9월 20, 2021

Physiological Needs

Content developed by YWCA Spokane Domestic Violence Action Month Committee.

YWCA Spokane’s From Survive to Thrive Educational Series

We will be exploring the importance of meeting the most basic human needs, physiological needs, during the process of healing from intimate partner domestic violence.

All humans share the same physiological needs including safe and adequate shelter, restful sleep, clean air, nutritious food, enough water, personal clothing, and agency surrounding our own reproductive health. During this series, we will discuss barriers that survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) may experience when attempting to meet these basic human needs.

Note that barriers may manifest differently for survivors based on their identity statuses. Systems of oppression may make it more difficult for some survivors to meaningfully access support. To aid your engagement in this topic, please reference our Social Justice Glossary of Terms.

Barriers To Addressing Physiological Needs

We know it can be incredibly difficult to leave an abusive relationship and there are many barriers that may prevent survivors from doing so. Certain tactics used by an abuser to maintain power and control over a survivor may include limiting their ability to independently meet the physiological needs of themselves or their children.

Economic

Economic abuse has been found, by the National Network to End Domestic Violence, to be present in 99% of IPV relationships. Economic abuse can compromise a survivor’s ability to provide safe and adequate shelter, restful sleep, clean air, nutritious food, enough water, and personal clothing for themselves and their children, especially if they consider leaving the relationship. When someone is experiencing economic abuse, having the ability to independently meet these needs likely seems impossible and may genuinely be impossible to accomplish without support.

Reproductive

Abusers may use children and reproduction to maintain power and control within the relationship and limit a survivor’s ability to meet the physiological needs of themselves or their children. Limiting or removing a survivor’s personal agency surrounding their own reproductive health by, for instance, sabotaging their partner’s birth control, forcing pregnancies, and/or engaging in shaming around the idea of a being a single parent if the survivor were to leave the abusive relationship are examples of tactics often used. As a result, a survivor may not be able to search for or maintain a job due to childcare needs. In addition, survivors may not be able to seek out supportive services due to lack of childcare resources. They may not consider leaving feasible due to the need to financially provide for the children. They may also experience pressure to “keep the family together”.

Barriers Compounded Due To Social Identities

The above concerns are often only heightened for marginalized folks based on their social identities. This is due to a number of factors, including:

oppression & marginalization
lack of culturally relevant services & prevention focused educational programs
under-reporting
a heightened number of other barriers co-occurring with IPV
mistrust or fear of systems rooted in collective community trauma

An awareness of these unique experiences and potential barriers associated with survivors’ social identities is critical for individuals and organizations who are interested in supporting survivors of IPV in their healing process. With this awareness, we can provide more personalized, meaningful services and are better equipped to understand, validate, and partner alongside each survivor’s lived experience.

Take a look at Day 11 of our 14-Day Racial Equity & Social Justice Challenge to learn more about racism and domestic violence.

YWCA Is Here For Survivors

YWCA Spokane provides a variety of free and confidential services for survivors of intimate partner domestic violence. Services are meant to bolster one’s own abilities to meet the physiological needs of themselves and their children. For instance, our domestic violence safe shelter and housing program offers a refuge for survivors, their children, and their pets.

All of our staff are trained on issues surrounding reproductive justice. We have the ability to offer condoms, pregnancy tests, and emergency contraceptives free of charge to increase a survivor’s personal agency surrounding their own reproductive health. Our free, trauma informed drop-in childcare called Safe Have is available for parents and caregivers to access while they are receiving our services. This free offering drastically reduces a barrier to our services for those who can’t afford childcare.

Partnering With The Community To Support Survivors

YWCA Spokane’s CSO Advocates partner with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in order to help survivors navigate financial resources while being impacted by an abusive relationship. In addition to an employment program, our Women’s Opportunity Center also partners with DSHS to facilitate an intensive soft skill building program that prepares survivors for success as they move forward with achieving their set goals.

Our advocates refer clients to Planned Parenthood for reproductive health services and supports clients with gaining or maintaining personal agency surrounding their own reproductive health. We have an ongoing partnership with Women and Children’s Free Restaurant who regularly provide free meals and snacks for our clients and YMCA of the Inland Northwest who provides free showers for our clients and their children.

If You Have…

5 분	그리고	10 분	그리고	30 Minutes
	그리고		그리고
Watch this video about the impact of survivors’ access to safe, stable housing after they have experienced domestic violence.	그리고	Read this blog post about the impact of prioritizing the ability to meet basic needs when supporting survivors of violence in their healing journey.	그리고	Read this article about reproductive coercion and manipulation used by abusers to make survivors less likely or able to leave.