Running head: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 1

Domestic Violence in Young Adults aged 18 to 24

Lauren Neff

Brigham Young University Idaho

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 2

Domestic Violence in Madison County

PART 1: Defining the Population

Health Issue at Hand

Domestic violence is a destructive offense that affects all populations around the

world. The United States Department of Justice defines domestic violence as, a pattern of

abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and

control over another intimate partner (The United States Department of Justice,

2017). Domestic violence comes in many shapes and forms. It can come through physical,

sexual, emotional, economic or psychological acts. This includes behaviors that manipulate,

humiliate, frighten, coerce, blame, threaten, injure, terrorize, and isolate the partner (The United

States Department of Justice, 2017).

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence brings to light how prevalent this

problem is in the United States. Studies have shown that there are more than 20,000 phone calls

placed a day to domestic violence hotlines nationwide (The Center of Disease Control and

Prevention, 2017). Another eye-opening statistic is that one in four women and one in nine men

have been victims of some form of intimate partner violence within their lifetime (The Center of

Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). The Center of Disease Control gives a great visual

demonstration of the statistics for the number of men and women involved in abuse.

(The Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 3

Healthy People 2020 Goal

Healthy People 2020 has a goal to reduce the number of physical assaults happening in

the United States (IVP-32). They provide statistics based on the number of emergency

department visits for nonfatal physical assault injuries (Office of Disease Prevention and Health

Promotion, 2017). Their baseline going into this research was 512.5 visits per 100,000

people. Their 2020 goal was to get down to 461.2 visits per 100,000 people (Office of Disease

Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017).

(Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 4

As shown in the charts, their statistics have barely improved from 2008 to

2013. However, the statistics shown about the specific age group focused in this research (18 to

24 year olds) are even more extreme. This gives an idea as to how much more prone young

adults are to being victims of domestic violence and further supports the research project at

hand. Below is a chart that shows the number of ER visits that are due to physical violence,

including domestic violence.

(Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 2017)

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 5

As shown in the graph above, the rate of ER visits for 18 to 24 year olds is well above the

average for all other age groups, with the lowest year having 1,215.4 cases of nonfatal physical

assault. With every year of research, this age groups continues to have the most frequently

occurring ER visits. This demonstrates the needs for interventions to help prevent these

incidents from occurring. To help create a connection between the correlation of the number of

ER visit and the number of domestic violence cases, the U.S. Department of Justice states that

females who are between the ages 20 to 24 are at the greatest risk for nonfatal intimate partner

violence (The United States Department of Justice, 2017). Furthermore, the National Center of

Biotechnology Information published an article that states, from 2006-2009, there were 112,664

visits made to the United States ERs with an e-code for battering by a partner or spouse

(Davidov, Larrabee, & Davis, 2015). Below is a graph that describes the demographic statistics

of those ER visits. This helps solidify that there is still a staggering amount of annual ER visits

that result from domestic violence.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 6

(Davidov et al., 2015)

Population of Study

A research study will be conducted in Madison County, Idaho to find how prevalent

domestic violence is within this region. It will include males and females ages 18 to

24. Madison County has a total of 37,536 people (Bureau, 2016). Of that, there are 10,162 or

(27.1%) of people ages 20 to 24 (Bureau, 2016). This is the largest age group within the
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 7

community. It is also within the age group of the highest risk for nonfatal assault injuries

(Bureau, 2016). The median age within the county is 22.6 years of age (Bureau, 2016).

(Google Maps, 2017)

Defining the Population

This is a very unique population when it comes to race, education, income, etc. Of this

population, 93.9% are Caucasian, 5.9% are Hispanic, 0.9% are Asian, 0.5% are African

American, and 0.3% are American Indian (Bureau, 2017). It also has a high percentage of

educated people. 95.4% of the population are high school graduates or higher (Bureau,

2016). The median household income is $32,233 with a poverty level of 35.7% (Bureau,

2017). Of the total population (32,536), there are 7,887 married couples (Bureau, 2016).

