Thesis advisor: Karen Kayser / Abstract As there is an increasing awareness of the occurrence of domestic violence among South Asian immigrants, a need for cultural-sensitive interventions and community education are necessary to break the silence of victims. In order for us to begin the process of breaking the silence, there is need for a paradigm shift that can more accurately capture the experience of South Asian immigrant victims. This paradigm shift requires us to move away from blaming culture for the violence but to look at socialization, acculturation processes and mutuality in relationships as factors that may lead to increased acceptance of abusive tactics in marital conflicts. Using a sample of predominately first generation South Asian immigrants (N= 50), in the United States, the present study investigates the perception of acceptance of a husband's use of abusive conflict tactics to manage marital conflicts. Approximately half of the sample completed online surveys measuring South Asian immigrants' perception of acceptance of marital conflicts and the rest completed a paper survey. Through various statistical analyses such as regression, one-sample t-tests and chi-square, South Asian immigrants demonstrated higher levels of acceptance when it was perceived that the wife violated a social norm and when they perceived the wife as less educated. In addition, South Asian male immigrants who perceived that their own wives were not meeting their needs were more likely to rate the abusive tactics of the husband in the Abusive Conflict Tactics Perception Scale (ACPTS) as acceptable. The findings have implications for domestic violence advocates who are seeking to educate the community on domestic violence by challenging the misperceptions that abuse in marital relations is a direct result of cultural norms rather than socialization that can transcend culture. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

The central themes of the thesis are the limits of democracy, the qualities that distinguish it from other political regimes, the criteria necessary for its existence, and the character of the regimes that arise if one or more of these criteria are not met. The first part of the thesis presents fundamental concepts and theories that deal with these questions, the goal of the second part is to apply these theoretical considerations to a particular case, namely Hungary. The first part focuses primarily on the definition of democracy and non-democracy, on the functioning and characteristics of regimes in the "grey area" between democracy and authoritarianism, on the definitions of relevant terms and on the ways in which various theories of democracy, authoritarianism and hybrid regimes approach these concepts and definitions. The first chapter presents the theories of democracy that are relevant to the discussion about hybrid regimes: the minimalist concept, the procedural minimum and the extended procedural minimum. The second chapter focuses on the definition of the opposite of democracy, the third chapter presents a cognitive-linguistic approach to the links between democracy and authoritarianism. The last two chapters of the first part offer a brief overview of the theories of hybrid regimes and...

O tema desenvolvido guarda pertinência com a denúncia unilateral do contrato, a qual só deve produzir efeitos depois de transcorrido prazo compatível com eventuais investimentos consideráveis realizados pela contraparte, a teor do art. 473, par. ún., do Código Civil. Sendo assim, a pesquisa foi iniciada com premissas teóricas atinentes à liberdade contratual e suas vicissitudes em distintos momentos históricos. Esclarecido que a liberdade contratual deve ser sopesada com a intervenção Estatal para otimizar o desenvolvimento econômico e o bem-estar social, o trabalho demonstra, inicialmente, a coerência da mencionada norma em meio ao paradigma contemporâneo dominante. Em seguida, foram apresentadas reflexões para explicar a finalidade da inserção do dispositivo legal no ordenamento positivo. Com intuito de vedar o abuso de poder econômico, a norma foi introduzida especificamente para coibir o exercício abusivo do direito de resilição. Sendo este o escopo da norma, a primeira parte do trabalho ofereceu subsídios para justificar porque cabe ao juiz impor a prorrogação contratual, quando o denunciante não respeitar prazos compatíveis com os investimentos empreendidos pela outra parte. Já quanto à segunda parte, foram lançadas elucubrações sobre os distintos aspectos das relações contratuais duradouras. Nesse ponto, foram apontadas importantes contribuições doutrinárias a respeito da influência do aspecto temporal sobre as relações contínuas e, ainda, perspectivas da análise econômica do direito, além da abordagem relacional do contrato. Restando elucidado que a prorrogação do contrato pode (e deve) ser imposta pelo intérprete, na última e terceira parte deste trabalho, é proposta uma interpretação sistemática e axiológica da norma do art. 473, par. ún., do Código Civil. / The subject developed concerns the unilateral termination of the contract, which shall only take effect after certain length compatible with sizeable investments made by the counterparty, as set forth in Article 473, sole paragraph, of the Civil Code. Therefore, the research began with theoretical premises regarding the contractual freedom and its variations in different historical moments. Once clarified that the contractual freedom must be counterbalanced by governmental intervention in order to optimize economic development and social well-being, the study initially demonstrates the consistency of the aforesaid rule in the midst of the currently reigning paradigm. In addition, some reflections were presented to explain the purpose of the insertion of the provision in the written body of laws. Seeking to prevent the abuse of economic power, the ruling was created specifically to diminish abusive use of the right to terminate. Given the scope of the provision, the first part of the paper sustained why should the judge extent the length of the notice when the terminating party fails to comply with a compatible term taken into account the investments carried out by the other party. As for the second part, there are musings about different aspects of long-term contracts. Important contributions from legal doctrine were pointed out concerning the influence of time on long-term relationships, and furthermore on perspectives of the economic analysis of Law, besides the relational approach to the contract. As it becomes plain that the extension of a contract may be, or rather ought to be, imposed by the judge, on the third and last part of the dissertation, it is proposed a systematic and axiological interpretation of the ruling set forth by Article 473, sole paragraph, of the Civil Code.

