Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Unmet Social Service Needs

ABSTRACT

Women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization are at risk for physical and mental health problems, as well as social and economic challenges. In this cross-sectional study, 173 adult, English-speaking women who had experienced police response to IPV completed a self-report questionnaire about their use of, interest in, and need for various social services and whether or not each type of service helped (or would help) them to feel safer. More than three quarters of the participants reported a current need for health and economic support services. There was less interest in traditional IPV resources: law enforcement and domestic violence counseling or shelter. Expanding services to meet survivors’ needs for health care and economic independence may facilitate long-term safety. Recommendations for further research in this area are provided.     

Intimate Violence in Lesbian Relationships

This paper describes the findings of a survey of 1109 lesbians who attended the Women's Music Festival held in Michigan in carly August 1985. The primary objectives of the study were to document the incidence of domestic violence in a non-random sample of lesbian relationships; to identify and describe the types of domestic violence experienced and/or perpetrated; and to ascertain thc availability and accessibility of community helping resources to survivors and perpetrators after an abusive episode. Comparisons with domestic violence in heterosexual relationships are also made, followed by a discussion on the research and practice implications of the findings.     

Mothering and everyday life during and in the aftermath of domestic violence among women with immigrant backgrounds in Norway

This paper focuses on how immigrant women experience and negotiate their everyday life with children prior to and after leaving a violent partner. Twenty‐three women staying at domestic violence and abuse shelters with their children were interviewed about their experiences with assistance services and their everyday life with their children. At the time of the interviews, most of the women were legally separated or divorced and were either living in or in touch daily with shelters. In this paper, we look at some of the challenges that women face when exposed to violence in a relationship that involves children. Being exposed to violence from a partner raises a number of economic, practical, and emotional concerns, both prior to and after leaving. For the mothers in our study, maintaining a regular routine is key to making the children feel safe in an unpredictable setting. For many, economic dependence on the partner is replaced with economic dependence on assistance services after leaving the partner. Services must recognize that providing help to mothers who have left a violent partner constitutes more than just practical support but is crucial for mothers' ability to re‐establish a predictable everyday life with their children.     

Intimate partner violence and women's experiences of grief

A greater understanding of women's emotional and behavioural responses to intimate partner violence (IPV) may be aided by an examination of the grief course. Women going through the process of leaving their abusers, like women leaving non‐violent partners, experience grief during and at the termination of their relationship, even if they feel relief at the cessation of violence. Through qualitative interviews with 14 female survivors of IPV, we critically examine the utility of Kubler‐Ross' grief model to understand how women come to terms with their experiences of violence and the end of their violent relationships. Results suggest that Kubler‐Ross' model helps explain the emotional reactions and decision‐making of IPV survivors in regard to staying, leaving and returning to their partners. While a model developed to explain grief due to death may not entirely explain the reactions of IPV survivors going through the process of leaving abusive partners, and does not account for psychological reactions to trauma, social workers and mental‐health professionals can use this grief model as a framework to better tailor services to survivors of IPV.     

Trauma-Informed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A Promising New Model for Working with Survivors of Interpersonal Violence

This article addresses the benefits of modifying the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program by Kabat-Zinn for survivors of interpersonal trauma. MBSR, originally designed for those dealing with chronic health conditions, is being offered to individuals with a variety of issues around the country, including people who have histories of surviving interpersonal violence. Discussed here are the psychosocial needs of women who have survived interpersonal trauma and the rationale for creating a phase I trauma-intervention based on the MBSR model. An example of one model of a trauma-informed MBSR intervention developed by the author is presented, as well as a summary of findings derived from a randomized controlled pilot study of the model with a community-based sample of women survivors of interpersonal trauma. Outcomes include statistically and clinically significant improvements in reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, as well as decreases in a measure of anxious attachment. Qualitative findings are also summarized.     

