Running head: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1

Domestic Violence in Idaho

Christian Pass

Brigham Young University – Idaho

Population Health Nursing

Linda Orchard

1/20/2018
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Domestic Violence in Idaho

Part 1: Defining the Population

Abuse is the treatment of other people or one’s self in a way that causes an injury or

damage in any way of one intimate partner to another. It injures the mind and can inflict

permanent damage to the spirit. It causes confusion, uncertainty, distrust, and distress.

Domestic violence is a form of abuse. The estimated domestic violence rate in Idaho is currently

at 19 victims per every 1000 people (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2017).

For many people, when they hear Utah or Idaho mentioned, they instantly think

“Mormon.” From the dry desert canyons of southern Utah, to the great Salt Lake, and all the way

to the rich forests of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, there are many people who belong to The Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). In Idaho alone, there are 444,614 members of the LDS

church out of the total Idaho population of 1. 68 million people (United States Census Bureau,

2017).

In an approval poll performed by the PEW research center in 2014, it was found that the

public view concerning members of the LDS church is generally warm (Wormald, 2014). Out of

10,000 people surveyed, it was found that the perception of LDS church members was mostly

positive. The survey found that 70% of the persons surveyed reported that they thought LDS

people were nicer than most other people (Wormald, 2014).

Based on surveys of public perception, and the teachings of the LDS church, it may be

inferred that LDS persons seek to live a lifestyle that is generally wholesome. The LDS church

teaches its members to follow the example of Jesus Christ and ensure that they strive to be kind

and loving to everyone. While the majority of non-LDS people feel that the members of the

LDS church are nice people, and that they live to a higher standard than most, that does not mean
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that all LDS church members are perfect people. Many of the leaders of the LDS church have

spoken out against domestic violence and have provided counsel about how to handle it within

the family. One such church leader, Gordon B. Hinckley said this of domestic violence: “We

condemn most strongly abusive behavior in any form. We denounce the physical, sexual, verbal,

or emotional abuse of one’s spouse or children” (Hinckley, 1998, p.3). With a staggering

444,614 members of the LDS church residing in Idaho, it is impudent to assume that none of the

LDS members are victims or aggressors of domestic violence (The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter Day Saints, 2014). A quick search for the phrase “Domestic Violence” in the lds.org

search engine reveals over 500 results; it appears that the LDS church seeks to counsel its own

members against the dangers therein.

Healthy People Goals

Healthy People 2020 is a government-run organization that works in coalition with the

Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDCP). The objective of Healthy People 2020 is to

help Americans become healthier through interventions and goals. The goal that concerns

domestic violence specifically is the goal IPV-39.1: “Reduce the rate of physical assault by

current or former intimate partners” (Healthy People 2020, 2018). The baseline year in 1998

reports that there were 3. 6 domestic violence occurrences for every 1000 people in the nation.
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The national Healthy People 2020 data for domestic violence is:

(Healthy People 2020, 2018).

While the data that Healthy People 2020 provides on Idaho’s domestic violence rates is

scarce, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) provides such information

to the public (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2015).

(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2012)

Idaho’s average rate of domestic violence victims is 19 per every 1000 people, which

moves Idaho very far away from the target of 2. 7 domestic violence instances per 1000 people.

This is a serious concern for people of Idaho, and begs the question: What can be changed?

Demographics
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Brigham Young University – Idaho (BYUI) has total of 23,170 students attending

campus at a time, with the majority being 18 to 24 years old, and the second highest age range

from 25 to 30 years-old. For this issue, data will be collected concerning the 18 to 30 year-old

married students who attend BYUI on campus.

(Brigham Young University – Idaho, 2017a)

While the total on-campus population makes up 60% of the total county population, the

total married students (5,237) make up 24% of the total students, and 14% of the total population

within Madison County (Brigham Young University – Idaho, 2016).

