Domestic Violence

Jessica Ayala

Domestic violence can occur in the form of physical, emotional, financial, sexual, digital,
and reproductive coercion.
Physical abusePhysical abuse includes not accidental force that causes injury. This includes however is not
limited to; hitting, slapping, burning, being cut, bruised, or improperly restraining. Signs of
physical abuse can be signs of cuts, bite marks, or rope and belt marks, as well as unexplained
bruising and broken or sprained bones.
(Natasha, n.d.)
Emotional AbuseCan be but is not limited to; acts that include confinement, isolation, humiliation, or treatment
that lowers ones self-worth and dignity. Yelling and swearing, name calling and mocking, and
denial as well as blaming the victim are all forms of emotional abuse. Signs of emotional abuse
can be lowered self-worth and confidence as well as withdrawing from regular activities.
(Natasha, n.d.)
Financial AbuseThis is a tactic that is used by abusers to have power and control in the relationship. Signs of
financial abuse are the abuser limiting or concealing access to finances or assets.
Sexual Abuse-

Domestic violence can include sexual abuse. Just because you are in a relationship does not
mean you are obligated to perform sexual acts at the request of your partner. Sexual abuse
involves force and cohesion to perform or have the victim perform sexual acts.
Digital AbuseDigital abuse is the use of technology to stalk, intimidate, or harass a victim. It has a strong
emotional impact on a victim.
Reproductive Coercion AbuseThis is a form of domestic violence in which the abuser will feel powerful by their control of a
women getting pregnant or not. Some abusers will purposefully make their victim pregnant and
then force them to get an abortion. (Marcotte, 2013).
Interview
To gain better insight into the problem of domestic violence I had the opportunity to talk
to Jana Taylor, from the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition center located in Salt Lake City Utah.
I first asked her to talk about where she works and how they help victims of domestic violence.
Jana informed me that there are many services that a victim of domestic violence might need and
their center connects them to those services. She told me about the emergency services a
domestic violence victim might need. A victim of domestic violence might need connections to
case management, crisis intervention services, emergency shelters, safety planning, food and
clothing, or emergency cell phones. Also victims might need help legally or financially; such
as assistance with order of protection, we offer financial empowerment training, connections to
legal representation, in-shelter financial aid, and child custody services. Additionally Victims
will need connections to housing, and support such as goal planning, assistance, parenting skills

training, job skills training, and health as well as wellness programs. Jana discussed each area of
these connections as well as services that they offer. I asked her how often she sees Latino clients
over Non-Latino clients. She told me that she personally sees a large number of their clients
being Latino. Jana told me that domestic violence is a prominent problem in the Latino culture,
and I discussed with her that we had been learning about that in class. Then I discussed my
strategy with her to helping to reduce domestic violence as well as be a resource for those who
are enduring domestic violence.
A realistic approach: my strategy
My idea is to create a password protected app for mobile phones. The main feature of the
app would be the ability to connect to emergency responders with the touch of a button. When in
an explosive domestic dispute, it is not always safe for one to call 911. While they have recently
come out with the feature to text 911 that is also not always going to be a likely solution for
someone in a domestic dispute. Texting can be dangerous, and being able to only use your
fingerprint ID or a password (depending which way the downloader wants to set it up) it could
be a more concealed way to contact emergency responders. Another appealing section of the app
is the chat section. In the chat site a downloader will be able to contact available hosts. Hosts will
be professionals who are able to counsel and advice those seeking advice. Sometimes a victim
needs someone to talk to that they can trust. This can be a great feature because all information
relayed to the professional must be kept confidential and abide by the code of ethics in
confidentiality form.
Another feature of the app is the section for those who are wanting advice that are desiring to
stay in their abusive relationship. In this section there will be strategies listed:

When in an abusive incident:

-

Position yourself and any others at risk of harm in a room with an exit- a window or a

door leading outside.

Avoid the bathroom, kitchen, or any other room that may contain weapons or hard

surfaces.
Try to get to a room that has a phone, or if you can take your cell phone with you.
identify a safe route to leave your home and practice the route at a time that does not put

you at risk- if you cannot physically practice the route, visualize it often.
Identify where you will go if you leave and how you will get there.
pack a bag with a checklist (link to checklist) items and keep it at the home of a trusted

friend or family member.