Professionals’ Perceptions of Food Insecurity Among Their Low-Income Clients

Abstract

This research examines the awareness of social service professionals of the food security of low-income families in a community-based savings program. Based on survey data of 65 community agencies in seven states that offer the Individual Development Account (IDA) program, the study investigates program providers’ awareness of the food security of IDA program participants. Second, this study presents IDA program provider activities to alleviate food insecurity and summarizes their opinions about how food insecurity could be prevented among their program families. Results show that providers were aware that families did not have enough of the kinds of food they want to eat. This perception was most strongly related to IDA programs with longer durations. Program families’ reports of their children’s food insecurity aligned well with the extent of food hardship reported by the program providers. Access to food and nutritional wellness services was considered most relevant for alleviating food insecurity. Financial security, access to community resources, and direct access to food and family support networks were considered important factors for protecting families from the threat of hunger. Research is needed to identify the role of community organizations that do not provide nutrition assistance for helping low-income families overcome food hardship.     

Critical Consciousness Raising as an Element of Empowering Practice with Survivors of Domestic Violence

Many practitioners who work with survivors of domestic violence (DV) attempt to raise survivors' consciousness about DV dynamics as well as about oppression they may encounter from the systems with which they interact. Such critical consciousness raising is one component of the “empowering practices” that many DV advocates aim to implement. Despite the significance of empowering practices for those working with DV survivors, the literature is not clear about the frequency with which practitioners engage in consciousness raising or how critical consciousness is related to psychological outcomes such as self-efficacy among survivors. To explore these effects, 98 women from two DV shelter programs in two midsized Midwest cities were interviewed shortly after they left the shelters about their experiences while accessing services. Women who reported that their advocates engaged in DV consciousness-raising practice also reported developing greater DV critical consciousness and self-efficacy while in shelter. These findings suggest that gaining greater understanding of the effects of society-wide oppression on their experiences can lead survivors to a greater belief in their general ability to meet their goals. Future research should explore the effects of such changes on survivors' lives over time, as well as the most effective practices to raise critical consciousness.     

Absent presence: the ongoing impact of men's violence on the mother–child relationship

This paper draws from interviews with 45 mothers and 52 children who participated in an action research project to develop activities to support women and children in the aftermath of domestic violence. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and explore the question: In what ways does the perpetrator of abuse remain present in the lives of women and children following separation? The paper invites workers to recognize the distortions created by domestic violence that may need to be identified and addressed in the aftermath of violence. The ways in which past trauma, erosion of self‐esteem and the undermining of the mother–child relationship continues to create a shadow across the present relationship are identified. The continued presence of the perpetrator of abuse through child contact arrangements and ongoing harassment is also highlighted. The ‘absent presence’ of the abusive partner is posited as a concept to assist workers with a framework through which to understand problems in the mother–child relationship which emerge when living with and separating from a violent partner. The paper has implications for social workers orientating practice to focus on perpetrator accountability and support strengthening the mother–child relationship.     

Risk factors for the prevalence of domestic violence against women in Cyprus

This paper, which is based on the first national survey on domestic violence against women in Cyprus, presents the risk factors associated with the prevalence of domestic violence. The sample size of the survey is 1107 Greek-speaking women living in the area controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. Overall, 28% of the women that took part in the survey report to have suffered domestic violence from their partner or husband at least once in their lives. Multiple logistic regression shows that age, marital status, place of living and family budget are significant risk factors for the prevalence of domestic violence against women in Cyprus.     

An analysis of current Australian program initiatives for children exposed to domestic violence

While services have been assisting women who have been victims of domestic violence for many years, it has only been in recent times, that children exposed to domestic violence have begun to receive attention by service providers as clients in their own right. A number of specialised programs have now been designed to meet the needs of these children by domestic violence services and agencies that have a child protection or child welfare/family support focus. This paper aims to describe the types of programs currently in operation across Australia which cater specifically for the needs of children who have been exposed to domestic violence by analysing programs listed on the Child Abuse Prevention Programs Database developed by the National Child Protection Clearinghouse. A number of suggestions are made with regard to the means by which therapeutic responses and research in this area could be enhanced.     

Rurality's Influence on Women's Intimate Partner Violence Experiences and Support Needed for Escape and Healing in Australia

A key factor for increasing help-seeking behavior among women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) lies in better understanding how social environment affects decisions about when and why individuals take action to end IPV. This article presents original data from 36 in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with women IPV survivors living in rural Australia to address urban-centric and quantitative biases in much IPV research. Derived from first-hand experiences, results reveal rurality's systemic challenges (economic disadvantage, unemployment, lack of informal support, limited availability/access to sociolegal and formal support services due to transportation and parenting responsibilities, quality alternative housing, and timely/relevant crisis counseling) exacerbated personal capacity to end IPV and sociopsychological factors (stigma, isolation, lack of anonymity, abusive partners’ controlling behavior, and normative violence) thwarted IPV disclosure, help seeking, and healing in rural communities. Collectively, women's experiences evidence IPV's complexity as a social problem, misperceived definition, and breadth of influence. In-depth insights highlight location and culture's relevance to IPV knowledge, experience, service provision, and uptake, suggesting benefits may arise if practitioners and policy makers tailor IPV information and services, specifically crisis housing and counseling, in light of how rurality systemically stymies and psychologically affects women's best efforts to escape and heal.     

