Against the background of a history of apartheid and colonialism, high levels of unemployment, an established tradition of hegemonic masculinity, pervasive violence, especially gender-based violence, as well as some of the highest levels of inequality in the world, this mini-dissertation focuses on the accounts of a cross-class selection of African women who live in South Africa and who self-identify as being in a relationship with an abusive intimate partner. It is based on eight in depth interviews with women, many of whom are immigrants or migrants from elsewhere on the continent, and all of whom are either married or in long-term relationships with their partners and have children. The study focused on the factors that impacted on their decision to stay on in the abusive relationship as well as on their internal thoughts and how these illuminate their decision to stay. In particular, the study explores how to make sense of the notion of 'agency' when considering women who stay on in an abusive relationship, and draws on the work of Margaret Archer on reflexivity and internal thoughts, as distinct from and in addition to a Bourdieusian focus on habitus and a structural analysis of the social context in which the abuse takes place and of factors that impede participants’ ability to leave the abusive relationship. The study identifies the key factors women cite as playing a role in their decision to stay, namely fear of violence; a concern with providing a 'home' for children; cultural considerations and family pressures; and structural factors (finance, migration status, employment status and a lack of adequate support structures). In addition, one of the major contributions of this study is its focus on the participants' self-described internal thought processes to consider to what extent these processes could be described as demonstrative of or enabling 'agency' in difficult circumstances. / Mini-dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / tm2015 / Sociology / MSocSci / Unrestricted

Intimate partner violence (IPV), defined as psychological, physical, or sexual abuse within a current or former romantic relationship, has significant consequences for the health and well-being of men and women. Although there has been substantial research on IPV, much of the research has focused on risk and protective factors, and intervention activities for victims. A small body of research on perpetrators suggests the etiology of IPV perpetration is complex and multifactorial, but the dearth of research on perpetrators has resulted in a limited number of effective interventions for perpetrators of IPV. This dissertation contributes to the limited understanding of factors, especially modifiable risk and protective factors, associated with IPV perpetration, as informed by the Catalyst Model of Aggression and the IPV Contextual Framework. Improved understanding of modifiable risk and protective factors for IPV perpetration may inform the development of more effective intervention and prevention efforts. Using the nationally-representative sample collected in The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the dissertation examined factors associated with IPV perpetration, including static antecedents (factors that remain stable over time), distal antecedents (factors that occur prior to the time of perpetration) and proximal antecedents (factors that occur near the time of perpetration), and the interaction of static antecedents with distal and proximal antecedents. For this dissertation, static antecedents were operationalized as personality traits and three dopamine genes. Distal antecedents were operationalized as adolescent exposure to violence and school social environment. Proximal antecedents were defined as financial stressors and job satisfaction. Logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine these relationships. All analyses were weighted and clustered to allow for population-level estimates and were stratified by gender and race. My results suggest that personality, but not the three dopamine genes, was associated with IPV perpetration. There was some indication the genetic factors interact with environmental characteristics during adolescence and adulthood to increase the odds of perpetrating IPV during adulthood, in at least some circumstances and among some subpopulations. For example, there was a significant interaction between school social environment and genes among white men, white women, and non-white women. However, these relationships were not constant across strata and type of antecedent. Overall, the practical implications of this dissertation are unclear. As the field of violence prevention continues to develop, additional research on the genetic contribution to IPV perpetration will contribute to our understanding of these findings and provide additional context on the biological mechanisms underlying these relationships. Additional context may also contribute to the understanding of how to best develop intervention and prevention activities for individuals with the highest level of risk for IPV perpetration. Ultimately, it may be possible to tailor pharmacological or behavioral interventions based on the individual static, distal, and proximal antecedents associated with perpetration.

