Service Considerations

Barriers to Service

Many victims of domestic violence and sexual assault face barriers to accessing formal services, including, but not limited to:

• lack of knowledge about options and available services
• limited English-speaking ability
• disability, cultural and/or religious beliefs
• immigrant status
• sexual orientation
• institutionalized racism
• economic dependency
• fear of existing formal service systems

Individuals who have multiple barriers, specific cultural/religious norms, language limitations, disabilities or other vulnerabilities tend to experience greater difficulty accessing services and getting help that is appropriate. When one takes into account the potential for vulnerable and marginalized populations to be re-victimized within the criminal justice system, accessing mainstream services could appear to be more of a threat than of assistance.

Domestic Violence and Housing

Many victims of domestic violence are forced to stay with or return to their abusive partners because of lack of available shelter or affordable housing. In 2006, half of the U.S. cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness.[1]  Victims of domestic violence need access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing in order to gain independence and permanently end the cycle of violence.

Washington State has adopted laws to protect against housing discrimination for victims of domestic violence. Specifically, State housing laws prohibit landlords from evicting or otherwise discriminating against tenants because they have experienced domestic violence. Additionally, a tenant experiencing domestic violence may break her lease if she needs to move to protect herself.

Domestic Violence and Economics

Studies have consistently shown that rates of physical and sexual violence for women receiving TANF are significantly higher than for other low-income women from the same neighborhoods.[2]  The combination of poverty and violence creates particular difficulties for women's well-being and ability to achieve self-sufficiency.[3]

The Family Violence Option (FVO) of TANF grants waivers to domestic violence victims that exempt them from having to meet certain eligibility requirements. These waivers function to protect victims’ confidentiality, support victims’ efforts to leave abusive relationships, and keep them safe. Waivers exempt victims from having to meet TANF’s five-year time limit to benefits, contact their abuser for child support payments or paternity establishments, and from work activity.[4]

Currently, Washington State’s TANF program offers exemptions for victims of domestic violence. There is no system that tracks the number of waivers provided in Washington State, but there is reason to believe they are consistent with other states’. In California, only 25% of women surveyed who identified themselves as victims of domestic violence had received any information from the welfare office about waivers for which they were eligible. Similar data was found in Wisconsin, while a study of the New Work City welfare agency found it referred less than half of individuals who identified themselves as victims of domestic violence to a special domestic violence caseworker.[5]

A survey conducted by Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (2007) with domestic violence state advocates found that over 50% of advocates reported that most of the time, survivors get a deferral from WorkFirst participation.[6]

 The caveat, however, is that there is no system that tracks how many individuals are being screened for domestic violence in the first place. Therefore, there is no way to know if everyone who meets requirements is getting connected to advocates.

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Domestic Violence and Immigration

Washington State is the fifth largest refugee resettlement state in the country. Furthermore, the non-institutionalized foreign-born population comprises 18.8% of King County’s population.[7] With such an ethnically diverse populace, there need to be resources and interventions that can address the varying needs and experiences of women and families who are in domestic violence relationships.

A 2000 report by Public Health-Seattle & King County in partnership with the University of Washington and various population-specific domestic violence organizations in King County looked at women’s experiences of domestic violence in their cultural context.[8]

Across all cultural groups, the report stated that “survivors described personal feelings of shame and humiliation, belief that abuse is ‘normal,’ a commitment to keeping the family together, lack of economic resources, and the inability to speak English” as factors contributing to the complexity of dealing with domestic violence (p. 3). Specifically for immigrant groups, economic deprivation, threats of deportation and isolation are all common features of domestic violence experiences.

Washington State has implemented Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) policies to protect all women who experience domestic and sexual violence. This has been the key piece of legislation to address the myriad of legal and immigration policy constraints for immigrant women in domestic violence situations.

The law focuses on education and prevention, creating training programs for law enforcement officials, health care providers, housing providers, and men and boys to help stop the generational cycle of abuse and sexual assault. Further, VAWA extends services and legal protection for women in housing and employment, and revamps the legal system to make it more accessible and beneficial for the victims. Additionally, the law establishes crisis services for victims of rape and sexual assault.

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