The reporting and help‐seeking behaviors of domestic violence victims with criminal backgrounds

The decision to report domestic violence is often conditional on whether victims were satisfied with their prior treatment by the criminal justice system. One issue in reporting victimization is that victims of domestic violence may also be involved with the system as offenders. The current paper systematically reviews research on this overlap, finding that most research supports that victims who also have criminal backgrounds are significantly less likely to report subsequent experiences of domestic violence, and are less likely and able to seek out social services, particularly when they report prior negative experiences. The paper then identifies theoretical and policy‐based implications of the review findings.     

Interview: Tatyana Lipovskaya,Sisters Sexual Assault Recovery Centre,Moscow, Russia

The Sisters' Sexual Assault Recovery Center was established in Moscow, Russia, in 1993, to address the needs of victims of sexual violence. The Center's help-line received 4029 crisis calls in 1994-97. Most clients are seeking information about medical services or legal aid. Others call about employment, HIV/AIDS, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Services are available without regard to age, sex, occupation, or sexual orientation. Program funding has come entirely from Western foundations and organizations. Although Russia has not passed a law on domestic violence, the post-Communism government is reluctantly starting to acknowledge that rape and domestic violence are serious social problems. The Center runs an educational program for law enforcement officers to increase their sensitivity and create an environment of safety for women who report sexual violence.     

Domestic violence laws and suicide in Mexico

In the mid-1990s Mexican states began adopting reforms that for the first time criminalized domestic violence. Two separate policies were also adopted which allowed domestic violence to be grounds for divorce and established prevention and assistance programs for victims of domestic violence. I exploit the variation in time and geography to estimate the impact of these three policies on female suicide rates using a difference-in-difference methodology. The results indicate that states that criminalized domestic violence exhibited a 22–34% decrease in suicide rates compared to non-adopting states, but there is no robust evidence that the other two policies had any impact. A battery of tests provides support for the robustness of these findings and indicates that most of the effects are concentrated among married women. Analysis of a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey covering violence against women in Mexico suggests reduction in sexual and physical violence as a possible mechanism behind the reduction in female suicide rates. These findings are consistent with an intra-household bargaining model with asymmetric information and costly conflict which predicts that policies that reduce conflict within the household can reduce female suicides. The results highlight the importance of developing and implementing policies that facilitate reporting and providing access to legal institutions for victims of domestic violence, which can in turn improve a victim’s wellbeing.

     

Coping With Antigay Violence: In-Depth Interviews With Flemish LGB Adults

In view of the possible negative mental health outcomes of antigay violence and the limited understanding of how lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men and women cope with such experiences, this study examined the coping and social support-seeking strategies that victims adopt. In 2012, in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 Flemish sexual minority victims of violence. These in-depth interviews show that antigay violence can generate profound negative outcomes. However, the respondents employed a range of coping strategies, of which four were discerned: (1) avoidance strategies, (2) assertiveness and confrontation, (3) cognitive change, and (4) social support. Applying a diverse set of coping strategies and actively attaching meaning to negative experiences helps victims of antigay violence to overcome negative effects such as fear, embarrassment, or depressive feelings. However, the presence of a supportive network seems an important condition in order for these positive outcomes to occur.     

The parallels between undue influence, domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault

The dynamics of undue influence (UI) have many similarities with domestic violence, stalking, and grooming behavior used by some sexual predators. This article will help practitioners-particularly law enforcement investigators and prosecutors-better recognize UI as a pattern of behaviors, not an isolated incident. Understanding the dynamics of UI will enhance professionals' appreciation of the responses of victims and the manipulative nature of exploiters. Strategies that have been used effectively with domestic violence, stalking, and some sexual abuse cases may provide remedies for victims of UI and criminal justice options for holding perpetrators accountable. Enhanced awareness of these dynamics should lead to improved investigations, more effective strategies when interviewing and working with victims, and more successful prosecutions of perpetrators who use UI to financially exploit an older person.     

A review of research on women's use of violence with male intimate partners

This article provides a review of research literature on women who use violence with intimate partners. The central purpose is to inform service providers in the military and civilian communities who work with domestically violent women. The major points of this review are as follows: (a) women's violence usually occurs in the context of violence against them by their male partners; (b) in general, women and men perpetrate equivalent levels of physical and psychological aggression, but evidence suggests that men perpetrate sexual abuse, coercive control, and stalking more frequently than women and that women also are much more frequently injured during domestic violence incidents; (c) women and men are equally likely to initiate physical violence in relationships involving less serious "situational couple violence," and in relationships in which serious and very violent "intimate terrorism" occurs, men are much more likely to be perpetrators and women victims; (d) women's physical violence is more likely than men's violence to be motivated by self-defense and fear, whereas men's physical violence is more likely than women's to be driven by control motives; (e) studies of couples in mutually violent relationships find more negative effects for women than for men; and (f) because of the many differences in behaviors and motivations between women's and men's violence, interventions based on male models of partner violence are likely not effective for many women.     

