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- Prisoner Reentry, Gangs, and Domestic Violence
Gangs are a significant concern in many low-income, high stress African American communities. Violence is a characteristic of these gangs, not only with other gangs, but in families, in the community, in prison and particularly in intimate partner relationships. Further, among the 2 million Americans who are incarcerated, nearly 50% are African Americans. African Americans are disproportionately represented among the 650,000 individuals who are released annually from state and federal correctional institutions. Very little attention has been devoted to the sources of stress and conflict that exist between incarcerated and/or recently released prisoners and their intimate partners or how these factors may serve as a catalyst for domestic violence. This presentation will explore how to help female victims of violence when women are in relationship with a gang member. It also aims to increase participants' awareness of how prisoner reentry and domestic violence are linked in the African American community, and enhance the capacity of domestic violence advocates, community-based organizations, and concerned individuals to provide services to women who are at risk of experiencing domestic violence when a man is released from prison.
- Supervised Visitation and Safe Exchange
Research indicates that separated and divorced women are more likely to experience intimate partner violence, and women are most at danger when they leave a relationship. When children and custody issues are a part of these relationships, women face a unique set of issues and circumstances concerning their safety. Communities must establish locations and methods where the visits with or exchanges of children between parents will occur safely. Participants in this workshop will consider the needs of the African American community and culturally appropriate strategies for providing safe opportunities for these visits to occur.
- Substance Abuse
Substance abuse has posed a significant challenge to the African American community since the early 1980s. Although substance abuse does not cause domestic violence, the intersection is much too significant to ignore. There is a high co-occurrence between these two issues, yet we tend to respond to them separately, often without a coherent and cohesive approach that recognizes their intersection. This session is an opportunity to examine how we might develop an approach to address these important concerns.
- HIV/AIDS and Other Health Issues
HIV/AIDS and relationship violence are related in two ways. Family and domestic violence, along with other types of violence exposure, including child abuse and maltreatment, sexual abuse, and witnessing violence, puts women at risk for HIV/AIDS infection. Also, individuals with HIV /AIDS are more likely to be battered. This presentation examines the dynamics involved in the relationship between HIV/AIDS and domestic violence and the need to treat domestic violence as both a risk factor and consequence of HIV/AIDS. The workshop will also touch on other health issues associated with the incidence of domestic violence.
- Child Well-Being and Domestic Violence
Children who are exposed to domestic violence are more likely to be abused and neglected, suffer from depression and post traumatic stress disorder, have a poor self-image, and exhibit aggression and acting out behavior. Further, there is a high co-occurrence these two issues and African American children over represented in the child welfare system and children being taken from their abused mothers. This workshop will explore the rates and dynamics of how this occurs within the African American community and the impact on battered mothers who often held accountable for the violence that they and their children experience.
- Fatherhood
The role of fathers in the lives of their children is very significant. However, healthy fatherhood should be the goal, not fatherhood at any cost. In many cases, men continue relationships with their ex-partner and his children following domestic violence. In those cases where domestic violence occurs, the question is how can we encourage men who have a history of abuse to end their violence and abuse with their ex-partner and children or any future partners or children. This workshop will present examples of collaborations between domestic violence and fatherhood organizations that address this issue, as well as the impact of domestic violence on father-child relationships and the capacity to co-parent.
- Faith-based Approaches
Faith-based groups have the opportunity to unite and inspire the community to change and heal. With regard to domestic violence, faith-based organizations have varied in their support of battered women. The purpose of this session is to explore how churches and other faith-based organizations can provide a message and craft a response to address domestic violence in the African American community through uniting, inspiring, healing individuals, as well as encouraging individuals and communities to change.
- Teen Dating and IPV
Statistics show that youth and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24 experience high rates of violence, both as victims and as perpetrators. This is true on a number of levels, including intimate partner violence, acquaintance violence, and family violence. In this workshop, you will hear from experts who work with teens and young adults in the African American community who will discuss the issues facing this population. Presenters will provide insight into effective approaches to engaging young people, identifying their needs, encouraging them to make positive choices, and developing intervention strategies that are relevant and focused on transformation.
- Sexual Assault
African American women have a long history of being victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Yet, throughout the years, these issues have received very little attention. Sexual assault occurs in many forms, such as rape and incest, all of which have devastating effects whose impact extends beyond the victim herself, to her family. As women seek to receive help around these issues from mental health practitioners and other programs, the underlying issue of sexual assault often goes unaddressed. This workshop will explore the issue of sexual assault in the African American community. Presenters will discuss the various needs of victims and will provide recommendations for developing community supports focused on prevention and intervention efforts around sexual assault.
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