The Importance of Professional Assistance to Victims of Domestic Violence

Kadar govorimo o nasilju v družini, v 90% govorimo o nasilju nad ženskami. Nad njimi se izvajajo različne vrste nasilja in sicer psihično, fizično, ekonomsko, spolno in zanemarjanje. Vse te oblike nasilja negativno vplivajo na osebe, ki so preživele nasilje. V nasilnem odnosu se srečujejo z občutki ničvrednosti, nemoči, strahu, groze in izgubljenosti. Pomembno je, da se ženske opogumijo, izstopijo iz nasilnega odnosa in poiščejo sebi ustrezno obliko pomoči. S pomočjo šestih intervjujev, ki sem jih opravila z uporabnicami varne hiše in svetovalnice za žrtve nasilja in zlorab, ter kvalitativne analize pridobljenih rezultatov sem ugotovila, da ženske večinoma ne vedo, kam se lahko zatečejo po pomoč in ne poznajo različnih oblik pomoči, ki so jim na voljo. Zato se najprej zatečejo po pomoč k svoji socialni mreži, kasneje pa večinoma podajo prijavo nasilja na policijo ali center za socialno delo. Pomembno je, da ta dva organa pomoči ženski prisluhneta, ji verjameta in ji predstavita druge oblike pomoči, ki so jim na voljo. Strokovni delavci v socialnem varstvu so tisti, ki žrtvam nasilja nudijo pomembno psihosocialno podporo in pomoč. Osebe z izkušnjo nasilja velik pomen pripisujejo pogovoru, nasvetom in usmeritvam, ki jih prejmejo od strokovnih delavcev. Pomagajo jim, da se razbremenijo občutka krivde, se opolnomočijo in pridobijo nazaj samozavest ter pozitivno mnenje o sebi. V procesu podpore in pomoči prejmejo poleg psihične pomoči še finančno in materialno pomoč. Velik pomen pripisujejo zagovorništvu in vsem pridobljenim informacijam ter nudenju pomoči v zvezi z uradnimi postopki, s katerimi se srečajo, ko zapustijo partnerski odnos. Ženske poročajo o tem, da sta se njihovo počutje in kvaliteta življenja po prejetju psihosocialne pomoči precej izboljšala. Ustvarile so nove izkušnje in pridobile nova spoznanja. Poudarjajo, da se podpora in pomoč, ki jo dobijo od socialne mreže precej razlikuje od pomoči strokovnih delavcev, ki jih s svojim znanjem lahko bolje podprejo in lažje usmerjajo na poti k želenim rešitvam. Glede na to, da se o problematiki nasilja in njenih posledicah ter možnih oblikah pomoči premalo govori, bi bilo nujno potrebno ozaveščanje družbe, kar bi sčasoma lahko pripeljalo do ničelne tolerance do nasilja, ki je nujno potrebna, če želimo zmanjšati število nasilnih dogodkov pri nas.When dealing with domestic violence, 90 % of the time we talk about violence against women. They are subjected to various types of violence, namely psychological, physical, economic, sexual, or neglect. All previously mentioned forms have a severe negative effect on survivors of violence. They are faced with feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, fear, terror, and loss in a violent relationship. It is crucial for women to be courageous, get out of a violent relationship and find a suitable form of aid or help for themselves. Through six interviews with users of the safe house and the counseling center for victims of violence and abuse, and a qualitative analysis of the results obtained, I concluded that women mostly do not know where to turn for help, nor are they aware of various forms of help that are available for them, therefore they first turn to their social network for help, and later report the abuse to the police or a social work center. It is important that these two bodies of aid listen to the female, trust her, and present other forms of help available to them. Social workers are those who provide important psychosocial support and assistance to victims of violence or abuse. People who had the experience of violence attach great importance to conversation, advice, and guidance offered by professionals. They help them to relieve the feeling of guilt, they empower the victims, so they regain self-confidence and a positive opinion of themselves. In the process of support and assistance, in addition to psychological assistance, they also receive financial and material assistance. They value the advocacy and all the information obtained, as well as providing assistance in relation to the formal procedures they encounter when leaving a partnership. Women report that their well-being and quality of life has improved significantly after receiving psychosocial support. They created new experiences and gained new insights. They point out that the support and help they receive from the social network differs from the help of professionals, who can provide support based on their knowledge, and guide them more easily on the way to desired solutions. Given that the issue of violence and its consequences and possible forms of assistance are insufficiently discussed, it is necessary to raise public awareness, which could eventually lead to zero tolerance for violence, which is essential if we desire to reduce the number of violent cases in our country