Mid-Atlantic Region Raises Awareness for Domestic Violence

By David Todd, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Navy is observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October as a way to inform the Navy's Total Force about domestic violence prevention, how to identify the warning signs and how to report abuse.

Domestic violence goes beyond physical abuse and affects all age groups and social classes - both male and female. It can include emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse.

"Preventing domestic violence is a Navy-wide effort that depends on the commitment of everyone," said Rear Adm. Tim Alexander, commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. "I am confident we can reduce incidents of domestic violence by making sure our service members, civilians and their families receive the support they need, and that we hold offenders accountable. Domestic violence degrades readiness and we should never tolerate it."

As part of an effort to combat and prevent domestic violence, Alexander signed a proclamation, Sept. 25, declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the Mid-Atlantic region. In signing, Alexander urged individuals to learn about the warning signs and how to identify domestic abuse.

"Oftentimes, victims don't want to come forward because they are afraid," he said. "We have an obligation to know what to look for and to become actively involved when it occurs."

Alexander stressed that help and support are available for those who are victims of domestic abuse.

"There is no shame in seeking help when someone is in an abusive relationship," he said. "Never hesitate to reach out to your Fleet and Family Support Center, or a Navy chaplain. There are programs and services in place now that can help victims and help us increase our prevention efforts."

There are two reporting options available for victims of domestic abuse: restricted and unrestricted. Restricted reports do not involve military chain of command or law enforcement. Unrestricted reports, however, will include an investigation by command and/or law enforcement. In both cases, victims can receive a full range of advocacy, medical and counseling services.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, speak with a counselor or victim advocate at your local Fleet and Family Support Center, a healthcare provider at a military treatment facility, or a Navy chaplain about the options that are available to you. You may also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE, or visit www.thehotline.org for more information.

The Family Advocacy Program (FAP) is available to support families in the U.S. and overseas. FAP staff members are professionally trained, respond appropriately to incidents of abuse and neglect, support victims, and offer prevention and treatment services. An important part of the program is a collaboration among FAP staff, military units, law enforcement, medical and legal personnel, family service centers, chaplains and civilian agencies. This coordinated community effort is essential for success in preventing and responding to abusive behavior within military families.

 To find a Fleet and Family Support Center near you, or to inquire about the services that are available, visit 1.usa.gov/LnVW2m.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnrma/.

DCoE June Webinar: Intimate Partner Violence

By DCoE Strategic Communications

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury will host its next webinar, “Intimate Partner Violence: What Health Care Providers Need to Know,” from 1 to 2:30 p.m. (EDT) June 28.

Intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, is a serious public health problem in the United States. According to “The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Study: 2010 Summary Report” by Michele C. Black, et al., 2011, nearly 30 percent of women and 10 percent of men have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by a partner. Victims are at risk for a variety of psychological health concerns, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and substance misuse.

Co-occurring issues, such as violent behavior, aggression, alcohol misuse and PTSD, may increase the risk of someone hurting a partner. Research suggests that veterans with PTSD have a higher incidence of perpetrating domestic violence than veterans without the diagnosis and those co-occurring issues may be related to combat experience.

Subject matter experts will discuss the impact of partner violence on victims’ psychological health, identify appropriate screening methods for signs of abuse and examine the relationship between domestic violence and PTSD, emphasizing provider-level care strategies.

Featured speakers are:

■April A. Gerlock, Ph.D., ANRP, Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Health Services Research and Development Service NW Center of Excellence research associate

■Carole Warshaw, M.D., National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health director

All professionals who care for service members are encouraged to attend, including service members and their families. You may register now, or review further information.

Continuing education units and continuing medical education credits are available. Click here for details. To obtain credits, you must pre-register using the Adobe Connect platform.

Follow us on Twitter@DCoEPage during the webinar for live Tweeting and use #DCoEWebinar to join the conversation.

