Detecting and Preventing Domestic Violence

domestic violence

Domestic violence, we know, leaves physical and emotional scars. Yet, often, the effects are greater than we think.

Studying 1,052 mothers as part of the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a team of researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London in England, the Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal (IUSMM), and the University of Montreal followed them for 10 years. Over the decade, the researchers conducted multiple interviews to determine whether the subjects had suffered violence from their spouses and whether they suffered from mental health disorders, as well as factors such as their personal history, and the presence of childhood abuse and economic poverty. Only subjects with no previous history of depression were considered for the study.

So what did the study unveil? More than one third of the women reported suffering violence from their spouses (e.g., being pushed or hit with an object); women who reported abuse had a more extensive history of childhood abuse, abuse of illicit substances, economic poverty, early pregnancy, and an antisocial personality; they were twice as likely to suffer from depression, even when controlling for the impact of childhood abuse; and domestic violence led to a three times higher risk of developing schizophrenia-like psychotic symptoms. This risk doubled for women who were also victims of childhood abuse (Ouellet-Morin et al., 2015).

Another study found that just witnessing domestic violence also has long-term mental health ramifications. Examining a nationally representative sample of 22,559 community-dwelling Canadians, using data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health, and defining parental domestic violence as “chronic” if it had occurred more than 10 times before the respondent was age 16, researchers from the University of Toronto (U of T), found the lifetime prevalence of suicide attempts among adults who had been exposed to chronic parental domestic violence during childhood was 17.3% compared to 2.3% among those without this childhood adversity (Fuller-Thompson et al., 2016).

What studies like this tell us is that domestic violence, whether experienced or witnessed, has serious and prolonged consequences for our mental health.

Yet, for clinicians, detecting domestic violence is not so simple. For one thing, many women are afraid to disclose or may fear their abusers reactions if they do. They may also feel like they can’t leave, or will be judged or criticized if they choose not to.

Then there is the issue of the best way to help victims of domestic violence. Should they be encouraged to leave right away? What about safety planning? What about treating the corresponding mental health issues like depression and anxiety? What is the best approach?

Clearly, treatment efficacy will depend on a clinician who is educated about domestic violence, but also understands the complex nature of it. Moreover, the clinician will need to know how to implement a safety plan, connect the client to community resources, and perhaps most importantly, facilitate the conversation about if and when to leave.

Related Online Continuing Education (CE) Courses:

Domestic Violence: Child Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course intended to help healthcare professionals maintain a high state of vigilance and to be well prepared with immediate and appropriate responses when abuse is disclosed. Domestic violence, in the form of child abuse and intimate partner violence, remains a pervasive part of contemporary life in the U.S. Its effects are deep and far-reaching. This course will teach clinicians to detect abuse when they see it, screen for the particulars, and respond with definitive assistance in safety planning, community referrals, and individualized treatment plans. There is a special section on the complexity of an abuse victim’s decision about if and when to leave an abuser. This course meets the Domestic Violence license renewal requirement of all Florida licensees. Course #21-12 | 2016 | 42 pages | 15 posttest questions

How Children Become Violent is a 6-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that examines the cycle of youth violence and sexual offending and how this cycle can be broken. This course was written for professionals working in the mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice/criminal justice, and research fields, as well as students studying these fields. The authors’ goal is to make a case for the fact that juvenile and adult violence begins very early in life, and it is both preventable and treatable. The author draws on her 30 years of experience working in and researching violence to demonstrate that society must intervene early in the lives of children living in violent, neglectful, criminal, and substance-dependent families. This course provides information about the problems of violence — in its various forms of abuse, neglect, and just plain senseless killing — that takes place in this country. These are problems that are seldom handled well by governmental agencies of child welfare, juvenile justice, education, and mental health. This results in more problems, turning into a cycle of youth violence and sexual offending that will potentially continue for generations. However, with the correct intervention, this cycle can be broken, which creates a safer environment for all of society. Closeout Course #60-68 | 2006 | 136 pages | 36 posttest questions

Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved to sponsor continuing education by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics & Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners; and are CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within a few days of completion).

Target Audience: PsychologistsCounselorsSocial WorkersMarriage & Family Therapist (MFTs)Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)Occupational Therapists (OTs)Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs)School Psychologists, and Teachers

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Breaking the Cycle of Violence

Breaking the Cycle of Violence

Violence, while it often demands our attention in the immediate, begins much earlier than it actually transpires. Often, it is the chain reaction of several incidents, each pushing the person closer to the edge of anger – and further from the very support systems than could possibly intervene.

Let me give you an example. Sam, a fifth grade student, whose parents have just divorced, begins having trouble in recess. He often seems irritable, fights easily with other children, and displays rigid and inflexible behavior. When his teacher attempts to intervene, Sam is inconsolable. Eventually he begins disrupting the class. After speaking with Sam’s parents – who both state that the “other parent” should have to deal with Sam’s behavior – Sam’s teacher decides to send him to a remedial class.

