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.     

Refining victims’ self‐reports on bullying: Assessing frequency,intensity, power imbalance,and goal‐directedness

Bullying can be differentiated from other types of peer aggression by four key characteristics: frequency, intensity, power imbalance, and goal‐directedness. Existing instruments, however, usually assess the presence of these characteristics implicitly. Can self‐report instruments be refined using additional questions that assess each characteristic? We examined (a) what proportion of children classified as victims by the commonly used Revised Olweus’ bully/victim questionnaire (BVQ) also experienced the characteristics of bullying, and (b) the extent to which the presence of the characteristics was associated with emotional (affect, school, and classroom well‐being), relational (friendship, defending), and social status (popularity, rejection) adjustment correlates among victims. Using data from 1,738 students (M_age = 10.6; grades 5–8), including 138 victims according to the BVQ, the results showed that 43.1% of the children who were classified as victims by BVQ experienced all the four characteristics of bullying. Frequency ratings of victimization did not capture experiences that involved a power imbalance. Victims who reported all four key characteristics had greater emotional, relational, and social status problems than victims who did not report all characteristics. Thus, researchers who focus on victimization for diagnostic and prevention purposes can enrich self‐report measurements of bullying victimization by adding questions that assess the characteristics explicitly.     

Understanding Children and Adolescents’ Victimizations at Multiple Levels: An Ecological Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT

This article examines children and adolescent exposure to violence in various contexts. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify the definitions and types of violence reported in studies on victimization using the ecological systems framework. Sources included research studies and/or reports from scholarly journals (n = 140), books (n = 9), conferences/workshops (n = 5), and Web sources, such as Uniform Crime Reports (n = 23). The findings indicated that research differed in terminologies, conceptual and operational definitions, sample sizes, and age group classification for children and adolescents. Furthermore, studies lacked focus on the co-occurrence and interrelatedness of victimization and how these factors might affect the outcomes. Many studies employed a cross-sectional design, which limits strong conclusions about the temporal order of victimization experiences and outcomes. Future research efforts need more consistency among researchers in conceptual and operational definitions and the use of more rigorous designs. Increased holistic assessments are critical for effective prevention and intervention strategies for at-risk children and adolescents.     

Participation in Income-Generating Activities and Help-Seeking for IPV in Bangladesh – Results from a National Survey of Women

Abstract

The present study examined whether there was an association between microfinance participation (i.e. microentrepreneurship) and help-seeking social networks and employment and help-seeking social networks of women who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh. The study is a secondary analysis of a subsample of 805 women (24.1% of the representative sample) who experienced IPV from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) between the ages of 16 and 49?years. Results indicate that among the subsample of 805 respondents, 29.3% sought help for IPV. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that women who were employed all year round were significantly more likely and microfinance participants were marginally more to seek help for IPV than women who were not engaged in income-generating activities. Implications are discussed.     

The Role of Acceptance and Empowerment in Promoting Reconciliation from the Perspective of the Needs-Based Model

We propose that following a victimization episode, victims experience an enhanced need for power, whereas perpetrators experience an enhanced need for social acceptance. We present the needs-based model of reconciliation, according to which the reciprocal satisfaction of these needs may lead to improved relations between victims and perpetrators. We then use the model as an organizing framework for reviewing theories and empirical findings within the field of victim/perpetrator dynamics in general and reconciliation in particular. We also examine its applicability to various contexts including interpersonal and intergroup conflicts and conflicts between majority and minority groups within the same society. Finally, we conclude by discussing policy implications drawn from the model.     

Developmental markers of risk or vulnerability? Young females who sexually abuse – characteristics,backgrounds, behaviours and outcomes

This paper presents findings from a subsample of 24 young females aged 8–16 years who were referred to specialist services in England during the 1990s because of their abusive sexual behaviours. The characteristics, backgrounds and behaviours of the sample are summarized and compared both with the males in the total population studied and with findings from the limited international literature on young female sexual abusers. Key findings include the higher rates of sexual victimization amongst females, their lack of prior criminal convictions, their somewhat younger ages at referral and their fewer victims. A smaller selection of case studies is used to illustrate the range of circumstances and behaviours leading to referral. Follow‐up interviews with two female ex service users, who are now in young adulthood, indicate that their childhood sexually abusive behaviour is more a marker of vulnerability than of risk of abusive behaviour in adulthood. Their struggles now as parents, in adult relationships and their ongoing health difficulties are outlined.     

