Violence Against Women recent issues

Editor's Introduction

Renzetti, C. M. — 2009-06-09

Domestic Violence and Forced Sex Among the Urban Poor in South India: Implications for HIV Prevention

2009-06-09

This article examined the prevalence of physical and sexual violence among 1,974 married women from 40 low-income communities in Chennai, India. The authors found a 99% and 75% lifetime prevalence of physical abuse and forced sex, respectively, whereas 65% of women experienced more than five episodes of physical abuse in the 3 months preceding the survey. Factors associated with violence after multivariate adjustment included elementary/middle school education and variables suggesting economic insecurity. These domestic violence rates exceed those in prior Indian reports, suggesting women in slums may be at increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Partner Violence and Sexual Jealousy in China: A Population-Based Survey

Wang, T., Parish, W. L., Laumann, E. O., Luo, Y. — 2009-06-09

Using data from a nationally representative survey in China, this article examines the prevalence and risk factors for partner violence with a special focus on the important role of sexual jealousy. Among women aged 20 to 49, 7.2% reported that they were hit by their partners in the past year. Comparison shows that the Chinese prevalence is modestly below the overall median for other societies. Net of other factors, jealousy exacerbates hitting for both men and women in a reactive pattern, with the jealous partner getting hit. This suggests a rethinking of the role of sexual jealousy in spousal violence in some social settings.

Assessing Acceptance of Violence Toward Women: A Factor Analysis of Burt's Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Scale

Ogle, R. L., Noel, N. E., Maisto, S. A. — 2009-06-09

The Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Scale (AIV) is a self-report inventory assessing beliefs about violence toward women. This study's purpose was to test the multidimensionality of the AIV. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on half a sample of 772 male participants and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the other half. EFA indicated a two-factor solution. Factors were labeled Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence. The CFA showed this model provided a good fit and was superior to the original one-factor model. Potential problems when using the single sum score and the applicability of the derived factor structure to violence research are discussed.

"Boys Will Be Boys" and Other Gendered Accounts: An Exploration of Victims' Excuses and Justifications for Unwanted Sexual Contact and Coercion

Weiss, K. G. — 2009-06-09

An examination of 944 victim narratives from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) finds that one in five women who reveal an incident of sexual victimization to the NCVS excuse or justify their situations, largely by drawing on social vocabularies that suggest male sexual aggression is natural, normal within dating relationships, or the victim's fault. The study's findings substantiate the influence that rape myths and gender stereotypes have on victims' perceptions of their own unwanted sexual situations and demonstrate the ways in which cultural language delimits victims' recognition of sexual victimization as crime and inhibits reporting to the police.

Sorority Participation and Sexual Assault Risk

Minow, J. C., Einolf, C. J. — 2009-06-09

This study tested the relationship between sexual assault victimization, sorority membership, and participation in a range of sorority activities, using data from a large-sample (N = 779) survey conducted at a midsize public university. A total of 29% of sorority women reported having been sexually assaulted while in college, four times the rate (7%) among nonsorority members. The difference between Greek and non-Greek women remained large even when controls were included for alcohol consumption and attendance at Greek parties where alcohol is served. Among sorority members, participation in social events not involving alcohol correlated negatively with sexual assault, indicating a possible protective effect.

Women's Experiences of Violence and Seeking Help

Postmus, J. L., Severson, M., Berry, M., Yoo, J. A. — 2009-06-09

Every day, women survive physical or sexual violence. Some survive as a result of services they receive in the aftermath of the abuse. The study presented here explored women's experiences of victimization and their use of and perceptions about the services they received. It is learned that what providers usually prioritize and what the women in this study used—namely emotional, psychological, and legal support—are not what these women identified as the most helpful. Instead, tangible supports, such as food, housing, and financial assistance, were viewed as the most helpful, along with religious or spiritual counseling.

