Injuries and violence are a significant cause of child death, physical and psychological disability. Increase attention to the field of injury control, the violence prevention and to stimulate research on what works to prevent and treat injuries, especially in low- and middle-income countries, as well as increased advocacy / partnership to confront child injury are of urgent need. Women's Health and Education Center (WHEC) hopes our efforts encourage countries and governments to implement injury control policies and programs that will actually lower the currently unacceptable toll of child injury. While much remains to be learned about the effectiveness of rehabilitation approaches, they signal the potential to actualize the full and meaningful participation of young people who experience disability following an injury. Progress in child and adolescent health will be limited if child injuries are not addressed systematically.Read More
Child abuse is a serious global health problem. Most prevention efforts for child maltreatment focus on victims and perpetrators without necessarily addressing the root causes of the problem. The Convention on Rights of Child is one the most widely ratified of all the international treaties and conventions. A stronger commitment to increase global violence prevention efforts is desperately needed.Read More
Domestic Violence is characterized as a pattern of coercive behaviors that may include repeated battering & injury, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive social isolation, deprivation and intimidation. Someone who is or was involved in an intimate relationship, with the victim, perpetrates these behaviors. This article gives an overview of the dynamics and magnitude of Domestic Violence.Read More
Refraining and responding to violence against women. Health care Professionals are among the first person to whom a victim of abuse will turn for help. This presents a significant opportunity to offer effective, timely interventions that help victims regain a sense of control over their lives.Read More
Economic and Social Council One of its missions is, to achieve for women: gender equality, development and peace for the 20th century. Trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of prostitution is one of the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity. Over 1,200,000 persons (the number may as high as 4 million), especially women and children, are trafficked each year across international borders. Positive Initiatives: Many governments have passed Acts for the prevention and suppression of the trafficking in women and children. In Thailand, for example, girls are now protected under the purview of the Prevention And Suppression Of Trafficking In Women And Children Act, 1996 Several NGOs have set up programs to rescue, repatriate and reintegrate the victims of trafficking. Examples of these include Maiti Nepal in Nepal, Sanlaap in Calcutta, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Thailand, etc. To be successful, strategies to combat trafficking of women must: Address gender inequality as the root cause of violence and trafficking. Use new approaches which rely on more comprehensive and inclusive networks and partnerships. Suggestions for achievable community level programs that will prevent trafficking: We wish to offer suggestions on how projects involving local communities could become an effective component of the fight against trafficking. In trafficking- prone areas, community level prevention programs could be organized for the purpose of detecting and preventing the early disappearance of girls. The following components are suggested: A vigilance committee functioning at the village level to target trafficking agents. Such committees would be comprised of the village/community headperson/mayor, local women and men volunteers, the local police, local religious leader, etc. A local registry system where the names of missing girls are reported along with all pertinent details. An investigation team whose responsibility would be to screen “job recruiters” or other newcomers entering the village to detect if they might be recruiters for prostitution. The job recruiters would be asked to provide the girl’s future employer’s name, address and telephone number. He would be asked to give references on the potential employer, which the investigation team would, counter check. The vigilance committee would follow-up on the girl’s living and working conditions (carpet factory, domestic work, etc.) Girls groups could be formed, whenever possible, for the purpose of building their confidence and self-esteem and to give them a better understanding of the various forms of gender violence. Poverty eradication measures should be organized at the village level: literacy program, training for small – scale enterprises, etc. Media strategies should be developed to denounce culturally upheld beliefs and practices of violence against women, including domestic violence, female genital mutilation, female foetuside and systems of prostitution. Community education and advocacy programs should be designed for and directed to both genders in the community. These could cover issues such as gender discrimination, violence against women, the dangers of HIV/AIDS, the value of women and their resourcefulness for the community. Special recognition awards could be given by regional authorities to model villages/communities which have an active and effective anti-violence project. Early Systemic Alerts: Rescued girls have stated how they would have appreciated an early intervention by the police and NGOs at the place where they were sold or forced into prostitution. Existing networks between the pimps, brothel owners and the police need to be dealt with for successful rescue operations. There is an urgent need to establish/strengthen mechanisms for cooperation between the source, transit and destination countries or states where women are trafficked. To be more specific, this should include: Effective vigilance at border crossings Strict checking of identification papers Greater cooperation between the supplying and host countries for the purpose of prevention and rescue. Anti-corruption initiatives Prosecution of sex tourism and of “Mail Bride” industries. Editor’s Note The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, through its supplementary protocol, deals especially with preventing, suppressing and punishing trafficking in persons, especially women and children. Unfortunately, some states seem to lack the political will to implement this protocol effectively. Commenting on the Resolution Against Trafficking adopted by the General Assembly in December 2000, the Secretary General of the UN recommends that further actions be taken for the adoption and enforcement of legal strategies. For more information on the Work of the United Nations, Please visit their web site: http://www.un.org Published: 14 October 2009Read More
SafeLink 24-Hour DV Hotline 1-877-785-2020 English/Spanish 1-877-521-2601 (TTY) Jane Doe, Inc. www.janedoe.org 617-248-0922 Resources and referrals for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Online statewide resource guide. Massachusetts Medical Society www.massmed.org Comprehensive guide on domestic violence for health care professionals. MDPH Sexual Assault and Survivor Service www.state.ma.us/dph/sapss/sapss.htm 617-492-7273 Information and referral for rape crisis centers statewide Lla’manos 1-800-223-5001 Spanish language sexual assault hotline Family Violence Prevention Fund www.fvpf.org 415-252-8900 Resources on screening and documentation guidelines, protocol development, training for providers and organizations. Massachusetts Domestic Violence Fact Sheet www.state.ma.us/ccj/dvfact.htm Information about domestic violence in Massachusetts American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists Screening tools, guidelines and other resources for clinicians. www.acog.org/goto/noviolence United Nations Declaration on the elimination of violence against women. United Nations Resolution A/Res/48/104. http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/48/a48r104.htm World Health Organization World report on violence and health http://www.who.int/topics/violence/en/ American Bar Association Defending Liberty, Pursuing Justice www.abanet.org Published: 14 October 2009Read More
Scientific investigation of the problem of domestic violence is a relatively recent endeavor. It is only within the past 30 years that violence against women has been acknowledged nationally and internationally as a threat to the health and rights of women as well as to national development. This chapter illuminates the different faces of violence, from the "invisible" suffering of society's most vulnerable individuals to the all-too-visible tragedy of societies.Read More
Incorporating screening related to elder abuse and neglect into these encounters will increase identification of abuse. Health care providers should assess patients for elder abuse and respond to patients who are victims of elder abuse as they would to domestic violence in general.Read More