Awareness training for health care providers at Fort Bragg

Jennifer Pierce-Weeks, a registered nurse and a forensic nurse examiner with the International Association of Forensic Nurses and Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs, Colo., talks about the various health problems that occur from a history of intimate partner violence, during a training session for health care providers at Womack Army Medical Center, Oct. 11. Health care providers were provided an opportunity to more about their role in the health care of domestic violence victims.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Health care providers at Womack Army Medical Center learned more about their role in the health care of intimate partner violence at Weaver Auditorium, Oct. 11.

“The Role of the Health Care Provider in Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence” was an in-depth overview of the medical necessity and liability for the providers.

“I was asked to speak in honor of Domestic Awareness Month, to try to engage the health care providers here in accessing for domestic violence and effectively intervening on behalf of their patients,” said Jennifer Pierce-Weeks, a registered nurse and a forensic nurse examiner with the International Association of Forensic Nurses and Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The training covered topics including confidentiality issues, legal issues, intervention and management, documentation and different types of strangulation's that health care providers should look for.

Pierce-Weeks said the training was for health care providers. However, professionals of the community who come in contact with domestic violence victims were able to participate in the training.

During the training, Pierce-Weeks described how screening appropriately, helps health care providers make the connection between victimization, health problems and risk behaviors. To make screening easier for the health care providers, Pierce-Weeks mentioned a few helpful tips.

“Patients are more willing to have a conversation, rather than just asking,” she said. “You don’t want to just ask the bare minimum and assume that nothing is going on at home.”

She also suggested that health care providers should talk to the patients alone, and not while the patient’s spouse is in the same room.

“If you ask the patients in front of their significant other, it gives their partner an idea of what goes on and possibly rehearsed answers will be given at the next appointment,” said Pierce-Weeks.

The first portion of the training focused more on how to effectively screen for domestic violence by talking to the victims, the second part centered on strangulation and the signs, which aren’t commonly recognized.

“Strangulation's are more prevalent as a whole (in the country),” said Valerie McNeill, a Victims Witness Liaison with the XVIII Airborne Corps Judge Advocate General office. “We have several cases that deal with strangulation and some of the signs were shown during the presentation.”

“Only about half of strangulation victims have visible injuries,” said Pierce-Weeks. “You have to get close and really examine your patients. For example, if a patient is a sitting across from you, you will never see there are capillaries opened up underneath the eyelids or on the eyes.”

Ultimately, the training emphasized the importance of accurately accessing a patient for domestic violence and recognizing the red flags before something worse happens.

The training helped emphasize Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and also honored 2nd Lt. Holley L. James-Wimunc, a registered nurse from Womack Army Medical Center, who died from intimate partner violence.

“Prevention is the key,” said Robin Span, a victim advocate coordinator at Army Community Services, at Fort Bragg, N.C. “We want people to know there is an array of services available both on post and off post to help prevent domestic violence.”

Pacific Partnership Representatives Attend Women's Empowerment Conference

By Airman 1st Class Haleigh Greer, Pacific Partnership 2011 Public Affairs

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (NNS) -- Three women from the Pacific Partnership 2011 team attended the Pacific Women's Empowerment Initiative held in Port Moresby, May 31, to support the movement for women's rights in the South Pacific.

The forum allowed female delegates from 12 different countries in the region to discuss women's issues in their respective countries. Over the course of 5 hours, the delegates talked about the challenges women face in their home nations.

"It was important for Pacific Partnership representatives to attend the conference to better understand female leaders' priorities," said Lt. Cmdr. Jennie Goldsmith, Pacific Partnership 2011 judge advocate general. "Each delegate provided a country synopsis that included their most pressing concerns. The conference was designed, at least in part, to give women of the region a voice, and it was a privilege to listen. Also, we were able to establish relationships that we may be able to build on."

Goldsmith was able to identify with the women who are striving for a better life in this region of the world.

