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The Use of the Social-Ecological Model of Intervention for Addressing Domestic Violence in Trinidad and Tobago

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Domestic Violence in the Anglophone Caribbean

Abstract

Traditional models of domestic violence intervention have focused on empowering victims with knowledge and skills to cope with violence. However, literature has documented the role that community and family beliefs play in both exacerbating as well as mitigating violence against women. Therefore, efforts targeting only the victim do not address the broader context of women’s lives. This context calls for an all-of-society approach to domestic violence prevention, aimed at breaking the social, cultural, and historical systems that support violence against women within communities. This chapter focuses on the value of the social-ecological model in addressing violence against women in Trinidad and Tobago and provides a discussion for implementing such action. The chapter argues that a social-ecological approach has the potential for disrupting traditions of abuse at the individual, family, community, and societal levels.

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Correspondence to Cheryl-Ann Sarita Boodram .

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Boodram, CA.S. (2022). The Use of the Social-Ecological Model of Intervention for Addressing Domestic Violence in Trinidad and Tobago. In: Bissessar, A.M., Huggins, C. (eds) Domestic Violence in the Anglophone Caribbean. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88476-5_8

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