Domestic Violence Against Hispanic Women

Population, Need, and Rationale

The population that this work will explain is the Hispanic females that have been subjected to domestic violence. One area of community change is where there is a need to improve vulnerable populations’ lives. According to studies, Hispanic females undergo several problems which affect their lives. For instance, as this work will show, some are victims of domestic violence. One of the reasons for this case is the cultural beliefs and practices of the Hispanic population (Gonzalez et al., 2020). Many people believe that women only play the role of taking care of their families. Similarly, other factors, such as financial constraints, lead to such problems, making it a major issue. Social workers must incorporate their skills and knowledge to help Hispanic females subjected to domestic violence.

For this reason, choosing Hispanic females subjected to domestic violence for this work is an important decision. As a social worker, one should focus on several problems affecting society. This way, one can devise strategies and interventions to prevent several societal problems. Social workers should be aware of their populations. This way, it would be easier to identify any issues they may experience. It is also a good way to interact with the population members and establish ethical relationships. Social workers should use this knowledge to determine several problems that their populations face. Thus, this should also play an important role in developing interventions.

Based on this selection, the social worker will identify domestic violence against Hispanic females as a major problem that needs change. One of the most important things people should note is that domestic violence affects the victim, the accused, and one’s family (Satyen et al., 2019). However, studies show that one of the reasons for such situations is cultural beliefs and perceptions towards gender roles. Hispanics, for instance, value the man’s role in the family. Men believe they are the sole providers. Thus, they also make certain decisions which affect the family. However, some go to the extent of physically abusing their spouses.

This might be a challenging aspect of dealing with such problems as a social worker. First, dealing with domestic violence requires intense skills, knowledge, and patience. Thus, one may find it challenging to develop an intervention to help Hispanic families understand the negative impacts of domestic violence. However, this is a task that most social workers have already taken. They are ready to deal with the situation regardless of how long it takes and the challenges they might face.

The Rationale for the Focus

The rationale for the focus is that Hispanic females in society are among the most vulnerable population groups. One of the reasons is the gender roles that their culture assigns them. As this work explains, most understand that their role is to take care of their families while the man goes on with their normal income-generating activities. Studies show that Hispanics are more vulnerable to physical and mental conditions that can affect their lives (Bettinger-Lopez & Bro, 2020). This is also because of their deteriorated physical activities and emotional issues systems.

Cultural Humility

As a social worker, one should also consider cultural humility. One should evaluate the population’s culture before incorporating any intervention. Understanding one’s culture would help one know several aspects, such as language, practices, and beliefs (Sanz-Barbero et al., 2019). This way, one would also prevent instances of culture shock and conflicts. One should incorporate a client’s cultural practices and beliefs in their interventions. In this case, the social worker should understand how the Hispanic culture operates. This way, it can engage all the relevant family members when implementing the intervention.

Innovation, Evidence, and Past Intervention

According to studies, several factors can lead to domestic violence against Hispanic women. First, mental problems have been linked to domestic violence. In some cases, assaulters have been linked to mental illnesses as they make certain reckless decisions. For instance, one may fight their spouse for no reason. However, this also suggests that scholars should research the reasons for these mental issues (Barrios et al., 2021). Finding a solution to these mental issues would be a huge step towards improving the experiences of Hispanic females subjected to domestic violence.

Another factor that has been linked to domestic violence is poverty and unemployment. Many Hispanic families live in extreme poverty. This makes it hard for them to afford their daily needs. Such situations can lead to quarrels among spouses. Once spouses quarrel, they may end up fighting. Indeed when a Hispanic man and a Hispanic woman fight, the man would easily subdue the woman.

On the same note, cultural factors have led to several domestic violence cases against Hispanic women. For instance, Hispanic men believe that women should submit to them. Thus, most feel they should control their women. However, such cases are known to extend to physical abuse. Men would try to showcase their dominance by physically abusing their women. Thus, if a solution is to be determined, scholars should evaluate the impacts of such cultural beliefs and practices.

According to studies, several interventions have been used to deal with domestic violence. However, such interventions’ success relies on the ability of the victim and the assaulter to work together. Most interventions revolve around problem-solving, anger management, and improving social skills. However, one would recommend interventions to help the victims.

Macro Intervention and Planning

The intervention will play a huge role in ensuring that Hispanic women subjected to domestic violence get help. For this reason, the intervention must also include several stakeholders, who should play different roles. For instance, the first stakeholders are therapists. Therapists will help the victims understand how to deal with the trauma they developed from the assault (Wood et al., 2020). Similarly, the intervention will include additional social workers, who will evaluate any additional problems the women would have. The intervention will also include the women’s family members, who will help make several decisions. Involving the family members would be critical, as it will help the social worker educate them about the negative impacts of domestic violence.