(Brigham Young University – Idaho, 2017a)

BYUI reports that students who attend the university campus are predominantly of white

ethnicity at 85%, and mixed ethnicities make up the second most prevalent at 7. 71%; Hispanics

making up 3.33% (2017b).

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(Brigham Young University – Idaho, 2017b)

Community

Person.

The population who will be under assessment will be found at Brigham Young University –

Idaho in Madison County due to the high prevalence of LDS people and married LDS persons.

This assessment will specifically sample the LDS married student population.
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(Geology. com, 2007)

The United States Census Bureau (2015) reported in its 2015 census that the population

in Madison county was 38,273 people.

(United States Census Bureau, 2015a)

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Place.

Brigham Young University – Idaho is located in the south-east portion of Idaho, set

within a highly rural and religious setting of the city of Rexburg.

(Quintero, 2014)

Rexburg was founded in March of 1883 when a group of settlers were sent by the leaders

of the LDS church from Salt Lake City, Utah. They arrived in the latter end of March and set up

their tents in the Snake River Valley. The small group soon formed a small community, and they

named the settlement Rexburg, being derived from the German “Ricks” meaning King.

Before coming to the end of their first year in the Snake River Valley, the founders

organized Bannock Stake Academy as the first school. In 1888, five years after the initial

settlement, public and ecclesiastical leaders renamed Bannock Stake Academy to Ricks

Academy, which eventually became Ricks College (City of Rexburg, 2018). Later, in 2001, then
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president of the LDS church, Gordon B. Hinckley, announced that Ricks College would become

BYUI and would be transitioning into a four-year University.

Rexburg is within an hour and a half of Yellowstone National Park, and surrounded by

fishing, camping and outdoor events that many enjoy year-round. With the St. Anthony sand

dunes just a 20-minute drive north of Rexburg, the sand dunes can be found busy all year long

for many off-road enthusiasts. The citizens of Rexburg also enjoy the surrounding rivers, lakes,

mountains, and camping spots for much of the year.

(Google Maps, n.d)

Function.

Rexburg is a college town, and the college provides a large amount of jobs to the city.

BYUI provides nearly a thousand jobs between full-time employees, part-time employees and

student employees. Many of those who do not work at the university typically find employment

working on farms and with the agricultural scene in the area. There is one hospital, Madison

Memorial, which provides a few hundred more jobs to the community.

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Plan

The data gathering for this assessment will consist of interviews; the interviews will seek

to identify the amount and types of domestic violence that BYUI students cause or are victims

of. The plan is to interview an adult advocate at Rexburg’s Family Crisis Center, Captain Lewis

of the Rexburg Police Department, and then to rely heavily upon the windshield survey for

statistical, geographical, and other information. In order to conduct the windshield survey,

BYU-I’s campus security office will be contacted and asked for the numeral rates of domestic

violence, and observations will be conducted on campus in order to identify instances of couples

quarreling.

The organizational websites consulted for this assessment will be: Healthy People 2020,

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Center of Disease Control, and the Rexburg

Family Crisis Center.

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Part 2: Assessment

Primary Data

Key informant. As part of the assessment and collection of data, it was planned to

interview an adult advocate who works at the Family Crisis Center of Rexburg in order to gain

insight into the amount of cases of violence and the challenges that Madison county currently

battles.

Adult Advocate

What number of victims are female that you see? We will see on average 400 – 600

people per year from the surrounding

four counties. Last year, 2017, there

were a high number of victims; there

were 665 females (adult and

children) and 83 males (adult and

children) seen.

What number of victims are BYUI students? In 2017 there were 17 total victims,

all of them were female. In 2016,

there were 14 total cases, 12 of them

were females, and 2 of them were

males.
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What is the biggest obstacle for victims getting help? There are 2 folds in receiving help.

People have to realize that they need

help, and that the situation they are

in, isn’t normal. The second piece of

it is that they could be in a lot of

danger once they make the decision

to leave their abuser, the abuser may

choose to become increasingly

violent, or may threaten to take the

children away. The fear that they

have of losing everything typically

prevents a victim from leaving their

abuser and continues the cycle

further. The victim feels like they

are the cause of the problem, and that

everyone else will side with the

abuser.