In the past decade, the increasing prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and domestic violence (DV) on college and university campuses has been given considerable attention. This abuse, including physical, sexual, emotional, and coercive control, often leads to impairment in victims (Ross, 2017; Straus, Gelles & Steinmetz). While the overall rates of IPV and DV have been relatively well-studied on college campuses, the differential impact of survivor-offender relationship on type of abuse has not been fully examined. As a result, there may be important correlates between survivor-offender relationship and the nature of abusive acts. Data for this project were obtained from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s online incident-based reporting system. Reported incidents of DV/IPV in 2017 were examined in the current analysis with variables divided by survivor-offender relationship and type of abuse. Survivor- offender relationship included intimate, acquaintance, stranger, and family, while types of abuse included kidnapping, incest, forcible rape and statutory rape, aggravated assault, simple assault, murder, intimidation stalking, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling. A preliminary χ2 16 x 4 contingency table illustrated a significant difference between survivor-offender relationship and type of abuse χ2(33) = 185.43, p <.001, with a significant difference between relationship and offense types. Further analyses indicated higher rates of simple assault in intimate relationships compared to acquaintances and forcible rape proving more evident in acquaintances compared to intimate relationships. Interestingly, intimidation was higher in African Americans acquaintances compared to Caucasian individuals’ where intimidation was more evident in intimate relationships. Further analyses will investigate specific racial and ethnic breakdowns, gender considerations, and the influence and possession of a firearm. To our knowledge, this area of research on college campuses has not examined the lethality and influence of a firearm, types of injury, and the survivor-offender relationship. Few have theorized regarding DV/IPV and survivor-offender relationship and type of abuse, but the current findings are similar to research regarding characteristics of sexual assault survivors who present to the emergency room. For example, Logan, Cole and Capillo (2007) discovered that there is a difference in injury patterns depending on the survivor-offender relationship. With domestic violence being insidiously pervasive, this topic necessitates investigation due to research suggesting there are differences in mental health outcomes based on injuries sustained, and certain assault characteristics depending on the survivor-offender relationship (Culbertson & Dehle, 2001). Implications of the current study will be further discussed.

Research findings across a variety of samples (e.g., clinical, shelter, hospital) estimate that 31% to 84% of women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) exhibit symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study sought to further investigate the abuse-trauma link by examining the relationship between lifetime trauma exposure, type of abuse (i.e., physical, psychological), and perspective-taking abilities (i.e., here-there, now-then). The role of experiential avoidance in the development of PTSD symptoms was also examined. Results indicated that lifetime trauma exposure (β = .31) and psychological abuse (β = .34) were significant predictors of PTSD symptomatology. Additionally, analyses revealed that experiential avoidance (β = .65) was a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms that partially mediated the relationship between IPV and PTSD symptomatology. Implications of findings are discussed as well as future suggestions for research examining type of IPV and PTSD.

Currently, sexual assault is characterized as the primary threat to women’s safety on university campuses. Accordingly, many post-secondary institutions in Canada have developed specialized policies, resources, and prevention strategies to address this form of gendered violence. Although a serious concern, the narrow focus ignores university students’ vulnerability to multiple other forms of gendered violence, including intimate partner violence (IPV). In an effort to address this neglected topic, this thesis explores the way five university students experienced and navigated IPV. Adopting an intersectional lens informed by feminist work on gender roles, gendered expectations, and sexual scripts as well as Pierre Bourdieu’s work on class, this thesis examines how gender oppression and class privilege intersect to create unique experiences of IPV for university students. To that end five semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who suffered psychological, physical, sexual, and/or financial abuse while in university. The interviews facilitated open and honest dialogue whilst providing this research project with valuable insight into how IPV plays out among class privileged university students. The thesis concludes that although the participants are oppressed in terms of gender (and susceptible to IPV on this basis) their class privilege also conditioned their experiences of IPV. While affording them access to social and economic resources, the disjuncture between their self-identity as educated, smart, and independent women inhibited their ability to accept their identity as victims; as a result, the participants struggled to disclose, seek help, and address the abuse.

