Among the health disparities affecting the U.S. Hispanic population today are those relating to risky behaviors such as substance abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV/AIDS. However, few studies have examined how these conditions may impact this population. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the experiences that Hispanic women in South Florida have with regard to substance abuse, IPV and risks for HIV/AIDS, to describe how these conditions may be related, and to develop a model that can be used to guide research and interventions targeting this population. This dissertation uses data collected in Project DYVA (Drogas y Violencia en las Americas- Drugs and Violence in the Americas), a pilot research study that utilized both qualitative (Phase I) and quantitative (Phase II) research methods to describe the experiences of Hispanic women in South Florida between the ages of 18 and 60 with regard to substance abuse, violence and risky sexual behaviors. Three studies were conducted as part of this dissertation. The first study utilizes data collected during the qualitative phase of Project DYVA. During this phase eight focus groups were conducted and analyzed using qualitative content analysis (N = 81). The second and third studies utilize data collected during the second phase of Project DYVA. In this phase cross-sectional questionnaires collecting information regarding demographics, acculturation, self-esteem, depression, substance abuse, IPV and risks for HIV, were administered to 82 Hispanic women. Univariate and multivariate statistics were used to explore the relationships between substance abuse, IPV and risk for HIV (study 2) and between resource availability, IPV and depression (study 3). The findings from this dissertation suggest that substance abuse, IPV and risk for HIV are closely related intersecting health issues. IPV, the condition that emerged as the most salient of the three, also appears to be closely associated with resource availability (i.e., self-esteem and income) and depression. Additional individual, cultural, relationship and socio-environmental factors that may play a significant role in shaping the experiences that Hispanic women have with regards to these intersecting conditions were also identified and organized into a model.

This thesis centers the voices of eight queer participants and explores their lived experiences of partner abuse, for the purpose of theorizing about queer partner abuse in ways that challenge and confirm mainstream heteronormative ways of understanding relationship abuse. The research was carried out using a critical qualitative thematic approach, which allowed for rich descriptions to be provided by participants through conversational interviews. The eight participants involved in this research were from the BC lower mainland and varied in age, socio-economic status, ability, mental/emotional health, race, and gender identity. Three themes emerged during the literature review and were central to the analysis: (a) gender; (b) power; and (c) service delivery. The findings indicate that participants not only internalized gender identities, but also constructed their experiences of relationship violence through the available discourse, which is mainstreamed and gendered. The most significant finding in this research has been the extent to which homophobia and heterosexism affected each of the participants within their personal relationships and in relation to their social environment.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 146-154).

Thesis (M. A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Intimate partner violence among heterosexual couples seem to be on the rise with men as victims of female perpetrated violence. Recent research on this phenomenon indicates that partner violence against men is a social and health problem that is hidden and unspoken of in most societies. The current study was aimed at exploring men’s non-disclosure of intimate partner violence at Ga-Masemola, Sekhukhune District in Limpopo Province. Qualitative research methodology and exploratory research design were applied to successfully explore men’s non-disclosure of IPV. The target population of this study was heterosexual male victims of ages 18 and above. Non-probability sampling of blended convenience sampling and snowball sampling were employed. Data was collected using a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions and was analysed through thematic analysis of qualitative data. The results of the study have revealed that male victims of partner violence hide their situations. Determinants of non-disclosure were found to include men’s own personal feelings of fear to disclose, masculinity factors, societal expectations and cultural norms, which negatively affect men’s decisions to disclose. Help-seeking behaviour of male victims remains a huge challenge for most male victims. Due to fear of ridicule, disbelief and false accusations, abused men seem to lack courage to seek help. The shocking outcome is that most victims appear to lack knowledge of services available for them. The study recommends that public education, advocacy and appropriate gender-sensitive intervention programmes be implemented to overcome the effects of violence and to prevent further victimisation.

