Claudia Lopes - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Claudia  Lopes

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Papers by Claudia Lopes

Research paper thumbnail of If It Wasn't for Them, I Could Have Been Dead!" the Long-Term Impact of Shelters on the Lives of Abused Women

GBV, and to be more specific, intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant contributing fact... more GBV, and to be more specific, intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant contributing factor to many women’s deaths in South Africa. Women who survive IPV, live with significant physical and psychological trauma, and their children too are negatively impacted by witnessing their mother’s abuse or themselves get embroiled in it. A variety of factors make leaving the abusive relationship extremely difficult. Shelters for women and their children can, however facilitate this process. Shelters literally make the difference between life and death, providing women and children with invaluable services. Yet, shelters are often undervalued, with those rendering such services often facing precarious challenges. Understanding women’s experience of the variety of services offered by shelters and the factors that aid or hinder their long-term recovery from abuse is crucial to improving government and non-profit sector policy and practice. This study focuses on women’s experiences of having sought, and made use of shelter services, and those who render such services. It attempts to answer to what extent shelters are effectively able to meet survivors’ immediate needs, as well as what other interventions, strategies and/or resources are required to meet their needs in the long-term.

Research paper thumbnail of Out of Harm's Way: Women's Shelters in the Eastern and Northern Cape Province of South Africa

Research paper thumbnail of Policing Responses to Domestic Violence: Exploring Reactions by the Police to Women in need of Shelter in South Africa

Research paper thumbnail of Housing Women Who Have Experienced Abuse: Policy, Funding and Practice - Shelters in Kwazulu-Natal

Research paper thumbnail of Intimate partner violence: A helpful guide to legal and psychosocial support services

South African Medical Journal

Research paper thumbnail of Out of Harm's Way: Women's Shelters in the Eastern and Northern Cape

This publication is the fifth in a series of provincial studies describing women's uses of shelte... more This publication is the fifth in a series of provincial studies describing women's uses of shelters undertaken by the HBF and the National Shelter Movement of SA's EU-supported 'Enhancing State Responsiveness to GBV: Paying the True Costs' project. It builds on and extends these prior reports by attending to all women, rather than focusing only on those experiencing intimate partner violence, and by detailing the mental health needs of all women in shelters. Both emphases are important from a policy perspective. In the early 2000s, the Department of Social Development issued Minimum Standards which emphasized that shelters should be generic in their approach accommodating a range of types of victims of crime and violence. Today the effects of this decision are clear: women experiencing intimate partner violence currently comprise approximately half of all shelter residents. But while the composition of shelter residents may have changed, policy and budgets have not reflected this – including in relation to mental health services. There has also been limited attempt to assess the extent of need for shelters and to plan accordingly. This report explores these issues through a focus on six shelters in the Eastern Cape, the poorest province in the country, and the Northern Cape – the least populous province in the country.

Research paper thumbnail of Intimate partner violence: A helpful guide to legal and psychosocial support services

Violence against women is a significant problem that profoundly affects the physical and mental w... more Violence against women is a significant problem that profoundly affects the physical and mental wellbeing of those affected. While medicolegal interventions in South Africa have been firmly established to respond to sexual offences, no formal protocols on intimate partner violence interventions at primary healthcare level are in place yet. In support of recent policy recommendations for the development of a combined health and social sector system response to intimate partner violence, this article provides health professionals with insight into domestic violence and current legal and psychosocial support services. It focuses on how to support and advise abused women about practicalities of obtaining protection orders and accessing shelter services. © 2016, South African Medical Association. All rights reserved

Books by Claudia Lopes

Research paper thumbnail of “If it wasn’t for them, I could have been dead!” The long-term impact of shelters on the lives of abused women.

GBV, and to be more specific, intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant contributing fact... more GBV, and to be more specific, intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant contributing factor to many women’s deaths in South Africa. Women who survive IPV, live with significant physical and psychological trauma, and their children too are negatively impacted by witnessing their mother’s abuse or themselves get embroiled in it. A variety of factors make leaving the abusive relationship extremely difficult. Shelters for women and their children can, however facilitate this process.

Shelters literally make the difference between life and death, providing women and children with invaluable services. Yet, shelters are often undervalued, with those rendering such services often facing precarious challenges. Understanding women’s experience of the variety of services offered by shelters and the factors that aid or hinder their long-term recovery from abuse is crucial to improving government and non-profit sector policy and practice.

This study focuses on women’s experiences of having sought, and made use of shelter services, and those who render such services. It attempts to answer to what extent shelters are effectively able to meet survivors’ immediate needs, as well as what other interventions, strategies and/or resources are required to meet their needs in the long-term.