What access to help is available to victims? An advocate, arrangements for a

restraining order, a place to stay,

clothes and supplies for those who

had to leave in a big hurry. We can

arrange legal help, and truly we can

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give whatever emotional, physical,

and mental help that they need.

What do men usually come into the family The same things that women come in

crisis center for? are the same things that men come in

for. They will come in because their

spouses or partners are abusive in

some way.

Are there resources for abusers to get help? Many of the resources for the

abusers are court ordered and the

abuser will never say that they are

the cause of the problem and

willingly seek help.

What is the biggest reason that people will end up

seeking help? People will reach a breaking point,

whatever that is.

Officer Lewis of Rexburg Police Department

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How many cases does your department respond We typically respond to about

to? anywhere from 1-3 domestic

disturbance calls per week.

What are your responsibilities as an officer during a call? We will be responsible for making

sure the peace is kept and that the

situation is deescalated. We also

make sure there is a detailed report

of the events that transpire, and we

also will often times call out the

family crisis center of Rexburg and

have them provide resources as

needed.

What is the city of Rexburg doing to prevent domestic The city has many resources, and

violence? even often times fundraisers in order

to provide funds and services to the

community for domestic violence.

Windshield survey. For the windshield survey, BYU-Idaho’s Title IX office was

contacted in order to discuss the available resources for students who are undergoing domestic

violence. One phone interview was conducted with key informant, Nick Rammell. He reported
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that the Title IX office in the Kimball building focuses on providing students with any and all

resources that they need in order to continue their education (N. Rammell, personal

communication, February 8, 2018). He provided me a copy of the resources that the campus

offers:
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(BYUI Title IX Offices, 2014)

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As seen above, there are 6 different campus offices that provide help that aids those in

need of help who have suffered domestic or sexual violence, or stalking. In order to compare the

amount of other crime to domestic violence that is found within the student population, a

university crime report was requested. I was referred to the 2017 safety and crime statistics that

the school releases.

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(BYU-Idaho Campus Safety and Security, 2017)

The above data sheet shows that domestic violence is rarely reported directly to the

school. The cases of domestic violence that are reported directly to the school are far lower than

the amount that are reported to the family crisis center. I was also informed by Nick Rammell

that there is a campus lawyer who is devoted to providing legal counsel to the students who are

suffering domestic or sexual violence, or stalking (N. Rammell, personal communication,

February 8, 2018).

Other Observations. An anonymous survey was performed on google forms that

involved 272 local residents. The details of the survey indicated that this survey should only be

responded to if they were living in the Rexburg area. Out of the 272 residents, 12 persons

responded that they or someone they knew in the area had experienced domestic violence.

(Google Survey Forms, 2018)

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Secondary Data

Demographics. The median age in Rexburg is very low compared to the state and

national median; the median age is 20.6 years (City of Rexburg, 2017). This is extremely low

considering that the State of Idaho has a median age of 35.5 years (United States Census Bureau,

2015a), while the same report by the United States Census Bureau reported that the national

average age is 37.9 years. While the median age of a person living in Rexburg, Idaho is 20.6, the

average age that a woman falls victim to domestic abuse is 16 to 24 years old (National Coalition

Against Domestic Violence, 2015).

The median age in Rexburg is fairly low compared to the state and national averages, and

the poverty level is inversely high. With a poverty level of 46.1% in Rexburg, and a poverty

level of 15. 5% in Idaho, it appears that Rexburg is the poorest city in all of Idaho. This data is

largely skewed by the dense population of students in the relatively low population city and area

(United States Census Bureau, 2015b).

