As various forms of interpersonal family violence receive more attention in the literature, sibling abuse is still in the background. Despite the increasing knowledge about the prevalence, causes, and effects of sibling abuse, many of us continue to relegate it to a childhood occurrence. Sibling abuse symptoms continue to go unrecognized and its demoralizing effects continue to be ignored (Wiehe, 1990). Minimization and denial of sibling abuse have also contributed to constraining the extent of knowledge related to this phenomenon. The present study seeks to add to the existing research confirming the existence of sibling victimization and its long-term impacts. This study has two primary purposes: 1) to capture the beliefs, feelings, and firsthand account of the abusive sibling experiences from the perspective of victims, and 2) to investigate the potential learned responses associated with sibling abuse and their possible impact on adult relationships by exploring participants' emotional and relational histories, and belief systems. This study presents data taken from a clinical sample of six adult female sibling abuse survivors. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted and data analyzed using cross case analysis, constant comparison, and analytic induction techniques. Data suggests the long-term impacts of learned responses associated with sibling abuse can be detrimental to both interpersonal relationships and mental health. Emergent themes related to family functioning and environment and resiliency after abuse are also presented. Implications of findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Ph. D.

Domestic violence is one of the most serious social problems facing our nation today. Despite decades of social and political action led by victims, advocates and leaders in the Battered Women's Movement, it continues to threaten the safety, health and wellbeing of approximately four million women each year. It also terrorizes and teaches violent behaviors to three to ten million children annually, increases health care costs by three to six billion dollars per year, and increases annual business costs by more than $13 billion. Studies of community-based prevention intervention initiatives have shown that efforts to eliminate complex destructive behaviors must not only be aimed at at-risk individuals but also must target change within the broader social environment.. This more comprehensive prevention strategy is based on a public health! public partnership model which differs significantly from blaming behaviors and single intervention "treatment" approaches. With a few notable exceptions (e.g. mandatory arrest, home visiting nurse programs, and re-socialization education), single interventions have not significantly reduced domestic violence. After decades of experience, it appears that more comprehensive, integrated interventions are required to eliminate problem behaviors. Community leaders continue to search for a sufficiently potent "mixture" of information, policies, programs and protocols which can change the "System of Violence" (or culture) which supports the continuation of domestic violence. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this work was to investigate how identity is transformed by the experience of immigration. Two research questions were conceptualized in order to address the essence of the inquiry. How do Mexican immigrant women living in the Roanoke Valley describe their lives back in Mexico? How do Mexican immigrant women living in the Roanoke Valley describe their lives in the United States? Interviews with three first-generation Mexican female immigrants currently living in Southwest Virginia formed the basis of the qualitative study presented in this work. The study was designed to understand Mexican women immigrants through their personal experiences and stories. The two main findings about their perceptions of life back in Mexico were related to lack of economic resources and the limited opportunities they had. Also, their memories of Mexico were paired with nostalgia of their loss in terms of family relations and cultural understanding. In general, the participants perceived themselves to be in a better economic position that encourages them to stay in the United States. An unexpected finding was that in all three cases domestic violence was a constant in the women's lives. However, despite the gender construction of Mexican women as passive females, the commonality in the three cases was that they looked for alternatives on how to resist violence by seeking support and resources to escape from it on either side of the border. / Master of Arts

This study is a multi-case study which examines the experiences of participants involved in a 12-session integrated couples treatment program for domestic violence. Participants included 7 therapists and 5 heterosexual couples. 3 couples participated in individual couples treatment, and 2 participated in a multi-couple group treatment. 2 of the couples were Black, while all other couples were White. 4 out of 5 couples were married; one couple was in a committed dating relationship. All therapists were trained in marriage and family therapy. All participants filled out open-ended questions about their expectations for therapy and participated in two interviews to elicit their experiences of ongoing therapy. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed, and data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The findings include clients' and therapists' expectations of therapy prior to treatment, and their experiences of therapy during the first half of treatment. Participants discussed which aspects of therapy were helpful, and which aspects of therapy were not helpful. In general, clients emphasized helpful therapist behaviors and qualities that seemed to facilitate their engagement in the therapy process. Therapists tended to focus on specific techniques they employed to facilitate changes in their clients. Participants most often criticized the treatment length as insufficient. Participants also shared their views about the racial difference between therapists and clients, or among group members in the multi-couple treatment group. Most participants believed that racial difference had no effect on the treatment. Finally, participants shared their opinions about traditional domestic violence treatment versus couples treatment of 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

This study examined how cultural, religious, and demographic factors of Asian Christian clergy affect their perceptions and responses to domestic violence. Their age, years lived in the U.S., amount of pastoral counseling education, adherence to Asian cultural values, gender role beliefs, and degree of religious fundamentalism (n = 72) were assessed using an anonymous questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice items and short-answers. Multiple regression analyses determined that individuals with stronger Asian cultural values and religious fundamentalism were more likely to choose responses that favored the maintenance of patriarchy in the marriage (F = 5.68; p < .001). Also, younger clergy and clergy that lived longer in the U.S. selected responses that were more proactive towards domestic violence (F = 2.54; p < .05). Qualitative analyses of short answer questions revealed that participants are largely aware of how misinterpretations of biblical scriptures may maintain and perpetrate marital violence. They showed a greater interest to counsel violent couples using their own counseling skills or church resources, rather than utilizing external community resources. However, respondents did indicate a willingness to make referrals to community resources outside of the church, especially Christian counselors. This information is especially useful to clinicians that may work with Asian populations and interact with Asian clergy. Awareness of the values and beliefs of Asian Christian clergy can make collaboration with clinicians more productive and increase the effectiveness of responses to cases of domestic violence within Asian church congregations. Moreover, greater cooperation between Asian clergy and clinicians will be useful in preventing the escalation and maintenance of domestic violence. / Master of Science