Research paper thumbnail of If It Wasn't for Them, I Could Have Been Dead!" the Long-Term Impact of Shelters on the Lives of Abused Women

GBV, and to be more specific, intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant contributing fact... more GBV, and to be more specific, intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant contributing factor to many women’s deaths in South Africa. Women who survive IPV, live with significant physical and psychological trauma, and their children too are negatively impacted by witnessing their mother’s abuse or themselves get embroiled in it. A variety of factors make leaving the abusive relationship extremely difficult. Shelters for women and their children can, however facilitate this process. Shelters literally make the difference between life and death, providing women and children with invaluable services. Yet, shelters are often undervalued, with those rendering such services often facing precarious challenges. Understanding women’s experience of the variety of services offered by shelters and the factors that aid or hinder their long-term recovery from abuse is crucial to improving government and non-profit sector policy and practice. This study focuses on women’s experiences of having sought, and made use of shelter services, and those who render such services. It attempts to answer to what extent shelters are effectively able to meet survivors’ immediate needs, as well as what other interventions, strategies and/or resources are required to meet their needs in the long-term.

Research paper thumbnail of Out of Harm's Way: Women's Shelters in the Eastern and Northern Cape Province of South Africa

Research paper thumbnail of Policing Responses to Domestic Violence: Exploring Reactions by the Police to Women in need of Shelter in South Africa

Research paper thumbnail of Housing Women Who Have Experienced Abuse: Policy, Funding and Practice - Shelters in Kwazulu-Natal

Research paper thumbnail of Intimate partner violence: A helpful guide to legal and psychosocial support services

South African Medical Journal

Research paper thumbnail of Out of Harm's Way: Women's Shelters in the Eastern and Northern Cape

This publication is the fifth in a series of provincial studies describing women's uses of shelte... more This publication is the fifth in a series of provincial studies describing women's uses of shelters undertaken by the HBF and the National Shelter Movement of SA's EU-supported 'Enhancing State Responsiveness to GBV: Paying the True Costs' project. It builds on and extends these prior reports by attending to all women, rather than focusing only on those experiencing intimate partner violence, and by detailing the mental health needs of all women in shelters. Both emphases are important from a policy perspective. In the early 2000s, the Department of Social Development issued Minimum Standards which emphasized that shelters should be generic in their approach accommodating a range of types of victims of crime and violence. Today the effects of this decision are clear: women experiencing intimate partner violence currently comprise approximately half of all shelter residents. But while the composition of shelter residents may have changed, policy and budgets have not reflected this – including in relation to mental health services. There has also been limited attempt to assess the extent of need for shelters and to plan accordingly. This report explores these issues through a focus on six shelters in the Eastern Cape, the poorest province in the country, and the Northern Cape – the least populous province in the country.

Research paper thumbnail of Intimate partner violence: A helpful guide to legal and psychosocial support services

Violence against women is a significant problem that profoundly affects the physical and mental w... more Violence against women is a significant problem that profoundly affects the physical and mental wellbeing of those affected. While medicolegal interventions in South Africa have been firmly established to respond to sexual offences, no formal protocols on intimate partner violence interventions at primary healthcare level are in place yet. In support of recent policy recommendations for the development of a combined health and social sector system response to intimate partner violence, this article provides health professionals with insight into domestic violence and current legal and psychosocial support services. It focuses on how to support and advise abused women about practicalities of obtaining protection orders and accessing shelter services. © 2016, South African Medical Association. All rights reserved

Research paper thumbnail of “If it wasn’t for them, I could have been dead!” The long-term impact of shelters on the lives of abused women.

GBV, and to be more specific, intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant contributing fact... more GBV, and to be more specific, intimate partner violence (IPV), is a significant contributing factor to many women’s deaths in South Africa. Women who survive IPV, live with significant physical and psychological trauma, and their children too are negatively impacted by witnessing their mother’s abuse or themselves get embroiled in it. A variety of factors make leaving the abusive relationship extremely difficult. Shelters for women and their children can, however facilitate this process.

Shelters literally make the difference between life and death, providing women and children with invaluable services. Yet, shelters are often undervalued, with those rendering such services often facing precarious challenges. Understanding women’s experience of the variety of services offered by shelters and the factors that aid or hinder their long-term recovery from abuse is crucial to improving government and non-profit sector policy and practice.

This study focuses on women’s experiences of having sought, and made use of shelter services, and those who render such services. It attempts to answer to what extent shelters are effectively able to meet survivors’ immediate needs, as well as what other interventions, strategies and/or resources are required to meet their needs in the long-term.

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