Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a critical public health problem that has a broad range of negative consequences on not only the individuals in the relationship but also on their children. Although Latino adolescents experience dating violence at a higher rate than White adolescents, little research has investigated the risk and protective factors associated with this group. Witnessing domestic violence has been associated to an increased risk in experiencing dating violence as adolescents. The pattern of IPV exposed youth to later experience violent relationships has been described as the intergenerational transmission of violence (ITV). Although youth exposed to IPV are at an increased risk for experiencing and perpetrating violence in their own relationships, not all do. This dissertation moves research on ITV beyond a deficit focus by using a resilience framework to investigate parenting relationships as protective factors for dating violence. A subsample of data Latino adolescents and their mothers’ were analyzed from a larger Welfare, Children, and Families (WCF) study. This study extends previous cross-sectional research by using longitudinal data to assess risk and protective factors when youth were 10-14 years old and its relationship to their own use of violence seven years later. Latent class analysis was conducted to understand the contextual and cultural factors related to the development of adolescent dating violence: acculturation, gender, and positive parent-child relationships were examined as influencing ITV. Three classes emerged that indicate unique combinations of risk and resilience. Two of these classes predicted differential associations with adolescent dating violence. A class indicating moderate-risk/low-protection and mothers with high acculturation was significantly related to increased odds of adolescents experiencing dating violence, both as victims and as perpetrators. A class indicating low-risk/high-protection and mothers with low acculturation significantly predicted increased odds of perpetrating dating violence but no significant relationship was found with victimization. Findings suggest that holistic family based approach to dating violence and adult domestic violence may be most effective for Latino adolescents and their IPV exposed mothers.

Domestic violence (DV) affects communities across a variety of nations and cultures, at significant physical, psychological, and economic costs to families. In the United States Latino families affected by DV often face unique challenges influenced by changing ecologies and personal as well as political histories. Peer-led workshops are one way for communities to disseminate information about social issues like DV in a culturally relevant manner, and they have the potential to promote capacity for addressing DV within communities. The impact of peer-led DV was examined using an embedded mixed-method design, where participant feedback collected throughout the study served to enhance the nonequivalent control group survey portion of the study. It was hypothesized that sense of community would moderate the relationship between workshop participation and capacity measures of knowledge, communication, and identification with Latina community leaders. Data screening and linear regression found no effects of workshop participation for knowledge and communication. A linear regression supported the hypothesized workshop by sense of community interaction effect, where individuals with higher sense of community were more likely to connect with workshop leaders in the workshop condition. Themes that emerged from the analysis of qualitative data from individual questionnaires, researcher notes, and a group interview were: (1) connection to the larger community organization, (2) family communication about domestic violence, (3) interest in support for Latino youth and (4) community leader’s testimonies of their own experiences of violence. Together, quantitative and qualitative findings lend weight to the notion that peer interventionists can establish meaningful connections and trust with community members based on their own lived experiences. Further research is needed to link this strength in a peer-led DV program to gains in capacity domains like knowledge. Overall, the results of this study extend research on cultural specific DV community programs and provide recommendations for community organizations seeking to evaluate community-based programs.

This study will examine how domestic violence manifests differently across socioeconomic status, and how these manifestations affect a victim’s self-esteem, self-efficacy, and locus of control. Participants in this study will be female victims of domestic violence over the age of 18 who reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, and who are also members of domestic violence support groups. Participants will complete a survey that includes questions about self-esteem, self-efficacy, and locus of control, in addition to a domestic violence assessment that includes questions about financial and emotional abuse, and barriers that they may face in receiving the support they need. Results will highlight the different ways that domestic violence manifests across SES, and indicate that affluent women have lower levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and a more external locus of control than their low-income counterparts. This is mainly due to the perception that domestic violence doesn’t occur in affluent communities, and thus the distribution of resources is skewed, leading to increased shame and isolation. This information will hopefully provide a foundation for developing programs that seek to provide support for affluent victims of domestic violence.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Intensive Filial Therapy in: (a) improving the self-concept of child witnesses of domestic violence; (b) reducing internalizing behavior problems, such as withdrawal, somatic complaints, anxiety and depression, of child witnesses of domestic violence; (c) reducing externalizing behavior problems, such as aggression and delinquency, of child witnesses of domestic violence; (d) reducing overall behavior problems of child witnesses of domestic violence; and (e) increasing communication of empathy between mothers and child witnesses of domestic violence. A second objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Intensive Filial Therapy with Intensive Individual Play Therapy and Intensive Sibling Group Play Therapy with child witnesses of domestic violence. The experimental group consisted of 11 child witnesses of domestic violence whose mothers received 12 Intensive Filial Therapy training sessions within a three week period and had 12 mother-child play sessions. The Intensive Individual Play Therapy comparison group, consisting of 11 child witnesses, and the non-treatment control group, consisting of 11 child witnesses, were utilized from the Kot (1995) study. The Intensive Sibling Group Play Therapy comparison group was utilized from the Tyndall-Lind (1999) study. Children in all studies completed the Joseph Preschool and Primary Self-concept Screening Test and the Child Behavior Checklist. Mothers who received Intensive Filial Therapy training conducted pretest and posttest play sessions for the Measurement of Empathy in Adult-Child Interaction. Analyses of Covariance revealed the children in the experimental group significantly increased in self-concept, and significantly reduced overall behavior problems. A comparison of t-test scores of the pretests and posttests revealed mothers in the experimental group significantly increased communication of empathy to their children.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of women's anger and religiosity on their expression of violence toward their partner. The sample consisted of the 664 women who completed three interviews for Project HOW: Health Outcomes of Women, a study of low-income, ethnically diverse women in Dallas county. Across the waves, women completed measures of relationship violence, anger, and religiosity. Religiosity was not found to moderate the relationship between women's anger and their use of violence. When partners' threats and violence were included in the regression equations, these variables were consistently related to women's behavior. Due to several methodological limitations, clinical implications of the results should be considered with caution.

