Rape crisis counsellors play a central role in frontline service delivery to sexual violence (SV) survivors, yet their training has received scarce research attention. To fill this gap, this dissertation presents three studies that sequentially examine a volunteer-based rape crisis line (CL) training program. The first study is an evaluability assessment (EA) that assesses the readiness of a community CL training program for research; the second study quantitatively examines the outcomes of the CL training program; and the third study qualitatively investigates the rape crisis counsellors’ training and practice experiences. Data was gathered from a local Rape Crisis Centre (RCC), and a total of 52 women participated in the research. Two-way mixed factorial ANOVAs were used to analyze the quantitative data, and a general inductive approach (Thomas, 2006), informed by a feminist, empowerment perspective (Nagy Hesse-Biber & Yaiser, 2004) was used to analyze the qualitative data. The EA demonstrated that the CL training program was primarily intended to develop volunteers’ basic counselling skills, suicide intervention skills, and feminist attitudes and beliefs. Based on analyses of the EA data, the program was determined to be evaluable. The second study indicated that following the training, the volunteers’ counselling self-efficacy improved, whereas their suicide intervention skills did not change. Volunteers had strong pre-existing feminist attitudes and beliefs that also did not change. The third study revealed several themes that elucidated the program’s processes and outcomes, such as the volunteers’ perception that after the training they gained basic counselling skills, and an increased knowledge of feminism, yet felt unprepared to respond to suicidal callers. Due to their routine interactions with SV survivors and systems, the volunteers also began to perceive SV as a widespread, systemic problem. A thematic analysis of results across studies, and implications of the findings on anti- violence practice and policy are discussed.

Feminist activism has a rich history in Canada, but mobilization on the issue of violence against women specifically gained considerable momentum during what is often referred to as the “second wave” of the feminist movement. Since this time, the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec have seen a proliferation of both grassroots and public policy responses to intimate partner violence and sexual violence. This study is an effort to construct a feminist history of the activism that occurred between 1970 and 2010, as well as to make sense of feminist claims-making strategies using a social constructionist approach to social problems and to make sense of feminist activism as a social movement using social movement impact theory. In constructing a feminist history, documents from the Canadian Women’s Movement Archives were consulted and interviews with current and former feminist activists were conducted. The historical component of this study focuses on how feminist activists first recognized and responded to the problem of violence against women. This analysis suggests that throughout the last forty years, feminist activists have engaged in a multi-pronged project of providing feminist services for victims of intimate partner and sexual violence, advocating for social and legal change as the “official” response to violence against women, and conducting their own research on the extent and nature of violence against women. Various strategies were used in this process, including forming partnerships and coalitions, but activists also faced challenges from within and outside the movement, including internal debates, struggles to fit in, and backlash from counter movements. The final chapter discusses how the history of feminist activism on violence against woman cannot easily fit into strict constructionist approach to understanding social problems and, as a social movement, is difficult to evaluate given the myriad goals, mechanisms for reaching those goals, and interpretations of success associated with the movement. Future research directions are also suggested, including looking at evidence of claims-making from other sources; bridging the gap, theoretically and pragmatically, between the “mainstream” feminist movement and other streams of women’s activism; and, more conceptual work on feminist movements and the separation between intimate partner and sexual violence.

Much of the existing research on violence against homeless women has concluded that homeless women are particularly vulnerable to violence and experience victimization at rates often exceeding the rates of housed women. Little research, however, has focused upon the specific risk factors that expose homeless women to physical assault, rape, and stalking. Utilizing a sample of 737 homeless women from the Florida cities of Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Miami, this study investigated the risk factors for experiencing adult personal victimization. The characteristics of homelessness, demographics, drug and alcohol use, subsistence activities, childhood victimization, mental health status, and criminal activities were examined as predictors of violence. The results indicate that over three-quarters of the sample had experienced violence, physical, sexual, or stalking, as adults. Consistent with prior research, childhood sexual abuse and time spent in jail or prison were significant predictors of violence. However, contrary to prior research, severe childhood physical abuse did not predict adult violence. Rather, the key childhood predictors of adult violence appear to center upon abuse that is primarily emotional in nature. Also contrary to prior research, the excessive use of alcohol or illicit drugs and engaging in risky subsistence activities did not predict violence. The results also imply that the women's experiences of violence may precipitate their episodes of homelessness, indicating that the violence is a cause of their homelessness. Violence against women continues to be a significant social problem particularly among especially vulnerable populations such as homeless women. Such violence deserves the attention of service providers such as healthcare workers, social services, and criminal justice systems.