Domestic Violence: Comparative Analysis of German and U.K. Research Findings*

Objective. This article examines the notion of the family and within its postmodern definition the research undertaken in the field of domestic violence and its consequences for criminal justice agencies in the United Kingdom and Germany. Has the notion of the family changed in Western culture? How has legislation changed regarding domestic violence in line with criminologists' and social scientists' hypotheses, reflections, and recommendations? How are victims and witnesses protected from perpetrators? Methods. The authors discuss how legislation in both countries has changed to meet the needs of victims and witnesses of domestic violence. The article looks at different forms of law enforcement in domestic violence and how the agencies assess future dangerousness. Results. Research analyses show that domestic violence is now taken seriously in both countries' legislation. But what is the impact on policing domestic violence in both countries? It is argued that U.K. law enforcement agencies are more advanced that the German police in dealing with domestic violence in a practical and pragmatic fashion. Conclusions. The authors explore the shift in cultural beliefs affecting male dominance in the family setting, how public attitudes to domestic violence have changed, and how law enforcement agencies are now dealing with violence within the family in both countries.     

It Takes Two to Fight in School,Too: A Social Relations Model of the Psychometric Properties and Relative Variance of Dyadic Aggression and Victimization in Middle School

Aggressive behavior has been well studied in terms of interindividual differences among aggressors and victims, but has been understudied, especially within naturalistic contexts, in terms of aggressor–victim relationships. The social relations model (SRM) is a powerful conceptual and analytic tool for studying dyadic phenomena, and we describe the use of multivariate SRM to study aggression. Boys and girls (N = 210) in middle schools (sixth and seventh grades) completed a newly created dyadic aggression and victimization inventory (DAVI). Results support the reliability and validity of the DAVI in assessing inter‐individual and inter‐dyadic differences in aggression and victimization. Occurrences of aggression were accounted for primarily by inter‐dyadic variability, indicating the importance of considering aggressor–victim relationships. We discuss the implications of this relationship focus for future research and intervention efforts.     

Disentangling the Frequency and Severity of Bullying and Victimization in the Association with Empathy

This study disentangled the frequency and perceived severity of experienced bullying and victimization by investigating their associations with cognitive and affective empathy. Participants were 800 children (7–12 years old) from third‐ to fifth‐grade classrooms who completed self‐report measures of the frequency and perceived severity of their bullying and victimization and of cognitive and affective empathy. Results showed that the frequency and perceived severity of bullying were moderately correlated in the entire sample but unrelated within the subsample of bullies. Frequency and perceived severity of victimization were significantly and positively correlated in the entire sample (moderate effect) and the subsample of victims (small effect). Frequent, but not severe, bullies reported less cognitive empathy than non‐bullies whereas both frequent and severe victims reported more affective empathy than non‐victims. Within subsamples of bullies and victims, frequency of bullying was negatively associated with cognitive and affective empathy, and perceived severity of bullying was positively associated with affective empathy. Frequency of victimization was not associated with cognitive and affective empathy, but perceived severity of victimization was positively associated with both forms of empathy.     

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.     

Bullying and Victimization Among School-age Children: Stability and Links to Proactive and Reactive Aggression

The main aim of the study relates to the links between bullying and victimization on the one hand and reactive and proactive aggression on the other. In addition, we also investigated stability and incidence of bullying and victimization. At age 7, 236 children were rated on bullying and victimization using peer reports. At age 8, 242 children were rated again. Two hundred and fifteen children (114 girls and 101 boys) were present at both time points. Reactive and proactive aggression was assessed by teachers. The results showed that bullies and bully/victims were both reactively and proactively aggressive, while victims were only reactively aggressive. A moderate degree of stability of bullying and victimization was found, with bullying being more stable than victimization. Boys were more often bullies than girls and more stable than girls in victimization. Stable victims and stable bully/victims were more reactively aggressive than their unstable counterparts. The relevance of the outcomes to preventing future maladjustment and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

