Cultural Competence Training for Law Enforcement Responding to Domestic Violence Emergencies with the Deaf & Hard of Hearing

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate a training workshop for law enforcement as first responders for the purpose of increasing officers' cultural competency in working with Deaf and hard-of-hearing people (Deaf/HH) during domestic violence (DV) emergencies.

METHOD:

This evaluation assesses the efficacy of a 2-hour training workshop for law enforcement. Thirty-four participants completed questionnaires at pre- and postintervention to assess participants' (1) satisfaction with training; (2) skills in responding to Deaf/HH individual(s) in a DV emergency; (3) attitudes toward the Deaf/HH, including bias recognition, self-assessment of cultural competency, and perceived self-efficacy; and (4) knowledge of communication. Focus groups (FGs) were also conducted (n = 6 for FG1, n = 13 for FG2). SPSS software was used to analyze survey data; principal components analysis was conducted on the survey instruments.

RESULTS:

There were significant differences between pre- and post-tests for several targeted outcomes, including knowledge and perceived self-efficacy. Both survey and FG results demonstrated that participants gained cultural competency skills as indicated by changes in attitudes toward the Deaf/HH, both in DV emergencies and in large-scale emergencies.

CONCLUSION:

Significant differences were evident between pre and posttest results in terms of knowledge and perceived self-efficacy. Nonetheless, survey participants demonstrated a lack of knowledge about policy and the law. Survey findings also suggest that while a onetime training can improve the perceived self-efficacy of participants, shifting attitudes about the capabilities of the Deaf/HH may require different training strategies. FG participants demonstrated a greater awareness of the complexity of working with this population in a DV emergency.

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By:   Engelman A1, Deardorff J2.

• 1California State University, East Bay, CA, USA alina.engelman@csueastbay.edu.
• 2University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. 

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Sexual Assault Experienced by Deaf Female Undergraduates: Prevalence and Characteristics

Approximately 25% of hearing women in the United States experience rape in their lifetime, whereas deaf women have been found to experience increased rates of assault consistent with other marginalized populations. This study explored sexual assault prevalence and characteristics of assault in deaf female undergraduate students. 

Results revealed that more than two-thirds of the participants (69%) endorsed experiencing at least one assault and more than half (56%) experienced multiple types of assault. Most assaults were committed by a man known to the survivor. 

Characteristics (e.g., hearing status, primary language, and ethnicity) of the survivors and the assailants are explored. The implications of this data are discussed as well as the development of culturally and linguistically sensitive outreach and educational programs.

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By: Smith RA, Pick LH.

Gallaudet University, Washington, DC

  

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Sexual Health Behaviors of Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) Users

Via:  http://ht.ly/QGp7o HT @UCDavisMedCntr