Mentorship Extra Blog Post: September

Hannah Leonard

September 30, 2014

North 12

Extra Blog Post: September

           My mentorship, over time, has increasingly taught me more and more. I have learned a lot about domestic violence and the how the entire process takes place. I now know, how the victims feels, how the abuser feels, how the abuser takes controls of the victims emotions as well as their entire life, and how abusers are created. I was actually very pleasantly surprised by how much I have learned considering I am not allowed to interact with the victims themselves, or their children. My mentor is very helpful in giving me informational books and articles as well as just telling me facts along the way.

          I have learned children are greatly impacted when their parents are in a domestic violence relationship. They are impacted in ways that most people wouldn't think. The abuser, or more commonly, the batterer, might brainwash the children into believing that the abuse is the victims fault, turning the children against the victim. An abuser might use the children as a tool to hurt the victim by hurting the children either mental or physically. Often sons in an abusive relationship will grow up to be abusive themselves. The girls will commonly grow up to be in abusive relationships. The children may also become desensitized to violence over time because violence occurs so often in the home. Another impact is that the children might become the adult in the family dynamic. The children will take charge and act more adult and parental than their own parent, the victim. The impact of domestic violence on the children is far more extensive than most people realize, they are the silent victims.         

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/us/politics/congress-passes-reauthorization-of-violence-against-women-act.html?_r=0

Blog 6: Interview Preparation

Hannah Leonard

September 18, 2014

North 12

Blog 6: Interview Preparation 

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

My mentor is Marina Wood, Preventions Coordinator, and she works at the House of Ruth 

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

a) Where did you go to college?

b) Who founded the House of Ruth?

c) Where did the idea of the House of Ruth come from?

d) What made you want to be apart of the House of Ruths' mission to put a stop to domestic violence?

e) What made you want to work in the field of domestic violence?

f) What other fields did you consider before deciding on domestic violence?

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

Hannah Leonard

September 17, 2014

North 12

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

I plan to volunteer at the House of Ruth. I plan to work with the preventions coordinator plus a number of the councilors at the House of Ruth. This will help to expand my knowledge on Clinical Psychology additionally domestic violence and its impact on the victims of it, such as PTSD.  

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I will take photographs, write summaries of my experiences there, as well as keep my hours logged.  

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

Being at the House of Ruth you learn a great deal about domestic violence; signs of an abusive relationship, signs that someone is an abuser, signs that someone is being abused, how to get help, how to help someone else who is being abused, the mental and physical effects of domestic violence, how to take care of yourself mentally.

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

Blog 5: Mentorship Reflection

Hannah Leonard

September 10, 2014

North 12 

1. Mentorship question: Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship?  If you haven't found one yet, describe your experience so far in the search of a mentor.

At first I had no idea where I was going to do my mentorship because I was doing clinical psychology and had no idea where to start. However when I met with my councilor over the summer, she gave me the idea of working at a women's shelter. She suggested this because in the future I hope to work with soldiers with PTSD and this is very common in abuse victims. When my councilor gave me this idea I immediately had an organization in mind because I had seen a presentation from them by a previous senior. The House of Ruth, where I am doing my mentorship, has previously had two other iPoly seniors do their mentorship there. I called The House of Ruth and got an interview scheduled, after my interview I started right away.

2. Research question: What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

The most important article I have read so far would be the book that my mentor have me, "In Love and In Danger". This would be the most important article because it gives first hand accounts of abuse, giving you the opportunity to understand what the victim thought and felt. The article reports on three different abuse cases, first a girl who entered an abusive relationship at twelve years old, written from victims perspective as well as the abusers. Second a girl slightly older, fifteen, in an abusive relationship, written from the victims perspective. Third and final, written from the abuse victims(16) mothers perspective. This article gave great insight in what goes on in the mind of the victim, the abuser, and the people on the outside of the unhealthy relationships.

Mentorship Extra Blog: August

Hannah Leonard

August 31, 2014 

North 12 

I am doing my mentorship at The House of Ruth. The House of Ruth is a women's shelter and deals with all aspect of domestic violence. I chose do to my mentorship there because PTSD is common in abuse victims and would help familiarize me with this disorder. Since I want to work with people with PTSD as a clinical psychologist in the future, this makes for good experience. My mentor is the Prevention Coordinator for the House of Ruth. My mentor, Marina Wood, does a large number of presentations at high schools and educates high school students about teen dating violence. I myself, being a minor, am unable to interact with any clients or their children. Most of what I do at the House of Ruth is paperwork. I make a large volume of copies as well as help put together binders for presentations and update spreadsheets of clients information. In the past I have also helped film the staff for a fundraiser that they are currently doing. Even though I am not able to work directly with clients, my mentor gives me reading material so I can familiarize myself with the different aspects of domestic violence and with the House of Ruth itself. Also just being at the House of Ruth I now know far more about domestic violence and the  House of Ruth than I did before starting my mentorship. I am eager to continue my mentorship and further my knowledge in this field. 

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

Interview 

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  Why?

I plan to interview my mentor, Marina Wood. I chose to interview Ms. Wood because she knows everything there is to know about DV (domestic violence) and the impact it has on the abuse victims. This makes her a reliable source of information. 

2.  You have to ask 5 questions.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  Ask open-ended questions.

-Which clients' story sticks out to you most? Why?

-What have been the most severe mental effects that DV has had on a victim that you've seen? What were the effects?

-On average, how many abuse victims show symptoms of PTSD?

-What are the two most common psychological disorders in abuse victims?

-How often do children of abuse victims have psychological disorders?

-What are known longterm effects of child abuse victims?

-How common is PTSD in abused children?

-How many women, on average, never find the strength to leave the abusive relationship?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

Hannah Leonard 

North 12th

August  21, 2014

1.  List your topic here: 
Clinical Psychology 

2.  Write a question that helps to focus your research this month.
In regards to PTSD, are the symptoms the same regardless of the form of trauma or are the symptoms unique to each victim,  based on the trauma from which it was caused?

3.  Post the working bibliography (WB) on the right hand side of the blog and share it so anybody can view it.