No description available.

Intimate partner violence impacts women around the world and therefore does not present itself congruently across cultures or regions (Devries et al., 2013; Sarkar, 2010; World Health Organization, 2012). Many contemporary researchers strive to name, classify and understand experiences of intimate partner violence that are distinct to the South Asian subcontinent and members of the South Asian diaspora (Ahmed-Ghosh, 2004; Bloch & Rao, 2002; Chatterji & Chaudhry, 2014; Jeyaseelan et al., 2007; Mani, 1987; Panchanadeswaran, & Koverola, 2005). Their works contribute to a dominant discourse about violence against South Asian women that often frames cultural understandings and practices to be the cause of harm within this community. A dominant discourse which predominantly utilizes Western feminist understandings of “patriarchy” and oppression primarily serves to further homogenize, Other, and essentialize the experiences of South Asian women which cannot and should not be discussed in contrast to violence in a Western context. The impact of applying a Western lens to violence against South Asian women is that Western scholars take on the responsibility of identifying and prioritizing the needs of South Asian peoples and offer solutions to these issues without considering the systems of support that already exist or asking those impacted how they imagine change. This project engages a postcolonial discourse analysis to examine dominant discourses on violence against South Asian women as they are deployed within the context, literature, and research on intimate partner violence. Through analyzing 75 highly cited articles using a postcolonial lens, this project unearths commonalities across the dominant discourse such as the use of positivistic colonial research methods, the construction of a monolithic South Asia, the technologies of neoliberalism and colonial capitalism, and the archetype of the Third World Woman via white feminism. These reoccurring themes throughout the dominant discourse indicate the existence of an inferiorizing and oversimplified understanding of South Asian people and their experiences which is frequently framed using colonial technologies and the white gaze. Deconstructing these mechanisms can create an intentional space for anti-colonial ways of being and knowing as a South Asian person and discussions of violence in the South Asian subcontinent and diaspora without essentializing, homogenizing, or erasing aspects of these experiences. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