In the remedial class, Sam is exposed to many other angry kids, several who are more violent than he is. In an attempt to fit in, Sam begins to act like the other kids in his class and his behavior grows more aggressive. When he threatens a teacher, Sam is sent to the principal who decides to remove him from school altogether.

Now in an alternative school, Sam is labeled “dangerous,” and removed from many of the school’s extra-curricular activities. As time has progressed, Sam’s home life has gotten worse. Each time he gets in trouble, his parent sends him to the “other parent’s house,” telling him that unless he “shapes up” he won’t be allowed to return. Sam soon begins leaving home for long periods of time and starts hanging out with a gang. After a few months, he no longer attends school, and has had two brushes with the authorities.

For kids like Sam, the emergence of violence is only a matter of time. Yet Sam is not a violent kid, rather, he is caught in a cycle of violence. Through a collection of events, Sam’s needs went unnoticed, and as he felt more unheard, and less important, his behavior worsened. Instead of being offered support to manage his feelings and behavior, Sam was sent away, and even worse, exposed to more violence – the very thing he was sent away for. Reaching Sam now seems almost impossible.

Changing the behavior of kids like Sam would be much easier if the cycle that helped create it was identified when it first started. When trained clinicians can recognize the signs of violence early on, intervene to identify kids at risk, and reach out to help them through effective strategies to express their feelings and advocate for their needs – as oppose to sending them away – the cycle of violence could be broken. Kids like Sam would no longer be labeled violent and dangerous.

Related Online Continuing Education (CE) Courses:

How Children Become Violent is a 6-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that examines the cycle of youth violence and sexual offending and how this cycle can be broken. This course was written for professionals working in the mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice/criminal justice, and research fields, as well as students studying these fields. The authors’ goal is to make a case for the fact that juvenile and adult violence begins very early in life, and it is both preventable and treatable. The author draws on her 30 years of experience working in and researching violence to demonstrate that society must intervene early in the lives of children living in violent, neglectful, criminal, and substance-dependent families. This course provides information about the problems of violence — in its various forms of abuse, neglect, and just plain senseless killing — that takes place in this country. These are problems that are seldom handled well by governmental agencies of child welfare, juvenile justice, education, and mental health. This results in more problems, turning into a cycle of youth violence and sexual offending that will potentially continue for generations. However, with the correct intervention, this cycle can be broken, which creates a safer environment for all of society. Closeout Course #60-68 | 2006 | 136 pages | 36 posttest questions

Domestic Violence: Child Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course intended to help healthcare professionals maintain a high state of vigilance and to be well prepared with immediate and appropriate responses when abuse is disclosed. Domestic violence, in the form of child abuse and intimate partner violence, remains a pervasive part of contemporary life in the U.S. Its effects are deep and far-reaching. This course will teach clinicians to detect abuse when they see it, screen for the particulars, and respond with definitive assistance in safety planning, community referrals, and individualized treatment plans. There is a special section on the complexity of an abuse victim’s decision about if and when to leave an abuser. This course meets the Domestic Violence license renewal requirement of all Florida licensees. Course #21-12 | 2016 | 42 pages | 15 posttest questions

Suicide Prevention: Evidence-Based Strategies is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE) course that reviews evidence-based research and offers strategies for screening, assessment, treatment, and prevention of suicide in both adolescents and adults. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In 2015, 44,193 people killed themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes, “Suicide is a serious but preventable public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities.” People who attempt suicide but do not die face potentially serious injury or disability, depending on the method used in the attempt. Depression and other mental health issues follow the suicide attempt. Family, friends, and coworkers are negatively affected by suicide. Shock, anger, guilt, and depression arise in the wake of this violent event. Even the community as a whole is affected by the loss of a productive member of society, lost wages not spent at local businesses, and medical costs. The CDC estimates that suicides result in over 44 billion dollars in work loss and medical costs. Prevention is key: reducing risk factors and promoting resilience. This course will provide a review of evidence-based studies so that healthcare professionals are informed on this complex subject. Information from the suicide prevention technical package from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be provided. Included also are strategies for screening and assessment, prevention considerations, methods of treatment, and resources for choosing evidence-based suicide prevention programs. Course #30-97 | 2017 | 60 pages | 20 posttest questions

Professional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. We are approved to sponsor continuing education by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics & Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners; and are CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within a few days of completion).

Target Audience: PsychologistsCounselorsSocial WorkersMarriage & Family Therapist (MFTs)Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)Occupational Therapists (OTs)Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs)School Psychologists, and Teachers

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

Invisible Victims: Children and Domestic Violence

By Adam Cook @ Addictionhub.org

Invisible Victims: Children and Domestic ViolenceDomestic violence is more prevalent than you may realize. 95% of the cases involve female victims of male partners, but the female often isn’t the only victim. An estimated 3.2 million children living in America witness incidents of domestic violence annually. Witnessing has an array of meanings. It includes seeing the actual event of physical or sexual abuse occur, hearing threats or other violent noises from another room, observing the aftermath from the abuse like blood, bruises, tears, or broken items, and being aware of the tension in the household like the fear when the abuser is present. The child is like an extension of their abused parent− when the mother gets abused, it’s like the child gets abused. Here are some of the long-term effects of domestic violence on children.

