Domestic Violence

General Purpose - To inform
Specific Purpose - Inform audience about DV, suggestions for supporting friends and loved ones that are victims and note some of the community-based support for victims

General Purpose - To inform

Specific Purpose - Inform audience about DV, suggestions for supporting friends and loved ones that are victims and note some of the community-based support for victims

Introduction

●     Attention Getter - In 2012 38 women were killed by homicide.  How many of these 38 homicides were related to Domestic Violence

●     Thesis - When we think about DV we need to consider the whole spectrum of interpersonal violence, so that we are better able to support our friends and family’s members affected by DV.

●     Preview - Today I will discuss

○ spectrum of interpersonal violence

○ way people stay in abusive relationships

○ suggestions for how to support victims of DV

○ community support organizations

●     Relation to Audience - DV/IPV is more prevalent than we like to think.  For the year 2013 to the Oregon Department of Human Services there were 34,725 calls made to Sexual and Domestic Violence programs in Mult Co alone.  Many of us in this room know someone that has survived DV or someone that is living through crisis now.

Transition - [Slides 2 - 4] All three people have been arrested for DV. And as we can tell by these slides, we need to broaden our definition of DV abuser.  I picked these three celebrities for a couple of reasons.  Most of us (if not all of us) have seen the horrific pictures of Rihanna’s battered body taken from the hospital, or the very recent video of Ray Rice knocking his then fiancé unconscious in a casino elevator.     And this is the common image we have of DV/IPV perpetrators, but the slide of Emma Roberts forces us to wide this common image.  Nothing is black and white simple in the world of DV/IPV support. I would like to move on to the first section of the talk defining DV/IPV, types of abuses and why victims may choose to stay.

Body

●     DV/IPV definitions, types of abuse and reasons victims stay

○     Common definition for DV/IPV used by the professionals (in this case the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence) states Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive tactics that can include physical, psychological, sexual, economic, and/or emotional abuse, perpetrated by one person against a family member or intimate partner, with the goal of establishing and maintaining power and control.

○ This is including

■ Verbal / Emotional - name calling, treating, isolating, using children, ...

■ Physical/sexual abuse - hitting, pushing, slapping… rape, forcing to perform sexual acts, forcing to watch pornography against partner’s will.

Transition / inline review - Now that we are working with a broader definition of DV/IVR the reason why victims often are afraid to flee gets easier to assume.  Let’s take a moment to consider some common reasons as stated by advocacy professionals

●     Why people stay in DV/IPV situations

○     Children

○ Money

○ Housing

○ Love of the partner

Transition and preview - We now know that DV/IPV is much more than what we see in the media.  Let’s switch gears and talk about what help and support.  First, I am going to talk about how we as individuals can help and support our friends and family that might be victims of DV/IVP, then we’ll cover some of the community-based support for victims.

●     How individuals can help

○     Start by listening - just listening.  Listen actively, believe them, validate their feeling, don't minimize, and do not break their confidence

○ Start to rebuild confidence in victim

○ Help create a safety plan

●     Community Support

○     What kind of support is out there? - someone to talk to, shelters, legal, case management, legal, support groups...

○ 211 and national crisis line, Portland’s women's crisis line

Conclusion

●     Summary

○ Relationships in general are complicated.  So, it should be no surprise that DV/IPV is complex and ambiguous. It is my goal that this speech has opened our eyes to different types to abuse and the barriers victim's face.

○ Supporting victims and survivors can happening in many ways.  From listening and validating to any of the wide array of supports offered by community organizations

●     Clincher

-          Writing a researching this speech taught me how subtle   DV can be and I

surprised to learn that the tactics of DV are many, but the one common trait a that abuse shares is their indented goal of demoralizing and controlling the victim.