Assessment

The assessment of the intervention will be based on its ability to meet the intended goals. For instance, the intervention will aim to provide victims with mental and physical health services. This way, they will improve their health and well-being. The assessment will also be based on the family’s ability to incorporate domestic violence prevention programs. They should learn how to solve problems they might face without violence.

Intervention Strategy

The intervention strategy will involve several practices. For instance, it will educate the victims on dealing with the trauma they developed from the violence. It will also help them improve their physical and mental well-being. On the same note, the program will also ensure that the Hispanic population understands the impacts of domestic violence. This should also help prevent any future cases of the problem.

Assets and Resources

The intervention will rely on several assets and resources. For instance, it will rely on educational institutions. This will play a huge role in educating the Hispanic population about the negative impacts that domestic violence has. It will also rely on social amenities such as churches. Most Hispanics are religious people. Thus, incorporating such a program in their religious teachings would be a good move by the social worker.

Specific Goals

The intervention will have several goals. First, it aims to reduce the prevalence of domestic violence against Hispanic women. The program will evaluate data about the problem before and after the intervention. This will help determine whether the intervention made any impact or not. The intervention will also aim to educate the Hispanic public about any negative impacts that domestic violence has. This will help people understand that domestic violence can lead to problems such as injuries, disability, or death, among other issues. Finally, the program aims to help domestic violence victims deal with the trauma they developed after their experiences.

Theory

The theory that will best work in this case is the theory of change narrative. The theory focuses on implementing several changes using different stakeholders in society. In this case, the social worker will collaborate with other parties, creating awareness about the problem. Similarly, other social workers will help the victims deal with any problems they would have developed because of their experiences.

Sustainability of the intervention

The intervention will be sustainable if every stakeholder is ready to collaborate. Collaboration would be a huge factor that would help the intervention meet its goals. If family members, for instance, are ready to learn about domestic violence, they will gain knowledge about its impacts and how to avoid it (Ragavan et al., 2020). Similarly, if victims are ready to open up and report cases of them being physically abused, the program would help reduce the prevalence.

Resources needed

The program will require several resources. For instance, it will require social places where stakeholders interact with Hispanic families. It will also require financial resources to cater to several other needs, such as public address systems. The program will also require technological resources such as websites and social media. It will use these to report its findings to other stakeholders, such as the public.

Challenges

The implementation may face several challenges. For instance, the program may need more funds to implement the change. Thus, stakeholders will rely on donors, sponsors, and other funds sources. The program may also need support from Hispanic family members. Thus, social workers and other stakeholders must convince Hispanic families to participate. Another challenge is that victims may shy from reporting domestic violence cases (Heron & Eisma, 2021). This might affect the program’s success.

 Conclusion

Domestic violence against Hispanic women is a social problem that requires addressing. Physical and verbal abuse against such a vulnerable population can have several impacts. As a social worker, one should work with victims of domestic violence, who are women, to find solutions to their problems. As this work explains, the success of any intervention would rely on factors such as collaboration among stakeholders, financial resources, and the willingness of the affected population to participate. Social workers should also research best practices they can use to develop and implement interventions to deal with domestic violence against Hispanic women.

References

Barrios, V. R., Khaw, L. B. L., Bermea, A., & Hardesty, J. L. (2021). Future directions in intimate partner violence research: An intersectionality framework for analyzing women’s processes of leaving abusive relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(23-24), NP12600-NP12625.

Bettinger-Lopez, C., & Bro, A. (2020). A double pandemic: Domestic violence in the age of COVID-19. Council on Foreign Relations, 13, 1-7.

Gonzalez, F. R., Benuto, L. T., & Casas, J. B. (2020). Prevalence of interpersonal violence among Latinas: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 21(5), 977-990.

Heron, R. L., & Eisma, M. C. (2021). Barriers and facilitators of disclosing domestic violence to the healthcare service: A systematic review of qualitative research. Health & Social Care in the Community, 29(3), 612-630.

Ragavan, M. I., Thomas, K. A., Fulambarker, A., Zaricor, J., Goodman, L. A., & Bair-Merritt, M. H. (2020). Exploring the needs and lived experiences of racial and ethnic minority domestic violence survivors through community-based participatory research: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 21(5), 946-963.

Sanz-Barbero, B., Barón, N., & Vives-Cases, C. (2019). Prevalence, associated factors and health impact of intimate partner violence against women in different life stages. PLoS one, 14(10), e0221049.

Satyen, L., Rogic, A. C., & Supol, M. (2019). Intimate partner violence and help-seeking behaviour: A systematic review of cross-cultural differences. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 21, 879-892.

Wood, L., Voth Schrag, R., & Busch-Armendariz, N. (2020). Mental health and academic impacts of intimate partner violence among IHE-attending women. Journal of American college health, 68(3), 286-293.