Survivor: I Have Been Her Kind

Roush, K. M. — 2009-06-09

Announcing the 2008 Violence Against Women Best Article Award Winner

2009-04-30

Editor's Introduction

Renzetti, C. M. — 2009-04-30

Implementing Mental Health Treatment for Batterer Program Participants: Interagency Breakdowns and Underlying Issues

Gondolf, E. W. — 2009-04-30

The implementation of a screening and referral system for supplemental mental health treatment among batterer program participants was investigated in a 2-year formative evaluation. The research team conducted direct observation of the agency procedures, participation in training and supervision meetings, debriefing interviews with administrators, and informal conversations with staff and clients. Inconsistencies and breakdowns associated with nearly every step of the screening and referral process were identified, for example, notification of referral instructions and verification of clinical compliance. Court sanctions for referral noncompliance remained inconsistent even during court-mandated referral. Several underlying issues were also exposed: administrative absenteeism and turnover, administrative-staff gaps, client overload, and differing agency priorities. These issues reinforce the challenges facing coordinated community response.

Still a Movement After All These Years?: Current Tensions in the Domestic Violence Movement

Lehrner, A., Allen, N. E. — 2009-04-30

The domestic violence movement began as a social change movement with dual goals of social change and service provision. Despite concerns about a devolution of the movement into apolitical service provision, few studies have investigated the current status of the movement as a social change movement. Through interviews with advocates, the current study explores the degree to which domestic violence work can still be characterized as a social change movement, illuminates some central tensions within the movement, and lays a foundation for debate among those responding to domestic violence. This research also highlights movement leaders' visions for a reenergized movement.

The Perception of Elder Sexual Abuse in the Courtroom

2009-04-30

This study explored mock juror perceptions of elder sexual mistreatment (ESM). In Experiment 1, 118 participants read a fictional criminal trial summary of an ESM case in which a 76-year-old woman was allegedly abused by either her son or a neighbor. In Experiment 2 (n = 360), the ESM occurred in either a nursing home or the elder's home and the alleged perpetrator was either her son or a nursing home worker. Conviction rates were relatively low in both experiments (25% and 33%, respectively). Women were more pro-prosecution than men in case judgments. Overall, the study provides evidence that mock jurors may question the credibility of elders in ESM cases.

Trauma Victim: Yes or No?: Why It May Be Difficult to Answer Questions Regarding Violence, Sexual Abuse, and Other Traumatic Events

Thoresen, S., Overlien, C. — 2009-04-30

The aim of this study is to explore the reasons why it may be difficult to answer questions regarding violence, sexual abuse, and other potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Qualitative and quantitative methods are used with a nonrepresentative community sample of 628 women who respond to a Web survey. Altogether, 65% do not find it difficult to answer any PTE questions. Difficulties in answering occur more frequently with violence and sexual abuse items and are associated with exposure. Reasons for difficulties in answering include "event fit" (severity, frequency, force), "me as a victim" (responsibility, reactions, protection, memory), and "you as abuser" (intention, protection).

Violence During Pregnancy in Jordan: Its Prevalence and Associated Risk and Protective Factors

Clark, C. J., Hill, A., Jabbar, K., Silverman, J. G. — 2009-04-30

This study estimates the lifetime prevalence of physical violence during pregnancy and examines risk and protective factors among women (N = 390) attending reproductive health clinics in Jordan. Approximately 15% reported physical violence during pregnancy. The husband was the sole perpetrator in 83% of the cases. A high frequency of quarreling, the husband's use of alcohol, attitudes supportive of a woman's duty to obey her husband, infrequent communication between the respondent and her family, and exposure to violence as a child increased the risk of violence. Consanguinity (marriage to a blood relative) and higher education levels were protective against violence during pregnancy.

E-mail Use Among a Sample of Intimate Partner Violence Shelter Residents

Rothman, E. F., Meade, J., Decker, M. R. — 2009-04-30

Although it is estimated that approximately 75% of U.S. adults have e-mail access, the proportion of battered women's shelter residents who use e-mail is currently unknown. Remaining in contact with residents following shelter stays is challenging. E-mail might hold promise for follow-up contact if a sufficient number of survivors use e-mail and safety concerns can be addressed. Among a convenience sample of residents of 11 Massachusetts shelters (N = 57), the authors find that 47% had a current e-mail account. Among those with e-mail accounts, 89% used e-mail in locations other than their own homes; 81% reported that, to their knowledge, their e-mail accounts had never been accessed by unauthorized dating partners; and 88% reported that they thought it would be safe for the shelter to e-mail them following their departure. Additional research assessing the feasibility (i.e., safety, acceptability, and cost benefit) of remaining in contact with shelter residents via the Internet would be beneficial.

