims to detect early signals of violence and abuse. We argue that this strategy, by approaching domestic violence as a technical problem, fails to take into account structural and symbolic violence. As a consequence, the impact of domestic violence policies on women, particularly poor women, and especially women with a migration background, is to intensify their difficulties. Moreover, these policies deploy a technology that shapes the subjectivity of professionals engaged in protection practices, while maintaining the status quo of inequality and violence against women. The connection between these two flaws of domestic violence policies leads us to claim that the current approach is constituted as a regime of deficiency.

scholarly journals Living With the Burden of Pseudobulbar Affect: A Qualitative Analysis of the Effects of Education on Patient Experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 1324-1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Turell ◽  
Anne Roc ◽  
Erik Pioro ◽  
Alexandra Howson
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Virtual Education ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Effective Mechanism ◽  
Pseudobulbar Affect ◽  
Neurological Conditions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Education Symposium ◽  
Insight Into

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is associated with several neurological diseases and is underrecognized in clinical practice; however, PBA symptoms are often attributed to psychiatric or mood disorders rather than to neurological etiology. Until recently, there were no US Food and Drug Administration therapies approved for treating this condition, and there are currently few resources to support patients in the recognition and self-management of PBA symptoms. We evaluated the impact of a virtual education symposium on patient knowledge and self-efficacy via qualitative interviews. This evaluation of education impact provides unique insight into the experience of managing PBA symptoms; suggests that there is extensive need for educational resources to support patients with PBA and enable them to engage effectively with their providers; and affirms that online learning is an effective mechanism for delivering education to patients that enables them to more effectively self-manage symptoms in the context of chronic neurological conditions such as PBA.

scholarly journals Disruption of a primary health care domestic violence and abuse service in two London boroughs: interrupted time series evaluation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths ◽  
Alex Hardip Sohal ◽  
Peter Martin ◽  
Estela Barbosa Capelas ◽  
Medina Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Referral Rate ◽  
System Level ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Service Disruption ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Domestic Violence And Abuse

Abstract Background Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is experienced by about 1/3 of women globally and remains a major health concern worldwide. IRIS (Identification and Referral to Improve Safety of women affected by DVA) is a complex, system-level, training and support programme, designed to improve the primary healthcare response to DVA. Following a successful trial in England, since 2011 IRIS has been implemented in eleven London boroughs. In two boroughs the service was disrupted temporarily. This study evaluates the impact of that service disruption.Methods We used anonymised data on daily referrals received by DVA service providers from general practices in two IRIS implementation boroughs that had service disruption for a period of time (six and three months). In line with previous work we refer to these as boroughs B and C. The primary outcome was the number of daily referrals received by the DVA service provider across each borough over 48 months (March 2013-April 2017) in borough B and 42 months (October 2013-April 2017) in borough C. The data were analysed using interrupted-time series, non-linear regression with sensitivity analyses exploring different regression models. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR), 95% confidence intervals and p-values associated with the disruption were reported for each borough.Results A mixed-effects negative binomial regression was the best fit model to the data. In borough B, the disruption, lasted for about six months, reducing the referral rate significantly (p=0.006) by about 70% (95%CI=(23%,87%)). In borough C, the three-month service disruption, also significantly (p=0.005), reduced the referral rate by about 49% (95% CI=(18%,68%)). Conclusions Disrupting the IRIS service substantially reduced the rate of referrals to DVA service providers. Our findings are evidence in favour of continuous funding and staffing of IRIS as a system level programme.