Towards Balancing Power in Domestic Violence Relationships Response to Shaw & Pye

In contrast to Shaw and Pye, Wileman and Wileman argue that women are not powerless to influence positive change in relationships involving domestic violence. A balance of power can be attained by many women, without increasing the risk of retaliatory abuse, providing the authors' guidelines are observed. It is time to acknowledge and validate the rights and wishes of the many women victims who want their relationships to survive and the violence to stop.     

‘Innovation should not be Treason’: Domestic Violence Interventions

The deterministic ideology of political correctness which sanctions particular interventions permissible to use in domestic violence situations has not only thwarted creativity in the therapeutic field and ignored the interactional aspects of these complex relationships and the inherent opportunities for positive change, but has placed many women victims in danger unnecessarily. It is time to challenge simplistic models of domestic violence and develop feminist‐sensitive multiple approaches to this serious and complex social problem.     

Understanding and informing policy implementation: a case study of the domestic violence provisions of the Maryland Gun Violence Act

The Maryland Gun Violence Act, enacted into law in 1996, explicitly authorized courts to order batterers to surrender their firearms through civil protective orders. It also vested law enforcement with the explicit authority to remove guns when responding to a domestic violence complaint. In order to assess how these laws were implemented, we designed a case study and collected data from in-depth, key informant interviews, court observations, and relevant documents. We present findings from this study and recommend how to increase the likelihood that policies designed to separate batterers and guns are implemented in a way that will result in greater protections for victims of domestic violence.     

Perceptions of domestic abuse in same-sex relationships and implications for criminal justice and mental health responses

Male and female university students (N = 171) read scenarios describing a domestic abuse incident that systematically varied the sex of victim and perpetrator to produce four between-participants conditions. Results were consistent with and extended previous findings about perceptions of heterosexual domestic abuse to include gay and lesbian domestic abuse. Findings suggest that participant perceptions of abuse in same-sex and heterosexual relationships are similar. Where they differ, the differences have significant implications: (a) participants considered male against female abuse to be more serious than same-sex domestic abuse, (b) participants were more likely to recommend that the victim press charges in male against female abuse than in same-sex domestic abuse, (c) participants perceived same-sex victims to be less believable than heterosexual victims, and (d) victim believability was correlated with sentencing recommendations. Implications for criminal justice and mental health intervention are considered. Directions for future research are outlined.     

Innocence Lost: Accomplishing Victimization in Intimate Stalking Cases

This article explores identity work and emotion management in felony domestic violence stalking cases, using data collected in a domestic violence unit in a large metropolitan district attorney's office. Victim narratives in crime reports, intensive interviews of stalking victims, and participant observation in a stalking survivors' support group show how women become “victims” in the criminal justice system. Sometimes women's continued interaction with both stalkers and law enforcement actors affects their ability to create and sustain credible victim identities. Almost any action a victim takes or presentation she makes has the potential for inducing negative identity attributions. Thus identity dilemmas seemingly inhere in the stalking situation.     

Warrantless Arrest in Domestic Violence

Abstract

Legislators in the United States have responded to domestic violence by passing laws to criminalize domestic violence without empirical support of the effectiveness of this intervention. This research examines policy implementation and domestic violence arrest rates to determine the effectiveness of such legislation in Virginia. The implementation of written domestic violence policies and training for law enforcement officers was expected to increase domestic violence arrest rates. The findings show a positive impact of law enforcement training on felony (repeat offender) domestic violence arrest rates. The findings are relevant for social workers involved in policy and resource allocation for domestic violence interventions.     

Intellectual disabilities,domestic violence and legal engagement

There is increasing recognition that legal responses to domestic violence can only be effective if those who implement the law – for example, child protection workers, police and magistrates – are also effective. This article draws on the narratives of women with intellectual disabilities to analyse their experiences of engaging with the legal system as a response to domestic violence. In particular, the article considers whether they have access to appropriate support to utilise the remedies afforded by the law on an equal basis to survivors without disabilities. In considering this we draw on the concept of supported decision-making, an approach recommended by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.     

Shelter Service Utilization of Domestic Violence Victims

This study examines service utilization among 283 adult victims of domestic violence identified by crisis responders as being in need of crisis services. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences between the domestic violence victims who choose to utilize shelter services and those who do not. Findings suggest that domestic violence victims who were more likely to utilize shelter services included those who had children at the time of the incident, victims who called for assistance from a location other than their home, victims who did not have a current order of protection in place, and victims who were injured during the domestic violence incident. Implications suggest more specific services to be provided by shelters.     

