This research looks into the ways society, the media, and the criminal justice system influence the sexual values of individuals in the United States. These separate, yet interdependent, institutions have profound impacts on the attitudes individuals have towards sexual violence. The research explores the ways we are consciously and subconsciously consumers of messages that influence how we view a myriad of issues related to sexual expression. Additionally, this research highlights how various factors contribute to the rape culture prevalent in contemporary American society. Specifically, the research explores theories rooted in the psychopathology model and argues that while some perpetrators of sexual violence are mentally ill, this model and the treatment model which are often applied by society may inadvertently provide perpetrators of sexual violence a scapegoat. Additionally, the nature of the biological theory, often referred to as the “impulse” model, is another way American society permits perpetrators of sexual violence to blame their behavior on evolution and genetic predispositions (Levay & Baldwin, 2012). Also discussed is the advancements in technology and the media’s methods of portraying sexual violence in the news and how it profoundly impacts the sexual values of Americans (Waechter & Ma, 2015). In summation, this review of the literature, will investigate how the values of sexual violence also impacts the criminal justice system, the results of sexual violence trials, and how victims are treated in the system (Moylan, 2017). The impact of sexual violence does not just affect the survivors themselves. However, there are few studies on the impact of sexual violence on secondary victims, such as family members. The majority of the literature focuses on how to help the survivor through abuse, without attention to how family members work through their own trauma. There is literature that states, following the sexual assault of a family or loved one, family and friends often experience considerable emotional distress and physical and psychological symptoms that can disrupt their lifestyles and family structures (Cwik, 1996). Responses of family members to the assault, including shock, helplessness, rage and so on, which can "parallel the affective responses of the victim" in the acute post-traumatic period (Silverman, 1978, p. 169). Undoubtedly, the impact of sexual violence is significant for the entire family, and the experience of each survivor will vary.

Defines State Hope Scale.

This study sought to examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and intimate partner violence in adult committed, monogamous, same sex female relationships. Participants included lesbian or queer cisgender women, age 18 or over, who were in a current committed relationship of at least six months. Partnerships with local and national lesbian advocacy groups allowed electronic access to participants. A total of 87 participants completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire and the Abusive Behaviors Inventory. All participants were anonymous. The three examined variables included emotional/psychological abuse, sexual abuse, and physical abuse. These variables were entered into the Software Program for Statistical Analysis (SPSS) using correlational matrices, hierarchical regression, and one-way ANOVA analyses. Results from the data analysis will provide insight into the relationship of each variable on the presence of intimate partner violence in adult committed, monogamous, lesbian or queer cisgender relationships.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem that affects approximately 2.4 million individuals in the United States each year. Race, age, gender, and household income are established correlates of criminal victimization and diverge across various victimization experiences for these individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between IPV victimization and the demographic variables of race, age, gender, and household income using race, class, and gender theory as a framework. Logistic regression analyses on data from 3,492 adult male and 3,637 adult female IPV victims obtained from the 2013 National Crime Victimization Survey showed that race was not significantly associated with IPV, while age, gender, and household income were significantly associated. Respondents 65 years or older reported less victimization and men were 2.09 times at lower odds to experience IPV than women. Respondents in the household income category of less than $7,500 were 1.62 times at higher odds to experience IPV than were those in the $75,000 or greater income category. Positive social change could result from an increased awareness of circumstances related to IPV victimization so public health practitioners can work to reduce its incidence impacting individuals, families, and communities.

Seven professionals who worked with men sentenced for intimate partner violence in a psychosocial intervention project in Valencia were interviewed about motivational interviews. Motivational interviews can increase these clients' assumption of responsibility and motivation. The purpose of this study was to seek knowledge about the function of motivational interviews in an intervention with offenders. The method for the study was qualitative using a semi-structured interview. An inductive thematic analysis was used to code and analyze data. The analysis resulted in four themes: 1. Assume responsibility, 2. Motivation - a reason to change and to set a goal, 3. Strategies to motivate and 4. A bond. The respondents described the motivational interviews of use to bond with clients, to resolve their resistance and to deal with difficult feelings towards the clients. As professionals they considered that motivated clients had found a personal reason to change and had formulated a relevant goal. / Programa Contexto University of Valencia

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) affects approximately one in four women every year in the United States (Black et al., 2011). As a result, determining the potential implications IPV has on the victims requires extensive research and education. The manner in which a victim is responded to by others following abuse may have important implications for their adjustment following IPV. Identifying factors that contribute to the quality of responses towards victims of violence can help to inform future intervention and prevention programs; assist in decreasing mental health problems, and reduce the incidence rates of IPV. The purpose of the present study was to examine dating violence myths and victim blaming depending on severity of violence among male and female college students. A sample of 927 male (n = 222) and female (n = 705) psychology undergraduate college students were randomly assigned to receive one of four hypothetical vignettes depicting varying levels of dating violence (i.e., yelling, punching a hole in the wall, shoving, and physical assault). Respondents completed measures of perceived severity of violence presented in the vignette, victim blame, and adherence to domestic violence myths. Gender had a significant effect on severity of violence depicted in the least severe condition F(1,246) = 5.03, p = .03. Additionally, gender had a significant effect on blaming tendencies in the least severe condition F(1,238) = 9.98, p = .02. However, gender did not have a significant effect endorsement of dating violence myths a. Study findings’ implications, limitations and future directions will be discussed.