Some of the defining functions of Madison County include Brigham Young University -

Idaho, Rexburg Rapids, an airport, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints temple, the

Madison County Fair, and Teton Lakes Golf Course (Madison County, 2017). Of those most

defining and well-known institutions of Madison County is Brigham Young University - Idaho,

which is located in the city of Rexburg. This is a private college in affiliation with the Church of
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 8

Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Last Spring, there were a total of 18,844 students on campus

(BYU-Idaho, 2017). Of those students, 5,016 were married and 13,760 were single (BYU-Idaho,

2017). As far as ethnicity goes, 79% were Caucasian, 4.84% were Hispanic, and 0.74% were

African American, and 0.89% were Asian. Another important fact to consider for this research

study is age. In Spring 2017 there were also 15,632 students ages 18 to 24, or 83% (BYU-Idaho,

2017).

(Woolley, 2008)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 9

(BYU-Idaho, 2017)

Generating and Gathering Data

In order to contribute further knowledge on the current domestic violence issue in

Madison County, interviews will be conducted as well as windshield surveys. This will allow

multiple insights from different sources and either confirm or deny that this is a problem within

the community. Interviews will be completed with the local Police Department, counselors

working at the local Family Crisis Center, and a member of Madison Countys 18 to 24 year old

population. As for windshield surveys, data will be collected on all the resources available to the

community for the victims of domestic violence.

There a number of sources that can be used to gather data. Of these sources, four of the

most helpful will include the site for domestic abuse on the Center of Disease Control and

Prevention, domestic abuse webpage from the United States Department of Justice, the NCADV

(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence) webpage, and the BYU-Idaho Community

Resource webpage. These will help gather information about what is already known about the

issue and help judge where to make more improvements on a local community, state, and

potentially national level.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 10

PART 2: Assessment

Primary Data

The interviewees were contacted and interviewed separately. The same questions were

asked of each:

What does your job entail (when dealing with domestic violence)?

Police Officer Domestic Violence Advocate Madison

County
Young
Adult

First thing we do is get in and get I am an advocate. When a victim Not

them separated and diffuse the comes in I meet with them, give them a applicable.
situation there. We are going to try friendly face, someone they feel
to find out the facts, whos the comfortable around, and ask how I can
aggressor? Are there any weapons help. Based on what they say, I go from
involved? Etc. Thats where it can there. I can help with food, housing,
turn into a major officer safety counseling. What we do here is victim
issue. centered. In order for them to start [sic]
healing, we need to empower them and
There was a lady that I helped that thats what we do.
had been in domestic violence. Her
oldest was nine at the time. For at People dont know an eighth of what
least nine years she had been going resources are available to them.
through this. He was so controlling
that he had her family believing,
down in Utah, she was crazy. She
came into the office one time and
said I just want to report so that if
you find me dead you know what
happened to me, but I dont want
anything done. She told me she was
fine with the abuse until it started
happening to the children. It was at
that point that she was triggered and
felt she had to protect her family and
come in and report it. But then I told
her I dont have any other choice.
Ive been recording this conversation
and I have to do something. So from
there I was able to get her in contact
with the Family Crisis Center and get
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 11

her a plan to leave and send her down

to her family in Utah. About a week
later I got a call from her brother
apologizing that he hadnt believed
her because they had thought he was
such a nice guy.

How many cases of domestic violence do you believe occur in a month?

Police Officer Domestic Violence Advocate Madison

County
Young Adult

In the city you have a greater
volume of people and apartment
complexes things like that. For
the county, Id say we say we
get at least one to two calls a
week.
Well, Im not quite sure, but we have the My guess
statistics available. would have
to be around
I have about 35 client's right now. It has 200.
been growing though which is a good
thing. It means that people are getting the
helpwhich also means that we need more
[of the] the funding and resources to help
those coming forward.

Of those cases, how many do you think include BYU-Idaho students?

Police Officer Domestic Madison

Violence County
Advocate Young Adult

That would be harder for me to answer because those calls Probably a 75

go through the Rexburg PD. See, we go and help back up if fourth of the
theyre swamped on those things. Just going off of what I clients.
hear, I would say half involve students of the university.

What about the BYU-Idaho population puts them more at risk for domestic violence?