Government agencies. The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center released information on

the state of Idaho in 2014 that showed the rates of domestic violence as they are reported to the

police in Idaho.
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(Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, 2014)

The Idaho Statistical Analysis Center also reported the most common profile of an

arrestee, and the variations therein. The vast majority of violent crime victims in 2013 were

females (56.8%), with 79.4 % of the victims being white non-Hispanics. The average victim had

an age of 29. 8. The majority of violent offenders were male, 73%, and of the 73%, it was found

that 86. 9% of them were white with an average age of 31.1 years (Kifer, 2013).

Other Data. Domestic violence follows a pattern in most, if not all cases. The cycle

begins with a tension building phase in which stress increases from the stresses of daily life, such

as conflict over families, marital matters, misinterpretations, or other family struggles. It also

builds as the result of sickness, legal or monetary problem. During this time, the abuser feels

overlooked, threatened, irritated or wronged. These feelings last anywhere from minutes to

hours, and may even last several months (Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 2015).
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After the tension builds up to an apex, the next stage in the cycle is the acute violence

stage. This stage is characterized by eruptions of violent, abusive events which may be

surrounded by and include psychological abuse. During this phase, the abuser tries to dominate

his/her partner with violence (Dodge et al., 2015).

The release of tension through violence leads the abuser to progress the cycle to the next

stage, reconciliation. In the reconciliation phase, the abuser may feel regret, guilt, or fear that

their companion will leave them or involve the police. Characterized by warmth, apologies, or

even alternatively, completely ignoring the incident, this stage marks a supposed end of violent

behavior, with declarations that it will never happen again, and that the abuser will do their best

to change (Dodge et al., 2015).

In the final stage, the calm stage, the abuser pretends like everything is normal and that

there isn’t anything wrong. The victim remembers why they are with the abuser and

simultaneously forgets about the incidence of violence they just experienced. The cycle repeats

again after (Dodge et al., 2015).

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(Avanduyn, 2009)
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Part 3: Data Interpretation

Similarities

In a comparison of primary and secondary data that has been retrieved, one of the most

common pieces of information found was about the type of domestic violence that most

commonly occurs. It was found that the most common form of domestic violence is emotional

abuse. The Idaho State Police Analytical Reports for Domestic Violence in Idaho reported that

67% of domestic violence calls that police respond to are for emotional abuse (Kifer, 2013).

Similarly, through personal interview, Jory Joleen, of the Rexburg Family Crisis Center, said that

up to 75% of the cases they handle involve emotional abuse (J. Joleen, personal communication,

February 8, 2018).

Another commonality between data, which perhaps is not surprising, but common

nonetheless, was the fact that most abusers are males. The victim advocate of the Rexburg

Family Crisis Center whom I spoke with reported that in 2017, there were 748 victims of

domestic violence, and 665 (89%) of those were instigated by males (J. Joleen, personal

communication, February 8, 2018). Likewise, the National Coalition Against Domestic

Violence reports that 76% of domestic violence victims were female (National Coalition Against

Domestic Violence, 2015).

Differences

It was discovered through the interview with the victim advocate for the Rexburg Family

Crisis Center, and through the interview with Nick Rammell of the BYU-I Title IX Office, that

there is a difference in resources available, depending on whether you’re a student or not, and to

whom you go for help. The BYUI campus offers direct access to the university’s lawyer in the

BYU-I Title IX Office, who works with victims of domestic violence, while the Family Crisis
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Center of Rexburg provides information for victims in which enables them to decide what they

would like to do legally, or otherwise (N. Rammell, personal communication, February 8, 2018).

Another difference was found in the amount of cases of domestic violence that are found

in Rexburg compared to Idaho’s rates. Every year there are approximately 2 domestic violence

cases per every 1000 people in Rexburg; while there are a 19 cases of domestic violence per

every 1000 people in Idaho (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2017).

Through collection of primary and secondary data, the correlation between poverty and

domestic violence incidences was identified. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that those

who live below the poverty level are 5 times more likely to be part of domestic violence

(Rennison, 2000). The difference is that Rexburg is at a poverty level of 46. 1% but falls nearly

9 times below the national average for domestic violence rates (United States Census Bureau,

2015b).

