Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas at Arlington, 2008.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Supervisor: Allen Rubin. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available from UMI.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003. / Prepared for: Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-75). Also available online via the Internet.

Thesis (M. Nurs.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-95).

Not available / text

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Family violence is a tragedy in any community. The pastoral image of a quiet home in "Mayberry" is shattered by the reality of family violence. The literature reveals that family violence is a social health issue in rural communities, however it does not provide sufficient insight into the influential contextual factors. The goal of this research was to conduct an ethnography into relevant contextual factors in rural family violence to provide researchers with information on which to base decisions, develop effective programs and interventions, and influence policy. The purpose was to better understand this social health issue within the context of a rural community and to identify influential contextual factors useful in developing a praxis theory for addressing health issues in rural communities.Specific aims were: 1) to learn from rural residents how rural context affects family and community health; 2) to deepen understanding of family violence related to rurality; and 3) to propose a theoretical model of family violence for eventual practical use in informing, assessing, and intervening with a community.Methodology: Within a paradigm of social constructivism, interviews and focus groups provided data for this ethnographic study and a scholarly description of family violence in a rural community in southeastern Arizona.Findings: An iterative process of data analysis yielded five organizing themes and an emerging praxis theory. The organizing themes were substance abuse; lack of resources; lack of understanding and awareness of family violence; family and values; and strong sense of community. The emerging theory indicates it is necessary to consider the context, physical environment, and significant relationships of a person when developing and implementing a plan of care to achieve optimal outcomes.Conclusion: A constructionist view that undergirds ethnographic methodology allows for the voice of the community to express the local realities. The juxtaposition of knowledge of nursing and this constructionist view generates meaningful descriptions and understandings of the health problem of family violence. This new knowledge can be used to work with the community to identify intervention strategies. The issues of family violence are inseparably intertwined within a community, so are the solutions.

Up until the 1980s, the police often reluctantly intervened in domestic disputes. However, from the mid 1980s onwards, the introduction of pro-arrest family violence policies throughout the U.S., the U.K., and New Zealand, signalled a significant shift in police practices. It was hoped that the adoption of these policies would help improve the police response to family violence, and it was anticipated that police behaviour would consequently change. Unfortunately, the implementation of these policies has been fraught with difficulties, and they have often not translated easily into practice, or resulted in the intended changes. The current study, which was conducted in Christchurch in 2004, sought to understand how a pro-arrest policy was implemented at the local level. Drawing on a symbolic interactionist approach, and utilising Lipksy's (1980) street-level bureaucracy theory, this research focuses on a number of issues, including the application of the pro-arrest policy at the street-level, and its associated problems, and the legitimate/illegitimate exercise of discretion. This study has found evidence of significant practical problems with the implementation of the pro-arrest policy, which are similar to those that have been reported overseas.

<p>The problem of abusive relationships has attracted national attention in South Africa. Historically South Africa has a strongly entrenched patriarchal system, which gives men proprietary rights over women. Traditional and cultural values as means of resolving conflict are critical in shaping and perpetuating violence of men toward women. A woman&rsquo / s social status is believed to be derived by her relative position to a man that is as daughter, wife, girlfriend or mother of his children. One solution to ending the abuse and leading violence free lives would be to leave the relationship. While this is a possible solution it should be noted that in order for women to leave it requires enormous restructuring of material, physical and social relations. A qualitative feminist research methodology was used with a convenience sample of 8 women who agreed to participate in the study. In depth interviews were conducted with the participants to explore the perceptions and experiences of Xhosa women in abusive relationships. The participants resided in Khayelitsha, Phillipi and Langa. The interviews lasted from 30 minutes to 45 minutes, were audio taped and transcribed. In view of the qualitative nature of the study, the researcher employed thematic analysis. Women mentioned their experiences of abuse and discussed their help seeking strategies. A number of themes that emerged from the study suggested clearly women&rsquo / s perceptions and experiences to remain in their abusive relationships. These themes relate to commitment, staying because of children, cultural beliefs (lobola), economic dependence and lack of social support. It also emerged from the discussions with women that the emotional and structural support that these women received from the NGO played a huge role. The most important finding from the study was that change occurred as a result of abuse.</p>

Data from a prospective, longitudinal study of a birth cohort of over 1000 New Zealanders was used to examine the relationships between the level of childhood physical abuse a young person is exposed to during childhood (birth to 16 years), and a range of later parenting outcomes in young adulthood. To address this issue, three questions were considered. First, the study examined risk factors that contribute to an early transition to parenthood. Second, this study investigated the current family circumstances of contemporary young parents and their families. And finally, the association between childhood physical abuse and later parenting outcomes was examined. All members of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) who had become parents by age 25 (112 women and 55 men) were included in the study. To be eligible for inclusion cohort members had to be either biological parents or actively involved in the parenting of non-biological children on a regular basis. Exposure to childhood physical abuse (CPA) was measured at ages 18 and 21 based on cohort member's retrospective reports. At age 25, a parenting interview was conducted which included the following measures of parenting: the Conflict-Tactics Scale (CTS-PC; Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore, & Runyan, 1998), Dunn scales of positivity and negativity (Dunn, Deater-Deckard, Pickering, & Golding, 1999), the Parenting Practices Questionnaire (PPQ; Robinson, Mandleco, Olsen, & Hart, 1995), HOME ratings of responsivity and avoidance of punishment (Caldwell & Bradley, 1979), and interviewer ratings of parental warmth, sensitivity, and child management (Quinton, Rutter, & Liddle, 1984). Findings showed that parents who experienced higher levels of punishment whilst growing up were more negative and less positive towards their own children, were more accepting of the use of physical discipline, and scored lower on warmth, sensitivity and child management compared to those with lower levels of exposure to childhood physical abuse. These findings contribute to our understanding of the effects of childhood physical abuse on later parenting outcomes.