This thesis examines the limitations of the legal responses to ‘domestic violence’ from the perspective of two central arguments; first, domestic violence is a social problem, rather than one caused by the deviancy of particular individuals, and, secondly, legal and societal understandings display a misplaced focus on ‘violence’ as the defining feature of an abusive relationship. By failing to address the root social causes or comprehend the true dynamics of abusive relationships as a range of coercive and controlling strategies, incidents of mainly physical violence and the behaviour and personality of the abused woman become the social and legal focus. The thesis asserts that the root causes of domestic violence are the gendered expectations placed upon masculinity and femininity, thus explaining why it is women that are predominantly the victims. To refute the common misconception that women would exit an abusive relationship if they wanted to, a comparison is made between domestic violence and capture crimes such as kidnapping, and the range of social and psychological difficulties encountered by women as a result of the abusive relationship are used to support the claim that the sense of self, autonomy and decision-making ability of the victim is so undermined by the abuser’s tactics that they become entrapped in the abusive relationship. It is then argued that societal and legal misunderstandings of the dynamics and impact of the abuse lead to misinformed legal responses based upon the premise that women are able to safely report domestic violence and receive an adequate response, should they choose to do so. Bringing together critiques of the operation of the civil and criminal justice system in this context with the possibilities and limitations of the international human rights system, the thesis aims to demonstrate not just where the legal responses pertaining to domestic violence are limited, but also why. The research concludes that a legal approach to this problem which overlooks the root causes and over-emphasises isolated incidents of mainly physical violence does not and cannot work; the causes and impacts of domestic violence must be understood and addressed at a society-wide level.

nÃo hà / O Sistema de InformaÃÃo sobre Mortalidade se apropria de informaÃÃes para avaliar o estado de saÃde das coletividades humanas e orientar medidas de saÃde equÃnimes. Para tanto, este Sistema, nÃo distante dos demais, deve dispor de informaÃÃes de qualidade, que podem ser avaliadas a partir de dois parÃmetros: a validade e a confiabilidade de seu indicador de saÃde. VÃrios estudos foram realizados no Brasil nos Ãltimos 20 anos demonstrando fragilidades nos processos avaliativos deste Sistema. O presente estudo tem como objetivo principal avaliar a qualidade do registro de informaÃÃo sobre mortalidade para as vÃtimas de causas externas do ano de 2010 no municÃpio de Fortaleza-CearÃ. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, no qual foram selecionadas todas as DeclaraÃÃes de Ãbito advindas da PerÃcia Forense do Cearà cujas causas bÃsicas foram identificadas no capÃtulo XX, da ClassificaÃÃo Internacional de DoenÃas (CID-10), 2010, de residentes de Fortaleza. Foram comparados o quantitativo de Ãbitos registrado no Sistema de Mortalidade oficial e o quantitativo de Ãbitos identificados na PerÃcia Forense do CearÃ. TambÃm foram comparadas as codificaÃÃes de causas bÃsicas do Ãbito; os fatores de risco ligados à principal causa de morte (AgressÃes) e foi analisada a qualidade dos registros de todos os campos juntamente à AnÃlise Espacial de local de ocorrÃncia dos Ãbitos por AgressÃes. Os dados foram tabulados no programa EpiInfo for Windows, versÃo 3.5.4 e analisados no STATA 12. Foi utilizado o Kappa como medida de concordÃncia. Os Resultados indicaram subnotificaÃÃo de 67 Ãbitos, gerando amostra final 2.109 Ãbitos; a concordÃncia entre as codificaÃÃes pesquisa-oficial apresentou Kappa de 0.069; foi considerado, no modelo final de regressÃo logÃstica, como risco Ãs AgressÃes pertencer Ãs categorias: adolescente (OR ajustada: 18,44; I.C.95% entre 9,57- 35,54); masculino (OR ajustada: 2,83; I.C.95% entre 1,92- 4,19); nÃo ter vÃnculo conjugal (OR ajustada: 1,58; I.C.95% entre 1,14- 2,18) e bairro de ocorrÃncia de renda menor (OR ajustada: 5,13; I.C.95% entre 2,13- 12,36); a maioria das variÃveis apresentou completitude baixa e o indicador Kernel indicou âÃreas quentesâ na distribuiÃÃo dos bairros de ocorrÃncias de AgressÃes em Fortaleza-CE. / The Health Information System on Mortality appropriates information to assess the health status of human populations and direct measures for equitable health care. Therefore, this system, not far from the others, must have quality information, which can be evaluated by two parameters: the validity and reliability of its health indicators. Several studies were conducted in Brazil over the last 20 years demonstrating weaknesses in the evaluation processes of this system. The present study aims to evaluate the quality of the record of mortality information for victims of external causes in 2010 in Fortaleza, CearÃ. This is a cross-sectional study, which included all death certificates, from residents of Fortaleza, reported by the stateâs Medical Examiner office where the underlying causes were identified in Chapter XX, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD- 10). The number of deaths recorded in the state Mortality Database and the amount of deaths identified in medical examinerâs office records were compared. We also compared encodings for basic causes of death; the risk factors linked to the leading cause of death (aggression), and we analyzed the quality of the records and performed a Spatial Analysis of deaths from aggression/assault. Data were tabulated in EpiInfo for Windows, version 3.5.4 and analyzed in STATA 12. Kappa was used as a measure of agreement. Results indicated underreporting of 67 deaths, with 2,109 deaths resulting final sample. The correlation between the medical examiner and the population registry had a kappa of 0.069. The following risk factor were identified in a logistic regression for death by aggression/assault: being a teenager (adjusted OR: 18.44, 95% CI from 9.57 to 35.54 ), being male ( adjusted OR : 2.83 , CI 95 % from 1.92 to 4.19 ), not having marital bond ( adjusted OR : 1.58 , 95% CI from 1.14 to 2.18 ) and occurrence of low- income neighborhood ( adjusted OR : 5.13 95% CI from 2.13 to 12.36 ); most variables showed low completeness and the indicator Kernel identified "hot areas" in the distribution of the occurrences of assaults among neighborhoods in Fortaleza.