Strengths of the Population

The community has many strengths related to domestic violence prevention, awareness,

and victim resources. The Rexburg Family Crisis Center offers anyone in need, a place to stay

off-site; can arrange access to legal help; provides clothes and supplies to those who are without;

and provides many more services for those who need assistance. Other services offered include

help with find housing, obtain food stamps, and even provide cash in some situations.

The high prevalence of LDS churches in the area also provides a great support network

for many of the BYUI students in Rexburg. The bishops of each church building have access to

24-hour help connected to the LDS Church’s Family Services via telephone. The LDS Church’s

Family Services provides free connections to counselors, psychologists, therapy, homes, food,
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supplies, and recovery meetings for victims and perpetrators (The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter Day Saints, 2007).

For BYUI students, one of the greatest advantages to their student population is the Title

IX Office on campus, which provides extensive resources for domestic violence victims. The

Title IX Office provides access to psychologists, and lawyers, and provides for campus security

referrals which allow students to walk around campus with a campus security guard until they

can get a restraining order or other help. In order for the university to comply with the United

States Education Amendments, the title IX office lawfully must provide these above services for

anyone going to BYUI (The United States Department of Justice, 2015).

Challenges of the Population

Many of the students at BYUI are LDS, which means that the majority of the students

will hold their religious values regarding marriage close to them. There are approximately

23,000 LDS students who attend BYUI every semester and only about 85 non-LDS students

(Brigham Young University - Idaho, 2017). The LDS church teaches that the family is eternal,

and that no matter what happens on earth, the family will remain together after their lives on

earth.

Because divorce essentially breaks the eternal bond of the family that the LDS church

teaches, many find leaving their domestic partner to be very difficult. Through the interview with

the patient advocate at the Rexburg Family Crisis Center, it was identified that many of the

BYUI student victims who seek help, are unwilling to do what is necessary to rectify the

situations of violence they find themselves in. Because of their deep religious beliefs that the

family unit is more spiritual than physical, and with the LDS culture that divorce is frowned
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upon, many victims choose to remain with their abusers (J. Joleen, personal communication,

February 8, 2018).

The average age of marriage at BYUI is 22 years of age. Approximately 84% of the

population is married sometime between 18 and 24 years of age (Brigham Young University –

Idaho, 2017a). This age is much lower compared to the national average of 27 for women and

29 for men (United States Census Bureau, 2017). The disadvantage for such a young average

marriage age, is that many of the students are not mentally prepared for marriage, or have not

developed mentally for the rigors of marriage. An article published in the Journal of Social

Science Research states that marriage after 25 years old is 1. 5 times less likely to lead to

domestic violence (Glenn, Uecker, & Love, 2010). Therefore, due to the low average age of

marriage for BYUI students, it can be assumed that more students will experience domestic

violence.

During the windshield survey, it was found that there are quite a few resources locally for

victims of domestic violence. One weakness of the community, is the lack of domestic violence

prevention. The CDCP has compiled a 59-page document that details the material that should be

implemented into community-based teaching in order to prevent domestic violence (Center for

Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).

The CDCP recommends implementation of prevention programs and education starting at

a young age. The technical document of prevention implementation consists of programs such

as: Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM), Premarital Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP),

and Shifting Boundaries. These programs seek to act as primary and secondary community

interventions in order to aid communities in becoming more educated, and aware of the issues

surrounding domestic violence (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).
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Validating Information

The most significant data that was identified through the data collection was the large

number of students attending BYUI who fall within the average age range for domestic violence.

The average age for someone to experience domestic violence is between 16 and 24 years old

(National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2017). The average student age at BYUI is

between 18 and 24 years old, and therefore many students fit into the demographic that we most

often see in cases of domestic violence (Brigham Young University – Idaho, 2017).