This study utilizes a cross-sectional quantitative study design that explores the perceptions of preparedness of advanced year Master of Social Work (MSW) students, regarding intimate partner violence (IPV) clients. Currently, there may be gaps in regards to adequately preparing students for serving intimate partner violence clients. This is an exploratory study and data is collected using self-report surveys, which include questions on: demographics, perceptions of preparedness, and education/training received on IPV. This study seeks to identify a correlation between the education/training that MSW students receive on IPV, and their levels of preparedness for serving IPV clients. This study hopes to gain a better understanding on which factors affect MSW students’ feelings of preparedness for serving IPV clients. The results indicated that perceptions of preparedness are associated with field training, field placement, age and gender. There was a positive relationship between field training and feelings that field placement prepared students for serving IPV clients, and a positive relationship between field training and feelings of having sufficient knowledge in IPV. There was a positive relationship between age and feelings of having sufficient knowledge of IPV, and a negative relationship between age and feelings of needing more knowledge. Finally, there was a negative relationship between being a woman and feelings of preparedness for making appropriate IPV referrals. Findings will be used as a way to recommend future education/training implementation on graduate-level coursework, in order to better prepare students for serving this client population.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) as it stands today still exists in many violent cases involving intimate relationships. Intervention programs seek to address this issue, however, fails to meet their intended outcomes to reduce prevalence rates of IPV. The research study evaluated the use of a prevention program and measures its effectiveness among high school students. This study sought to explain IPV prevention programs, making it explanatory and necessitates a quantitative research design. This study used secondary data analysis to assess effectiveness of this particular prevention program. Data was collected from 130 high school students within the Inland Empire who completed pre-surveys and post-surveys. Through data analysis, the study found the prevention program was effective by increasing the high school students’ knowledge about local resources for those experiencing IPV, specifically where to go for help. Another key finding revealed a majority of the participants were able to correctly define types of relationships and communication styles. However, the prevention program does not necessarily assess for participants’ knowledge on how to address conflict in a healthy manner, as measured by questions asked within the pre-surveys and post-surveys. This is not to say this particular prevention program was not effective in some areas. Still, there is room for improvement as far as future research; collaboration with seasoned researchers, school administrators, and social workers; and policy recommendations on this topic of school-based IPV prevention programs.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent and destructive social problem affecting millions of people around the world. Although partner violence has been widely examined among women, few studies have focused on women in the role of perpetrator. The purpose of this investigation was to identify the underlying mechanisms of IPV perpetration among college women. Specifically, we investigated the relationship among attachment insecurity (i.e., anxious and avoidant), emotion regulation (ER) strategies (i.e., expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal), and IPV among a sample of college women. Participants (N = 177) were recruited from a Southern California university and completed measures of adult attachment, ER strategies, and incidences of IPV. Results revealed significant positive associations among attachment insecurity, the ER strategy expressive suppression, and IPV perpetration. Furthermore, results of a mediation analysis demonstrated the relationship between insecure attachment and IPV perpetration was mediated by expressive suppression. Results from this investigation further our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of female-perpetrated IPV and have significant implications for therapeutic and intervention efforts for women who perpetrate partner violence.

While extensive research has been conducted on the causes of intimate partner violence in the community, very little is known about rates and predictors of domestic violence perpetrated by offenders who have recently been incarcerated. Some evidence suggests that formerly incarcerated individuals may be at an increased risk to perpetrate intimate partner violence during the transition from prison to the community (e.g., Hairston & Oliver 2006; Hilton, Harris, Popham, & Lang, 2010; Oliver & Hairston, 2008). The primary goal of this dissertation was to examine the extent to which former inmates engage in domestic violence during the transition from prison to the community. A second goal of this dissertation was to determine the independent and interactive effects of selected individual, situational, and social-structural factors on post-prison domestic violence. The current dissertation project involved a retrospective study of data collected from n = 1,137 formerly-incarcerated male offenders who were released from state prison between 2004 and 2009. Data regarding individual-level factors of borderline and antisocial personality characteristics and exposure to family-of-origin violence were extracted from institutional records. Additional individual-level demographic characteristics including offenders' age, ethnicity, education need, marital status, number of children, crime of conviction, length of incarceration, and participation in correctional rehabilitation programs extracted from institutional records were also considered. The situational-level factor of offenders' employment after prison release was also collected from institutional records; and the social-structural factor of neighborhood disadvantage was collected from information available in offenders' community supervision records and Census tract-level data. The outcome measure of post-prison domestic violence was gathered from local law enforcement records. Data were entered into statistical models to predict post-prison domestic violence. Main effects on post-prison domestic violence were examined for each of the individual-level demographic characteristics, borderline and antisocial personality features, exposure to family-of-origin violence, employment, and neighborhood disadvantage. Interactive effects on post-prison domestic violence were examined between borderline and antisocial personality characteristics, exposure to family-of-origin violence, employment, and neighborhood disadvantage. Significant predicted main effects on post-prison domestic violence included age, ethnicity, education need, number of children, violent criminal history, attendance of substance abuse treatment in prison, witnessing interparental violence as a child, and neighborhood disadvantage. Significant predicted interaction effects on post-prison domestic violence included the interaction between physical abuse as a child and neighborhood disadvantage. Implications for policies regarding post-prison supervision sentencing, housing, and the advancement of programming to prevent intimate partner violence during the transition from prison to the community are discussed. Contributions to the literature on intimate partner violence, environmental transition theory, and ecological theoretical frameworks are also addressed.