"I really enjoyed the conference. I was impressed and inspired by the women there. I loved the different perspectives and hearing them discuss moving forward without losing the things that define them, like their community relationships. I was also moved by the needs and inspired to support in any way possible. I am eager to add some of their pressing concerns to our lessons learned and feedback for future Pacific Partnership missions," Goldsmith said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited women leaders of Papua New Guinea in November 2010, and saw a need for the United States' involvement concerning these issues.

The Pacific Women's Empowerment Initiative was founded that month with the help of U.S. government aid to allow the delegates to speak freely about reoccurring challenges presented to women in their societies.

"I want you to know that the United States will be your partner in these efforts to raise the status of women in your home countries, because we know that no society or economy can thrive unless women are given the tools they need to participate fully and contribute their energy, their vision and their talent," said Clinton.

Delegates from Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Nauru, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, and Fiji were in attendance for this conference. And while these women are from different island nations, they experience similar issues.

Some of the discussion topics were domestic violence, gender equality, education, high partum mortality rates, and teenage pregnancy.

According to the organizers, the intent of the conference is establishing a productive dialogue to resolve those challenges through open discourse and public awareness.

"I am very pleased to have this policy dialogue, and I am very conscious of the fact that we can't achieve much in terms of concrete things in such a diverse region. But we can achieve much in terms of sharing, networking, learning about good experiences and good practices else where, and comparing where we all are in terms of our progress towards our millennium goals," said the Minister for Community Development in Papua New Guinea, Honorable Dame Carol Kidu.

The U.S. will continue to donate money and resources to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Coalition for Change, Vital Voices, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, so the foundation for progress towards gender equality in the South Pacific can be established.

"Here, we are getting ready to fund a mentoring program for young girls, target age 11 to 18, so they will begin to develop role model skills and work with women who are successful in Papua New Guinea, and so they can learn how to make better choices in life and also aspire to greatness," said U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands, Teddy Taylor. "Another major program we are also going to have in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea is the training of women to learn how to effectively participate in the political process."

The Pacific Partnership mission this year included similar discussion groups in Tonga, which discussed issues like women's health, teenage pregnancy, and the increased rate of Type II diabetes among women.

Since the first mission in 2006, Pacific Partnership has visited 15 countries, treated more than 230,000 patients and built over 150 engineering projects. During this year's mission, the Pacific Partnership team has treated more than 21,000 patients, participated in thousands of contact hours of formal subject matter expert exchanges, and built classrooms and water catchment systems in all three of its mission ports.

To date, Pacific Partnership has completed missions in Tonga, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea and will continue to Timor-Leste and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Learning From the Bystander Intervention Pilot Program

From Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

ORLANDO, Fla. (NNS) -- The results of a Navy program aimed at eliminating violence against women were briefed at the Department of the Navy Sexual Assault and Prevention Response Summit held in Orlando, Fla., May 4.

Conducted over the past year, the Bystander Intervention Pilot Program was designed to determine the viability of implementing a bystander intervention training program for the Navy and Marine Corps.

"Bystander intervention approaches teach our service members to take action when risky peer behavior is observed," stated Capt. Chuck Hollingsworth, commanding officer of the Center for Personal and Professional Development in Norfolk, Va., which coordinated the contract for the training and collected survey data used to assess its effectiveness. "It's appropriate for all audiences, because while most Sailors don't perpetrate the illegal behavior, all are in a position to stop it."

Using the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program, the Navy selected 25 commands to participate in the pilot. MVP is a leadership program focused on gender violence prevention and education and was established in 1993 as a multi-racial, mixed-gender training program geared toward high school and college-age students. The program also focuses on professional athletes in the fight against all forms of violence against women. MVP uses bystander intervention as a strategy to prevent sexual violence and has been implemented broadly throughout the country including secondary schools, college athletics, sororities and fraternities, youth service providers, and professional sports associations. Surveys were conducted before and after the MVP training to determine if Sailors realized a change in attitude toward intervention in sexual assault related incidents.

"The survey data indicated a significant attitude change for our junior Sailors (E-4 and below)," said Hollingsworth. "More importantly for our Navy, however, the survey respondents reported 31 interventions that took place because of the training. These are incidents that were avoided because Sailors took care of Sailors."

