Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Research Paper

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act - Research Paper Example They formed movements through which they spoke in one voice about the evils that were going on in their lives. Quite a number of acts were proposed, including the â€Å"Domestic Violence Prevention and Services Act† but they did not see the light of day. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) was officially enacted in 1984. It was later â€Å"reauthorized and amended† in 2010. The act can be regarded as a life-saving financial measure driven by an objective to offer emotional support to the victims2. The main idea behind such programs is to effectively secure mental stability and safety of the respective victims in addition to preventing incidences of violence in future. The act was focussed on providing the necessary awareness and prevention of domestic violence. It should be noted that this act is the sole source of funding that is meant to support life-saving initiatives through domestic violence programs. These programs include hotlines, counselling , emergency shelters and relevant legal services3. The act has made tremendous steps in relation to curbing sexual and domestic violence. Consequently, increased awareness of the above mentioned crimes and a developed justice system have led to swelling demand for the services. In the United States alone, up to 2 million children and women succumb to domestic violence save for approximately 15 million children who are exposed to physical abuse and torture by their parents/guardians.4 The effects of the current state of the economy are being felt by victim service agencies as they try to handle the ever increasing demand by the American population. It is evident how the existing resources are being stretched to the limit. Situations of job loss and eviction cases of either the victim or the abuser have been factors that have contributed to the increasing demand for the respective services5. FVPSA is important in the sense that it is at the forefront of sustaining or rather maintainin g crisis hotlines, effective safety planning, appropriate preventive education to victims, counselling and emergency asylums.6 This act is necessary to bridge the gap between the limited available resources and the ever increasing demand for these services. Many regard this act as the heart and soul of the country’s response to pertinent issues of domestic violence, thus its importance. The act ensures that community resources are well coordinated and distributed through effective and comprehensive programs. In relation to the impact of this legislation, the funding has been able to assist many victims despite the limited resources. Many lives have been saved through various programs. A typical example of this scenario was in September 2008 where up to 60,800 victims benefited from the respective program. In essence, when a victim is provided with shelter it means that he or she is at a safer place far away from the abuser, thus a life-saving initiative. Another impact of the act is that the demand for these services has significantly increased. The government has, in turn, realised that closer attention should be paid especially in the area of funding so that more people can benefit from the program. The act has created significant awareness about what it can do so that in the event of an incident like an emergency, the victims know where to turn to for