The abused-abuser hypothesis posits that a history of sexual victimization may increase the risk of engaging in sexually abusive behavior for some victims. Although many researchers have discovered a higher prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in sex offenders in comparison with non-sex offenders, less research has considered how specific characteristics of prior sexual abuse may contribute to how these individuals sexually abuse others. For the present study, archival data were collected from 243 youths receiving residential treatment for sexually abusive behavior and self-reported data were collected from university students with no known history of sexual offending. The present study confirms disproportionally high rates of CSA in the sample of sexually abusive youth, compared to non-sexual abusers. Further, among the sample of sexually abusive youth, we examined the effects of sexual perpetrator characteristics and age of sexual victimization on victim choice, age at first sexual offense, and number of sexual offenses, number of arrests, and sexual victims. Results revealed associations between perpetrator characteristics and victim choice. Additionally, being sexually victimized by a male or a relative was significantly associated with a younger age of onset of sexually abusive behavior and a younger age of sexual victimization suggested a greater number of sexual victims. Implications and future directions will be explored.

Child maltreatment and household dysfunction have long been linked to delinquency, adult criminality, and sexual offending. However, the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), factors related to out-of-home placement, and the onset of maladaptive behaviors has not thoroughly been explored in adolescents who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior. In the present study, we examined archival records of 120 male youths who have received treatment for sexually abusive behavior. As expected, the male adolescents in this sample have experienced higher rates of ACEs than samples of adult males in the community, adult males who committed sexual offenses, and juvenile justice–involved males as reported in the literature. Discrete-time survival analyses yielded increased risks of onset of aggression and sexually abusive behavior during early childhood and mid-to-late childhood, with significant associations between higher ACE scores and a greater number of out-ofhome placements. Implications and future directions are discussed.

A family violence prevention program for incarcerated male offenders was evaluated. One hundred and one (101) offenders incarcerated in minimum and medium security facilities participated in a high intensity family violence prevention program offered by Correctional Services of Canada. Thirteen psychological, attitudinal, and behavioural measures were administered to the offenders. The measures were administered either pre-treatment only, pre-and post-treatment, or post-treatment only. Five measures were self-report measures completed by offenders, and eight were administered and scored by qualified corrections personnel. The offenders showed a number of positive pre- to post-treatment changes. Following treatment, offenders reported that they were less likely to rationalize their abusive behaviour or believe that being a man grants one special privileges and entitlements over women. Offenders were less likely to support the use of power and control tactics over women or to endorse an assortment of myths that can foster inequality and abuse. Following treatment, offenders were judged to have shown an improvement in their willingness to sympathize with their partner as well as an improvement in their conflict-resolution skills. Offenders were also judged to show substantial pre- to post-treatment improvements in their compliance with, and response to, treatment, as well as demonstrating an improved ability to apply the knowledge and skills learned from treatment. The Statistical Information on Recidivism (SIR) Scale failed to demonstrate concurrent and predictive validity on a sub-sample of these domestic violent offenders.