This was an exploratory study of the experiences of 26 clients and 5 therapists participating in a research project testing a manualized multi-couple treatment program for domestic violence. The purpose of this study was to understand the experience of clients and therapists in participating in a research study with the hope of informing researchers who are seeking to make manualized treatment programs more effective. Despite a low level of conscious awareness of the research project, clients and their therapists provided a rich set of data. From the clients, the themes revealed views on how little the research project seemed to affect their therapy, and how the research project reinforced their learning and changes and allowed them to feel they were making a contribution to others. The therapists felt challenged to balance their roles with the research project's requirements. Theoretical fit was not an issue, but their comments inform the body of research on research participation. The therapists reported the model worked well, but early on they had to struggle with components. The study found that clients appreciate being asked their views through the treatment. Both therapists and clients recommend using a thorough check-in/check-out process with domestic violence. Therapists recommended that any fielded programs should include an ongoing evaluation process. Also, when clients and therapists believe that participating in a research project may help others and that they are participating together in something special, the therapeutic process may be enhanced. These elements appear to be easily incorporated into conventional therapy and may generate the same beneficial effect observed in this project. / Master of Science

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine differences between dropouts and completers in a domestic violence focused couples treatment (DVFCT) program. Fifty-eight men met the criteria of participating in at least one couples session for domestic violence. Data was analyzed with t-test and chi-squares. The dropout rate was 36 percent. Three variables — age, race, and marital status — were significant predictors of dropping out from the program. White men who were over 30 and married were found significantly more likely to complete treatment than were nonwhite single men younger than 30. Other variables that approached significance were employment, parental status, living arrangement and prior treatment. That is, employed men who lived with their partners, had children with their partners, and had prior treatment tended to stay in treatment. Stages of Change using the URICA and the URICA-DV measures and level of violence at intake using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale were not found to differentiate between dropouts and completers in this sample. Other variables examined but not found as significant discriminators between completers and dropouts of DVFCT were education and referral source. A literature review of dropouts in therapy, marriage and family therapy, batterer programs and DVFCT; as well as literature on stages of change, is included. Further discussion and recommendations for further research and for improving domestic violence focused couples treatment is included. / Master of Science

The purpose of this multiple case study was to gather information about female aggression in situationally violent relationship. The interviews and surveys of four African-American couples were coded and analyzed to gather information about the impact of female aggression on the relationship, the contextual factors surrounding female aggression, and the motivations for female aggression. The results indicated that female aggression impacts the couple relationship in several ways. First, female aggression is typically minimized by both partners. Another impact on the relationship is that it leads to further escalation of aggression, as well as leading the couple to question their commitment to each other. Female aggression also appeared to become part of the couples struggle for power. The study also identified substance abuse and a family history of abuse as two of the contextual factors present with female aggression. The motives for female aggression that were identified included frustration, wanting control over the relationship, abandonment and retribution. One couple identified self-defense as a motivation for female aggression. Implications for future research and for clinical practice are offered. / Master of Science

Families are old organizations. In Asian area, ¡§Domestic Violence Protection Act¡¨ is a new law that shoots up like a new sprout. When tradition meets modern laws; when old emotions and blood relationship meet rational laws, what kind of spark will be generated? And how many new social issues will it bring up? The harms caused by marital violence to a family include physical and mental torture suffered by family members, which might lead to high national and social costs. Owing to the changes in family functions and family structure, marital violence as a controversial issue has been regulated in the legislative body through legislation. However, if there is no limit to the ¡§intervention of laws in domestic disputes¡¨, family problems will be made public just like the ¡§Truman Show¡¨. Without privacy there is no dignity. The universal value of human rights would finally be stripped off. Once the private realm of a family is intervened, it is as if the Pandora¡¦s Box pops open. The basic human rights of family members, such as individual¡¦s privacy, minor children¡¦s right to family harmony, domestic violence victims¡¦ right over body and the right of freedom from fear, and domestic violence offenders¡¦ right to family life, right of migrating freedom, right of personal freedom, and right of property disposal, which has been deprived according to the protective order, as well as human dignity of each family member of the family in dispute and so on will be challenged. Whether the core of family system and family autonomy, or the right to family life, or the systematic protection of family should be precedent to the natural rights of the Constitution? Is it excessively intervened by the Domestic Violence Protection Act? This article discusses the intervention of laws in domestic disputes from the practical and law aspects: What conflicts exist between Domestic Violence Protection Act and domestic violence, and the possibility of reconciliation between them. It is also expected that the implementation of policies is able to protect the basic human rights of all citizens by adhering to the consistent constitutional spirit.