Zealand. According to Are You Ok organisation (2014) about half of the homicides in New
Zealand are committed by a person known to family. On average, family violence occurs
every half and 5 minutes, and about 76% of it was not reported to police. Official crime
statistics shows that from 2009 to 2013 a total of 13 women, 10 men and 9 children were
killed each year as a result of such pervasive crime. According to a study by Jane Fanslow
and Elizabeth Robinson between 33% to 39% of New Zealanders have experienced physical
or sexual assault from their intimate partner (Women's refuge, 2015).
There has been a slight increase in family violence since …show more content…
Victims of domestic violence are significantly affected by its consequences, which
could be physical injuries, psychological disorders, lack of connection with family and future
relationships. Many factors are connected to domestic violence, and the nature of them all
have not been explained, such as gender, alcohol, race, gender, age, mental disorders and
socioeconomic status (Mears, 2003). However, these factors may explain the nature of
domestic violence crime prevention and social reaction to it. There are differences among
programs, policies and views on how to prevent/measure/punish such crime.
There are several ways to reduce domestic violence and its revictimization. Social
service interventions refer to shelters, support groups, and advocacy services (Dewey et al.,
2003). Shelters are places where women and children are safe from their intimate partner or
father. It may be considered as an emergency facility to live at and build plans for a new life
without being abused. Shelter staff members help victims of abuse to overcome their fears, to
help make new life, achieve goals and to manage their future by finding a job and their place
to live at (Dewey et al., 2003). As it seems, shelters may be one of the places where …show more content…
In order to be given a room, women must report to emergency shelter services
about their daily life basis, current family situation and report any life changes while at this
facility. Often it is hard for them to open up and find this drive to go on and stop being a
victim. Another issue with shelters is personal appointments. The problem with this is that
usually victims of family abuse are controlled by husband/boyfriend/parents and are not able
or too afraid to leave the house as not to be punished if escaped have failed. Shelters may be
a good place for those who are in need of an emergency to leave current home, but the
effectiveness of it is not known.
Another social approach to prevent domestic violence is by peer support group. Those
groups are designed to assist victims with a clearer understanding of how and why they
become victims of family abuse. Also, it covers further discussion considering possible
services which deal with such issues. Peer support groups are "organisation", where one can
talk it out and decide what their future is. These support groups often try to reduce chances of
revictimization by providing information about successful better future. However,