Use your instincts- if the situation becomes dangerous consider doing whatever is

necessary to reduce your risks.

Tell your children to never get involved in an argument between you and your abuser.
teach your children how to call 9-1-1 and create a simple 9-1-1 code word that lets them
know when to call.

(Udvc.gov)
Another icon on the app will link to advice for those seeking to leave their abuser.
The app will be displayed as follows: Once the abuser is not no longer in the home or with
you there are some things you can do to increase your safety
-Buy additional locks and safety device to secure your windows.
-Add outside security lighting.
-Request a new, unlisted number.
-If you have moved, never tell your abuser where you live, advise others to do the same.

-Discuss a safety plan with your children- inform them where to go and what to do if the
abuser shows up.
-Alert your neighbors, landlord, neighborhood watch program, employer, or anyone else
whom you feel might be helpful, that your abuser does not live with you and if they see
him/her they should call local law enforcement.
-Call the police if the abuser threatens you, your children, other loved ones or acquaintances
or your home.
-Tell your childrens school, daycare, etc., who does and does not have permission to pick
them up.
-Screen your calls and allow them to go to voicemail.
-Use a variety of routes when traveling to and from home.
-Do not go to the same stores at the same time of the day, change your routine.
-Identify safe places that you can go if something happens while you are out.
-Obtain a post office box using a safe permanent physical address.
(Udcv.gov)
These are the four icons (the emergency connection, the advice for those staying in the
abusive relationship, and those that are planning to leave, as well as the chat section) that could
be greatly impactful. It will be safe for users because it will not show up in their history on their
phone and everything on the site is secure. The app will be free to download, the only cost to the
downloader will be either data or Wi-Fi connection when dispatching emergency responders, and
using the chat site. The cost to make the app will be costs for development. Since the app will

need developers as well as connective services to emergency responders it will cost $8,000$20,000 to develop and implement. The other fee is for the chat professionals. I am hoping to get
volunteers but with the need to have someone available 24/7 I will need to hire 3 people on top
of volunteers. They would not necessary need to be logged on to the app but have the app linked
to their text messaging so that when someone does reach out they can respond immediately. To
hire 3 people and pay them $400 a month. Annually it would cost $14,400 to employ all three.
The final cost to implement and carry out this app will cost a minimum of $22,400 and a
maximum of $34,400. I will seek the fund from investors.
There is not a limit to which areas could be targeted, the beauty of technology is that this can
reach as many areas that technology will prohibit. The more areas that the app is released to then
the more volunteers and possibly the more people I will need to hire to serve the chat section of
the app. As that happens I will need to seek more investors so that I can accommodate for the
chat feature.
Domestic is a prominent problem in the Latino community. Roughly 1 in 3 people will be
victims of domestic violence. Why is domestic so high in Latin cultures? It can be from a
number of reasons. One reason is culture values. Familismo is a reference to the central place
that family has in many Latinos lives. In many cultures the man is seen as the breadwinner and
the woman as the one who is responsible for the well-being of the family. Because of strong
culture values with familismo it can prevent some Latino women from reporting domestic
violence, other factors that contribute to them not reporting are religious beliefs. Many believe
that he sanctity of marriage prohibits them from taking steps that may result in divorce or
separation. These are just a few of the factors that contribute to domestic violence being
prominent in the Latino community. (National Latina Network, n.d.)

Bibliography:

Natasha, T. (n.d.). Emotional Abuse: Definitions, Signs, Symptoms, Examples - HealthyPlace.

Retrieved March 10, 2016, from http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/emotional-psychologicalabuse/emotional-abuse-definitions-signs-symptoms-examples/

Marcotte, A. (2013). Reproductive Coercion: A Widespread Form of Domestic Violence

Supported by Anti-Choice Legislation. Retrieved March 10, 2016, from
http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/06/02/reproductive-coercion-a-widespread-form-ofdomestic-violence-with-direct-ties-to-anti-choice-legislation/

Utah Domestic Violence Coalition. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2016, from http://udvc.org/

National Latina Network. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2016, from

http://www.nationallatinonetwork.org/learn-more/facts-and-statistics/contextual-factors
Interview with Jana Taylor. Business phone number: (801) 521-5544.
Personal contact: (385) 414-2389