Despite significant gains in research and programming, domestic violence persists, with domestic homicides remaining a particular concern. Yet, very little has been written about the administrative and policy responses that exist to combat domestic homicide. In Canada, inquiries, inquests, Domestic Violence Death Review Committees, and other models are increasingly being recognized as important policy responses following an intimate partner death. To assess their potential for tertiary prevention, this thesis examines models of inquiry adopted in Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and British Columbia, using secondary data analysis of relevant literature and reports as well as qualitative interviews with 11 respondents with expertise in one or more of the models. After considering the strengths and limitations of each model of inquiry, the main conclusion drawn is that the models work in complementary fashion such that, in combination, they offer a path forward in combatting the serious problem of domestic homicide. / February 2017

The purpose behind this non- probability sampling, qualitative study is to explore how culture (being African American) and minority status (being a woman) impact the domestic violence experience. Participants were recruited by the author and within the Atlanta University Center Consortium. This study sought to answer two questions: First, what factors put a woman at risk for experiencing domestic violence; and second, what factors aid in a woman’s recovery from domestic violence. Based upon both questionnaire data as well as prior research, the author can reasonably conclude that being African American and a woman impacts the contextual experience of domestic violence.

Bakgrund: Våld i nära relationer är ett samhällsproblem som finns i olika skepnader, så som fysiskt, psykiskt, socialt, materiellt och ekonomiskt våld. Sjuksköterskor har som ansvar att identifiera och bemöta våldsutsatta kvinnor. Vissa sjuksköterskor upplever en rädsla samt en avsaknad av kunskap kring våld i nära relationer. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva våldsutsatta kvinnors upplevelser av sjuksköterskors bemötande inom sjukvården. Metod: Författarna använde en litteraturöversikt med kvalitativa och kvantitativa artiklar. Resultat: Våldsutsatta kvinnor upplevde i olika situationer bristande bemötande vilket gav en känsla av bristande kontroll och autonomi. Erfarenheter skiljde sig beroende på vilket stadie kvinnorna befann sig i den våldsamma relationen. De våldsutsatta kvinnorna upplevde att det fanns en bristande kunskap kring våldsbrott. Kvinnor eftersökte en icke fördömande miljö, empati, respekt, säkerhet och en plats där de kunde vara sig själva. En god kommunikation och en bra miljö var viktigt för att främja hälsa och välbefinnande och för att kvinnorna skulle våga avslöja våldsbrottet. Slutsats: Rutinmässig frågeställning var något som sjuksköterskor och våldsutsatta kvinnor såg som något positivt och borde införas i sjukvården. Ökad kunskap kring våld i nära relationer eftersträvades av både sjuksköterskor och våldsutsatta kvinnor. Kvinnor upplevde att normer och värderingar påverkade sjuksköterskors profession. / Background: Domestic violence against women in a close relationship is a social issue. There are many different types of violence against women, such as physical, psychological, social, material and financial abuse. Nurses have responsibility to identify and help victims of abuse. Some nurses experience a sense of fear and lack of knowledge while dealing with domestic violence. Aim: The aim was to describe the experiences of abused women treated by nurses in healthcare. Method: This thesis employed literature review of quantitative and qualitative articles. Results: Abused women experienced lack of support from nurses in different situations, which made the women feel a lack of control and autonomy. Experiences differs depending on the stage of the women current violent relationships. Abused women reported that there was limited knowledge about domestic violence. Women in violent relationships were looking for a safe, non-judgmental environment and would like to be treated with empathy and respect. They are also searching for safety and a place to be enabled to be themselves. A good communication and a nice environment were important for the women to promote a feeling of health and well-being, when reporting any type of abuse. Conclusion: Routine questioning is something that both nurses and the abused women see as something positive and would like to incorporate into healthcare. Both nurses and the abused women believed that continuing education for nurses on domestic violence was essential and should be improved within the health care. The abused women experienced that norms and values were affecting the nurse profession.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the College Student Attitude Toward Female Victims of Domestic Violence Scale. Procedures used were a 12-day test-retest for reliability, experts assessment for face validity, and a principal component factor analysis for construct validity. Cronbach's alpha for test-retest reliability was .86.

The purpose of this study is to examine domestic violence as it occurs in same-sex male relationships. Data were collected by in-depth interviews with twenty-five gay males, who were between the ages of 23 and 43, and who had previous experience being in a homosexual relationship where domestic violence was present. The major findings of this study include the respondents': 1) definitions of domestic violence and abuse; 2) the type of domestic violence or abuse personally experienced; and 3) reasons they believe domestic violence or abuse occurs in these types of relationships. This study illustrates the need for further research in this area of domestic violence and for programs or services targeted for this specific population.