What are the long-term goals of tertiary prevention?

What are the long-term goals of tertiary prevention?

• A. To punish abusers harshly
• B. To increase reporting rates only
• C. To help victims recover and rehabilitate abusers to prevent future violence
• D. To provide only acute care

Answer: (C)

Tertiary prevention in abuse situations focuses on reducing long-term harm after violence has occurred by breaking the cycle of re-victimization and re-offending through support for survivors and accountability and rehab for perpetrators. This means helping victims recover physically and emotionally, ensuring safety, and linking them to ongoing resources like counseling and legal advocacy, while also offering programs that address abusers so they don’t repeat violence. It’s about preventing future harm, not merely punishing the offender, not solely increasing reporting, and not limited to immediate, acute care. That balance—victim recovery plus perpetrator rehabilitation to stop future violence—is what this goal is about.

Tertiary prevention in abuse situations focuses on reducing long-term harm after violence has occurred by breaking the cycle of re-victimization and re-offending through support for survivors and accountability and rehab for perpetrators. This means helping victims recover physically and emotionally, ensuring safety, and linking them to ongoing resources like counseling and legal advocacy, while also offering programs that address abusers so they don’t repeat violence. It’s about preventing future harm, not merely punishing the offender, not solely increasing reporting, and not limited to immediate, acute care. That balance—victim recovery plus perpetrator rehabilitation to stop future violence—is what this goal is about.