From victims to winners: strategies of negotiation among relocated residents in demolition-compensation events in local China

It has been well documented by researchers that in China’s continual quest for modernisation and urbanisation, many urban and rural residents became displaced and portrayed as victims. A more important question however needs to be explored: do evicted residents learn from others to develop strategies to protect themselves from becoming victims? Through in-depth interviews, primary data collection, documentary research, this study has confirmed that for some evicted residents in Southern China’s urban fringes, when their land was appropriated by local government and developers and they were offered resettlement elsewhere, they did not behave passively to accept the terms of compensation dictated. Instead, they actively learnt from other dwellers who were evicted earlier to become well-organised, resourceful, and sophisticated negotiators in bargaining for their compensation. The group of rural residents proved that they could do better than the evicted urban residents, especially in terms of compensation-negotiation.     

Do Parenting and Family Characteristics Moderate the Relation between Peer Victimization and Antisocial Behavior? A 5‐year Longitudinal Study

Past research has demonstrated that relationships with peers and parents play salient roles in various child outcomes. However, little research has examined the confluence of these two factors in the context of peer victimization. In particular, little is known about which family and parental factors mitigate or intensify the impact of adverse peer relations. The current study bridged this gap by testing whether maternal support and family conflict moderated the association between peer victimization and antisocial behavior. Moderation effects were found for girls but not boys. Cross‐lagged path analyses of nationally representative longitudinal data (N = 1046; 53 percent boys; Time 1: M_age = 10.7) showed that, among girls, higher levels of maternal warmth and mother–child communication significantly attenuated the link between early peer victimization and later antisocial outcomes. By contrast, greater family conflict significantly increased antisocial outcomes among girls who experienced peer victimization. For boys, early peer victimization significantly predicted antisocial outcomes, regardless of parenting and family factors. All findings remained significant even after controlling for preexisting antisocial tendencies and demographic factors, as well as for the stability of victimization in the model.     

The position of the victim-activist in crime victim service organizations

The emergence of community-based service organizations for victims of violent crime, rape, domestic violence, child abuse and murder have become a part of the organizational underpinnings of the crime victim movement. Prominent figures in this movement are the victim-activists who speak for victims because they have the experiential expertise that comes from being a victim (survivor). This study examines the organizational positions of two types of victims, the individually harmed victim and the family member of a crime victim. The findings show that although both types of victim-activists can speak as victims, family victims tends to hold unpaid authoritative positions such as board member or president, whereas individual victims hold a variety of positions. Victim status serves as a credential for decision-making positions in the case of family victims, and as a career credential for individual victims.     

The Role of Social Goals in Bullies' and Victims' Social Information Processing in Response to Ambiguous and Overtly Hostile Provocation

Understanding what social goals are associated with bullying and victimization behaviours, even after allowing for biases in interpretation of and affective responses to social events, is critical for understanding the socio‐behavioural profile of bullies and victims. In the present study, 181 nine‐ to ten‐year‐olds' affective responses, attribution of intent, and social goals were assessed in the context of a series of ambiguous and overtly hostile provocation vignettes. Results showed that even after allowing for other social information processing biases, social goals were meaningfully associated with bullying and victimization scores. Bullying was inversely associated with relationship‐building goals, and positively associated with goals to be assertive over the provocateur when provocation was overtly hostile. Being victimized was associated with having submissive goals even when provocation was ambiguous and after accounting for attribution of hostile intent. Findings are discussed in light of theoretical and practical implications.     

Seeking Help for Marital Problems: A Conceptual Approach

Summary When, why and how people become clients are important areasfor research which have implications for services and practitioners.How these issues are conceptualised determines the findingsand conclusions of researchers. This paper contrasts two distinctconceptual emphases to be found in the literature on help-seeking:on the one hand, clients as constructing their own fates and,on the other, the critical incidents and contextual factorswhich precipitate help-seeking action. The author concludesthat a satisfactory theoretical approach to help-seeking needsto integrate both emphases.     