O objeto deste estudo foi o processo de construção da resiliência em mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual. A violência sexual contra a mulher é um problema antigo no mundo, onde o Brasil dispõe de elevadas estatísticas. As justificativas para a violência contra a mulher constroem-se sob normas e preceitos sociais de gênero, os quais definem as diferenças nos papéis e responsabilidades dos homens e das mulheres na sociedade e na família. As consequências físicas e psicológicas para a mulher em situação de violência sexual são alarmantes, podendo ocasionar traumas por longo prazo ou até mesmo para a vida inteira, impedindo-a de retomar seus direitos humanos e de se reinserirem em suas famílias e na sociedade. Entretanto, após a vivência de uma violência algumas mulheres têm seus comportamentos transformados a fim de retomarem o curso de suas vidas. Tais comportamentos dizem respeito à postura resiliente diante à violência sexual vivida e à sua superação. Reconhecendo este comportamento como uma nova possibilidade de promoção da saúde dessas mulheres, traçou-se como objetivo geral do estudo compreender o processo de construção da resiliência em mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual. Desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa exploratória com abordagem qualitativa, realizada através da coleta da história de vida com seis mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual atendidas em um hospital municipal do Rio de Janeiro (Brasil), referência no atendimento dessas mulheres. Os dados produzidos foram interpretados à luz da modalidade temática da análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Deste processo emergiram duas categorias: A violência sexual vivida expressa nas atitudes do cotidiano: sentimentos e emoções e A resiliência de mulheres em situação de violência sexual. Na primeira categoria identificaram-se as atitudes, sentimentos e emoções decorrentes da adversidade. Destacaram-se os sentimentos de medo, tristeza, culpa e perda como sendo as principais mudanças ocorridas com a violência. Na segunda categoria emergiram elementos existentes na vida das mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual e que favoreceram no processo de construção da resiliência, sendo os aspectos individuais, familiares e sociais. A pesquisa considerou que a resiliência é elemento fundamental na promoção da saúde das mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual assim como uma oportunidade de melhoria de sua qualidade de vida, uma vez que reduz os agravos decorrentes dessa violência e incorpora sentido de vida, serenidade, autoconfiança, autossuficiência e perseverança na vida da mulher. Contudo, a resiliência para ser desenvolvida precisa além dos aspectos individuais da mulher, uma rede de apoio familiar e social significativa e eficaz. A consulta de Enfermagem estabelecida nos princípios da humanização, integralidade e dialogicidade entre profissional e a mulher, seja nas Estratégias de Saúde da Família ou nos ambientes ambulatoriais e hospitalares, caracteriza-se como campo fértil na promoção e apoio a essa rede familiar e social. A enfermeira torna-se facilitadora na construção da resiliência em mulheres em situação de violência sexual, onde é preciso oferecer escuta sensível e sem preconceitos, incentivar a construção de sentido de vida, a recuperação da autoestima e autoconfiança e de sua reinserção social. / The object of this study was the process of building resilience in women who experienced sexual violence. Sexual violence against women is an old problem in the world, where Brazil has the highest statistics. The justifications for violence against women are built in norms and social precepts of gender, which define the differences in roles and responsibilities of men and women in society and family. The physical and psychological consequences for women in situations of sexual violence are alarming and can cause injury by long-term or even for life, preventing her from resuming their human rights and his reintroduce the family and society. However, after the experience of violence some women have changed their behavior in order to resume the course of their lives. These behaviors relate to resilient stance on sexual violence experienced, which concerns the overcoming of adversity. Recognizing this behavior as a new opportunity to promote the health of these women, traced to the general objective of the study: understanding the process of building resilience in women who experienced sexual violence. Developed an exploratory qualitative approach, carried out by collecting life history with six women who experienced sexual violence treated at a municipal hospital in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), a reference to meet these women. The data obtained were interpreted in the light of a thematic content analysis of Bardin. From this process emerged two categories: sexual violence experienced in the expressed attitudes of everyday life: feelings and emotions and the resilience of women in situations of sexual violence. In the first category identified the attitudes, feelings and emotions arising from adversity. The highlights were the feelings of fear, sadness, guilt and loss as the main changes to the violence. In the second category emerged existing elements in the lives of women who experienced sexual violence and who favored the process of building resilience, and individual aspects, and social allowances. The research found that resilience is a key element in promoting the health of women who experienced sexual violence as well as an opportunity to improve their quality of life, as it reduces the damages resulting from such violence and incorporates the sense of life, serenity, confidence, self-reliance and perseverance in the life of the woman. However, the resilience need to be developed than the individual aspects of the woman, a network of family and social support meaningful and effective. Consultation with nursing established on the principles of humanization, integrity and capacity for dialogue between professionals and women, whether in Strategies Family Health or hospital outpatient settings and is characterized as a fertile ground to promote and support the family and social network. The nurse becomes a facilitator in building the resilience of women in situations of sexual violence, where you need to provide sensitive listening and without bias, promoting the construction of meaning in life, recover their selfesteem and self-confidence and its re-insertion social.