Additionally, the majority of BYUI students are Caucasian. People who identify as

Caucasian make up 85% of the total campus (Brigham Young University – Idaho, 2017a).

According to the most current Idaho State Police Domestic Violence Statistics, the most common

ethnicity for domestic violence nationally, and within Idaho, is Caucasian, at 92% (Idaho

Statistical Analysis Center, 2014).

It is also important to notice that the rates at which domestic violence is being reported

has been increasing during the last 3 years. It was noted during the interview with the victim

advocate at the Rexburg Family Crisis Center that the number of domestic violence incidences

for 2015-2017 have been, respectively: 307, 458, and 470 (J. Joleen, personal communication,

February 8, 2018). In 3 years, the reported incidences of domestic violence have increased by

approximately 35%.
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Part 4: Population Health Plan

Education

Area for improvement. Through the data gathering in the community, it was determined

that there is a lack of awareness and a knowledge-deficit surrounding domestic violence in the

small community of Rexburg. There is a great need for the community to receive more

education on how we can prevent domestic violence. In a recent article published in BYU-I’s

school newspaper, The Scroll, it was mentioned that “the second most frequent call received by

on-duty police officers in Rexburg is that of domestic disturbances” although domestic

disturbances do not always mean domestic violence is occuring (Schaelling, 2018, p.8).

Education for community members beginning at a young age would prove beneficial for long-

term prevention of domestic violence; increasing community based classes for newly-weds, and

those who have been married longer, would aid in decreasing domestic violence in the short-

term.

Increased education about the small number of family and marriage preparedness classes

on campus, and LDS church sponsored marriage-prep courses may decrease the rates of

domestic violence. This would be the university’s responsibility of increasing awareness of

domestic violence issues, and then providing connections to classes and courses offered through

BYU-I. Many who attend Brigham Young University - Idaho may not even be aware that the

community and the married students of BYU-I suffer from a domestic violence issue.

Recommendations. There are many ways to educate the public and the married students

of BYU-I regarding the prevalence and issue of domestic violence in Rexburg. The CDCP’s

technical packet of recommendations for community based education and prevention of domestic

violence provides several ideas that could be implemented. Three programs that would prove
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very beneficial for BYU-I students would be the CDCP’s programs called, “Premarital

Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP)”, “Real Consent”, and “Bringing in the Bystander”.

“Real Consent” seeks to reduce sexual violence action behaviors among college men. The goals

of this program and course are to prevent any sexually violent conduct toward women by

correcting common misconceptions about sex and rape; changing harmful behaviors and beliefs

about sex; increasing the knowledge base on elements of consent to sex (Center for Disease

Control and Prevention, 2017).

The second program, “Bringing in the Bystander”, seeks to teach college students on

how to become witnesses of potential and actual domestic violence, rather than perpetrators or

victims. The program is a 3-part class that allows students an opportunity to become aware of

the issues of domestic violence in their community, and to become advocates against it.

The third program, “Premarital Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP)”, seeks to

prepare couples who plan to marry. PREP is a five session course for couples who plan on

marrying. It focuses on educating couples on skills, techniques, and principles that are designed

to enhance their relationships, and to help to promote efficient management of negative affect.

The program also seeks to help relationships in marriage remain highly functional and improve

the communication of the marriage, which helps to decrease domestic violence rates (Center for

Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).

Evaluation. In order to identify if education is being disseminated amongst students, the

rates of domestic violence can be measured, and the number of students and community

members who attend these classes would be observed as well. The more people who attend these

educational programs and classes each time offered, would be a good indicator of effectiveness

and community concern.

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Resources

Area for improvement. Throughout the windshield survey, it was determined that there

is strong foundation of resources for students at BYUI and community members, such as the

Rexburg Family Crisis Center, the BYUI Title IX office, and a very responsive and attentive

police department. The issue doesn’t lie in the resources that are currently being utilized, the

issue of concern is that there are not enough resources. Jory Joleen, of the Rexburg Family

Crisis Center, expressed the rate in which students are coming into the crisis center is increasing

every year, and that she is concerned whether or not they will be able to handle the number of

cases in the coming years (J. Joleen, personal communication, February 8, 2018). It will be

important in the near future for Rexburg to increase its resources for domestic violence.