This thesis examines the experiences and perceptions that Aboriginal and white women have about abusive relationships and about the police responses to these situations. Differences and similarities between these two groups of women will further highlight the need for resources and policing which are sensitive to the different needs of both groups. Assessments of the cultural differences between Aboriginal and white inner city women are particularly important as women seek to develop more and better alternatives to living in abusive relationships.<p>Theoretically, an examination of gender oppression through patriarchy and its effect on male violence towards women is provided. Understanding the influence of patriarchal social relations on the subordination of women in society is helpful in explaining the similarities in perceptions and experiences of male violence between Aboriginal and white inner city women. The subculture of violence theory is also examined and is used to help understand the differences in perceptions and experiences of these two groups of women. The argument is made that Aboriginal women have qualitatively different perceptions of both battery and the police response to their calls of battery due to the historical legacy of colonization of Aboriginal people in Canada.<p>The data were gathered via a questionnaire and in-person interviews which asked women respondents a wide variety of questions pertaining to their perceptions and experiences with battery, and any police involvement. The questionnaires obtained background information about respondents, responses to a 5 point Likert scale of attitudinal statements pertaining to battery and policing, and responses to specific questions which requested written responses. <p>Analysis of the quantitative data involved descriptive presentation examining relationships between the independent variable ethnic background and dependent variables, as indicated by the 25 questionnaire items, using bivariate distributions. The qualitative data were thematically coded and examined.<p>Importantly, the study revealed that there are significant differences between the perceptions of Aboriginal and white inner-city women. Aboriginal women were found to much more tolerant of abuse from their male partners, and were less likely to call the police in a time of crisis. It was also found that many Aboriginal women had very negative experiences with the police which further disadvantaged them when dealing with battery situations.

A family violence prevention program for incarcerated male offenders was evaluated. One hundred and one (101) offenders incarcerated in minimum and medium security facilities participated in a high intensity family violence prevention program offered by Correctional Services of Canada. Thirteen psychological, attitudinal, and behavioural measures were administered to the offenders. The measures were administered either pre-treatment only, pre-and post-treatment, or post-treatment only. Five measures were self-report measures completed by offenders, and eight were administered and scored by qualified corrections personnel. The offenders showed a number of positive pre- to post-treatment changes. Following treatment, offenders reported that they were less likely to rationalize their abusive behaviour or believe that being a man grants one special privileges and entitlements over women. Offenders were less likely to support the use of power and control tactics over women or to endorse an assortment of myths that can foster inequality and abuse. Following treatment, offenders were judged to have shown an improvement in their willingness to sympathize with their partner as well as an improvement in their conflict-resolution skills. Offenders were also judged to show substantial pre- to post-treatment improvements in their compliance with, and response to, treatment, as well as demonstrating an improved ability to apply the knowledge and skills learned from treatment. The Statistical Information on Recidivism (SIR) Scale failed to demonstrate concurrent and predictive validity on a sub-sample of these domestic violent offenders.

This research examined the effect of social class on the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace deviance. Within the social class literature we found conflicting theoretical arguments regarding the effect that social class would have on responses to abuse. To address this discordance we examined the effect of social class on responses to abusive supervision in four samples using multiple methods. Results confirmed that social class moderates the association between abusive supervision and workplace deviance. Specifically, the effect of abusive supervision on workplace deviance was stronger for higher social classes. In our laboratory research, the use of an abusive supervision prime and a subjective social class manipulation provided preliminary evidence for this effect. Our multi-wave field research provided evidence that these findings extend to actual employee behavior (i.e., interpersonal and organizational deviance). Implications for the abusive supervision literature are discussed.

This thesis examines the experiences and perceptions that Aboriginal and white women have about abusive relationships and about the police responses to these situations. Differences and similarities between these two groups of women will further highlight the need for resources and policing which are sensitive to the different needs of both groups. Assessments of the cultural differences between Aboriginal and white inner city women are particularly important as women seek to develop more and better alternatives to living in abusive relationships.<p>Theoretically, an examination of gender oppression through patriarchy and its effect on male violence towards women is provided. Understanding the influence of patriarchal social relations on the subordination of women in society is helpful in explaining the similarities in perceptions and experiences of male violence between Aboriginal and white inner city women. The subculture of violence theory is also examined and is used to help understand the differences in perceptions and experiences of these two groups of women. The argument is made that Aboriginal women have qualitatively different perceptions of both battery and the police response to their calls of battery due to the historical legacy of colonization of Aboriginal people in Canada.<p>The data were gathered via a questionnaire and in-person interviews which asked women respondents a wide variety of questions pertaining to their perceptions and experiences with battery, and any police involvement. The questionnaires obtained background information about respondents, responses to a 5 point Likert scale of attitudinal statements pertaining to battery and policing, and responses to specific questions which requested written responses. <p>Analysis of the quantitative data involved descriptive presentation examining relationships between the independent variable ethnic background and dependent variables, as indicated by the 25 questionnaire items, using bivariate distributions. The qualitative data were thematically coded and examined.<p>Importantly, the study revealed that there are significant differences between the perceptions of Aboriginal and white inner-city women. Aboriginal women were found to much more tolerant of abuse from their male partners, and were less likely to call the police in a time of crisis. It was also found that many Aboriginal women had very negative experiences with the police which further disadvantaged them when dealing with battery situations.