Domestic Violence Counseling: Recognizing Signs Of Domestic Violence And Reaching Out To Victims

Many women suffer the consequences of domestic violence and are at a loss as to what to do or where to go

. They often hide signs of domestic abuse from friends, family, and co-workers, and their situation worsens due to fear and embarrassment. Domestic abuse isnt limited to the home and can often cross over into the womans workday and appear in many different forms. Threatening phone calls, harassing emails, and workplace stalking are all forms of domestic abuse. Stopping domestic violence in the workplace means first identifying and then preventing scenarios before they escalate.

Domestic Violence Scenario:

Tanya works for a small shipping company in Vancouver and has been unhappily married to her husband Justin for 10 years. Herself and her two young children bear the brunt of Justins controlling behavior and verbal abuse. Though hes never laid a hand on their children, hes beaten Tanya till bruises have covered her body. Shes lied to her coworkers many times, blaming her bruises on her own clumsiness. Because Tanya is embarrassed of the cause of her bruises and the situation with Justin, she doesnt speak with any of her co-workers about the domestic abuse she suffers. Once a month, she is so injured she must call out of workin the past two years, shes missed almost a full month of work and thousands of dollars of her salary. Tanya has had enough of the abuse, so she takes her children and moves away from Justin, staying with a friend. She then receives angry voicemails, and threatening emails at workwhen Justin shows up in the office parking lot and threatens her life, she doesnt know where to go or who to turn to after years of abuse.

This scenario occurs in all countries in the world and for all socio-economic classes; behind closed doors, women are abused by current and former intimate partners.

In the United States, approximately 5.3 million women age 18 or older are domestically abused each year, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control.These women are abused physically, verbally, and sexually by past or previous partners.

Each day four women in the U.S. die as a result of domestic violence.

Although domestic violence doesnt appear to be a work-related problem, it is.Sustained abuse, threatening behavior, and acts of violence do go beyond womens home environment and affect them at work.

74% of US women who suffer abuse at home also experience abuse at their place of work, according to the Family Violence Prevention Fund study.

Like Tanyas situation, the domestic violent perpetrators use email, phones, and other workplace resources to check up on, pressure, or express anger towards their victims. They may even go as far as to show up to harass and threaten the victims co-workers.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that approximately 20,000 workers are threatened or attacked in the workplace every year by their partner or spouse.

The results? In America, domestic violence victims are absent approximately 8 million paid working days of the year.This is equivalent to 32,000 full-time jobs and $4.1 billion in health care costs for American businesses.This is especially damaging some individuals, who find themselves trapped in low paying positions due to frequent job changes because of low productivity and absenteeism.Domestic violence prevents them from receiving raises or increases in pay.

Domestic abuse affects a womans ability to keep a job.

Look for warning sides that your co-workers are suffering from abuse.

-They receive frequent personal calls.

-Theyre absent or late often.

-You notice a decline in their job performance.

-They become withdrawn socially.

-There is visible evidence of bruising and assault.

-They become agitated, angry, or cry when talking on the phone.

Domestic Violence Counseling: Remember to believe the victim and encourage her to talk about the situation.Avoid pressuring her.Respect her confidentiality and do not judge.Inform her she is not alone and not to blame.

Design employee assistance programs as a way to foster respect, trust and open communication.

Have a formal domestic violence policy on file, including guidelines on confidentiality.

Include information about domestic violence and the employers response in orientations for new employees and in the organizational handbook.

Support local domestic violence shelters with clothing, toys, and furniture drives or with funding as a way to raise awareness of the problem.

Once a woman has made it known that she is a victim of domestic violence, employers can offer a number of strategies to ensure her safety:

Change the employees work station and/or schedule.

Provide the woman with parking near the front door and an escort to walk her to and from her car.

Provide photos of the employees abuser to security personnel and the receptionist.

Remove the womans e-mail address and telephone extension from public directories.

Have another employee or third party screen the victims telephone calls and e-mail messages.

Change payroll addresses, direct deposit information or beneficiaries, as needed.

Learn more about domestic violence counseling and become empowered.You have the ability to change how domestic violence affects females in the workplace.Raise awareness for this concern.

by: Erica Ronchetti

POST COMMENT

Beaches In Palma Beaches In Calpe Beaches In Cartagena Prison Ministry: Reaching Out to Others Back Ache Reduction - Chiropractic Adjustments Investment In Fixed Assets Of Dalian In 2010 Reached 15 Billion Yuan Proven Approaches To Create Your Own Product 3 Additional Approaches Pupils May Utilize Imindmap And Mind Mapping Why Does Fioricet Work for Headaches? Bow As Life Approaches Year Approaches Need To Buy The Projector Against Unscrupulous Merchants Cheat Boonsboro Soccer League Teaches Good Leadership Swedish Massage Ease Aches Sooner