Violencc-Frcc Relationships: Statement of Problem and
Subsequent Policy Recommendations
Background
Over the past decade, violence has increasingly been recognized ampng the biggest health
threats in the US. In the media, the emphasis is commonly on the random and senseless
acts of violence. We hear about who is affected, how you can protect yourself, who is at
fault. Young people are frequently the focus of violence, as victims and as perpetrators.

The emphasis is generally reactive,,responding to violence after it has occurred. However,
to begin to prevent yiolence,\ye must liioye beyond reactiveness and develop an.
understanding of what violence actually is and why it exists.
The reality is that violence is most often not so random. One thing that is clear is
that most violence occurs among people who know each other. Hoihicide, sexual
assault,family violence, workplace and school violence —over 90 percent of all
violence — is not committed by strangers, but by friends,family members,
schoolmates, co-workers, and neighbors. Furthermore, more than 90yo percent of
all physical violence and sexual violence is committed by males. Basically, most acts
of violence involve men hurting women,each other, and children whom they know.
Violence between intimates is intricately tied to societal mores and attitudes about the

acceptance of violence as a power strategy in relationship between "loved ones", the
traditional roles of men and women in our society and a tolerance for violence against
women and children in general. Historically, men were allowed to treat their wives
and children as personal property resulting in attitudes that tolerated, if not
encouraged, violence and abuse. These attitudes and behaviors, often learned
within,the familv arid silentlv supported bv the society at large must be challenged
and changed in order to stop family and relationship violence.

To reduce and prevent violence it is essential that we address gender role socialization.
An essential violence prevention strategy is that we change,the gender-role training that
teaches young men to use violence to establish ppwer and control over others. To
counter or at least balance these aspects of power and control, young boys must be taught

skills that enable them to develop and sustain positive, equal, nonviolent and nurturing
relationships.

We must also look to the gender-role training of young girls that socializes then; with the
concepts ofsubmissiveness, passivity and pleasing others (often at the expense of

themselves), and assuming blame for what happens in relationships. A sense of
independence, positive self-esteem, healthy personal boundaries, and assertiveness and
leadership skills can enable young girls to take care ofthemselves and develop and
sustain positive, equal, and nonviolent relationships.

Planning Process of Violence-Free Subcommittee
To date, the Subcommittee has met three times to formulate policy recommendations.
Specific recommendations made here are based on the research the committees reviewed
and the collective discussion that ensued.

These recommendations are focused on primary prevention strategies. The
subcommittee plans to meet at least one more time to review/finalize our
recommendations (July 28, 9-11am).
The subcommittee acknowledges that while there was committee expertise available on
issues of child abuse, domestic violence and youth violence, much less was known about

the dimensions, scope, causes of effects of elder abuse. This will be addressed over the
next month.

For the purposes of the.Subcommittee, the definition of violence-free'relationships:goes
beyond family violence to include all significant or intimate relationships (i.e., friends,
neighbors and schools, co-workers and other acquaintances),(see Figure 1.)

Subcommittee Participants (Partial List)
Wiggy Sivertsen, San Jose State University Domestic Violence Council

Jennifer Niklaus, YWCA Child Abuse Council
Edesa Bitadal - Assemblywom^ Elaine Alquist
David Lee, Support Network for Battered Women
Anne Roesler, Support Network for Battered Women
Supriya Bhat, Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist

Staff:

Andrea Villasenor-Perry, Violence Prevention Coordinator
Corina Vera,Public Health Intern

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Figure 1: Relationships

Statistics Oil Relationship Violence
Child Abuse

RAFT

A total of21,227 cases of child abuse were reported to the Smta Clara County Child Abuse
and Neglect Referral and Reporting Center m 1997.
Domestic Violence

A woman is beaten by her husband or boyfriend every nine-fifteen seconds in this country.
In 1996,there were 8 deaths(homicides and suicides) as a result of domestic violence, of
which 4 occurred in the presence 6f children.
In 1996, 7,818 domestic violence calls for assistance were made to law enforcement agencies
in Santa Clara County. Ofthose, 83%(6,450)involved weapoiis.
More women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends than by strangers.
A recent National Crime Victimization's survey found that women were 6 times more likely
than men to experience violence at the hands of an intimate partner.

