Domestic Violence on Increase for War Veterans

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among veterans has raised the risk of domestic violence in the homes of veterans, affecting their families and children. Domestic violence in the homes of veterans is a growing problem, creating victims of the spouse, intimate partner, family and the children of the veteran who returns home with PTSD.

Steps to protect the family of veterans should be coordinated between the Veteran's Association, community programs and the local police departments to protect the families of veterans with PTSD.

According to VA research, veterans with PTSD are two to three times likelier to batter their intimate partners, families and children than veterans who do not have PTSD. Veterans with PTSD are also more likely to have legal issues.

The National Center for PTSD on the US Department of Veterans Affairs website provides information about domestic violence. According to the VA website, domestic violence may include physical abuse, emotional and verbal abuse and sexual abuse.

The VA offers treatment for PTSD, but treatment for domestic violence is different. Collaboration between the VA and community groups that treat domestic violence may be able to work together to offer a comprehensive approach to stop the violence and protect innocent families of war veterans.

Domestic violence is an increasing problem for war veterans and their families, according to Monica Matthieu, Ph.D, assistance social work professor at Washington University St. Louis.

Treatments for PTSD and domestic violence are different from each other. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers mental health treatment for veterans with PTSD. Community intervention programs for veterans who batter their intimate partners and children could be combined with the efforts by the VA to treat for PTSD.

Monica Matthieu, along with Peter Hovmand, Ph.D., an expert in domestic violence and assistant social work professor at Washington University, has been working to design community prevention strategies.

Peter Hovmand made a statement in a press report that the increase in substance use and traumatic brain injury among veterans challenges existing community efforts to address the issue of domestic violence. Communities need to adapt their responses to protect the families of veterans with PTSD.

The demographics of the veteran population are changing as the veterans of World War II are reaching their 80s and 90s. Young veterans are returning after their tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to the press statement from Washington University in St. Louis, current estimates are that the number of living veterans in the United States is 23,816,000.

In order to address the problem of domestic violence associated with veterans with PTSD, communities and the VA should work together to create a treatment goal. Battering behaviors by veterans should be addressed by violence prevention agencies and the VA in a coordinated effort to protect the families of veterans.

Resources

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington University in St. Louis: Growing problem for veterans: Domestic Violence, press release dated November 6, 2008 EurekAlert.

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