Domestic Violence in Criminal Court:

Many states have recently passed new legislation to deal with spouse abuse, including several which have created a new criminal offense: domestic violence. This study examines all 1980 charges under Ohio's new domestic violence law in a large misdemeanor court and concludes that the creation of a new offense category does not cause major changes in measurable court outcomes. For example, 73% of victims who filed charges dropped them before a verdict was reached. This figure is extremely high. Combined with the large number of victims who never file, it suggests that most abusers do not go through a complete trial. Moreover, even when victims persevere and the batterer is found guilty, very little happens to him. Sixty-four percent did not spend even one day in jail, less that 10% were sentenced to alternative programs, and 27% were neither jailed nor placed on probabtion. Even when found guilty, most abusers are neither punished nor offered help. This study makes two recommendations. The first suggests a dual system whereby victims of domestic violence are provided with both criminal and social service alternatives. The second recommendation encourages the courts to experiment with counseling programs for batterers both as a condition for dismissal of charges and as a condition for probation when convicted.     

Victim or Whore: The Similarities and Differences between Victim's Experiences of Domestic Violence and Sex Trafficking

This research review addresses the similarities and differences between domestic violence and sex trafficking victimization. While there is evidence that domestic violence and sex trafficking often co-occur, there is a large disparity in the understanding and interventions utilized by law enforcement as well as the services available for victims of each crime despite the considerable overlap of victimization. This article explores current research regarding domestic violence and sex trafficking with a focus towards identifying areas of overlap and areas distinct to sex trafficking.     

What Happens When There Is Presumptive 50/50 Parenting Time? An Evaluation of Arizona’s New Child Custody Statute

ABSTRACT

The current study presents the findings of an evaluation of Arizona’s 2013 revisions to the child custody statutes that directed courts to “maximize” the child’s parenting time with both parents. A state-wide survey of the four family law professions (i.e., conciliation court staff, judges, mental health providers, and attorneys) assessed their perceptions of the law 4 years after implementation. We averaged the ratings across the four professions to obtain a comprehensive perspective that gave equal weight to each profession. Results revealed that the law functions as a rebuttable presumption of equal parenting time; that it is evaluated positively overall and in terms of children’s best interests; that it is has a neutral impact on legal and interparental conflict; and that it has led to small increases in allegations of domestic violence, child abuse, and substance abuse.     

Towards Balancing Power in Domestic Violence Relationships

Women's powerlessness to effect change in their partner's violence has been promoted in the literature. This has led to a downgrading in therapeutic responses to domestic violence and an over-reliance on legalistic remedies. However, many victims of domestic violence assert often that they want their relationships to survive and the violence to stop. Others may wish to leave their partners but find this too difficult. This paper describes a therapeutic/educational group program which set out to identify how women can become empowered and effect positive change in their partner's violent behaviour. The balancing of power was based upon the application of a set of guidelines which were applied in conjunction with McDonald's (1989) Cycle of Violence, with cognisance given to perpetrator characteristics. This initiative broadens the range of services available to women and it questions the political correctness of current domestic violence public social policy.     

‘Hidden identities’: perceptions of sexual identity in Beijing

This article draws upon responses given by volunteers who work in the Beijing LGBT Centre regarding perceptions of sexual identity, and how Chinese culture affects hidden or open sexual identities of Chinese lesbian and gay people in this region. The insights gained from those working carefully to create social change offers an important and original contribution to the field of gay and lesbian studies in China. The findings indicate the volunteers at the Beijing LGBT Centre are frustrated by the lack of acceptance of non‐heterosexual relationships among Chinese culture and society, and by the disregard of lesbian gay and bisexual (LGB) people by the Chinese government. The findings also illustrate stigmatization of homosexuality in China is enacted in structural terms (such as in the lack of policy, legislation and positive endorsement by governmental and socio‐political organizations), public expression (such as negative attitudes, beliefs or reactions towards LGB people) and internalized repression (through fear of stigmatization, and subsequent abuse due to negative societal attitudes and discrimination). Influenced by the Chinese tradition of conforming to group values, the findings from this study show that volunteers at the Beijing LGBT Centre believe LGB people in China are generally hesitant to disclose their sexual identities, and reject the idea that there had been a collective shift in Chinese culture regarding increased acceptance of LGB people. It also finds volunteers at the LGBT Centre in Beijing blame Chinese culture for its lack of acceptance of non‐heterosexual relationships, and state stigmatization of homosexuality in China is due to deep‐rooted cultural homophobia.     

Domestic violence among male and female patients seeking emergency medical services

Gender differences among a cohort of injured patients seeking emergency medical services were examined with respect to their experiences as perpetrators and/or victims of domestic violence. Contextual issues, including violence initiation, emotional and behavioral responses to partner-initiated violence, and injury frequency and severity were analyzed. Women reported male partner-initiated violence more frequently than men reported female partner-initiated violence. Behavioral responses to partner initiated violence varied. Women were more likely to report using force back and to involve law enforcement. Women were more likely to be injured in a domestic assault over their lifetime, within the last year, and at the time of recruitment. Comparison of injury severity revealed that women reported higher rates of injuries than men in all possible severity categories. Women also reported experiencing more fear than men during partner-initiated violence, as well as being subjected to larger numbers of dominating and controlling behaviors, and greater intimidation secondary to their partner's size. Understanding contextual differences in partner violence for women and men has significant implications for policy development, identification, treatment, and referral of patients identified as living in violent relationships.