Book Review: Kannabiran, K., & Menon, R. (2007). From Mathura to Manorama: Resisting Violence Against Women in India. New Delhi, India: Women Unlimited

Das, A. — 2009-04-30

Editor's Introduction

Renzetti, C. M. — 2009-03-27

Fathers' Rights Groups: Demographic Correlates and Impact on Custody Policy

Rosen, L. N., Dragiewicz, M., Gibbs, J. C. — 2009-03-27

This article combines information from fathers' rights Web sites with demographic, historical, and other information to provide an empirically based analysis of fathers' rights advocacy in the United States. Content analysis discerns three factors that are central to the groups' rhetoric: representing domestic violence allegations as false, promoting presumptive joint custody and decreasing child support, and portraying women as perpetrators of domestic abuse. Fathers' rights organizations and themes are examined in relation to state-level demographics and custody policy. The implications of fathers' rights activism for battered women and their children are explored.

"What's the Problem?": Australian Public Policy Constructions of Domestic and Family Violence

Murray, S., Powell, A. — 2009-03-27

The campaign of feminists to have domestic violence formally acknowledged as a key issue affecting Australian women succeeded in the early 1980s when governments began developing policy seeking to address the problem. Far from simply adopting feminist gendered understandings of domestic violence, however, the development of contemporary policy responses to this issue has been influenced by a number of competing discourses about the problem, its causes, and possible solutions. Drawing on Bacchi's policy analysis approach, the authors compare the discursive constructions of domestic violence inherent in how the issue is named, framed, and defined across contemporary Australian policy documents.

Varieties of Patriarchy and Violence Against Women: Resurrecting "Patriarchy" as a Theoretical Tool

Hunnicutt, G. — 2009-03-27

Feminist scholars have produced abundant writings on violence against women, yet theory development has stagnated. The effort to construct a theory of patriarchy to explain violence against women was derailed by criticism. In this article, the author addresses some of these criticisms, uncovers the explanatory strengths of this concept, and lays some foundations for a more fully developed theory of violence against women. The concept of patriarchy holds promise for theorizing violence against women because it keeps the theoretical focus on dominance, gender, and power. It also anchors the problem of violence against women in social conditions, rather than individual attributes.

The Roots of Resistance to Women's Self-Defense

Hollander, J. A. — 2009-03-27

Those who teach or research women's self-defense often encounter significant resistance from others. In this article, the author discusses three major types of resistance to women's self-defense (and to women's resistance to violence more generally): the belief that women's resistance is impossible, that it is too dangerous, and that it risks blaming the victim. The author argues that one source of these reactions is people's taken-for-granted beliefs about gender, which limit their ability to understand the research on women's resistance and self-defense—and, indeed, prevent them from being able to conceptualize women as strong and competent social actors.

Training Interviewers for Research on Sexual Violence: A Qualitative Study of Rape Survivors' Recommendations for Interview Practice

Campbell, R., Adams, A. E., Wasco, S. M., Ahrens, C. E., Sefl, T. — 2009-03-27

Face-to-face interviewing is a common data collection technique in violence against women research. To guide the development of interviewer training programs, the authors conducted an empirical study on adult rape survivors' recommendations for interview practice. They asked survivors what interviewers should know about rape and how they should interact with participants. Data from 92 survivors revealed that interviewer training needs to emphasize diversity so that researchers are capable of working effectively with individuals with different life circumstances. The survivors also emphasized that interviewers need to show warmth and compassion and allow them to exercise choice and control during the interview process.

Evaluation of Lifetime Trauma Exposure and Physical Health in Women With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Major Depressive Disorder

2009-03-27

The current study examines lifetime trauma exposure rates in 148 women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), or neither diagnosis and whether this is related to measures of PTSD, depression, hostility, health symptoms, and health care utilization. Findings indicate that multiple trauma exposures were prevalent in this sample, with 96% of those with PTSD and 79% of those with MDD reporting three or more trauma exposures compared to 46% in the comparison group. Controlling for diagnostic status, regression analysis for PTSD symptom severity reveals that the trauma exposure adult physical assault category was significantly associated with more severe PTSD and depressive symptoms, whereas the childhood violence category was most associated with increased hostility. PTSD and MDD groups reported greater past year health conditions and health care utilization.