Bakgrund Världshälsoorganisationen (WHO) klassar våld i nära relationer som ett folkhälsoproblem. Även om både män och kvinnor är utsatta så är det främst kvinnor som utsätts för den här typen av våld och enligt Nationellt centrum för kvinnofrid (NCK) är kvinnor nästan tre gånger mer utsatta än män. Hälso- och sjukvården behöver utveckla sitt arbete för att upptäcka våldsutsatta patienter men det finns begränsad forskning om hur fysioterapeuter arbetar med detta ämne. Syfte Att utforska fysioterapeuters upplevelser och erfarenheter av att möta kvinnor som blivit utsatta för våld i nära relation. Metod I studien användes en kvalitativ design med en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Sex fysioterapeuter, som samtliga arbetade på antingen privat eller offentlig vårdcentral inom primärvården i Region Uppsala, intervjuades. Resultat Deltagarnas erfarenheter varierade i stor grad. Ingen av deltagarna ställde frågan om våldsutsatthet som en standardiserad fråga vid nybesök. Tvärtom uttryckte flera att de upplevde sig behöva skapa en relation med patienten innan de kunde ställa frågan. Deltagarna tog till olika åtgärder vid våldsutsatthet, framförallt hänvisade de vidare till kurator och/eller gav vidare information om kvinnofridslinjen. Samtliga upplevde ett behov av djupare kunskap och förståelse om ämnet. Konklusion Mer praktisk och teoretisk kunskap samt medvetenhet hos fysioterapeuter behövs för att de ska kunna arbeta mer effektivt med kvinnor som utsätts för våld i nära relation. / Background The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies intimate partner violence as a global health problem. Even if both men and women are affected, data from National Centre for Knowledge on Men’s Violence against Women (NCK) shows that almost three times more women than men have been affected. The Swedish health care needs to improve on how they work on finding these patients but there is little research of how physiotherapists work regarding this matter. Objective To explore how physiotherapists investigate and examine female patients who are or have been a victim of intimate partner violence. Methods This survey used a qualitative method with a semi structured interview guide. Six interviews were carried through with physiotherapists who worked in Uppsala’s primary care, either in public or private health centers. Results The survey showed various experiences within the partakers. None of the physiotherapists asked about intimate partner violence as a standardized question at all new visits. On the contrary, several informants expressed that they felt a need to create a relationship with the patients before asking such questions. The physiotherapist took different actions when detecting intimate partner violence; mainly referring the patients to a curator and/or giving information of the women’s peace line. All partakers felt the need of a deeper knowledge and understanding of this issue. Conclusion Physiotherapists need more awareness as well as practical and theoretical knowledge to be able to work more efficiently with women that are affected by intimate partner violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV), including physical, psychological, and sexual violence towards a partner, is a human rights violation that is associated with the development of a multitude of short- and long-term physical and mental health problems (WHO, 2013). IPV survivors are at greater risk of developing mood, anxiety, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders (García-Moreno et al., 2005). Public health guidelines recommend screening for IPV in mental health settings (WHO, 2013). However, most mental health practitioners do not routinely assess for IPV in their practice (Howard et al., 2010). Lack of training in how to assess for and respond to IPV has been identified as an important barrier for IPV assessment in mental health settings (Trevillion et al., 2016). IPV-related training has been linked to positive outcomes for clinicians, including higher ratings of perceived knowledge and confidence in addressing IPV (Forsdike et al., 2019). Yet, studies suggest that approximately one quarter to one half of mental health professionals have never received IPV-related training (Murray et al., 2016; Nyame et al., 2013). To address this gap, the WHO advanced a series of evidence-based training recommendations (WHO, 2013). At present, there is a dearth of research exploring the degree to which global mental health providers’ experiences of training resemble WHO guidelines. Furthermore, few studies have investigated factors that contribute to clinicians’ likelihood of participating in IPV-related training, and reasons for obtaining training are not well understood. There has also been no previous research into the relationship between mental health professionals’ experiences of training and their accuracy in correctly identifying IPV. The present thesis, consisting of two studies, sought to assess global mental health providers’ IPV-related training experiences, including factors that influence the probability of participating in training and the relationship between training and diagnostic accuracy. In study 1, mental health professionals’ IPV-related training experiences were surveyed, and factors that may contribute to the likelihood of participating in training were explored (e.g., IPV prevalence, norms, and legislation, and professional experience with IPV). The relationship between IPV-related training and knowledge and experience of relationship problems was also examined; 321 specialized mental health professionals (psychologists and psychiatrists) from 24 countries participated in an online survey. Participants responded to a series of questions regarding the content, duration, and frequency of their IPV-related training based on WHO recommendations, and rated their level of knowledge and experience with relationship problems. Descriptive analyses showed that nearly half of participants (46.9%) had never received IPV-related training. Approximately half of those who received training (49.4%) indicated that their training followed WHO recommendations. Logistic regressions revealed that participants who were from countries with relatively better implemented laws addressing IPV and participants who encountered IPV more often in clinical practice were more likely to have received training. Furthermore, participants who received training were more likely than those without training to report higher knowledge and experience of relationship problems. Findings highlight global challenges with regards to IPV-related training. They suggest that clinicians’ likelihood of participating in training is related to their clinical contact with IPV and the institutional context in which they practice. Study 2 investigated the relationship between IPV-related training and clinicians’ diagnostic accuracy in the context of relationship problems, using the same sample as study 1. Chi-square analyses evaluated relationships between IPV-related training and clinicians’ performance while assessing for clinically significant relationship problems (RPM) in case-controlled vignettes across two study conditions: RPM present (i.e., when the task was to correctly identify RPM) and RPM absent (i.e., when the task was to correctly identify that there was no RPM; normative relationship problems were presented). Results showed that participants who received IPV-related training were more likely to perform better than those without training in the RPM present condition, but not in the RPM absent condition. In the RPM present condition, participants were more likely to respond correctly when their training was more recent and more closely resembled WHO recommendations for training. In the RPM absent condition, a similar percentage of participants with training (60-78%) and without training (45-76%) misclassified normative relationship problems as clinically significant RPM. Overall, findings suggest that IPV-related training is related to improved diagnostic accuracy in the context of relationship problems. WHO recommendations for training are supported.