Police Officer Domestic Violence Madison County

Advocate Young Adult

A lot of them are newly weds. It doesnt Emotional People recognizing

matter your religion, when you take two immaturity is big that they have power
different people from two different and can develop at and that they can do
backgrounds, and now all of a sudden, theyre any ageeven in whatever they want
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 12

mashed together, especially, honestly, with the their forties and with no one physically
LDS lifestyle. You know, most of the rest of fifties. watching over them.
the population will live together for a few
months to a yeartheyre use to each other by They might think that
the time they get married. It doesnt mean its not a big deal, or
theyre not going to have their fights, but at they might make
that time, theyre not legally married. But we excuses.
have these young students that get married
after knowing each other for usually a very
short time, and then theyre put together and
are bugged by the littlest things. The major
factors would be that theyre a new
relationship, theyre going to school, so they
got financial stresses, and then family and all
the other stuff that goes along with marriage.

In your opinion, how many cases go unheard?

Police Officer Domestic Violence Advocate Madison

County
Young
Adult

If they live out in the county and dont have One in three teens are now At least
close neighbors, I would say half. In an experiencing dating violence and 100 to 200
apartment complex where theyre yelling and one in four women are a month.
screaming at each other, half of the ones that experiencing domestic
get called in get called in by the violence. Those statistics should
neighbors. So going off of that, Ill say 25 say a lot. I think there are a lot of
percent. If all got called in in the county, Id cases that go unheard.
say we would have an uptick of about 50
percent.

What age group would you say is most affected?

Police Officer Domestic Madison County Young Adult

Violence
Advocate

All. Ive had domestics with victims 18 to 26 year Young adult so aroundyoung
70 years old. Absolutely. olds. married couples 24 to 30.

What percentage of victims are females? Males?

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 13

Police Officer Domestic Violence Advocate Madison County Young

Adult

95 percent are female. I would say that 30 percent of 50 percent, 50 percent.

males do not report. I think 3 I think the ones that
Ive seen cases where the female percent of our clients are unheard are mostly
is kicking the crap out of the male. male.
malein fact, that happened just
last month. Whos going to believe
them?
Out of all the cases of domestic
violence (heard and unheard), I bet
that 75 percent of the victims are
male.

What resources are available to the victims of domestic violence in the community?

Police Officer Domestic Madison County

Violence Young Adult
Advocate

The Family Crisis Center is really the only resource No, I know of Church,
that we use. Their advocates are literally coming just us. We cover counseling
onto the scene to meet with the victim after the a large facilities, mental.
situation has settled. They are such a help to population.
officers. They provide so many resources like food, I dont know a
clothing, shelter, counseling, etc. whole lot about
resources available
I dont even interview victims unless theyre in Madison
there. I dont want them to have to tell the story County.
more than once, and usually the victim is female and
might feel comfortable talking to a big guy like me.

Do you think there is enough awareness of domestic violence in this community? If not, what

can be done to help increase this awareness?

Police Officer Domestic Violence Madison County Young

Advocate Adult

Not in our community because No, but I believe it is No.

you the taboo of LDS improving based on the Advertise the fact that it
community. It absolutely happens number of clients we see happens in some way. If its
here. now. said in school, [it might]
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 14

increase awareness... middle

Awareness is the biggest
thing. We are working on getting
the word out about The Family
Crisis Center so that we can spread
the word and utilize it to our
maximum capacity.
Just keep spreading the schools and high schools as
word about us. Whether well.
its through the nursing
program or just fliers
around the county.

A windshield survey was conducted within this county. Because of the difficulty in

observing domestic violence, the survey was focused on the number of resources available to the

community. While driving throughout the county, there were four different locations that could

be considered a resource to victims of domestic violence. These included: The Family Crisis

Center, Rexburg Police Department, Sheriffs Department, and Madison County WIC.

Secondary Data

Demographics. One interesting addition to data collected on demographic statistics was

found on domesticshelter.org. It explained the correlation between ethnicity and the rate of

domestic violence. It shares,

Approximately 4 out of every 10 non-Hispanic Black women (43.7%), 4 out of every 10

American Indian or Alaska Native women, and 1 in 2 multiracial non-Hispanic women

(53.8%) have been the victim of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate

partner in their lifetime. These rates are 30%-50% higher than those experienced by

Hispanic, White non-Hispanic women and Asian or Pacific non-Hispanic women

(Demographics, 2015).