In the MVP model for training delivery, Sailors who were designated as command trainers received two days of intense MVP training, including a "teach-back" session, and then returned to deliver the peer-to-peer training to their units. Class participants receive training in areas including gender relations, abuses of power and discussions of social norms, all centered on the principle of supporting mutual dignity and respect.

"Bystander intervention is clearly a great fit for the Navy culture," said CPPD Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Stephan Fontenot. "It is all about Sailors taking care of Sailors, and these skills can be used not only to prevent sexual assault, but for numerous other situations where our Sailors find themselves needing to watch each others' backs.

Bystander intervention training is one piece of a larger strategy addressing changes in attitudes and behaviors about sexual assault. Based on the results of the pilot, Navy leadership is currently assessing the best way to provide bystander intervention skills throughout the Navy.

"We've all taken an oath to 'support and defend'," Hollingsworth concluded. "It's time we started applying that oath to our own force."

No One Deserves to be Abused

By T.D. Jackson
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 29, 2009 - Some time ago a co-worker of mine came to work with what I thought was a black eye. I noticed it as I was talking to her, and when it registered, my eyes sort of slid away from her face and began looking everywhere but at her. I thought, "I am not going there," and I went on with my day without giving it too much thought. Because I wasn't sure, I didn't feel the need to say something, but the sad part is that if it had been a more obvious black eye, I know I wouldn't have said a thing; I would have been too scared.

Just as I learned in the suicide prevention training we've had here over the past few months, I should have asked those painful but caring questions: "Are you OK?" And in this case, "Did somebody hit you?"

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. One in every four women will experience Domestic Violence in her lifetime, and women 20 to 24 are at the greatest risk. Here's one you probably knew: Most cases of Domestic Violence are never reported to the police. And one to blow your mind: Men are victims, too. More than 834,000 men report being domestically assaulted annually.

People who are abused often feel as though no one will believe them, or they think they have nowhere to go for help. At Camp Atterbury or at any other military installation, God knows (pun intended) you can call the chaplain at any time. Behavioral Health, too.

Even though this was some time ago, every now and then I still wonder, "What if somebody did hit her? What if she needed to talk, but everyone – for different reasons – was afraid to talk about it?" As a leader, I failed her, but this anecdote is my grasp at redemption.

My former co-worker probably never will set her sights on this article, but if someone did put hands on her, I would tell her I'm sorry -- sorry it happened to her, and sorry I was a chicken. If I had weighed the cost of embarrassment against the cost of caring, I wouldn't be writing this now.

I'm hoping maybe she didn't have a black eye. She may have – as I have on many occasions – caught a pitch with her face during softball practice. She may have – as I have on many occasions – stood a little too close to the top cabinet door as it swung open. For all I know, she could have gotten popped by a feisty rugrat. I don't know, and I never will.

But what I do know is that although I cannot concern myself with every detail of a person's life, I can be aware of changes in behavior, moods and certainly appearance. I was in a leadership position, and along with that title comes responsibility. It is my responsibility to make sure my people are OK at work and at home. The mark of a good leader is the ability to listen, and, my friend, although I am late, I am all ears.

(T.D. Jackson works in the Camp Atterbury public affairs office.)

Domestic Violence in the Military: Implementing Collaborative MOUs

Though separated from surrounding communities in many ways, military installations are not islands. Service members and their families regularly visit such communities, and many live outside the installation in them. Any domestic violence (DV) incident that occurs off installations is under the jurisdiction of local civilian authorities. In fact, civilian authorities may also have jurisdiction (and be first responders) over incidents that occur on installations. Thus, one of the recommendations of the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence (DTFDV) — which conducted a comprehensive review from 2000 to 2003 of how the military could most effectively prevent and respond to DV by and against its service members — was that the Department of Defense (DoD) “require installation/regional commanders to seek MOUs [memorandums of understanding] with local communities to address responses to domestic violence.”