Physical Health Problems

Unfortunately, children aren’t always just witnessing these attacks− sometimes they are on the receiving end of it as well. Other physical symptoms of growing up in a violent home include stomachaches, headaches, bedwetting, and inability to concentrate. Experts believe that children who grow up in abusive homes think that violence is an effectual way to resolve conflicts and solve problems. This may result in the child replicating the violence and intimidation that they witnessed when they were younger in their teen and adult relationships, and can lead to the cycle of violence with their children.

PTSD

Exposure to domestic violence as a child can lead to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Children’s interpersonal violence exposure wasn’t always recognized as a potential antecedent to PTSD, but now it is acknowledged that extraordinarily stressful events can occur as part of children’s habitual experiences. Recent definitions of trauma stressors now include moments within ordinary circumstances that are capable of causing death, injury, or threaten the well-being of a loved one or the child itself. Signs of PTSD include:

  • Reliving the event: Memories of the event can resurface at any given moment, evoking the same feelings of fear and horror that occurred during the actual event. Nightmares, flashbacks, and triggers like seeing, hearing, or smelling something that causes the child to relive the traumatic event are forms of these re-experiencing symptoms.
  • Avoiding situations that remind the child of the event: The child may try to avoid situations or people that trigger those memories of a past event of domestic violence. They may keep busy or avoid seeking help because it keeps them from having to think or talk about the event.
  • Negative changes in beliefs and feelings: The self-image the child possessed may change, as well as the way they view others. There are many aspects to this symptom, including a belief that the world is completely dangerous and no one can be trusted, or a lack of loving or positive feelings in relationships.
  • Hyperarousal: The child may be jittery, irritable, angry, or always alert and on the lookout for danger. Trouble sleeping and concentrating may occur, or they may be startled by loud noises or surprises.


If you relocate as a result of a domestic violence situation, be aware that even moving to a new place can have emotional effects on children. If they’re removed from a familiar school or friends, they may face depression and other challenges. This should be addressed in any kind of therapy.

Substance Abuse

Often a matter of coping with the domestic violence and the consequences it brings, children who experience violent and traumatic events use drugs and alcohol to numb the pain and block out the memories. Substance abuse is most likely a learned behavior. Regular alcohol abuse is one of the leading risk factors for partner violence, and the risk of violence increases when both partners abuse drugs or alcohol.

Therapy and Treatment Options

There are numerous organizations that offer several avenues for child victims of domestic violence to address their issues and attempt to heal. Group and individual therapy, as well as dyadic treatments with their non-offending parent are essential components of intervention. The National Domestic Violence Hotline for victims is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Their website, www.thehotline.org, provides information about local programs or resources available.

Related Online Continuing Education (CE) Courses:

Domestic Violence: Child Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course intended to help healthcare professionals maintain a high state of vigilance and to be well prepared with immediate and appropriate responses when abuse is disclosed.

How Children Become Violent is a 6-hour online continuing education (CE) course that was written for professionals working in the mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice/criminal justice, and research fields, as well as students studying these fields. The authors’ goal is to make a case for the fact that juvenile and adult violence begins very early in life, and it is both preventable and treatable.

Improving Cultural Competence in Substance Abuse Treatment is a 4-hour online continuing education (CE) course that proposes strategies to engage clients of diverse racial and ethnic groups in treatment.

PTSD Vicarious Traumatization: Towards Recognition & Resilience-Building is a 2-hour online continuing education (CE) course that outlines some of the basic differences between primary traumatization, secondary traumatization, VT, and compassion fatigue; discusses many of the signs and symptoms of VT; provides questions for self-assessment of VT; and provides coping suggestions for providers who are involved in trauma work or those who may have VT reactions.

Professional Development ResourcesProfessional Development Resources is a nonprofit educational corporation 501(c)(3) organized in 1992. Our purpose is to provide high quality online continuing education (CE) courses on topics relevant to members of the healthcare professions we serve. We strive to keep our carbon footprint small by being completely paperless, allowing telecommuting, recycling, using energy-efficient lights and powering off electronics when not in use. We provide online CE courses to allow our colleagues to earn credits from the comfort of their own home or office so we can all be as green as possible (no paper, no shipping or handling, no travel expenses, etc.). Sustainability isn’t part of our work – it’s a guiding influence for all of our work.

Earn CE Wherever YOU Love to Be!

We are approved to offer continuing education by the American Psychological Association (APA); the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC); the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR); the Alabama State Board of Occupational Therapy; the Florida Boards of Social Work, Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology & School Psychology, Dietetics & Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and Occupational Therapy Practice; the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker & MFT Board and Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the South Carolina Board of Professional Counselors & MFTs; the Texas Board of Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists and State Board of Social Worker Examiners; and are CE Broker compliant (all courses are reported within one week of completion).