Child protection and fathering where there is domestic violence: Contradictions and consequences

Children live in different contexts of protection and vulnerability when exposed to domestic violence. The negative impacts for many children are consistent and widely acknowledged. However, the implication that this requires men who use violence to address their fathering has been slower to emerge. This article draws from 69 in‐depth qualitative interviews with men, women, and workers across four men's behaviour change programmes in rural Victoria, Australia. Particular attention is given to men's attitudes to their fathering and the formal and informal consequences they experienced as a result of their violence and its impact on their fathering. Although most men came to recognize that their violence impacted their children, they failed to make the connection that the involvement of statutory child protection services in their lives was a direct consequence of their abusive behaviour. This article explores this disconnection by fathers who use violence, their attitude to the involvement of statutory child protection services, and identifies the implications for social work practitioners in addressing this issue.     

The Model Development Dissertation

ABSTRACT

Asset-building programs, such as Individual Development Account (IDA) programs within social service agencies, assist low-income employed clients in building credit, purchasing affordable assets, and gaining wealth. This longitudinal exploratory study examines the credit outcomes of IDA programs to add to the knowledge concerning the effects of IDAs as an asset-building tool. Data were analyzed using a convenience sample of IDA participants and nonparticipants (N = 164), and the results indicated that initial credit score and history are associated with program participation. However, results also suggested that initial credit score is not a meaningful indicator of program completion, time to completion, or type of asset purchased for participants. Those who completed the IDA program within 2 years experienced the highest credit gains. Future research with larger samples is needed to further assess the impact of credit on program participation and completion and on whether credit gains are sustained.     

Giving a Voice to Women Survivors of Domestic Violence through Recognition as a Service User Group

Perhaps surprisingly, given the germinal role played by thewomen’s movement, women survivors of domestic violenceare not amongst those commonly conceptualized as service usergroups. This paper explores why this may be the case and whyit matters. It draws upon the findings of a multi-methodologicalstudy of specialist domestic violence services and of relateduser and professional views. It demonstrates the limitationsto survivors’ influence within these services, some ofthe key obstacles women experience, and the commonalities anddifferences between these and the experiences of other usergroups. In particular, the specific issues of women still ‘beingin the experience’ and of professionals who are also survivorsbut who feel unable to disclose this are discussed as usefulcontributions to the theory of service user involvement.     

“We are not weak,we just experience domestic violence”—Immigrant women's experiences of encounters with service providers as a result of domestic violence

Domestic violence continues to be a serious social problem and represents a challenge for those who are exposed to it and those in public services. In Norway, a variety of services are provided to help victims of domestic violence and improve knowledge among professionals who meet with adults and children exposed to domestic violence. Studies in Norway show that families with immigrant backgrounds are overrepresented among social service users as a result of domestic violence. However, contextualized knowledge to provide background information about this overrepresentation is limited. This paper explores women's need for support and their experience with service providers when faced with difficult and unpredictable situations, namely, escaping from violence and leaving home with no financial resources or limited supportive network and turning to service providers for support. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 women who were staying in or were in touch with shelters with their children or alone. Five central themes emerged in the analysis of these interviews: (a) help becoming a burden; (b) timely economic measures; (c) economic support and domestic violence; (d) displaced focus; and (e) flexibility and the victim's background.     

A Model for Group Work Practice with Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Victims of Domestic Violence: A Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT

The Orthodox Jewish community has only recently acknowledged that religious practice and commitment does not make one immune to suffering from domestic violence. Effective therapeutic techniques for working with battered Orthodox women have only recently begun to emerge.