Mobile phone parenting in work-separated Chinese families with young children left behind: A qualitative inquiry into parenting dimensions and determinants

Although recent studies have documented how working-elsewhere parents remotely achieved parenting through mobile phones, namely, ‘mobile phone parenting’ (MPP), a comprehensive conceptualization of MPP dimensions remains underexplored. Very few researchers have focused on the case of millions of work-separated families with young left-behind children from rural China from the perspectives of parenting dimensions and parenting process (determinants of parenting). By a thematic analysis approach, this qualitative study analysed interview data from 21 rural-to-urban Chinese migrant parents to characterize and contextualize their MPP behaviours. Narratives were organized into the first theme, MPP dimensions, including parental support (responsivity and autonomy granting), psychological control and behavioural control (directive control, proactive control and harsh punitive control). The second theme reflected that parents' perceptions of their own and offspring's well-being, family media literacy and co-parenting could elucidate the process of these participants' MPP practices. There was evidence for the consistency with universal parenting dimensions, but also for some unique MPP behaviours in the context of migration and remote communications. The findings indicate the importance and ecological complexity of MPP that involves technologies, multiple participants and their interplay. The conceptual framework originating from this study may be used in future studies and guide quantitative assessments of MPP.     

The social economy of excluded families

Families with material, social and cultural resources can be seen as triply advantaged, while those without are thrice disadvantaged. The authors contend that families' connectedness or exclusion from their communities, and the processes that marginalize or substantially exclude families from the benefits of the wider society, are among the most important dimensions for practice in the family services field. Using selected theory relating to individuals and families in society, this paper proposes a conceptual framework for understanding all families in their social economy, with special attention to families who experience material, social and cultural poverty. These families are vulnerable to becoming excluded families, not only propelled into a survival mode of living that evokes distinct skills and strengths in family members, but also has profound deleterious effects on both children and their parents. When child and family services encounter these excluded families, they need to respond with complex linked strategies at individual, family, network and policy levels.     

Intimate partner violence and preschool self-regulation: Examining the role of maternal emotion socialization in Black families

The ways that parents respond to children's negative emotions shape the development of self-regulation across early childhood. The objective of this study was to examine child self-regulation in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure in a sample of Black, economically marginalized mothers and their young children (aged 3–5 years, N = 99). The study investigates the conditional effects of emotion socialization practices that (1) encourage expression of and problem-solving around negative affect (“supportive”), and (2) encourage suppression of affective displays (“suppressive”) on children's self-regulation. We found a significant association between higher child self-regulation and supportive parental reactions in the context of psychological IPV. We also found a significant association between higher child self-regulation and suppressive parental reactions in the context of psychological IPV. Our findings are consistent with prior research suggesting Black parents who teach varied strategies for emotional expression may promote children's adaptation in high-stress family environments. Macrosystem factors such as systemic racism and discrimination as well as the threat of family violence may shape how parents approach emotion socialization and the teaching of affective self-expression and self-regulation.     

The effectiveness of selected interventions for previous maltreatment: enhancing the well-being of children who live at home

The authors critically assessed reviews of the literature published between 1984 and 2002 to describe the state‐of‐knowledge about the effectiveness of interventions aimed at protecting or improving the welfare of child victims of maltreatment and who remain in the family home. The interventions studied target children, parents or families. They chiefly involve cases of sexual abuse, physical abuse or neglect; very few concern psychological abuse or exposure to violence. For the most part, the intervention effectiveness indicators measure changes in parents’ and children's knowledge (e.g. better knowledge of child development), attitude (e.g. gains in enthusiasm), emotion (e.g. decreased anxiety) and behaviour (e.g. decreased rates of aversive behaviours). Few assessments follow up on participants to determine whether the changes are lasting. The small number of evaluative studies, methodological limitations and disparities in the content and the carrying out of interventions make it difficult to draw sound conclusions about the effectiveness of interventions, even for interventions most often and most favourably assessed, such as behavioural and cognitive‐behavioural interventions with maltreating parents. Implications for practice, research and policy are underlined.