This feminist project explores the experiential accounts of twenty-five women who have lived through abuse within their intimate relationships. Their stories, gathered through a series of semi-structured face-to-face interviews intended to elicit accounts of resilience were saturated with emotion-talk, especially shame-talk. To address questions of the relationship between these accounts and theoretical accounts of abuse, and shame the women’s texts were engaged in an analytic dialogue with feminist knowledges of abuse against women, Erving Goffman’s sociological understandings of shame, stigma and mortification of the self, Thomas Scheff’s sociological theory of shame and social bonds, and feminist poststructuralist understandings around the constitution of human subjectivity. These conversations enabled development of a conceptual representation of the special and highly specific form of social bonding experienced by victims of abuse within intimate relationships. This bonding begins with processes of mortification of the self, the gradual erosion of a sense of self through the systematic imposition of various shaming and shameful actions. These processes take place within a specific social context created through the constitutive power of dominant discourses of gender, heterosexual coupledom, matrimony and motherhood which work to shape the lives of individual women. Because of the specific ways in which these discourses currently operate within Aotearoa New Zealand they result in the constitution of a narrow range of tightly prescribed subject positions available to victims of intimate partner abuse. This analysis leads to an argument that women’s inability to ‘do’ motherhood or intimate partnership in line with dominant discourses of mothering and relationships (because these simply cannot be achieved within an abusive context), opens them to the debilitating effects of shame. Shame, both actual and threatened, promotes silence, isolation and dangerous private spaces as women seek to protect themselves from its painful experience. I argue that it is therefore crucial to promote the availability of discursive positioning for women living through abuse which offers non-shaming and realistic choices.

In response to a dearth of empirical literature concerning the mechanisms underlying female same-sex intimate partner violence (FSSIPV) perpetration, the purpose of this research is to inform intimate partner violence intervention and prevention strategies specific to sexual minority women. The research responds in particular, this research aims to inform a working intersectional model predicting FSSIPV perpetration, and to evaluate the face validity and construct coverage of existing survey measures related to gender, minority stress, and violence. Fourteen lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer women recruited from the greater Portland, Oregon area participated in a series of in-depth, semi-structured, open-ended one-on-one and focus group interviews. Participant recruitment involved a combination of purposive and convenience sampling methods aided by the involvement of multiple community partners working in violence and education related fields. Interview and focus group questions addressed participants' experiences with gender role stress and minority stress. Grounded theory analysis of participants' narrative responses informed the coverage and relevance of constructs in a working intersectional model predicting women's use of violence in their same-gender intimate relationships. In particular, findings indicate that sexual minority women's experiences of gender role stress and minority stress, particularly in combination, were especially influential on their identities. Sexual minority women's experiences with minority stressors were not confined to minority stressors specific to their gender identities and sexual orientations, but intersected with minority stressors related to race and class as well. These findings support an intersectional and contextually-minded approach to IPV intervention and prevention strategies.

Uppsatsens syfte var att undersöka hur intervjudeltagare verksamma inom för studien relevanta organisationer och myndigheter resonerade angående barriärer för polisanmälan som kvinnor kan uppleva vid våld i nära relation. Vidare var syftet att diskutera hur intervjudeltagarna såg på sin roll att öka anmälningsbenägenheten genom att underlätta för kvinnorna att överkomma dessa barriärer. Teorin utgick från normalisering, victim blaming och sekundär viktimisering samt det ideala offret. Metoden som användes var kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer. Uppsatsens resultat visade att deltagarna var medvetna om dessa barriärer och att de hade utvecklat förhållningssätt och strategier för att bemöta dessa, exempelvis genom att avnormalisera våldet. Vidare konstaterades att även om ingen av intervjudeltagarna ansåg att bidra till ökad anmälningsbenägenhet var deras huvuduppgift kan deras bemötande av barriärerna indirekt öka denna. / The aim of the study was to examine how the interviewees from different organizations and authorities relevant to our study reasoned on the barriers women might experience when it comes to reporting intimate partner abuse to the police. The aim was also to examine how the interviewees viewed their role in increasing the propensity to report by encouraging the women to overcome these barriers. Our theory was based on the theories of the normalization process, victim blaming and secondary victimization and the ideal victim. The method used was qualitative, semi-structured interviews. The results showed that the interviewees were aware of these barriers and that they had developed different approaches and strategies to meet these barriers, for example by de-normalizing the violence. Another finding was that although none of the interviewees regarded increasing the women’s propensity to report as their first priority, their work in helping the women to overcome the barriers indirectly can contribute to increase the propensity to report to the police.