This article focuses on the use of group work as an effective therapeutic modality for working with abused Orthodox Jewish women. This research highlights the insight, knowledge, and experience of practitioners who facilitate domestic violence groups, focusing on proficiencies and ethnic-sensitive practice strategies that are perceived to lead to successful outcomes.

The application of ethnic-sensitive strategies is discussed to illustrate viable therapeutic considerations for working with this population. Implications and issues for educators and practitioners will be addressed.     

"Bessie done cut her old man": race, common-law marriage, and homicide in New Orleans, 1925-1945

This essay examines domestic homicide in early twentieth-century New Orleans. African-American residents killed their domestic partners at eight times the rate of white New Orleanians, and these homicides were most often committed by women, who killed their partners at fifteen times the rate of white women. Common-law marriages proved to be especially violent among African-American residents. Based on nearly two hundred cases identified in police records and other sources as partner killings between 1925 and 1945, this analysis compares lethal violence in legal marriages and in common-law unions. It also explores the social and institutional forces that buffeted common-law marriages, making this the most violent domestic arrangement and contributing to the remarkably high rate of spousal homicide by African-American women in early twentieth-century New Orleans.     

Motivating perpetrators of domestic and family violence to engage in behaviour change: The role of fatherhood

Policies and practices around domestic and family violence (DFV) increasingly focus on perpetrator accountability. With growing evidence that punitive responses alone have a limited deterrent effect on perpetrators, behaviour change programs play a significant role in creating accountability and improving safety for victims and children. Motivating perpetrators to engage in such programs can, however, be challenging. Few perpetrators seem to recognize the need to change for their intimate (ex)‐partner due to victim‐blaming attitudes and a sense that relationships are replaceable. Relationships with their children on the other hand seem to hold more value. This article explores the role of fatherhood as a motivating factor for male perpetrators to engage in relevant behaviour change programs. Based on face‐to‐face interviews with 18 fathers in a court‐mandated intervention program, findings alert to the need for education of abusive fathers in 3 key areas: the impact of DFV on children's well‐being, the impact of DFV on the parent–child relationship, and the impact of DFV‐related repercussions on the parent–child relationship. Fathers' desire to have a relationship with their children suggests fatherhood offers a viable angle to motivate their engagement in interventions that address gendered forms of DFV and subsequently improve victims' and children's safety.     

Women’s Strategic Responses to Intimate Partner Violence: A Study in a Rural Community of Bangladesh

The objective of this study was to explore women’s strategic responses to physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner. Twenty women from a rural area of the Narshingdi district in the Dhaka division of Bangladesh who experienced physical violence at home participated in the study. Development of the interview protocol and data analysis were carried out by applying the consensual qualitative research (CQR) method. The results showed that several themes, such as women’s responses to intimate partner violence, arose from the data. First, coping strategies to pre‐violent events included three themes: (i) leaving the scene; (ii) trying to divert attention; and (iii) preparing to protest. Women’s strategic responses to violent events consisted of four themes: (i) leaving the scene; (ii) remaining silent or no giving response; (iii) seeking help from others; and (iv) protesting against the violence. Lastly, women’s strategic responses to post‐violent events consisted of three themes: (i) temporary abstinence; (ii) verbally abusive behavior to family members; and (iii) going to the parental home. Given the findings of this study, we conclude by suggesting that more work is needed to better understand effective strategies and to draw women to institutional services to prevent violence to a greater extent.     

Domestic violence,housing and employment: Workers' perspectives on employment assistance in supported accommodation

In response to contemporary understanding about the association between financial security and women's ability to escape domestic violence and homelessness, this paper reports on a small scale pilot study conducted with workers from generalist homelessness services and domestic violence‐supported accommodation services in South Australia on responding to women's requests for assistance to seek employment. Workers from both accommodation service types advised that approximately one third of women at their services asked for employment‐related assistance at the point of service intake or soon after. Although relatively few women received employment support following their requests, assistance was four times more likely at the generalist homelessness services than the domestic violence services. Agency priorities, philosophies and workers' assessments of women's capacity to engage in employment were cited as reasons for not responding to women's employment requests. Women who secured employment prior to service exit, whether helped to do so or not, were perceived as more confident with the prospect of supporting their families independently following exit and more able to secure suitable housing when compared to other women. Follow‐up and outreach visits indicated that women who worked had a stronger sense of financial security, housing stability and social connectedness, but that maintaining employment following service exit was difficult.