Thesis advisor: Lisa A. Goodman / Recent research suggests that half or more of today’s domestic violence (DV) advocates are survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) or other forms of abuse, consistent with the survivor-led early stages of the DV movement. Advocates who are themselves survivors (survivor-advocates) are at risk of experiencing vicarious trauma and other negative outcomes in response to their challenging work. Emerging research has also identified the possibility of deriving personal growth and healing from the work of advocacy, which bolster survivor-advocates against the stressors in their work. However, the processes by which survivor-advocates navigate their work and cope with its challenges are poorly understood. To date, only one qualitative study has asked survivor-advocates about their experiences. This study began illustrating some of the ways that survivor-advocates approach and experience their work; however, it is vital that we develop a richer understanding of how survivor-advocates experience their work as both healing and harmful, in order to maintain the sustainability and effectiveness of the services they provide. This study used grounded theory methodology to explore how survivor-advocates apply their survivorship to their work, and how their work influenced their well-being and recovery. The theoretical model that emerged was anchored by a central process called bringing my whole self to work, which participants described as consisting of four interrelated components: 1) constructing a personal narrative about how their identity connects to their work, 2) applying those connections to shape their work in numerous ways, 3) experiencing healing as an outcome of the previous two components and 4) the organizational contexts that shaped the process through validating or invalidating the survivor identity. Successfully engaging in this process helped survivor-advocates feel a greater sense of connection and integrity to their survivor identity and work, as well as possibly enhanced well-being. This process suggests numerous ways for DV organizations to encourage and support survivor-advocates to engage more openly, meaningfully, and effectively in their work and points toward new directions in understanding vicarious trauma. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

<p>Objective: Acute alcohol intoxication has been clearly identified as a risk factor for intimate partner aggression (IPA). There is a critical need for effective IPA interventions that can be applied during episodes of acute intoxication. A self-awareness intervention for general aggression that was designed to be applied during acute intoxication could fill this gap. This intervention is grounded in objective self-awareness and alcohol myopia theories, with the main premise being that intoxicated individuals who are exposed to self-awareness cues should focus on standards of correct behavior, which will serve to inhibit aggression. The purpose of the current study was to apply this intervention to alcohol-facilitated IPA and to examine potential moderators of this effect in order to determine for whom the intervention may be most effective. Method: Participants in the current study included 133 heterosexual community couples with a history of heavy drinking and IPA. Participants took part in a two-session laboratory study investigating the efficacy of this self-awareness intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (<i>n</i> = 71) or control (<i>n</i> = 62) condition. During the study, they consumed alcohol and participated in an aggression task ostensibly against their romantic partner. Results: Findings were inconsistent with hypotheses. There was no between-group difference in laboratory aggression, and the moderators investigated in this study did not have an impact on the intervention’s efficacy. Conclusions: Present findings suggest that the self-awareness intervention may be ineffective for reducing alcohol-facilitated IPA. Potential explanations for this finding and implications for future research are discussed. </p>

No description available.