This provides a new perspective on the issue and can help determine if there is a more serious

issue happening in Madison County. As stated previously in this research paper, there is little

diversity in Madison County compared to other parts of the state and country (Bureau, 2017).
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 15

Yet, the rates of domestic violence are still extremely high. Does this suggest that the population

here is more at risk for domestic violence due to another risk factor? Perhaps age and financial

stability have a greater impact. More research needs to take place to determine why the rates of

domestic violence are as prevalent as they are in Madison County.

Government Agencies. Several government agencies support the need to decrease the

rate of domestic violence that is happening nation-wide. The Center of Disease Control and

Prevention and The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) give powerful

statistics on the prevalence of this issue in the United States. As stated previously, one in four

women and one in seven men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate

partner in their lifetime (Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2012).

Other. Domestic violence is often thought of as just physical abuse. Its important to

emphasis that abuse can come in many different forms. The Doorways for Women and Families

agency states that some forms of abuse can include ignoring, ridiculing, withholding, criticizing,

abandoning, threatening, etc. (Types, 2017). They explain, Emotional abuse is sometimes

harder than physical abuse to define and recognize. A bruise will heal but the damage to a

persons self esteem can last forever (Types, 2017). Educating the population about the

different types of abuse can help define and recognize when abuse is happening.

Validating Facts:

1. Madison County has resources available for those who need the help. One resource

previously mentioned is the Family Crisis Center located on Main Street in Rexburg,

Idaho. Their website provides statistics available to the public including how many cases

they see annually. This local organization has served 602 clients within the year of 2016

(Harris, 2017). As far as the state-wide statistics go, the Womens and Childrens
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 16

Alliance provided great insight. It states that on a single day, 559 victims of domestic

violence sought safety and services (WCA statistics, 2017). There were 6,084 police

reports in the state of Idaho, and since August 29, 2017 there have been 15 domestic

violence related fatalities (WCA statistics, 2017). Again, a powerful nation-wide

statistics states that one in four women and one in seven men have been victims of severe

physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime (Center of Disease Control and

Prevention, 2012).

2. The Family Crisis center also offers statistics on the age group that is most affected in

Madison County. Their statistics states that the age group affected most in this county is

24 to 44 year olds (Harris, 2017). The Idaho State Police Department also put out an

analysis on domestic violence during 2003. It states that the overall female victims

tended to be younger than male victims (Salvador, 2003). Below is a graph of the age

group affected by domestic violence in Idaho. It shows that the peak age group of those

affected by domestic violence include ages 25-34 (Salvador, 2003). The NCADV also

gives insight on the prevalence of this issue relating to the age of victims in the nation. It

explains that, Women between the ages 18-24 are most commonly abused by their

intimate partner (NCADV, 2015).

(Salvador, 2013)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 17

3. Domestic violence has also been shown to happen more with lower income families. In

one of broachers presented at the Family Crisis Center, it explained that families of lower

income are at a higher risk for domestic violence (Harris, 2016). The State of Idaho put

out an analysis of intimate partner violence cases and states, Particular finding from the

ICVS years 2000 and 2001 pointed out higher rates of domestic violence for people in

lower income categories, implicating that incidence of domestic violence was found to be

inversely proportional to higher income levels (Salvador, 2003). The Bureau of Justice

Statistics makes the same connection on a nation-level. It states, Persons in poor

households at or below the federal poverty level (FPL) (39.8 per 1,000) had more than

double the rate of violent victimization as persons in high-income household (16.9 per

1,000) (Household, 2016). With the median household income is $32,233 with a poverty

level of 35.7% in Madison county, it is apparent that there can be a link as to why there

are so many cases of domestic violence there (Bureau, 2017).

4. The are also relationship with the frequency of domestic violence cases based on which

environment people live in (rural vs urban). Officer Courtney mentioned this topic

during on of the interviews. He stated:

In the city you have a greater volume of people and apartment complexes things

like that. For the county, Id say we say we get at least one to two calls a

weekIf they live out in the county and dont have close neighbors, I would say

half. In an apartment complex where theyre yelling and screaming at each other,

half of the ones that get called in get called in by the neighbors. So going off of

that, Ill say 25 percent. If all got called in in the county, Id say we would have
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 18

an uptick of about 50 percent (Officer Courtney, personal communications,

September 26, 2017).