This thesis uses Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014 data to identify the important determinants due to which women justification towards intimate partner violence (IPV) varies. Statistical analyses reveal that among the individual-level independent variables age at first marriage, respondent's education, decision score, religion, NGO membership, access to information, husband's education, normalized wealth score, and division indicator have significant effects on the women's attitude towards IPV. It shows that other than religion, NGO membership, and division indicator, the higher the value of the variable, the lower the likelihood of justifying IPV. However, being a Muslim, NGO member, and resident of other divisions, women are found more tolerant of IPV from their respective counterparts. Among the three community-level variables, only the mean decision score is found significant in lowering the likelihood. The thesis concludes with some policy recommendations and a proposal for future research. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Liberal democracies sit on a foundation of popular sovereignty and the values of equality, liberty, and fairness. While some coercion by the state is necessary in order to maintain state sovereignty and provide a stable government, and excessive use of state coercion violates the liberty of its citizens. The harm and offense principles provide the boundaries of acceptable state coercion, but if these laws are unfairly enforced by police as the domestic arm of state authority, then the equality of liberty has been violated. United States' law enforcement has unfairly enforced just laws against black Americans, resulting in black Americans' overrepresentation in police brutality and killings. The implicit threat of police brutality against black Americans limits their liberty below that defined by the harm and offense principles. The unequal liberty between black and white Americans causes a potential lack of equal participation in political life, furthering an imbalance between races. Therefore American law enforcement should be considered a threatening obstacle to maintaining a healthy liberal democracy in the United States. Keywords​: liberal democracy, liberty, state coercion, police, United States Range of thesis​: 90,458 characters

Over the years, school violence has gained attention due to an increase of aggressive behaviors and actions within school systems across the United States. As a result, it has prompted school districts to develop plans that address school violence efficiently to promote safe school environments. There is gap in current literature as it pertains to addressing school violence in the middle school setting. The purpose of this study was to explore the views of teachers and administrators concerning effective ways to implement proactive prevention strategies to attain better approaches to preventing school violence. This case study methodology were framed by Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory to determine the association between school violence, students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other middle school staff members. Data were collected through 8 individual, structured, participant interviews with the use of an audio recorder. The resulting data were hand coded to create themes. The results of this study indicated that the middle school administration is failing to administer adequate and proper training to address school violence for their teachers, which has become a major concern. The study findings also indicated that the collaboration of teachers and administrators presented some issues when addressing and managing school violence occurrences. The results of this study could influence positive social change by supplying modernized information concerning the preventions of school violence from the outlook of middle school teachers and administrators.

