The Oasis Project
Need Synopsis
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, domestic violence makes up 21% of all violent crime experienced by women. Every year in the United States there are an estimated 2.5 million incidents of domestic violence against women, and, far too often, children witness their parents' abusive relationship.
Children who grow up in a violent environment are more likely to perpetuate the cycle of violence: boys are more likely to become abusive and girls are more likely to tolerate abuse if they've witnessed this type of relationship growing up.
Existing shelters can only provide a brief respite, and while a vital component, many women who avail themselves of a shelter end up returning to their abusers. The reasons are complex and include economic and psychological dependence on the abuser. Additionally, the very limited amount of time a woman can spend in a shelter doesn't often allow her to develop a viable escape plan.
The Oasis Project
The Oasis Project is an effort to address the key limitations of traditional shelters. The Oasis Project is in a new model, a Violence Recovery Community, (VRC). A violence recovery community provides both physical and emotional safety for survivors and their children. By providing safe surrounding without specific time limits, survivors will have an opportunity for real healing and self reflection so that real change can occur.
The Oasis Project is based on a well established and nearly universally accepted theory of social development, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Looking at Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, traditional shelters appear to meet the lower level needs. However, the short term nature of most shelters means that the focus for a woman remains on the most basic levels, including securing shelter for herself and any children when the stay is over. Consequently, returning to an abusive relationship may appear to be the only rational option available to a woman in crisis as she considers how to best meet her (and her children's) needs for safety and other physiological needs.
A community approach is of particular significance to children affected by domestic violence. According to Dr. Roger Weissberg in his work on the prevention of teenage abusive behavior, safe and stable environments, basic care and services, and high-quality training programs provide a foundation for healthy behavior. To develop optimally, young people also need social supports and positive relationships with prosocial peers and adults who provide nurturing, clear standards, high expectations, guidance, and encouragement. 1 While some well-designed, child-focused programs may yield short-term positive effects, it is important to remember that young people grow up in families, schools, and neighborhoods.2
The Oasis Project is an artificial community, an effort to create an environment that both fosters change and makes prosocial behaviors and beliefs the norm.
Key Benefits
Breaking the Cycle of Abuse
A community is critical because simply treating survivors of domestic violence, while important, is not the same as breaking the cycle of violence present in our society. Survivors of domestic violence must relearn independence. She and her children must see and live a life without violence. A woman and her children may need to learn critical skills. And all must see that the world offers possibilities outside of the control of a violent partner. This requires time, and no shelter system that exists currently can provide the kind of time and resources needed.
Breaking the Generational Cycle
A new model for living must be established, not just for the battered woman, but for her children. A successful program designed to foster prosocial and preventative education for children is most effective if it is continuous and comprises a series of socioculturally appropriate and coordinated programs for each particular stage of development. "Prevention efforts must begin earlier and be more intensive when targeting populations with higher levels of risk."3 Men who have witnessed their parents' domestic violence are three times more likely to abuse their own wives than are the children of nonviolent parents. Studies from the late 1980s and early 1990s conclude that the sons of the most violent parents are a thousand times more likely to become wife beaters.4 Girls age 14-24 are the most at risk of entering abusive relationships, partially because they've witnessed abusive relationships in their homes. Young victims of dating violence are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, including substance abuse, unhealthy weight control, risky sexual behavior, pregnancy and suicidal behavior.5
Educators and counselors, well versed in recognizing and treating PTSD and other psychological responses to Domestic Violence, can more readily assist children as they learn new models for communication and interaction. These techniques will be woven into the fabric of the school and community environment, creating behavioral norms rather than the common band-aid approach to social ills. It simply isn't enough to tell people, especially teens, that their behavior is bad or harmful. Non-violent, positive behavior will be modeled throughout the community. Young people who learn to recognize and manage their emotions, appreciate the perspectives of others, establish positive goals, make good decisions, and handle interpersonal situations and conflicts have a better chance of avoiding risky behaviors.6 Young people must be encouraged to take active roles in communities and to identify and implement their own solutions. Collaborative processes foster greater participation and connection to peers, adults, and institutions and decrease the likelihood of risky behavior.7
According to a recent study, nearly half of teen dating violence incidents occur at school. However, neither California district safety regulations nor student health curricula adequately address the prevalence and danger of dating violence. The introduction of AB 589 in February 2007 marks a beginning in addressing these concerns. However, while mandating a unit in health classes and that parents be informed of related district policies, it does not address fundamental issues for people who witness abuse. Through this more controlled environment, with dedicated professional staff who are aware of the situations that children are coming out of, and who can address these issues directly, children will have the opportunity to not just get information, but make strides in understanding and altering behavior patterns that are harmful, and developing more constructive relationships.
Benefits for Traditional Shelters
While some women utilize traditional shelters only once, many return again and again. These are the women in the greatest danger and they are also the greatest drain on the shelter's resources. By accepting them into the Oasis Project, we relieve the shelter of this burden, freeing up resources for other women in need, staff training, community education and other activities conducted by traditional shelters.
Benefits for the Community as a Whole
In a study of 777 homeless parents (the majority of whom were mothers) in ten U.S. cities, 22% said they had left their last place of residence because of domestic violence. (Homes for the Homeless, 1998). In addition, 46% of cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness. (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1998) Though one Oasis is not going to significantly address homelessness in our society, our long term goal is to establish this initial site, work out the kinks, then work with partners to establish other sites on the same model.