Recommendations. In order to increase the amount of resources that the community

offers to BYUI students, there needs to be an increase in the awareness of Rexburg’s domestic

violence problem. If BYUI releases mass on-campus student emails that outline the issues, and

then the available resources, we may see an increase in the number of people who seek out help.

The more people who seek out help, the more awareness will be fostered. As the awareness of

the issue is increased, the amount of community support should then follow, leading to increased

resources for victims.

Evaluation. By increasing awareness, the amount of resources for domestic violence

issues should grow. A simple evaluation of the number and type of resources before

intervention, sending emails, and then at 1, 3, and 5 years from implementation will measure the

results.
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Awareness

Area of improvement. Interconnected with the resources that Rexburg has to offer for

domestic violence victims is the apparent lack of awareness that surrounds the issue of domestic

violence. Through the windshield survey and the personal interviews during data collection, it

was reported that much of the issue with domestic violence in Rexburg amongst students, is that

it is not as openly talked about as it should be. Domestic violence is perceived as a taboo topic

amongst many, and therefore not discussed openly and freely as it should be.

Recommendations. Brigham Young University – Idaho plays the perfect part for

increasing awareness amongst students. The university has an amazing network capability

through emails, letter mail, signage throughout campus, and professors who can inform students

of classes and programs offered at the school and in the community. BYUI should increase its

involvement in raising awareness through its resources in order to open the dialogue for domestic

violence.

Evaluation. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, we would identify

the number of students attending the classes discussion, and the involvement in domestic

violence prevention and awareness through the community. Another windshield survey would

be done in order to observe the number of adverts, scheduled town discussions, and classes being

publicized, and any other tool that is being implemented to raise awareness on the issue.

Conclusion

Domestic violence takes shape in many different forms; it manifests through emotional,

physical, and psychological abuse and affects too many people each day. It is easy to think that

domestic violence doesn’t occur in a small college town that is made up of mostly LDS people,
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but it inarguably does. It is important to be aware that Rexburg has a domestic violence issue,

and it needs to be discussed more openly in order to move forward with improving the issue. As

the issue of domestic violence is brought to the attention of those in a position of influence, the

real change can begin, from which the cycle of learned domestic violence can be broken.

Reflection

When I first began researching this topic, I had no idea how it would change me, and

what I would learn from it. I was under the impression that I would find minimal information on

the subject of domestic violence in Rexburg, but I actually found out that there are good

resources for BYUI students and local citizens as well. I believed that it to be unfathomable that

members of the LDS church who attend BYUI were actually involved in domestic violence, and

I was shocked to learn that there is actually a fairly large problem in Rexburg that needs to be

addressed.

I believe that there are often times where issues in a community get overlooked, and

perhaps go unnoticed, and we often see this with mental health issues in the community. When I

begin my career as a professional nurse, I plan on making sure that I am aware and sensitive

enough to recognize issues that are in the community I work in.

The knowledge that I have gained during this project has been invaluable, and has taught

me a great deal about the hidden issues that can be found in communities. As a nurse, I am in a

very powerful position to teach members of the community about the current issues that the local

and extended public faces. Now that I know more about domestic violence, I will be much better

prepared to enter the workforce and bring that knowledge straight to the patients’ bedside and

understand how to help them better.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 33

My thought process towards domestic violence after working on this project, has given

me the drive to want to implement my own projects into the community, whereas before, I had

little to no desire to do so. I hope to find what the community that I work in struggles with, and

doesn’t have the resources it needs, and to introduce my own interventions to improve the

outcomes for individuals and families. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have had my

eyes opened to one of Rexburg’s community health problems, and to learn how I can intervene

in my own community in the future.

(360 Words)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 34

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