Dating Violence
Data from a study of8th and 9th grade female and male students indicated that 25% had been
victims of nonsexual dating violence and 8% had been victims ofsexual dating violence.

Sexual assault/Rape
Nearly half of the 500,000 rapes and sexual assaults reported to the police by women of all
ages were committed by friends or acquaintances.
In Smita Clara County 544 forcible rapes were reported in 1996.
Youth Violence

Santa Clara County schools experienced 669 cases of battery,89 cases of assault with a deadly
weapon,36 sex offenses, and 265 cases of possession of weapon,in the I995-I996 academic
year.

Juvenile Hall admissions for rape increased from 9 in 1995 to.26 in 1996,an increase of189%.
Hate Crime

San Jose Police Department data indicate 21 hate crimes for both 1996 and 1997.

Poii(iy Subcommittee: Violence Free Relationship and Violence
Recommended Actions
We Can Address Now
Existing Problems
Family violence is a health crisis in the lives
of women and children. A prerequisite to
effective intervention in domestic violence is

that Women who are assaulted be accurately

identified. Early identification, assessment

Recommended Actions

All health care practitioners, social service
workers, criminal justice personnel and otlier
county workers providing services to children

Lead Responsible Party / Others
1. Social Services Agency
Public Health Department
Mental Health Department

and families should receive appropriate
continuing education to improve tlieir

and intervention is crucial for the health and

knowledge and skills in universal screening,

safety of women and children.

identification, assessment, intervention and

prevention of domestic violence, child abuse,
elder abuse and sexual assault.

The Family Violence Prevention Fund has
developed a national model curriculum which
should be incorporated into existing training
which has begun at the Social Service
agencies.

County should require all county funded
contractors to provide education in universal
screening, identification, assessment,
intervention and prevention of domestic
violence, child abuse, elder abuse and sexual
assault to all workers providing service
delivery.

7/13/98

We Can Address Now - Page 1

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Existing Problems

Recommended Actions

2. Adults need to understand the pervasiveness
of violence-supportive attitudes and violent
behavior before they can promote non violent

2. Establish time limited Cmmunity Task Force
to meet with the Teacher Preparation Program
at SJSU to define and plan for improved
teacher training in violence prevention

behavior to their students. Teachers need

more training in child abuse and domestic
violence identification and prevention. In
addition, teachers need training in
understanding the need for a comprehensive
approach to violence prevention K-12.

7/13/98

Lead Responsible Party / Otheis
2. Counseling office, San Jose State University
Violence Prevention Council
San Jose Domestic Violence Task Force

education.

We Can Address Flow - Page 2

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Existing Problems

Recommended Actions

1 Lead Responsible Party / Others

\
1

3. Athletics are a major influence in the lives of
many youth often seen as an arena for
promoting violence and gender biased
attitudes. Can become an ideal place to
promote non-violence.

Hum

3. Convene task force to develop ways to
minimize violence in athletics . Involve

coaches and other sports professionals to
develop non violence training programs

We Can Address Now - Page 3

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Policy Subcoiniiiittee: Violence Free Relationship and Violence
Recoininended Actions

We Can Address With Additional Resources
!Existing

Probiems

Recommended Actions

Lead Responsible Party / Others

Every 15 seconds an American woman is

County government should join with business,

Violence Prevention Cotmcil, Child Abuse

battered. More than one in three Americans
have witnessed an incident of domestic

entertainment and advertising industries,

Council and Domestic Violence Council.

violence, according to a survey released by
the Family Violence Prevention Fund. It is
estimated that 3 million U.S. children live in
a violent home. There is a critical need to

criminal justice, social service and healtli
agencies to develop and support
comprehensive multimedia educational
campaigns. They communicate the message
of"zero tolerance for family violence".

change societal attitudes about family
violence in order to prevent or at least reduce
its recurrence. Educational campaigns have
proven successful at raising awareness and
altering behavior, as seen by the effective
campaigns vs smoking, and drinking and
driving.