Book Review: Romito, P. (2008). A Deafening Silence: Hidden Violence Against Women and Children. Bristol, UK: Policy Press

Edel, J. R. — 2009-03-27

Editor's Introduction

Renzetti, C. M. — 2009-03-12

Advancing the Study of Violence Against Women: Evolving Research Agendas Into Science

Jordan, C. E. — 2009-03-12

Decades of research produced by multiple disciplines has documented withering rates of violence against women in the United States and around the globe. To further an understanding of gendered violence, a field of research has developed, but recent critiques have highlighted weaknesses that inhibit a full scientific exploration of these crimes and their impacts. This review extends beyond prior reviews to explore the field's unique challenges, its community of scientists, and the state of its written knowledge. The review argues for moving beyond "research agendas" and proposes creation of a transdisciplinary science for the field of study of violence against women.

The Substance, Scholarship, and Science of Research on Violence Against Women: A Comment

Ford, D. A. — 2009-03-12

Should the Study of Violence Against Women Be a Science?

Martin, S. L. — 2009-03-12

Advancing the Study of Violence Against Women: Response to Jordan

Basile, K. C. — 2009-03-12

Science, Social Change, and Ending Violence Against Women: Which One of These Is Not Like the Others?

Campbell, R. — 2009-03-12

Advancing the Study of Violence Against Women: Response to Commentaries and Next Steps

Jordan, C. E. — 2009-03-12

"No Matter What Has Been Done Wrong Can Always Be Redone Right": Spirituality in the Lives of Imprisoned Battered Women

Schneider, R. Z., Feltey, K. M. — 2009-03-12

In this article, the authors explore the religious and spiritual experiences and beliefs of incarcerated battered women who killed abusive intimate partners or (step)fathers. Through in-depth interviews with 12 imprisoned battered women, the authors examine the role that religion and spirituality played in the women's lives before and during their incarceration. Regardless of their religious upbringing, most had what they described as spiritual experiences during their time in prison. For them, participation in the support group for battered women and their spiritual experiences "freed them" by giving them a way to reconstruct and reinterpret their victimization, perpetration of violence, and subsequent incarceration.

A Descriptive Analysis of Transitional Housing Programs for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in the United States

Baker, C. K., Niolon, P. H., Oliphant, H. — 2009-03-12

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 2005 focuses on safe and independent housing for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). The focus on housing in the latest version of VAWA suggests recognition by Congress that removing barriers and increasing access to safe housing is critical to our nation's response to IPV, and that this type of systems-level response is necessary to reduce the link between IPV and subsequent homelessness. This study examines the current state of transitional housing programs (THPs) and discusses future program considerations, including the need for evaluation studies that consider the possible impact that transitional housing programs have on the rates of violence toward women and their children, and on women's ability to achieve economic stability after separating from their abusive partners.

Collecting Reliable Information About Violence Against Women Safely in Household Interviews: Experience From a Large-Scale National Survey in South Asia

2009-03-12

This article describes the first national survey of violence against women in Pakistan from 2001 to 2004 covering 23,430 women. The survey took account of methodological and ethical recommendations, ensuring privacy of interviews through one person interviewing the mother-in-law while another interviewed the eligible woman privately. The training module for interviewers focused on empathy with respondents, notably increasing disclosure rates. Only 3% of women declined to participate, and 1% were not permitted to participate. Among women who disclosed physical violence, only one third had previously told anyone. Surveys of violence against women in Pakistan not using methods to minimize underreporting could seriously underestimate prevalence.

Intimate Partner Violence Against Athabaskan Women Residing in Interior Alaska: Results of a Victimization Survey

Wood, D. S., Magen, R. H. — 2009-03-12

A survey instrument mirroring the National Violence Against Women Survey was administered in person to measure the incidence and prevalence of intimate partner violence against Athabaskan women residing in the interior of Alaska. Roughly two thirds of respondents (63.7%) reported an intimate partner assault victimization at some point in their adult lifetime, and 18% of the respondents reported that they had been physically assaulted by an intimate partner in the year preceding the survey. Findings revealed that intimate partner assault victimization is more prevalent and is considerably more frequent when compared to that reported for American women in general.