My Public Health Communication Campaign proposal focuses on women living in rural communities that are/were victims of domestic violence (DV). This target population was chosen for a variety of reasons. Domestic Violence is a widespread and extremely common issue facing women. 1 in 4 women have experienced sexual or physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner. 41% of survivors experience physical injury, additionally, half of homicides committed against women are committed by a former or present intimate partner. Women in rural areas are particularly vulnerable. Rates of domestic violence for women in rural areas are higher than their urban counterparts, 22.5% compared to 15.5%. Additionally, the severity of violence reported is greater for rural women. Unfortunately, in rural areas, formal services for domestic violence survivors are limited and those that do exist are often underfunded. The average distance to the nearest domestic violence resource for rural communities is three times greater than urban communities, and rural programs serve more counties and have fewer resources. So rural women experience higher rates of domestic violence, more severe forms of domestic violence, and have limited services available to them. They are clearly a population in need of support and this is why I chose them as my target population.
The first product I made as a part of this campaign is a brochure on a resilience-building retreat here in Florida. It is a free 3-5 day customized retreat for survivors of trauma, including sexual assault and domestic violence. Evidence-based services are provided to heal the mind, body, and spirit. A multitude of activities are offered including mindfulness, yoga, and exercise classes. It is led by a group of first responders with the goal of providing survivors with necessary tools to not only survive, but thrive.
The second product I made is a newspaper article detailing strategies for resilience-building for women in rural areas that are victims of domestic violence. The purpose of this product is to offer two strategies for resilience-building for women in rural areas that don’t require formal support services, spirituality/religion and social support. These are two methods for resilience-building that have shown to be significant in the recovery of women recovering from domestic violence. And most importantly, they can be applied regardless of physical location or local resources available.
Lastly, I created a PSA. A common but outdated way of thinking about resilience is the absence of psychopathology including things like PTSD, depression, and other psychological symptoms. However, we are changing the way we think and talk about resilience and recognizing that often resilience and psychopathology are present simultaneously and that having PTSD, depression, or other symptoms doesn’t mean you aren’t resilient, in fact, it makes all efforts to move forward even more of an accomplishment. The purpose of the product is to educate women and inform that if they suffer from psychological symptoms they are still entirely capable of building resilience. The goal is to empower these women to begin enacting strategies to build resilience, such as those outlined in the newspaper article, today.
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