In Idaho, the ICVS report states, Of particular importance, the ICVS 2001 found that

people from rural and urban areas were similarly likely to experience domestic violence,

but people from urban areas tend to be better at reporting such victimization (Salvador,

2003). The NCADV also states that, significantly more rural than urban women justify

DV against women who went out without telling their partners (NCADV, 2015).

5. During the interview with Deanna (Domestic Violence Advocate) she also handed a

brochure that explained the risk factors related to forthcoming cases. The brochure states

that there are definitely connections between domestic violence events and the use of

drugs or alcohol (Harris, 2016). The ICVS explains that, the ICVS consistently

reports that in more than 40% of incidents the offenders were under the influence of

alcohol or illicit drugs at the time of offense (Salvador, 2003). An interesting nation-

wide statistics site explains the relationship between domestic violence and substance

abuse. It states,

In reality, some abusers rely on substance use (and abuse) as an excuse for

becoming violent. Alcohol allows the abuser to justify his abusive behavior as a

result of the alcohol. While an abusers use of alcohol may have an effect on the

severity of the abuse or the ease with which the abuser can justify his actions, an

abuser does not become violent because drinking causes him to lose control of

his temper (Stop, 1997).

There are several validating facts that can solidify that domestic violence is any issue and

people in Madison County are especially at risk when emphasis is put on these 5 facts.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 19

PART 3: Data Interpretation

Data Similarities

The data that has been collected during assessment phase has proven to show a number of

similarities. One similarity between the data collected is the how prevalent this issue is in the

local, state, and national settings. In Madison County Family Crisis Center there were 602

clients in 2016 (Harris, 2017). This means that there were almost two new clients added every

day. In the state of Idaho there are 559 victims that seek safety every single day (WCA statistics,

2017). Nationally, again, the CDC confirms that one in four women and one in seven men have

been victims of severe domestic violence (Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2012).

The data also is consistent with females being the most victimized. Deanna, a domestic

violence advocate, mentioned in her interview that only 3 percent of the clients at the Family

Crisis Center are males (Deanna, personal communications, September 29th, 2017). Officer

Courtney also said that of the cases he has seen, 95 percent of the victims are females (Officer

Courtney, personal communications, September 24th, 2017). And again, the CDC statistics

states that there are more women who are abused than men (Center of Disease Control and

Prevention, 2012).

Another similarity found when conducting the interview was the number of victims in the

county that are students attending Brigham Young University - Idaho. Deanna states that,

Probably a fourth of the clients [are from Brigham Young University - Idaho] (Deanna,

personal communications, September 29th, 2017). Officer Courtney states, Just going off what

I hear, I would say half involve students from the University (Officer Courtney, personal

communications, September 24th, 2017). Although the Madison County Young adult doesnt

have much credibility, she states that she thinks around 38 percent of the victims in Madison
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 20

County are students. This is pretty consistent with what the officer and domestic violence

advocate were saying (Katie, personal communications, October 4th, 2017).[N1] The Family

Crisis Center website also shares that in the city of Rexburg there was a large number of victims

served. They state that in 2016, they helped 602 clients (Harris, 2016). With the similarities

found within the primary and secondary data, it is apparent that there is an unacceptable number

of student victims with the city of Rexburg.

Data Differences

One difference that became apparent during the data collection process was the age

groups that are most commonly affected by domestic violence. Deanna states that she sees 18 to

26 year olds the most frequently. However, in 2016, the Family Crisis Center worked with

victims between the age of 24 to 44 (Harris, 2017). This is a much broader and older range than

other statistics share (Harris, 2017). The state statistics share that the peak age group of those

affected by domestic violence include ages 25 to 34, which is right after the age range that the

national level claims (Salvador, 2003). The national statistics explain that, women between the

ages 18 to 24 are most commonly abused by their intimate partner (NCADV, 2015). Even

though there usually is a more common age group within all these credible sources, there are

enough inconsistencies to question and to have further analysis conducted.

