For my multi-level public health resilience-building intervention, I am designing an intimate partner violence (IPV) education and prevention program for the Bangladeshi community in Miami, Florida. This intervention will target all levels of the social-ecological model to build resilience by emphasizing accountability and advocating for systemic change at the societal and cultural level. The intervention aims to promote healing from adverse childhood experiences in order to work on generational trauma and break cycles of violence and abuse.
IPV is a public health problem, and it is preventable. IPV is defined by the CDC as physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse." It can lead to many different health issues, both physical and mental, and can even lead to death.
The individual level will consist of workshops that provide education on what heathy relationships and respectful partners consist of. This part of the intervention will also take into account specific characteristics of the participants, including things like their socioeconomic status, immigration status and more. All these topics are intended to give individuals greater ability to recognize unhealthy relationship dynamics and be empowered to reach out for help.
At the relationship level, workshops will focus on healthy conflict management and bystander intervention for family members. Bangladeshi culture is very collectivist and group-oriented. Relationships are important, thus social circles and peers are essential to any intervention within this community.
On the community level, again bystander intervention will be emphasized to empower community members to call out IPV and provide support to victims of IPV while holding perpetrators accountable. This level will also prioritize the needs of the Bangladeshi community by having genuine conversations about their biggest concerns. This will be used to tailor culturally competent and community based ways to recognize and prevent IPV.
At the societal level, the public health professionals, health educators, researchers, and community members facilitating this intervention will be involved in advocating for systemic and sustainable changes in policy and legislation to prevent IPV in the Bangladeshi community. Along with the push for change on the legal and systemic levels, the goal of this intervention is to educate victims, perpetrators, and bystanders on why IPV is wrong and why it should not be normalized.
Research has shown that ACEs are associated with an increased likelihood of IPV in adulthood. Children in dysfunctional families who are witnesses to or victims of physical, mental, or emotional abuse in childhood are more likely to continue these cycles as adults. This is why the prevention of IPV is so important.
I've attached an infographic i designed for the marketing of this intervention. Thank you!
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