This thesis concerns domestic violence in New Zealand. Its aim is to help find effective ways of preventing domestic violence in our homes through community level public education/awareness interventions. Domestic violence has a damaging effect within a large number of New Zealand households; the primary aim of this thesis is to contribute research to the efforts in New Zealand directed at preventing domestic violence.This thesis situates domestic violence within both a sociological and theoretical framework as well as within the context of New Zealand public education campaigns. Central to this thesis is a critical analysis of one particular community level public education and awareness intervention that was implemented in the United States throughout the 1990s. The core community-level principles of this US project have been analysed with regard to the suitability of integrating them into a hypothetical domestic violence public awareness campaign in New Zealand (one that would aim to help victims seek appropriate help from their situation).This US community level intervention was called the AIDS Community Demonstration Project (ACDP), its aim being to increase HIV risk reduction behaviours amongst at-risk people within the community. It is acknowledged throughout this thesis that the risk of HIV infection and the nature of domestic violence are very different issues although both are key health issues. However, the analysis of the ACDP was chosen predominantly because of the broad community focussed principles that it followed. The core research question of this thesis is as follows: Are the broad principles used within the ACDP suitable to be integrated into a victim-based domestic violence public awareness campaign in New Zealand? If so, to what extent? If not, why?My critical analysis has been informed by qualitative interviews with key experts in the field of domestic violence prevention in New Zealand. This critical analysis has highlighted a number of key elements in the complex task of domestic violence prevention and discusses the measures needed to sustain an abuse-free New Zealand.

This study addressed substantial limitations in the literature pertaining to intimate partner violence (IPV). In particular, I addressed the gender symmetry debate, and identified factors associated with the dynamics of violent relationships by examining the correlates related to perpetrating and suffering IPV for both men and women. Finally, I examined attitudes towards IPV, communication behaviour, and conflict management techniques as a function of abuse history. Participants were recruited from three samples of the New Zealand population (student, general, and incarcerated). The inclusion of an incarcerated sample enabled the examination of more severe, frequent and injurious violence than is typically experienced within the student and general samples. There were three phases to the study. The first phase explored incidence rates and psychological correlates of IPV. As expected, the incidence of IPV was highest within the incarcerated sample (Chapter 5). Of greater significance, the incidence of IPV was similar for males and females, with the majority of violence being bi-directional (Chapters 4 & 5). Moreover, the psychological correlates associated with IPV were similar for perpetrators and victims, and males and females (Chapters 4 & 5). Due to the bi-directional nature of IPV, analyses presented in Chapters 4 and 5 were limited by the categorisation of participants as both perpetrators and victims. In Chapter 6, I overcame this limitation. The attitudes of victims were examined separately to individuals experiencing bi-directional violence. Validating the findings of Chapters 4 and 5, the attitudes and behaviours of victims and perpetrators were similar. These included being more hostile and negative towards others and ones� partner, being more controlling, and reporting more communication problems. I also further explored gender symmetry in IPV. Male and female IPV was found to be similar in frequency, severity, and similarly associated with control. However, the type of acts perpetrated differed across gender. During the second and third phase of the study, I further examined participants� communication behaviour (Chapter 7), conflict behaviour, and attitudes (Chapter 8). Findings revealed that perpetrators and victims employed less facilitative and polite linguistic devices (Chapter 7) and reported fewer skills for dealing with conflict (Chapter 8) than did other individuals. An examination of attitudes towards IPV revealed males and females had similar attitudes and were more condoning of female, than male-perpetrated IPV. Moreover, individuals with a history of IPV were the most condoning of violence. Additionally, a number of correlates associated with experiencing IPV were also associated with attitudes condoning IPV (Chapter 8). Overall, the findings revealed IPV to be bi-directional and gender symmetrical. Male and female IPV was similar in incidence, severity, and injury. Furthermore, the psychological correlates associated with IPV were similar for men and women, and perpetrators and victims. Individuals with a history of IPV were more controlling, hostile towards others, more condoning of IPV, employed less positive communication styles, and lacked skills for dealing with conflict. In light of these findings, suggestions are offered for violence prevention initiatives in the discussion sections of each chapter and in the final chapter (Chapter 9).