While issuing such uniform policy may be relatively simple for the DoD, meeting this goal is likely to be a considerable challenge for both installations and communities. RAND examined some of the key challenges that must be addressed in establishing MOUs and recommend some ways to address them.

READ ON
http://rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB6016/index1.html

Defense Department Consolidates, Redefines Abuse Policies

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service

Oct. 18, 2007 - The Defense Department has consolidated 14 previous domestic abuse policies into one document that more clearly defines the roles and training of those who deal with the problem. The new publication, "Domestic Abuse Involving DoD Military and Certain Affiliated Personnel," was introduced by senior officials this month to coincide with the department's observance of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"Providing a safe and wholesome environment for our families is a key quality-of-life objective. Publication of this instruction is a significant milestone for the department of Defense and represents a major step forward in our efforts to prevent domestic abuse," said Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy. "Domestic violence destroys families, scars children and harms military readiness. ... We will continue to work to ensure that every home is a safe home."

The publication more clearly defines roles and training requirements for those the department calls "key responders," said Mike Hoskins, a special assistant in the Office of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy. Key responders include local commanders, law enforcement officials, legal representatives, health care providers, family advocacy staff and chaplains.

The publication is the result of an effort that started more than six years ago with a congressionally mandated task force formed to help the department stop domestic violence within its ranks. After three years, the panel made nearly 200 recommendations to the department on how to improve its response to reports of domestic violence.

Most of the recommendations are addressed in the new publication, Hoskins said, and include:

-- The need for a comprehensive, coordinated community response to reports of abuse;

-- The requirement to seek agreements with civilian counterparts to increase information sharing regarding abuse incidents;

-- Training needed for key responders; and

-- The need for the Defense Department to conduct sound criminal investigations of domestic abuse reported to the system.

Since the task force made its recommendations, there have been several initiatives and additional funding addressing domestic violence within the department, Hoskins said. Also, initiatives were launched in cooperation with other federal agencies. For example, the Defense and Justice departments teamed to train victim advocates and law enforcement personnel, Hoskins said.

In 1998, the reported rate of spouse abuse in the Defense Department was about 20 per every 1,000 families. In 2006 that dropped by about half, for 313 reports of domestic violence.

But, Hoskins said, "The true scope of the problem is difficult to understand." He said reporting has historically been inconsistent between agencies investigating incidents. Officials say domestic violence is one of the most underreported crimes in the country.

"We shouldn't necessarily take comfort in reduced rates of domestic violence. It is highly likely that is a good-news story, in that prevention, education and awareness efforts are working, but we need to be also cognizant of the possibility that we are making it more difficult for victims to come forward and receive assistance. So we have to interpret with caution those numbers," Hoskins said.

Hoskins said that reported victims of domestic violence are all ages, sexes and military ranks, but the majority are women. A common misconception, he said, is that abuse can be caused by stress or deployments.

"I think some of the most common misperceptions are that it is caused by stress, anger, alcohol, deployment, and although abusers may certainly experience those, they do not cause domestic abuse. Individuals choose whether or not they are going to be abusive," Hoskins said. "In fact, if everyone in our system who experienced stress, anger, deployment in fact were abusive, we would have numbers that would be so high that we wouldn't know what to do with them."

Hoskins said sometimes victims are afraid to come forward because of the fear of damaging their spouse's military career. He said a report of abuse doesn't necessarily mean an end to a career or the family, but that the report should be handled as any other reported crime.

"The Defense Department has made it very clear that victims will be treated with dignity and respect and that offenders will be held appropriately accountable," Hoskins said.

"The goals of all the programs in the system haven't changed. Those are to help people live healthy lifestyles and, in those cases where families want to stay together, the focus is on helping them stay together," he said. "What we encourage commanders to do is to respond to reports of domestic abuse as they would the credible reports of any other crime, and to initiate ... a law enforcement investigation to determine if a crime occurred," he said.