O objeto deste estudo foi o processo de construção da resiliência em mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual. A violência sexual contra a mulher é um problema antigo no mundo, onde o Brasil dispõe de elevadas estatísticas. As justificativas para a violência contra a mulher constroem-se sob normas e preceitos sociais de gênero, os quais definem as diferenças nos papéis e responsabilidades dos homens e das mulheres na sociedade e na família. As consequências físicas e psicológicas para a mulher em situação de violência sexual são alarmantes, podendo ocasionar traumas por longo prazo ou até mesmo para a vida inteira, impedindo-a de retomar seus direitos humanos e de se reinserirem em suas famílias e na sociedade. Entretanto, após a vivência de uma violência algumas mulheres têm seus comportamentos transformados a fim de retomarem o curso de suas vidas. Tais comportamentos dizem respeito à postura resiliente diante à violência sexual vivida e à sua superação. Reconhecendo este comportamento como uma nova possibilidade de promoção da saúde dessas mulheres, traçou-se como objetivo geral do estudo compreender o processo de construção da resiliência em mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual. Desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa exploratória com abordagem qualitativa, realizada através da coleta da história de vida com seis mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual atendidas em um hospital municipal do Rio de Janeiro (Brasil), referência no atendimento dessas mulheres. Os dados produzidos foram interpretados à luz da modalidade temática da análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Deste processo emergiram duas categorias: A violência sexual vivida expressa nas atitudes do cotidiano: sentimentos e emoções e A resiliência de mulheres em situação de violência sexual. Na primeira categoria identificaram-se as atitudes, sentimentos e emoções decorrentes da adversidade. Destacaram-se os sentimentos de medo, tristeza, culpa e perda como sendo as principais mudanças ocorridas com a violência. Na segunda categoria emergiram elementos existentes na vida das mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual e que favoreceram no processo de construção da resiliência, sendo os aspectos individuais, familiares e sociais. A pesquisa considerou que a resiliência é elemento fundamental na promoção da saúde das mulheres que vivenciaram violência sexual assim como uma oportunidade de melhoria de sua qualidade de vida, uma vez que reduz os agravos decorrentes dessa violência e incorpora sentido de vida, serenidade, autoconfiança, autossuficiência e perseverança na vida da mulher. Contudo, a resiliência para ser desenvolvida precisa além dos aspectos individuais da mulher, uma rede de apoio familiar e social significativa e eficaz. A consulta de Enfermagem estabelecida nos princípios da humanização, integralidade e dialogicidade entre profissional e a mulher, seja nas Estratégias de Saúde da Família ou nos ambientes ambulatoriais e hospitalares, caracteriza-se como campo fértil na promoção e apoio a essa rede familiar e social. A enfermeira torna-se facilitadora na construção da resiliência em mulheres em situação de violência sexual, onde é preciso oferecer escuta sensível e sem preconceitos, incentivar a construção de sentido de vida, a recuperação da autoestima e autoconfiança e de sua reinserção social. / The object of this study was the process of building resilience in women who experienced sexual violence. Sexual violence against women is an old problem in the world, where Brazil has the highest statistics. The justifications for violence against women are built in norms and social precepts of gender, which define the differences in roles and responsibilities of men and women in society and family. The physical and psychological consequences for women in situations of sexual violence are alarming and can cause injury by long-term or even for life, preventing her from resuming their human rights and his reintroduce the family and society. However, after the experience of violence some women have changed their behavior in order to resume the course of their lives. These behaviors relate to resilient stance on sexual violence experienced, which concerns the overcoming of adversity. Recognizing this behavior as a new opportunity to promote the health of these women, traced to the general objective of the study: understanding the process of building resilience in women who experienced sexual violence. Developed an exploratory qualitative approach, carried out by collecting life history with six women who experienced sexual violence treated at a municipal hospital in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), a reference to meet these women. The data obtained were interpreted in the light of a thematic content analysis of Bardin. From this process emerged two categories: sexual violence experienced in the expressed attitudes of everyday life: feelings and emotions and the resilience of women in situations of sexual violence. In the first category identified the attitudes, feelings and emotions arising from adversity. The highlights were the feelings of fear, sadness, guilt and loss as the main changes to the violence. In the second category emerged existing elements in the lives of women who experienced sexual violence and who favored the process of building resilience, and individual aspects, and social allowances. The research found that resilience is a key element in promoting the health of women who experienced sexual violence as well as an opportunity to improve their quality of life, as it reduces the damages resulting from such violence and incorporates the sense of life, serenity, confidence, self-reliance and perseverance in the life of the woman. However, the resilience need to be developed than the individual aspects of the woman, a network of family and social support meaningful and effective. Consultation with nursing established on the principles of humanization, integrity and capacity for dialogue between professionals and women, whether in Strategies Family Health or hospital outpatient settings and is characterized as a fertile ground to promote and support the family and social network. The nurse becomes a facilitator in building the resilience of women in situations of sexual violence, where you need to provide sensitive listening and without bias, promoting the construction of meaning in life, recover their selfesteem and self-confidence and its re-insertion social.

