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Question: Discuss about the Community Development Theories and Principles. Answer: Introduction Domestic violence is referred to the acts of violence that are carried out between people who either have or had any kind of intimate relationship inside domestic settings. These acts can be inclusive of sexual, physical, emotional and psychological abuse. Defining the types of violence, the perpetrators and their victims gets complex by means of different forms of family and intimate relationships and living arrangements that are existent in Australian communities (Aph.gov.au 2017). In this report, the social problem of domestic violence would be analyzed by applying different communitydevelopmenttheories and principles to find a proper change direction and probable evidence based solutions. Discussion The issue In Australia, the more pervasive form of violence that are faced by women is the violence that gets perpetrated by the male intimate partner, mostly known as domestic violence. It must also be noted that men and same sex relationship partners also face this form of violence. The major reasons behind domestic violence are complicated with the outcome that there are a lot of confusion and misinformation mirrored in public debate. However, there exists general agreement that power imbalances, gender inequality and controlling behaviors inside relationships which are the main determinants. The attitude of the community in the direction of domestic violence, sexuality, gender roles and sexual assault has the ability of strongly influencing both the prevalence of domestic violence and reporting rates. A wide range of strategies have been put to use for tackling domestic violence in Australia and globally. Even though majority of the strategies for the prevention of domestic violence have b een now going on for decades, there still exists a lack of reliable proof as to what is applicable and what is not (Fisher 2013). Back in 2012, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)conducted a Personal Safety Survey which provided the most up to date prevalence estimated in Australia. From the survey it was found that 41 per cent of women aged 18 years andabove, and 49 per cent of men aged 18 years and above has faced some form of violence from the age of 15. Around 62 per cent of women in comparison with 8 per cent of menfaced their very recent experience of physical assault at the hands of a male at their home. The report also found that equal proportions of men and women have shown reluctance in reporting or contacting to the police after their latest experience of physical assault (Abs.gov.au 2017). Theories To understand the importance of solving these issues of domestic violence, the community development theory can be referred to. The community development theory is the most practical framework that is used by social workers who are seeking a lasting change for individuals, societies and communities where they are living. The theory majorly focuses on the centrality of oppressed people continuing in the procedure of overcoming externally imposed social issues. This community development theory works as by the mere fact of the description it has a voice of its own. This theory is adaptable to other disciplines such as neighborhood development (Green and Haines 2015). The next theory that can work in this context is empowerment theory, which refers to the knowledge of personal growth and a development in self-definition which is happening as am outcome of the advancement of proficiencies and capabilities. One more definition proposes that empowerment is a mixture of initiative, personal strengths and natural helping systems for bringing in change. This theory is applicable to community development by means of empowerment of the people inside the community for developing their personal communities. This theory has the capability of adapting to other disciplines too, such as sociology (Peterson 2014). Inside the theory of positivism, the base of sociology claim in the direction of scientific paradigm that measures human attitudes, most of the times in a decontextualized wayand minus concerns for the actual intangible instinctive, feeling or emotional aspects of being a human. This theory displays a base in dichotomous thought along with bourgeois philosophy that looks in the direction of empirical science for being the real source of knowledge. Inside this theory the organizers look at the community as objects that require dealing with as a part of solving problem. However, the downside of this is that no thought is provided as to how the community members might be feeling regarding the issue in hand and the way they might be affected by possible changes. If the issue exists at an interpersonal level the practitioner would be just looking at the person, deciding what they require for solving the problem and do not even discuss with them as to the way they are looking for the change (Halfpenny 2014). Solution For solving the issue of domestic violence, the first step would be increasing awareness regarding domestic violence. Exploration of fear and concerns, providing knowledge and resources that includes safety planning and referral for local advocacy and support services also helps (Herman 2015). There is requirement of good multi agency relationships and referral systems for regular enquiry for enabling safe disclosure and providing further support for the women in question. There is a need for good mechanisms to be in place for all the staffs for receiving information, support and advice with the help of different methods like supervision, ongoing reviews and specialist advice. Domestic violence in itself is an underreported crime and there needs to be an increase in recording it as an appropriate performance indicator (Groves and Thomas 2013). There is a requirement for more research on the use of photographic proof and the impact it has. Conclusion In this report, the social problem of domestic violence was analyzed by applying different communitydevelopmenttheories and principles for finding a proper change direction and probable evidence based solutions. With the help of community development theory, empowerment theory and positivism theory, the importance of the community development and domestic violence as an issues was understood. Based on the severity of the issue, relevant solutions were provided. References Abs.gov.au. 2017.Personal Safety, Australia, 2012. [online] Available at: https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/allprimarymainfeatures/0556FBD355B2719BCA2571C50074ABF2?opendocument [Accessed 31 Oct. 2017]. Aph.gov.au. 2017.Domestic violence in Australiaan overview of the issues Parliament of Australia. [online] Available at: https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/2011-2012/DVAustralia [Accessed 31 Oct. 2017]. Fisher, C., 2013. Changed and changing gender and family roles and domestic violence in African refugee background communities post-settlement in Perth, Australia.Violence Against Women,19(7), pp.833-847. Green, G.P. and Haines, A., 2015.Asset building community development. Sage publications. Groves, N. and Thomas, T., 2013.Domestic violence and criminal justice. Routledge. Halfpenny, P., 2014.Positivism and Sociology (RLE Social Theory): Explaining Social Life. Routledge. Herman, J.L., 2015.Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence--from domestic abuse to political terror. Hachette UK. Peterson, N.A., 2014. Empowerment Theory: Clarifying the Nature of Higher?Order Multidimensional Constructs.American journal of community psychology,53(1-2), pp.96-108.