Violence at home: what should be your approach?

There always seems to be a hopelessness in all conversations about violence. Violence is a multifactorial problem that has biological, social, cultural, psychological, economic, environmental, and political roots. So, there is no simple or unique solution to the problem of violence: this must be addressed from multiple levels of action and prevention and from different sectors of society simultaneously.

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What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence can be of different types, some more visible than others, on a physical, emotional and/or psychological level.. It can also be addressed to various people: from children to parents, from parents to children, in the couple or towards older people. All types of violence have a component of control and power. Domestic violence has a profound impact on all the members that make up the family system, whether the violence is directed at them or if they witness it.

To offer effective intervention against violence and its profoundly damaging effects on everyone in close proximity, we necessarily have to carry out an exhaustive evaluation at the beginning of the therapy and continuously throughout the intervention. Domestic violence hides behind shame, fear, projection and family limits: we cannot work on what is not shown and shared, what we do not see or do not know.

When -as professionals- we suspect that there is abuse, we must evaluate the dynamics of family conflicts; Sometimes, even asking directly, it is usual not to obtain a global vision of the problem. This is why it is very important to start therapy from the beginning even if we do not have information or it is limited. In this way, each case must be worked with a combination of simultaneous and continuous evaluation and treatment, for a more solid effectiveness.

Primary prevention: combating intrafamily violence

Primary prevention, stopping violence before it takes place whenever possible, seems in theory to have a relatively simple basis. However, it is actually a complex process. Many domestic violence prevention efforts focus on the individual, educating and informing the abuser and the person at risk of becoming a victim. while protection actions are activated for the latter as well.

However, it is essential to remember that all prevention work must take into account a broader panorama, which includes different systems: that of the family, of the different organizations of the most immediate community where that family operates, and the systems more general social already established such as the National Health System, Social Services and the Education System, to name just some of them.

No act of violence is caused or prevented in isolation. In the English Social Services all work with families is based on the Assessment Framework which takes into account account three fundamental aspects when evaluating or drawing up an action plan, either for prevention or intervention:

• Developmental Needs of the Child/Adolescent
• Parental Capacity of Parents or Caregivers
• Family and Environmental Factors

Violence at home, a global fight

Ideally, violence should always be dealt with through a joint effort carried out through various interventions, tackling the various factors and implementing a global strategy of action that collects from the most individual factors such as the aggressive behavior of an adolescent or the substance abuse problem of a family member, going through family aspects (forms of discipline at home), cultural (beliefs about raising children) and more social factors, such as being part of a street gang, being a refugee or having a certain status socioeconomic.

At the individual level, it is known that personal history and biological factors also have an influence. in how individuals behave and can increase their likelihood of becoming a victim or abuser. From a systemic perspective, the individual is understood in relation to the people in the environment and how these relationships work and shape the experience of that individual.. The most immediate environment of an individual is the family.

Personal relationships can influence the risk of becoming a victim or perpetrator of violence. For example, having violent friends may influence a young person to become involved in or become a victim of violence. From a systemic perspective, the complexity of the family dynamics of which the child/adolescent is a part, as well as the dynamics with other significant people in the environment of the child/adolescent and the family.

Different social factors influence whether violence is reinforced or inhibited. These include economic and social policies that maintain socioeconomic inequalities between people, the availability of weapons, and the social and cultural norms that support violence as a common method of solving problems. conflicts. Community contexts in which social relationships occur, such as schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces, also influence violence.. Risk factors here may include the level of unemployment, population density, mobility, and the existence of a space where drugs or weapons are sold.

conclusions

In summary, intrafamily violence from a systemic point of view understands that the family is a system of relationships that develops not only in a unique intra-family culture but also includes practically all sectors of our societysuch as education, health, government, law enforcement, religion, family, media, and other institutions and factors associated e.g. immigration, which have an effect on the development of individual family members and on the family as system.

Therefore, if all these factors are interrelated in the individual and their behavior, it makes sense that the most effective responses against violence are multifactorial. Domestic violence cannot be understood as isolated, but rather as one more piece in the great puzzle that is human relations.