Parade's End, a screenplay accompanied by an exegesis exploring institutional and ideological violence within the war film genre. The problem to solve with my exegesis and subsequent screenplay was how to create a unique visual form for the treatment of violence. This was done by examining screenwriting techniques that have been used to explore the psychology of violence and aggression within the war film genre. I identified and examined those techniques used to depict vioence within the war film genre, specifically those discussed by film theorist Stephen Prince. Stephen Prince in Savage cinema: Sam Peckinpah and the rise of ultraviolent movies in America examines the cultural and subsequent technical shifts that occurred in the late sixties towards the treatment of violence in contemporary cinema. He focuses on specific techniques that he believes radicalised the depiction of vioence and its aftermath in the cinematic form. In Visions of empire: political image ry in contemporary American film, Prince examines those techniques that he believed explored the political dimensions of violence. A primary consideration of my research then was how to integrate the techniques under discussion in ways that will help create a convincing form the for depiction of violence for a contemporary screen audience. A major outcome of my investigation and exploration of Prince's techniques, was to sustain within my screenplay the audience's gaze at a disturbing mirror, and probe an audience's ambivalent response to contemporary social currents. Through the demystification of the Special Forces soldier, it was my intention to depict vioence and aggression in striking and original ways.

Background Violence in the emergency department (ED) is a significant problem and it is increasing. Several studies have shown that violence in the ED is more likely to occur within the first hour of a patient’s presentation. Therefore, it is possible that there are some indicators of violence observable during the initial nurse-patient/relative interaction at triage. Nevertheless the problem remains inadequately investigated as many incidents are not reported and most studies that have investigated this issue are descriptive in nature. Although these studies have provided important preliminary information, they fail to reveal the complexities of the problem, in particular the cultural aspects of violence which are crucial for the ED. Aims The main aims of this study were to explore the cultural aspects of violence in the ED and to determine the possible indicators of violence at triage. Methodology Contemporary ethnography based on interpretive and post-positive paradigms was adopted to frame the methodology of this study. Methods This study was carried out at a major metropolitan ED over three months. The data collection techniques included field observations, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The data analysis framework adopted for this study incorporated Spradley's (1980) and LeCompte and Schensul's (1999) approaches. Findings The study indicated that the cultural meanings of violence were complex and highly subjective with variations among nurses which in turn influenced their responses to violence (e.g. reporting or not reporting an incident). The cultural meanings were sometimes contradictory and confusing as violence could be seen as both a challenge and a threat or predictable and unpredictable. The same type of behaviour from one individual could be perceived as violent but not for another. Many nurses perceived that violence was unpredictable and inevitable but the study demonstrated that there were indicators of violence which could be used to predict and prevent the problem. Factors such as environment, conflicting messages regarding waiting time, and patients' expectations and needs played an important part in violence. Besides, there were immediate warning signs of violence such as the overt verbal (e.g. mumbling or shouting) and covert nonverbal signs (e.g. staring or agitation). This study showed that patients' behaviours for instance being unfriendly, not appreciative, inattentive and uncooperative were better predictors of violence in the ED than their traits or problems alone. However, nurse-patient/relative behaviours and the resulting reciprocal relationship were considered central in determining if violence would occur or be avoided. Nurses' efforts to establish rapport with patients was crucial in minimising violence and needed to occur early. There was usually a ‘turning point’ that provided an opportunity for the nurse to avoid violence. Nurses’ behaviours at the ‘turning point’ strongly influence the outcome. Nurses' awareness of their personal expectations, prejudices and ethnocentrisms were the pivotal points in preventing escalation of violence. Conclusion This study has provided a more comprehensive and sophisticated understanding of the cultural aspects of violence in the ED. While violence is a complex issue with many paradoxes, there are lessons to be learned. The study indicates that effective interpersonal empathetic communication has a significant role in reducing violence in the ED. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1457967 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2009

Victimization and family rejection of sexual orientation are two particularly salient stressors facing lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young people. While initial research has established a link between these sexuality-related stressors and LGB youth mental health outcomes, the factors that underlie this relationship remain unclear. The current study examined the role of negative LGB identity in mediating the relationship between sexuality related stress (i.e., victimization, family rejection) and youth outcomes (i.e., internalizing problems, public outness, substance use, and cigarette smoking). Participants included 81 LGB young people (ages 14 to 25) recruited through college groups, youth organizations, study advertisements, and friend referrals. Path analyses revealed that victimization and family rejection experiences were related to youth internalizing problems via negative LGB identity. Similar results were found for a model predicting public outness. However, stressors and health risk behaviors were not related through negative LGB identity, although some direct relationships between stressors, substance use, and smoking emerged. Limitations and implications of the present study are discussed.