Introduction
Domestic violence is a pervasive public health issue that has severe consequences for people, communities, and families. The majority of Americans will visit a healthcare professional at some time, and the hospital environment provides a key prospect for early detection. Potentially preventive interventions of domestic abuse assessments in medical contexts successfully detect women and children who are victims of abuse (Fanslow, 2017). Futures Without Violence is a health and social justice non-profit organization dedicated to advancing public health, promoting equitable opportunity, and enhancing the quality of life within the community.
The Mission and Vision of the Organization
The organization’s mission is to treat those affected by violence and establish violence-free healthy communities and families for tomorrow. However, the vision is to build a world without violence that promotes education, justice, safety, and hope. It is the organization’s goal via ground-breaking initiatives, legislation changes, and public awareness campaigns to eliminate abuse towards women and children in all its forms across the globe (Fanslow, 2017). In an effort to reach a wider audience and change societal norms, the organization teaches professionals, including physicians, nurses, prosecutors, and sports coaches, better ways to respond to assault and violence. Empathy and healthy relationships are essential values that the agency aims to spread worldwide by working with activists, policy officials, and others.
The organization supports its mission and vision through various initiatives. The organization educates clients on the need to develop safe and productive relationships. Establishing healthy relationship standards and training in positive relationship practices are essential components of a primary preventative strategy for addressing the issue of domestic violence. Tolerance of partner abuse, poor emotional control, conflict resolution, and inadequate communication skills all place persons at risk of perpetrating and being victims of domestic violence (Alvarez et al., 2017). Thus, cultivating good, peaceful relationships and developing competence in these domains might help lower the likelihood of IPV incidence and victimization.
While many preventative techniques concentrate on the personal and relationship-level traits that contribute to one’s probability of becoming a victim or offender of domestic violence, it is critical to understand the impact of community contexts. Approaches that generate a larger social and physical context that promotes security, social connections, and understanding of violence may contribute to developing a climate conducive to mitigating domestic violence. These community-level strategies may boost the rate of domestic violence disclosure and enhance the amount of help and opportunities available to domestic violence survivors.
Evaluation of the Futures Without Violence in Improving the quality of life in the community
Practitioners and scholars may use surveillance data to monitor variations in the prevalence of domestic violence. Assessing the existence of monitoring data systems at various levels enables the identification and correction of systemic gaps. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) collect statistics on domestic violence (Smith et al., 2018). The NICVS gathers information on the frequency, features, and effects of criminal violence among individuals aged 12 and above in the US (Smith et al., 2018). Evaluation of data generated during program monitoring and review is critical for determining what works in terms of reducing domestic violence rates and related risk and protective variables.
Individual behavior, such as violence, is highly impacted by social, economic, as well as cultural factors. While standards may help prevent assault, they can, however, help encourage and motivate its use. For instance, societal acceptance of aggression as a typical technique of resolving disagreement or as an essential component of child upbringing is a strong predictor of all forms of domestic violence. Diverse cultural and social norms contribute to the proliferation of diverse acts of abuse. For example, the conventional belief that males have the authority to dominate women physically exposes women to domestic abuse and girls to sexual assault (Smith et al., 2018). Equally, the societal acceptance of abuse, particularly sexual assault, as a personal affair prohibits external intervention and inhibits victims from reporting and seeking assistance. Victims of abuse are often stigmatized in many societies, which hinders reporting.
Impact of Funding Sources, Policy, and Legislation on the Provision of Services
Futures Without Violence offers resources to assist healthcare workers in recognizing and answering to domestic violence. The firm conducts the yearly international health conference on domestic abuse, which brings together specialists in medicine and public health from throughout the United States to strengthen the healthcare system’s reaction to domestic abuse. Through the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence, the organization offers technical support and educational resources to thousands of individuals each year (Smith et al., 2018). The Institute is one of five federally funded specialist domestic abuse help centers in the nation (Smith et al., 2018). Additionally, Building Healthy Teen Relationships is the biggest campaign ever sponsored to reach the under-14-year-olds and mobilize whole communities to foster healthy partnerships as a means of preventing teen dating assault and harassment. In cooperation with Futures Without Violence, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) committed $18 million in 11 communities around the US to discover and assess optimal strategies for preventing dating violence and abuse (Smith et al., 2018). Ultimately, the organization collaborates with activists, lawmakers, and others to help establish acts that will help eradicate gender-based violence worldwide.
Impacts of the Organizations Works on the Health of the Local Community
The local community may benefit from the organization’s extensive tools and funds dedicated to combating domestic abuse. Nurses, in particular, have received extensive training on how to deal with victims of domestic abuse. Domestic violence continues to be a significant and regular occurrence in women’s intimate partnerships, with negative health repercussions for women and children. Consequently, nurses have a critical responsibility to prevent and intervene early in domestic abuse. According to studies, women who are victims of domestic violence are less likely to seek treatment directly from specialists (McGarry, 2017). Nurses are well-known for their empathy, which has resulted in their serving as advocates for their patients.
A baseline of care for nurses is to conduct regular screenings for abuse in all settings. While most healthcare institutions urge screening programs for domestic abuse, the most effective implementation occurs in institutions with clear institutional guidelines that define intervention and evaluation measures. Nurses must continue to promote, create, and review multidisciplinary, creative, and culturally unique preventative and intervention initiatives with participation from stakeholders. Nurses should implement Community-based family assistance programs and family skills education.
Conclusion
Domestic violence is a significant public health issue that has serious economic and social ramifications. It is critical to encourage the development of constructive, respectful, and peaceful relationships, which have the potential to reduce the frequency of violence and safeguard individuals, families, and communities. Futures Without Violence is a health and social justice group committed to improving public health, promoting equal opportunity, and raising the overall quality of life in the community it serves.
References
Alvarez, C., Fedock, G., Grace, K. T., & Campbell, J. (2017). Provider screening and counseling for intimate partner violence: A systematic review of practices and influencing factors. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 18(5), 479-495.
Fanslow, J. (2017). Intimate partner violence and women’s reproductive health. Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Medicine, 27(5), 148-157.
McGarry, J. (2017). Domestic violence and abuse: An exploration and evaluation of a domestic abuse nurse specialist role in acute health care services. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(15-16), 2266-2273.
Smith, S. G., Zhang, X., Basile, K. C., Merrick, M. T., Wang, J., Kresnow, M., & Chen, J. (2018). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2015 data brief – updated release. Cdc.gov.