The state of Florida relies on UCF experts to find better ways to prevent domestic violence and give victims a stronger voice in the services they need.
Through a $257,384 two-year grant from the Florida Partnership to End Domestic Violence, faculty in UCF’s Violence Against Women Research Cluster are conducting a statewide domestic violence needs assessment. Their findings will help policy makers and local agencies develop better strategies to fund and support domestic violence prevention programs that empower victims.
“A common goal of our work is to give a voice to the people who work in these programs and the people who use these services,” said Dr. Bethany Bax, associate professor of social work in the UCF College of Health Professions and Sciences, leader of the Violence Against Women Cluster, and principal investigator on the project. “It’s important to us to produce research that practitioners can understand and interpret in useful ways. What we’re creating now will hopefully be something that can be used for years to come.”
women of the world
Violence against women is a global problem. According to UN Women, nearly one in three women worldwide experience physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lifetime. In 2024, around 50,000 women and girls around the world will be murdered by their intimate partners or other family members.
UCF’s faculty group works across the fields of education, social work, criminal justice, sociology, and medicine and was founded 10 years ago to transform these outcomes.
“We know how complex this social issue is,” said Dr. Kim Anderson, social work professor and cluster member. “We are looking at the potential for solutions that collectively transcend all disciplines, including criminal justice, sociology, and health.”
Communicate Florida’s strategy
Researchers have already identified several important needs for states to consider.
“For example, we are seeing situations where people facing abuse are having to spend more on food and other necessities to survive changes in funding for certain support programs,” Dr. Backs said. “What we are seeing is the impact of population boom and how rapid growth and rapid decline in some areas will impact service needs.”
Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Children and Families to examine organizations that provide domestic violence services. They are interviewing survivors who sought services and those who were unable to access care or understand risk factors.
Cluster member Dr. Karina Villalba’s expertise is creating opportunities for more people to feel safe sharing their experiences of domestic violence.
“I specifically focus on intimate partner violence within the Hispanic community,” said Dr. Villalba, an assistant professor in the UCF School of Medicine’s Department of Population Health Sciences. “There are certain beliefs, like the concept of ‘masculinity,’ that may give some men an avenue to pursue this kind of violence. It may not even be considered violence to survivors because it may be an accepted part of the culture.”
She hopes efforts to prevent domestic violence in the United States will have an impact around the world.
“We are seeing a ripple effect in Latin American countries where people are becoming more aware,” Dr. Villalba said. “This will help us continue to move forward in our work so we can not only be a lighthouse here in Florida and the United States, but also show the world what we can do.”
key to preventing violence
Preventing domestic violence means identifying warning signs and behaviors early and providing services to reduce the risk of continued violence, Dr. Bax said.
Domestic violence “isn’t necessarily physical, it’s not just looking at someone in the dark,” she says. “Physical violence can occur after psychological abuse, such as coercion, control, isolation, and stalking.”
Dr. Alison Cares, associate professor of sociology in the UCF School of Science and a member of the cluster, says changing misconceptions is needed to prevent domestic violence.
“There are expectations of what abusers and survivors look like. It’s easy to think that the people doing this abuse look like monsters,” she said. “But the reality is, these are people we know. They could be friends, family, or people we work with.”
Researchers said they are encouraged by the resilience of the survivors and service providers they have met. “We’re seeing incredible courage in people reaching out to support people,” Dr. Anderson said. “We hope that the information gleaned from this assessment can elevate the voices of staff and survivors.
