NCJ Number
177878
Journal
Violence Against Women Volume: 5 Issue: 7 Dated: July 1999 Pages: 742-768
Date Published
1999
Length
27 pages
Annotation
This study examined disaster-readiness in battered women's programs in Canada and the United States, given the probability that domestic violence will increase in frequency and intensity under the economic and social deprivation caused by natural disasters.
Abstract
Although data are limited, field reports indicate that violence against women increases in communities hit by environmental disasters. Seventy-seven Canadian and U.S. domestic violence programs participated in a study of organizational readiness, impact, and response in the context of such disasters. Data gained through a mail survey and open-ended telephone interviewing revealed low levels of in-house emergency preparedness, but a strong interest in increasing disaster readiness. Those programs that have been most severely impacted by disasters reported increased service demands for as long as 1 year after the event. This increased demand was coupled with decreased organizational resources due to the disaster. Disaster- resistant facilities for domestic violence programs are essential, as are alternative evacuation sites that afford safe shelter to women already displaced from their homes by abuse. Preparedness programs designed for cohesive neighborhoods should also include those insecurely housed in disaster-prone environments, including women and children who reside in battered women's shelters. Mental health, social service, and relief workers in the field should receive adequate training in domestic violence issues, with attention to how power and control issues in disaster contexts impact women. Funding priorities in emergency response organizations and agencies that fund antiviolence programs must reflect and support the needs of women at risk of violence when disaster strikes. 2 tables, 7 notes, and 53 references