7/13/98

Additional Resoiirccs - Page 1

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Existing Problems

Recommended Actions

imitate what they see and children in abusive

Support the expansion of parent education
programs that teaches child development,
appropriate discipline and how to build strong

households learn that violent behavior is the

families.

way to deal with anger, and frustration. E^ly
childhood parenting education initiatives are
an ideal venue to promote prevention of

in the county.

The family is the first and most influential
factor in the socialization of a child. Children

Lead Responsible Party / Others

Make programs available to all high risk families

violence and develop emotionally healthy,
families.

7/13/98

Additional Resources'- Page 3

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Ptr

Existing Problems

Recommended Actions

2. Many researches believe that power and

All school in Santa Clara County should

doininance are the core of bur socialization

adopt a curriculum for junior and high school
teens tliat deals witli developing healtliy
relationships and preventing relationship
dating violence and domestic violence.

process and that they contribute to the
acceptance of violence against those with less
power. In our dominance-based culture, men
are socialized to be aggressive and devaluing
women and women are socialized to be

passive and accept male dominance. A
primary prevention model demands that we
intervene in the earliest socialization process
of boys and girls and train boys and girls to
create and sustain equal healthy non violent
relationships.

7/13/98

Lead Responsible Party / Others
Violence Prevention Council in partnership with :
•
•

Office of Women Advocate
Commission on the Status of Women

•

Domestic Vioience Council

County leadership should support the
expansion of programs in the community tliat
build independence, self esteem, and
leadership skills among young women and
girls.

County leadership should support expansion
of program in the community tliat teaches
boys and men how to develop and maintain
nurturing non violent relationships.

Additional Resources - Page 2

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Existing Problems
4.

75% of battered women report that their
children were sexually or physically abused

by the father and 90% reported that their
children were present when they were beaten.
Research indicates that children of battered
women suffer adverse effects such as somatic

Recommended Actions

Board of Supervisors should advocate for an

Lead Responsible Party / Others
Board of Supervisors

increase in state funding for domestic violence

and victim service programs to provide counseling
to children who witness domestic violence and
other violence incidents.

complaints and psychological disorders.
Half of children who live in a violent home
will become violent adults and three quarters

will have behavioral problems..

7/13/98

Additional Reso.urces - Page 4

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S3 m

Existing Problems

Recommended Actions

Evidence demonstrates a significant causal
relationship between media violence and
aggression in society. In particuiar,

Media literacy training should be as a part of all
county supported parent education programs so
tiiat parents can better understand and mitigate tlie
possible influence of media on their children

substantial research has indicated that heavy

ejq)osure to teievised violence is one of the
causes of aggressive behavior in children.

Lead Responsible Party./ Ottiersg

attitiudes and behaviors.

In the average American household, by the
time children leave elementary school, they
have seen 8,000 minders and more than

100,000 other acts oftelevision violence. The
media often glamorizes and portrays violence
as a means of settling problems. In addition,
the media often promotes social
misconceptions about culture, genders or age
groups. In particular, youth are often exposed
to negative messages regarding violence
against women.
The media industry must be called upon to

adopt more responsible programming. This
effort will require significant effort and
resources. In the meantime, the Board of

Supervisors can promote policies which help
educate the community, especially parents,
about the effects of media violence so that

they can make more informed and responsible
choices about their own chiidren's viewing
habits

7/13/98

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■iX

Policy Subcoiniiiittee: Molence Free Relalionship and >'iolence
Recommended Actions

We Can Work Differently
Existing Problems
1. The most effective violence prevention

strategies involve supporting and
building on our most basic societal
institutions - family and community.
To obtain a peaceful and thriving
society, each individual needs to be
involved in working to prevent and
reduce violence. To promote
community building and social
responsibility, the County Board of
Supervisors should provide county
employees with incentives for
participation in community service
efforts in one's neighborhood, school
or community.

7/13/98

Recommended Actions

In support of the concept of
"community-based" government,
Santa Clara County should develop a
policy which allows county employees
up to
hours of release paid time
per fiscal year for volunteer activities

Lead Responsible Party / Others
1. County Employee Services
Board of Supervisors

in the schools and/or community".

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