There were also differences in data when talking about which gender is most

affected. All of the data collected points towards women being the most affected by domestic

violence, which may very well be true. However, during the interviews a couple of unique

comments were made on the subject. Officer Courtney states, Out of all the cases of domestic

violence (heard and unheard), I bet that 75 percent of the victims are male (Officer Courtney,

personal communications, September 24th, 2017). Deanna also mentions, I would say that 30
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 21

percent of males do not report...whos going to believe them? (Deanna, personal

communications, September 29th, 2017). Katie, a Madison County young adult, says, 50

percent, 50 percent. I think the ones that are unheard are mostly men (Katie, personal

communication, October 4th, 2017). There is an obvious disconnect to how many victims of

domestic violence are male and more research should take place.

When interviewing, there was a disconnect when talking about the resources available to

the community. Both the police officer and the domestic violence advocate mentioned that the

only resources that is available in Madison County was the Family Crisis Center. However,

when interviewing the young adult, she mentioned other resources that were not even thought of

to the professionals that work directly with these victims. She states, Church, counseling and

mental facilities (Katie, personal communications, October 4th, 2017). During a windshield

survey, there were four facilities that were seen. These four included the Family Crisis Center,

Rexburg Police Department, Sheriff's Department, and Madison County WIC. There needs to be

an increased awareness of all the resources available in the community. The Chicago

Metropolitan Battered Womens Network talks about how women may not always know what

resources are available to them. It states, They may not know of any available resources to

assist them. Even if they know of the resources, they may feel as though those resources wont

work for them, are not accessible to them, or have failed them in the past (Wright & Brown,

2014).

Strengths

1. The Family Crisis Center is an amazing resource available to the community. Deanna

states, I can help with food, housing, counseling. What we do here is victim
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 22

centered. In order for them to start [sic] healing, we need to empower them and thats

what we do (Deanna, personal communication, September 27th, 2017).

2. For the students on campus, there are resources available on the Brigham Young

University - Idaho webpage. It offers a site that lists all the community resources

available to students (as well as community members) who are struggling with domestic

violence (BYU-Idaho, 2017a). BYU-Idaho also offers counseling on campus.

3. In June of 2016, Madison County implemented the DVAC, or the Domestic Violence

Accountability Court. It will, ...hear all levels of intimate-partner offenses, with a

primary focus on victim assistance, offender accountability, and efficiency in the judicial

system. The meeting will introduce the defense bar, service providers, and the general

public to the DVAC, as well as cover pertinent policies and procedures (News-

Democrat, 2016).

Challenges

1. Domestic Violence is often silenced. Victims often dont charge their offenders due to

fear, financial support, going through the honeymoon cycle, etc (The United States

Department of Justice, 2017).

2. There is not enough awareness of what resources are available in the community for

those suffering from domestic violence. Deanna stated, People dont know an eighth of

what resources are availableJust keep spreading the word about us. Whether its

through the nursing program or just fliers around the county (Deanna, personal

communications, September 29th, 2017). Officer Courtney also stated, awareness is the

biggest thing. We are working on getting the word out about The Family Crisis Center so
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 23

that we can spread the word and utilize it to our maximum capacity (Officer Courtney,

personal communications, September 24th, 2017).

3. Madison County has a large number of younger, newly married adults who are at an

increased risk for experiencing domestic violence. During the interview with Deanna,

she mentions that the younger population is at an increased risk because of emotional

immaturity (Deanna, personal communications, September 29th, 2017). Officer

Courtney states, we have these young students that get married after knowing each other

for usually a very short time, and then theyre put together and are bugged by the littlest

things. The major factors would be that theyre in a new relationship, theyre going to

school, so they got financial stresses, and then family and all the other stuff that goes

along with marriage (Officer Courtney, personal communications, September 24th,

2017).

Significant Information that Validates the Health Issue:

The Family Crisis Center has served 602 clients within the year of 2016 (Harris, 2017).

One in three women and one in seven men have been victims of severe physical violence

by an intimate partner in their lifetime (Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 2012).

Women between the ages 18-24 are most commonly abused by their intimate partner

(NCADV, 2015).

There were 6,084 police reports in the state of Idaho, and since August 29, 2017 there

have been 15 domestic violence related fatalities (WCA statistics, 2017).

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 24

Part 4: Population Health Plan

Increase Awareness

Improvement. Lack of education is a barrier to decreasing the rate of domestic violence.