Background: Men's violence against women is a global public health problem and is the biggest threat to gender equality. The widespread public health problem has a high number of unrecorded cases that can be related to the women's ill health. The abused women are not always aware of their vulnerability or want to expose the situation. This becomes a challenge for nurses who needs to identify these women first before they can offer help. Nurses’ experiences and knowledge of violence in close relationships are important to be capable to contribute to not let the problem being normalized by the society or the women. Aim: The purpose of the study was to gain knowledge about the nurse's experiences of meeting women which are exposed to violence in close relationships. Method: A literature-based study with 10 qualitative articles and 1 mix-method. The analysis was designed according to Fribergs’s five step model. Results: The study resulted in two main themes: Nurse internal resources, Work environment as obstacles and opportunities. Four subthemes; Experiences in the encounter, Fear and frustration in the encounter, Work environment impact, Opportunities to competence. Conclusion: The nurses felt that the lack of knowledge about violence in close relationships affected the nurse’s responsibilities in the profession. The nurses felt insecure which affected how the abused women were treated in the encounter. The emotional impact was due to several factors as lack of support from co-workers and organizational guidelines. / Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning Syftet var att få kunskap om sjuksköterskors upplevelser i mötet med våldsutsatta kvinnor i nära relationer. Studien är baserad på resultatet från vetenskapliga artiklar varav 10 kvalitativa och 1 mixad metod som grundar sig på syftet att få en djupare kunskap om sjuksköterskans erfarenheter i mötet med våldsutsatta kvinnor. I resultatet framkom det att sjuksköterskor upplevde en osäkerhet över att ställa frågor om våld och hur ett avslöjande svar om våldsutsatthet skulle hanteras. Sjuksköterskor upplevde känslor av frustration för kvinnornas situation och en ensamhet i ansvaret. Det framkom att det var brist på riktlinjer, obefintliga rutiner på verksamheterna och brist på stöd från kollegor som utgjorde känslan av ensamhet och osäkerhet. Den känslomässiga påverkan utgjorde ett lidande för sjuksköterskan i arbetet och känslan av otillräcklighet orsakade stress. Sjuksköterskor ansåg att utbildning skulle stärka en trygghet i ansvarsfunktionen vid hantering av situationen. Dock visade resultatet att sjuksköterskans förhållningssätt var betydande i mötet trots en osäkerhet i hur situationen skulle hanteras. Slutsatsen från denna studie var att sjuksköterskor blev känslomässigt berörda av att möta våldsutsatta kvinnor och det påverkade arbetsfunktionen. Det framkom också att det fanns behov av utbildning och rutiner på arbetsplatserna. Kunskap om mäns våld mot kvinnor bör belysas mer i samhället för att medvetandegöra utsatta kvinnor om deras rättigheter. Mäns våld mot kvinnor är ett av världens största folkhälsoproblem och ett hot mot kvinnans rättigheter med ett högt mörkertal. Våldet förekommer i olika former så som fysisk, psykisk- och sexuellt. Kvinnor som lever under våldet kan uppleva att våldet är normalt och en del av vardagen. När kvinnor söker sig till hälso- och sjukvården är det oftast för fysisk- och/eller psykisk ohälsa men som de inte själva alltid förknippar med symtomen till våldet. Vilket gör att våldets konsekvenser kan maskeras bakom psykosomatiska symtom. Sjuksköterskor är oftast den första yrkesprofessionerna kvinnorna möter, detta är då av stor vikt att sjuksköterskor har kompetens för att kunna se tecken, fånga upp och hantera situationen.

