About Domestic Violence
2007 Number 167
Susan A Marino, BFA, MA, NCC, LPC, licensed professional counselor

Q:  Could you please write something about domestic violence?

A:  Domestic violence is often overlooked as being a core of violent behavior in our society.  Yet this is where violence is taught and learned from the ground floor up.  The pioneer/ immigrant "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" and "willpower can overcome any rocky beginning" attitudes have previously diminished this critical problem.  Domestic violence extends into every corner and level of our society.

Only in the last two decades, has awareness of domestic violence reached general public attention.  Only in the last decade have health care and other professionals started to address the problem in a systematic way.  As awareness and training has increased, so have the number of reported cases.  There continues to be an overwhelming need to educate both the public and professional sectors about what domestic violence is and what are its consequences:

• While documentation varies, most researchers agree it is extraordinarily common and 90-95% of victims are women who have been abused by their male partners or ex-partners.  It is acknowledged that abuse is also perpetrated against men, but much less frequently. 
• A Bureau of National Affairs report pegged the cost of domestic violence to US companies at $3 to $5 billion dollars annually from lost work time, increased health care costs, higher turnover rates, and lower productivity.
• The negative impact on the institution of marriage, families, communities, and society has been recognized.

This concern has been addressed in the legal community, resulting in laws and legislation stating that perpetration of domestic violence is a felony.  Law enforcement is more active than in any other era of our national history.  The trend is toward court ordered attendance in educational classes as the first step toward recovery.  Intervention and education can go a long way toward restructuring relationships with increased equality and anger management.  Control can be positive and even more so when each family member has an appropriate amount with which to practice self-control.  Lack of modeling or experience in the area self-control is not a success strategy.    

If the violence has been long-term, continues after intervention and education, or is extreme psychotherapy is recommended.  Despite the explosion of professional knowledge that is evident in dealing with trauma victims, including at least five scientific journals devoted to publishing in the areas of women and child abuse, it can become difficult for mental health practitioners to gather data and integrate it into their clinical work.  There is no national mental health diagnostic code. Domestic Violence tends to be a niche area where experience is an important consideration.  Each family member is affected on some level, and each person will benefit from therapeutic exposure. 

Share What Works
counselorsam.proadvice@yahoo.com
Make an Appointment for What's Not Working
573-774-5747