Background: Men´s violence against women in relationship is a global healthproblem. 30% of all women in the world have at some point been exposed to violence in relationships. The problem tends to increase despite attempts to prevent the problem. Aim: The aim of this study is to achieve a deeper knowledge of prevention work to prevent violence against women in relationships. Methods: The study is based on six individual qualitative interviews with criminal investigative within the police and therapists in prison. Crime prevention models are used to analyze the qualitative interviews. Results: The results from this study show that poor self-esteem is a major risk factor for men´s violence against women in relationships. The criminal investigative och therapist agreed that the problem must be tackled at an early age. Conclusion: We need to start working and strengthening individs poor self-esteem at an early age through social crime prevention. When men have reached the stage where they are subject of the judiciary, the violence has often lasted a long time and the men have extensive problems.

Magistro baigiamojo darbo tema yra aktuali, kadangi Lietuvoje smurtas prieš moteris šeimoje yra plačiai paplitęs reiškinys. Tačiau mūsų šalyje apie šį reiškinį mažai kalbama ir rašoma. Darbe teoriniu aspektu nagrinėjama smurto prieš moteris šeimoje samprata, jo pagrindinės rūšys, veiksniai, lemiantys smurtą prieš moteris šeimoje. Nagrinėjami teoriniai aiškinimai apie smurtą prieš moteris šeimoje. Taip pat nagrinėjama smurtą šeimoje patyrusių moterų situacija Lietuvoje. Nustatytos pagrindinės problemos, su kuriomis susiduria moterys, patyrusios smurtą šeimoje. Tyrimo objektu pasirinktos moterys, patyrusios smurtą šeimoje. Iškelta hipotezė, kad moterys, gyvenančios neregistruotoje santuokoje smurtą patiria dažniau, nei ištekėjusios moterys, ir tas smurtas yra daugiau fizinio pobūdžio. Be to, smurtas žymiai daugiau paplitęs tose šeimose, kur vyro ir moters santykiai yra nelygiateisiai, t.y. kai vyrauja patriarchalinis šeimos tipas. Darbo tikslas – išnagrinėti smurto prieš moteris Lietuvos šeimose situaciją, ypatumus bei tendencijas ir nustatyti, su kokiomis problemomis dažniausiai susiduria smurto šeimoje aukos. Darbo tikslui įgyvendinti numatyti šie uždaviniai: aptarti teorinius smurto prieš moteris šeimoje aiškinimus, atskleisti smurto prieš moteris šeimoje paplitimą Lietuvoje, aptarti moterų – smurto šeimoje aukų situaciją ir pagrindines problemas, įvertinti smurto prieš moteris šeimoje pasekmes. Darbe taikyti teoriniai, empiriniai ir statistiniai tyrimo metodai... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The topic of the thesis is very relevant since in Lithuania violence against women in the family is a widely spread phenomenon. However in our country very little is spoken and written about this phenomenon. A concept of violence against women, its main kinds, factors determining violence against women in the family are discussed in the paper from the theoretical point of view. Theoretical explanations on violence against women in the family are analysed. A situation of women who experience violence in the family in Lithuania is discussed. The main problems are identified which are faced by women who experience violence in the family. The object of the research were women who experienced violence in the family. A hypothesis was raised that women who lived in unregistered marriage experienced violence more often than married woman and this violence was more of physical type. Besides, violence was much more spread in those families where relationship of a man and a woman was not based on an equality, i.e. when a patriarchal family type prevailed. The objective of the paper is to analyse the situation, peculiarities and tendencies of violence against women in the families in Lithuania and define which problems the victims of violence in families most often face. The following tasks were defined for the implementation of the thesis‘s objective: to discuss the theoretical aspects of the phenomenon of violence against women in the family, to analyse the present situation of... [to full text]

Violence against women is an issue faced by women all over the world. Violence conducted by a partner or husband is the most common form of violence that women are targeted by. Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is internationally recognized as a human rights violation as well as a major global health issue. Economic empowerment is sometimes presented as means to reduce this violence. However, if it generates protection or increased risk is debated and contradictory findings characterize the research field. This study aims to contribute by testing the two main theories (the marital dependency theory and the relative resource theory) within a previously unstudied setting: the national level. The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regressions find a negative relationship between female labor force participation and physical and sexual IPV prevalence among women. Support is thereby provided for the marital dependency theory. No relationship at all is found when focusing on attitudes towards physical IPVAW and the conclusion emphasis that economic empowerment is helpful but not sufficient as a national strategy to reduce intimate partner violence targeting women.