Right now there is a lack of awareness within Madison County. Officer Courtney explains,

awareness is the biggest thing. We are working on getting the word out about The Family

Crisis Center so that we can spread the word and utilize it to our maximum capacity (Officer

Courtney, personal communications, September 26, 2017). There needs to be an increase in

awareness in order for improvement is to be made.

Recommendation. In order to increase awareness, there is a need to educate within the

school systems. This includes talking to elementary, middle, and high schools about what

domestic violence is and what can be done to prevent it. It is also important to talk to this

population about child abuse. Keeping domestic violence awareness programs going is another

great way to increase the awareness within the community. There should also be more

vocalization through things such as announcements within the local newspapers and stores.

Evaluation. In order to evaluate whether or not these interventions have made a

difference, there should be a survey conducted every year for the next 10 years. Questions

within the survey would focus on questioning them about how many are affected within the

county as well as what qualifies for domestic violence. This would give a general idea of how

aware the population is.

Educating Victims

Improvement. Teaching what the victims can do to help themselves in domestic

violence complications is another way that improvements can be made to decrease the affects of
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 25

abuse. Many victims do not know what resources are available to them. Increased awareness of

what resources are available are crucial to helping victims. They also are often unaware of what

to do to keep themselves safe.

Recommendation. There should be increased publication of the Family Crisis Center

and other resources as well as classes that teach people what do when abuse occurs. Safety

precautions should be explained such as having a pre-planned escape route and collecting

important documents and storing them in a safe location (such as a family members home).

They also should be educated on the ways that resources can help them. Anything from

counseling to food and shelter is available through agencies such as The Family Crisis Center.

Evaluation. In order to evaluate this improvement, reports that measure how much help

was received from The Family Crisis Center will be reviewed. Police reports will also be

reviewed to determine what actions were taken by the victim to get out of the abusive situation.

Surveying the population will also help determine whether or not victims know what to do if

they find themselves in an abusive situation.

Approaching Domestic Violence Situations

Improvement. There are many instances where domestic violence is suspected.

However, not everyone knows how to address the situation properly. There are several ways to

approach the victim or abuser that can either hurt the situation, or help it. If community

members are taught how to work with these difficult situations, help can be provided to the

victim before things could potentially escalate to dangerous levels.

Recommendation. Classes should be set up that explain what to do if domestic violence

is suspected. There are several safe phrases to tell both the abuser and the victim. When talking
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 26

to the victims, statements such as, Im concerned for your safety, I am so sorry that happened

to you, they have no right to do that, you are not alone and that sounds scary shows the

victim that what is happening is not normal and that they are deeply cared for. Statements such

as, how could you let him do that should be avoided because it puts the blame on the victim.

When talking to the abuser, statements such as, Is everything ok? make the person know that

they recognize something is not right. Caution should be taken when dealing with these abusers

because what is said could backfire and hurt the victim even further.

Evaluation. Assessing whether or not this implication has helped can be determined

through surveying after classes have been given. Surveying will allow the researchers to

understand what skills have been retained and will allow them to know what steps to take

forward.

Reflection

Through this research paper I have learned how important it is to be an advocate for those

I work with. This means being an advocate to family and friends but it also refers to our future

patients. Love is another value that is pertinent with this research topic. My eyes have been

opened to how often abuse happens and what needs to be done to decrease the rate of its

occurrence. One of the key principles in my church is to love one another. I had a lot of time to

reflect of this during my studies and it has strengthened my testimony thoroughly.

Applying these two values to my practice as a nurse will tremendously help me connect

to my patients and help improve their health outcome. Being a patients advocate is one the

responsibilities given to the nurse. I now have a better understanding of the important of
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 27

standing up for what our patients want. If I share more love in my cares, the patients will have

healthier outcomes and stronger relationships will develop.

My thought process before this project was more focused on the facts about domestic

violence. After researching the problem, emotion began to take over and I became truly

passionate about this problem. My concern regarding this health issue has increased

exponentially and I hope to continue to care and work towards decreasing the amount of

domestic violence cases. Again, it has taught me to be more kind and loving to those around me,

as well as to stand up for others and know their worth as a child of God.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUNG ADULTS 28

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