Domestic Violence Policy - Essay Example

Domestic Violence Policy By + Domestic Violence is an issue that has undergone various policy changes to become what it is today. In the past, very few laws were concerned about what happened in the privacy of people’s homes, but with time, there was need for policies to protect victims of domestic violence. Cases of domestic violence have regularly been highlighted in the media and this has drawn attention of legislators who forward bills to reduce such occurrences. Based on this, there has been formulation of policies and reforms to safeguard potential victims (Davis, 1998, p. 43). In Victoria, Australia, there has been an increase in the rate of domestic violence and statistics show an increase on homicide rates. As a result, there are calls for a review of domestic violence policy to determine what can be done to reduce such occurrences across the country. According to the opposition, the ruling party should not wait further so that it can act, if possible, review of the laws should begin immediately. Such a duty will be left to the royal commission whose mandate will include close examination of domestic violence and all the factors that affect it. These include health services, alcohol, education, the criminal systems and the courts. Of all these factors, alcohol stands out strongly as the leading cause of violence within homes. Statistics from a survey throughout Victoria, results show that in households where both or one of the couples took alcohol, the chances of domestic violence occurring was 53%. It was established that alcohol consumption blurred their thinking and left them very agitated, as such, they were more likely to be abusive to those around them. The commission will receive professional assistance from survivors and several support providers who have experience in dealing with such issues. According to the proposed chair of the panel, the judicial system has been lenient on domestic violence offenders and it was about time the Labor party made the appropriate changes to prevent the spread of this vice. He said the focus of the panel would be to deal with the matter while focusing on the causative factors; it is from this perspective that the relevant policies can be formulated (Pleck, 2007, p. 50). However, statistics from Victorian courts show a different side to the domestic violence issue. Court documents prove that the rate of domestic violence has gone down over the last three years and prosecutions are few (Dutton, 2006, p. 77). Judges clarify that they have been strict on offenders in the recent past and, as a result, very few people are willing to bear with the consequences. The opposition greatly opposes these statements and pointed out that the reduced rate of convictions resulted from low reporting of domestic violence cases. The opposition leaders stated that, in a society where offenders seem to get light sentences, people lose trust in the system and opt to personally bear their grievances. However, in June this year, the Coalition Government launched the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022 (Murray, 2014, p. 41). During the launch, which was attended by state, federal and territory ministers, the Prime minister pointed out that the plan targeted victims of domestic violence, particularly women and children. Furthermore, it showed the Coalition’s commitment to reduce such acts of violence. He highlighted that the most effective way to deal with domestic violence was to have a long-term plan that would resolve the matter. To support this bold move, a policy was passed for the development of a Foundation to Prevent Violence against Women and their Children. Its main focus will be prevention of domestic violence before any occurrence, while building strong relationships and helping develop positive attitudes among communities. Already, the government has pledged to support the foundation to the tune of $6.2million. As opposed to claims that little media attention is focused on victims of domestic violence, the Victorian Government has an initiative that recognizes media personalities who have shown excellence when it comes to reporting of violence against women. The initiative known as the Eliminating Violence Awards is set to be expanded to take place nationally. These are some of the steps aimed at stopping domestic violence (Ludwig, 2003, p. 104). According to the one of the Coalition Government Secretaries, there is a five-point policy plan that is guaranteed to help deal with the issue. The first point is to increase the understanding and meet the various needs of the couples through out the region, state officials will then know what policies to put in place to stop further domestic violence. The second point is improvement of the perpetrator interventions, as this increases the trust that victims have on the system. The third point involves exploration and strengthening in the manner in which the services and systems pertaining to violence work in the country (Jackson, 2007, p. 55). The fourth point involves implementation of a nationwide scheme for orders regarding domestic violence in the country. The final point is the engagement of the whole community to build awareness and prevent violence. According to research, the community plays a very important role in shaping behavior and actions. Once the community can understand that domestic violence does not only affect individual households, and then there will be a shift in intervention when it occurs. In budget allocations this year, there was an allocation of over $4 million on a pilot program aimed at bringing together domestic violence services, the courts system and the police to keep victims safe. However, support groups have stated that this amount was not enough and more funds are needed to address the issue. Such sentiments are common across the country given that last year 29 children and women were victims of domestic violence (Henry, 2004, p. 23). Based on these factors, the opposition is making use of this issue as the basis of its campaigns. People are worried about security and the government should be able to guarantee that to its citizens (Bermann, 2001, p. 91). The ruling party is trying to pass laws that will curb the increase in domestic violence cases but the opposition has pointed out that it is not enough. Women and children are the most common victims of domestic violence and this is detrimental to the image of the nation. The opposition has proposed a series of laws that it claims will help it end domestic violence in a period of five years. They claim that this will be their first points of action once they are elected into office. On the other hand, psychologists argue that domestic violence is much more complicated than previously thought. Research has shown that such violence has a genetic basis and treatment can be quite costly. Persons who are victims of domestic violence or have been in households where they witnessed domestic violence were more likely to engage in the vice. It calls for constant rehabilitation of offenders as placing them behind bars alone does very little in helping them (Lee, 200, p. 69). Most domestic violence offenders who were in prisons are repeat offenders, an indication that traditional methods of handling the issue are not effective. According to them, formulation of policies should involve all stakeholders in the economy. These include women representatives, youth representatives, judicial officers and the police. Each of these has an important role to play regarding reduction of domestic violence rates, when each of them is integrated into the policy making process, they will understand the role they have and do their best to support the policies. At this rate, the opposition is gaining support among the people and placing pressure on the Coalition government. A lot needs to be done to stop domestic violence and other related crimes such as sexual assault and racial discrimination. Funding allocation should be increased to facilitate prevention programs with the aim of developing a peaceful society. All this will help the Victorian Coalition Government gain favor among the public and was instrumental in helping them win subsequent elections. Bibliography Bermann, S. (2001). Domestic violence in the lives of children: The future of research, intervention, and social policy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Davis, R. (1998). Domestic violence: Facts and fallacies. Westport, CT: Praeger. Dutton, D. (2006). Rethinking domestic violence. Vancouver: UBC Press. Henry, C. (2004). Race, poverty, and domestic policy. New Haven: Yale University Press. Jackson, N. (2007). Encyclopedia of domestic violence. New York: Routledge. Lee, J. (2005). Addressing domestic violence in the workplace. Amherst, Mass.: HRD Press. Ludwig, J. (2003). Evaluating gun policy effects on crime and violence. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press. Murray, S. (2014). Domestic violence: Australian public policy. North Melbourne, Vic.: Australian Scholarly Publishing. Pleck, E. (2007). Domestic tyranny: The making of social policy against family violence from colonial times to the present. New York: Oxford University Press. Smith, S. (2006). The American Congress (4th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More