scholarly journals Estimation of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in sheep in Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-71
Author(s):  
Abdelkrim Aroussi ◽  
Ahmed Megharbi ◽  
Meghit Boumediene Khaled ◽  
Hadj Labdouni ◽  
Kadi Diafi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Toxoplasma Gondii ◽  
Human Infection ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Elisa Kit ◽  
Sheep Meat ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract Sheep are considered as an important reservoir of human Toxoplasma gondii infections, although more recent data on the prevalence of T. gondii in sheep in Algeria are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep to obtain a better insight into the importance of sheep as reservoirs of human infection. A commercial ELISA kit, which detects antibodies against T. gondii, was utilized to test 269 sera collected from yearling sheep in the municipal slaughterhouse of Sidi-Bel-Abbes city between October 2020 and February 2021. Simultaneously, we assessed the cut-off as recommended by the manufacturer (S/P>50%) and the bootstrap statistical model to estimate the optimal cut-off value (OD = 0.12). The overall seroprevalence was estimated at 34.2% (92/269) using the ELISA kit cut-off and 50.5% (136/269) using the bootstrapped cut-off, being significantly higher compared to sheep from other regions in Algeria. In conclusion, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in sheep was elevated, constituting, therefore, a major public health concern, as sheep meat could be a significant source of T. gondii infection for human consumers. Further studies are required to estimate the impact of abortion among livestock animals caused by T. gondii infection such as sheep, where it could lead to considerable economic losses.

‘Gun shop projects’ for suicide prevention in the USA: current state and future directions

2020 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2020-043648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan Polzer ◽  
Sara Brandspigel ◽  
Timothy Kelly ◽  
Marian Betz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
Programme Implementation ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesTo describe community-driven suicide prevention partnerships between firearm retailers and public health officials (‘gun shop projects’), including common elements and challenges.MethodsWe conducted qualitative interviews with leaders from state-level and national-level partnerships to determine common features, challenges and strategies used by these groups. Data were coded via theme analysis; two independent coders followed a shared codebook developed in an iterative fashion and with high inter-rater reliability.ResultsAcross 10 interviews, data revealed four main themes: (1) community building was a cornerstone of these efforts; (2) appropriate messaging and language were vital to successes; (3) groups employed various educational and outreach campaigns and (4) groups identified common challenges and obstacles.ConclusionsGun shop project partnerships between firearm retailers and public health officials show promise, with thematic data demonstrating common trends and steps towards successful programme implementation. Evaluative data are needed to determine the impact of these efforts on suicide prevention in local communities.

Public Communications Infrastructure Support for Telecommuting

2001 ◽  
pp. 59-77
Author(s):  
Joseph R. Bumblis
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Telephone Network ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Corporate Management ◽  
Data Traffic ◽  
Public Network ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

As the number of telecommuters grows, so does the data traffic on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and its adjunct infrastructures. This chapter analyzes the impact of increased telecommuter-networking traffic on the PSTN and the adjunct infrastructures such as the Internet. This analysis will give readers the tools to understand the public network infrastructures and to gain insight into the networking requirements of virtual offices/work groups. By understanding the interconnection issues, decision-makers will be better able to analyze business needs related to telecommuter remote offices. In addition to understanding telecommunications technology, corporate management also will gain insight into the language of the service provider. This will help management and key decision-makers evaluate benefits of a telecommuting workforce, and negotiate with service providers for the necessary technology to support of their telecommuters.

Women’s Advocates and Shelter Residents: Describing Experiences of Working and Living in Domestic Violence Shelters

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15-16) ◽  
pp. 3034-3053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Intimate Partners ◽  
Domestic Violence Shelters ◽  
Abusive Partners ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Domestic violence shelters are a crucial service for women who have experienced violence and abuse from intimate partners. Despite research that demonstrates the effectiveness of shelter stays, little is known about the practices that occur and the interventions offered. Using data from qualitative interviews with six women’s advocates and six shelter residents, the article explores and documents the advocates’ practices and the impact of the shelter stay on women residents. The women’s advocates report that they provide women residents time to become comfortable, empower them to set their own goals and make their own decisions, and then help them to connect to other community resources. They also stressed that shelters are homes and they want to create environments within their shelters that are nonchaotic and violence free, so that the interactions encountered in these settings are different from women residents’ experiences with their abusive partners. The women residents reported receiving interventions that were similar to the descriptions that the advocates provided about their practice. For these women, being able to feel comfortable, safe, cared for, respected, and not judged was central to feeling helped during their shelter stay. Although the interview accounts revealed the importance of the relationship between advocates and residents, the findings also demonstrate that the environment within these shelters is equally significant to determining the quality of residents’ experiences.

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