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No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors often consult with their informal network members (i.e., friends and family) about the violence they experience- far more often than they do with formal resources. These informal network members (INMs) are therefore uniquely situated to help survivors, particularly by helping them understand the violence as an undeserved problem and by providing them with tangible aid and information to exit and stay free of violent relationships. The extent to which and through what means INMs could help, however, remains under-studied. This study therefore sought to understand how disclosure to informal network members (INMs) and their specific reactions to that disclosure shape survivors’ initial experiences with IPV and their IPV victimization in subsequent relationships. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate quantitative analyses (linear, logistic, and negative binomial regression) were conducted on survey responses from a sample of 200 female survivors between the ages of 18 and 30 who had been out of their initial violent relationships for at least 6 months. These analyses included the use of six independent variables (four measures of disclosure, one measure of reactions to disclosure that labeled the violence as problematic, and one measure of reactions to disclosure that provided information or tangible support), three dependent variables (months between violence onset and relationship end, frequency of violence during exposure to violence, and subsequent violent relationships), and ten covariates. Increases in disclosure frequency were significantly related to decreases in the frequency of violence across three different measures of disclosure in the multivariate models. Although the bivariate findings suggested that disclosure is related to time between violence onset and the end of the relationship, the multivariate results did not find a significant relationship with this variable, nor between disclosure and subsequent violent relationships. The results were more nuanced when examining the specifics of the INM reactions to those disclosures in the multivariate models. Each increase in the frequency of problem definition reactions was associated with a decrease in the frequency of violence experienced. Increasing frequencies in urging the survivor to talk to a lawyer or police and in providing or helping her get information were related to a decrease in the time between violence onset and relationship end. Increases in the frequency of urging the survivor to talk to a lawyer or police were related to an increase in the frequency of violence, whereas increases in the frequency of offering a place to stay was related to a decrease in the frequency of violence. Lastly, an increase in the frequency of information and tangible support reactions as a whole was significantly related to a decrease in the odds of experiencing subsequent relationship violence. These findings add nuance to existing models and frameworks of IPV help-seeking, motivate and serve as a basis for further research into how disclosure to INMs can shape varying outcomes for IPV survivors, and add to a body of literature that can ultimately be used to inform not only the practices of INMs, but also more formal policies and practices to enable informal systems to better aid IPV survivors. Regarding implications for theories of help-seeking and disclosure, the findings confirm that although disclosure itself is important, what happens during disclosure is just as, if not more, important when shaping outcomes for survivors. Further, because of the varied ways in which the disclosure process might shape survivor outcomes as evidenced by these findings, conceptual models and frameworks outlining the relationships between disclosure and survivor outcomes need to be refined to better capture these complexities. In terms of future research, there is much left to explore regarding the disclosure process, including for which types of survivors certain reactions work best, which types of INMs are most likely to use which reactions, and how combinations of reactions interact in influencing survivor outcomes. Once corroborated by other studies, these findings can be used to inform policy and programming to enable INMs to react effectively to disclosure so as to ensure greater justice for survivors. Any awareness-raising policies or programs designed to shape INM practice would need to be evaluated, creating a variety of evaluative research opportunities. Because of the high prevalence of IPV among young adult women in the United States and around the world, the results of this study fit well into the contemporary global discussion of how to reduce and prevent survivor experiences with IPV. / Criminal Justice

No description available.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent potentially traumatic experience that increases risk for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). However, there is still considerable heterogeneity in PTSS among women exposed to IPV. Research on IPV has examined the ways in which different characteristics of IPV exposure have separately related to risk for PTSS, specifically the type (physical, psychological, economic, sexual), frequency (number of incidents), severity (minor, severe), and mode of violence (in-person, online). However, it may be important to examine how the integration of these characteristics of IPV differ across ���������������������� ���� ������ ���� ������������ �������������������� �������������� ���������� The current study integrated these characteristics to assess classes of IPV and the relevant associations between concurrent and future PTSS. 264 women between the ages of 18-24 (Mage=20.41, SD=2.99) were recruited as part of a greater longitudinal study examining the relationship between PTSS and co-occurring psychopathology following exposure to IPV and/or sexual assault in the past year. Four classes of IPV across four characteristics of IPV (type, severity, frequency, and mode) were identified with latent class analysis (LCA). (1) history of both mild and severe psychological, physical, and sexual IPV in person and online, (2) history of mild and severe psychological IPV and mild sexual IPV occurring in person and online, (3) history of mild psychological IPV occurring in person and online, (4) past history of one type of IPV occurring in person. Class membership and concurrent and future PTSS were found to be associated with class membership.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the processes of change for female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) who successfully completed a domestic-violence focused couples treatment (DVFCT) program with their male partners. Enhancing our understanding of the change processes for women who choose to remain in their relationships helps therapists develop more effective IPV treatment models when both partners are involved in treatment. While a goal of DVFC treatment is to end the violence, this study highlights the changes women victims made and how they evolved throughout the treatment process. This study describes those changes in order to develop targeted interventions to bring these changes about more purposefully. Two women were selected from a pool of 30 women who successfully participated in a 12 session DVFC treatment program. Videotapes of 12 couples therapy sessions were analyzed using modified analytic induction (Manning, 1991). The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1982, 1984) processes of change guided the analysis. Using modified analytic induction, we described participants changes in attitudes and behaviors and the identifiable markers of these changes. Findings highlight a relational change process between spouses. / Master of Science

Researchers investigating lesbian intimate partner violence (IPV) encourage a movement from the study of prevalence rates to the examination of the complexities of IPV in lesbian relationships (Ristock, 2003). The current study examined power differentials and their associations with reported physical and psychological violence in lesbian relationships. Additionally, the study sought to determine whether power differentials predict physical and psychological violence within the relationship. Secondary data analysis of the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS; Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998) was used. Overall the sample (N = 80) was primarily White, high school graduates, with an average age of 30. A preliminary exploratory factor analysis of a measure used in the NVAWS revealed two factors'jealousy and control tactics. These factor scores were used in later analyses. Chi-square tests revealed no significant relationships between income, age, race, employment, health status, or education power differentials and the presence of physical and psychological violence (i.e., verbal attack). Significant associations were found between control tactics and age, as well as education differentials. Finally, significant associations were found between control tactics and psychological violence, as well as control tactics and jealousy. Multiple linear regressions(MLR) were used to determine which power differential discrepancy scores and factor scores(i.e., jealousy, control tactics [predictors]) could be used to predict physical and psychological violence (criteria). No significant predictions could be made for physical violence. Presence of jealousy and control tactics was found to be a highly significant predictor, accounting for 20% of the variance in psychological violence. / Master of Science

Each year there are approximately 589,000 nonfatal violent victimizations (e.g., aggravated assault, simple assault) committed by an intimate partner (US Dept. of Justice, 2003). Of that, roughly 85% of these violent victimizations were committed against females (US Dept. of Justice, 2003). Even with this large amount of violence against women, only about 33% of the perpetrators of those crimes are brought to trial in state courts (US Dept. of Justice, 2005). Even a cursory look at the literature indicates that extra-legal factors, including the personal views of the police, judges, and prosecutors, have an effect on which cases are brought to trial. Mandatory prosecution laws attempt to overcome these extra-legal factors. I will investigate if these laws succeed in reducing prosecutorial discretion and result in a greater percentage of domestic violence cases going to trial or if the views of the prosecutors' offices still determine which cases are brought to trial. / Master of Science