Vård av kvinnor utsatta för våld i nära relationer är en komplex och krävande del av sjuksköterskors arbete. Våldet är vanligen förenat med fysiska, psykiska såväl som sociala utmaningar och kräver kunskapsbaserad vård. Trots ökad medvetenhet om våld i nära relation finns det fortsatta brister i förståelsen av sjuksköterskors upplevelser och hantering av vården på våldsutsatta kvinnor. Syftet är att belysa sjuksköterskors upplevelser av att vårda kvinnor utsatta för våld i nära relation inom somatisk vård. Genom att få insikt i deras perspektiv kan eventuella brister i vården identifieras och förbättringar föreslås för att öka effektiviteten och stödet för både sjuksköterskor och patienter. En integrerad sammanställning av kvalitativ forskning inspirerad av metasyntes utfördes. Genom att systematiskt granska och syntetisera befintliga kvalitativa forskningsstudier kring sjuksköterskors upplevelser av att vårda kvinnor utsatta för våld i nära relationer, identifierades olika teman. Sjuksköterskor beskrev svårigheter att vårda dessa kvinnor och betonade utmaningarna med att identifiera och stödja dessa patienter. Det framgick även hur arbetet kan innebära en känslomässig påverkan på sjuksköterskan. Resultaten sammanställdes och visade på behovet av ökad utbildning och bättre samarbete mellan olika vårdinstanser. Denna metod möjliggjorde en djupare förståelse för sjuksköterskors upplevelser genom en sammanvägning av flera studiers resultat. Litteraturstudien betonar behovet av stöd och förbättringar i utbildning och samarbete mellan vårdgivare för att bättre tillgodose behoven hos sjuksköterskor såväl som för våldsutsatta kvinnor. / The care of women exposed to intimate partner violence is a complex and demanding aspect of nurses' work. Violence is often associated with physical, psychological, and social challenges, requiring knowledge-based care. Despite increased awareness of intimate partner violence, there are continued gaps in understanding nurses' experiences and management of care for abused women. The aim is to highlight nurses' experiences in caring for women exposed to intimate partner violence within somatic healthcare. By gaining insight into their perspectives, any deficiencies in care can be identified, and improvements suggested to enhance effectiveness and support for both nurses and patients. An integrated compilation of qualitative research inspired by metasynthesis was conducted. By systematically reviewing and synthesizing existing qualitative research studies on nurses' experiences in caring for women exposed to intimate partner violence, different themes were identified. Nurses described difficulties in caring for these women and emphasized the challenges in identifying and supporting these patients. It also emerged how the work could have an emotional impact on the nurse. The results were compiled, indicating the need for increased education and better collaboration between different healthcare entities to enhance care. This method allowed a deeper understanding of nurses' experiences by combining results from several studies. The literature-based study emphasizes the need for support and improvements in education and collaboration among healthcare providers to better meet the needs of both nurses and abused women.

This exploratory study investigates how racialized immigrant women experience and respond to intimate partner abuse (IPA). The American and European models of intersectionality theory are used to highlight structural constraints and agentic responses as experienced and enacted by racialized immigrant women. Eight women described their experiences through semi-structured interviews, revealing an array of both defensive and pro-active types of strategies aimed at short- and long-term outcomes. Responses included aversion, negative reinforcement or coping strategies like prayer or self-coaching, and accordingly varied by the constraints under which the women lived as newcomers to Canada. Policy recommendations promote acknowledgement of women’s decision-making abilities and provide a model in which women can choose from a selection of options in how to respond, rather than strictly interventionist models. Study results can help to challenge stereotypes of abused women as passive victims, and empower the image of immigrant women as active knowers of their circumstances.