No Brasil, o número de estudos sobre violência doméstica contra a mulher, perpetrada pelo companheiro, ainda é escasso. Neste país, como em outros, este problema já foi apontado como sendo de saúde pública, devido suas consequências. Estas consequências não são restritas à saúde física, sexual e mental da mulher, mas também inclui problemas da dinâmica familiar, atingindo a sociedade em geral. Este estudo avalia a prevalência de violência doméstica contra a mulher, cometida pelo companheiro ou por outras pessoas, utilizando-se de questionário aplicado no próprio domicílio da mulher. Todas as mulheres entrevistadas tinham entre 18 a 49 anos de idade na época da consulta médica e eram usuárias do serviço de saúde. A prevalência de violência doméstica perpetrada pelo companheiro alguma vez na vida, referida pelas usuárias, foi de 45,3% para qualquer tipo de violência, que foi denominada de violência geral; 41,5% das mulheres referiram violência psicológica, 26,4% violência física e 9,8% violência sexual. O estudo demonstrou associação da ocorrência de violência doméstica com algumas características apresentadas pelas usuárias como: escolaridade, estado marital, idade da primeira relação sexual, dados sócio-econômicos, vida sexual e reprodutiva e companheiro controlador, além de determinados sinais e sintomas. Destes, alguns se relacionaram com a violência: infecção ginecológica de repetição, depressão, vontade de morrer. Estes resultados, comparados com a prevalência de violência encontrada no serviço de saúde através dos registros médicos, mostraram uma grande diferença. Isto corrobora com a necessidade de tornar o problema da violência contra a mulher mais visível para os profissionais da saúde. / In Brazil the number of studies on domestic violence against women, perpetrated by the partner, is still scarce. In this country, as well as all over the world due to its consequences, this issue has been pointed as a public health problem. These consequences are not limited to physical, sexual and mental health but they reveal problems in the family dynamics and affect society as whole. This study aimed to verify the prevalence of domestic violence against women, perpetrated by the partner or another person. A questionnaire was administered in the women’s household. All respondents have between 18 and 49 years old and were users of a specific health center. The prevalence of violence perpetrated by the partner, once in life, was reported by 45,3% of women and it was denominated general violence; 41,5% of women reported psychological violence, 26.4% physical violence and 9.8% sexual violence. The study showed that the problem of domestic violence is associated with schooling, marital status, age at first sexual intercourse, socioeconomic data, if has children, number of pregnancy and abortions, a controller partner, besides some specific signs and symptoms. Those, already related to violence, are: repeated gynecological infection, depression, suicides thoughts. Comparing the prevalence of violence among users with medical records a large difference is found.. This corroborates to the of making the issue of violence against women more visible for health professional.

Domestic violence perpetrated by men against women persists as a major human rights issue in the United States and around the world with some estimates showing that one in four women will be victimized in their lifetimes. Victims face many obstacles when they try to leave their abusive partners. A major barrier faced by victims is secondary victimization. Secondary victimization is the process in which informal (e.g., family, friends, etc.) and formal (e.g., police officer, judges, etc.) supporters re-victimize the victim by questioning the validity of the abuse, excusing the perpetrator, and blaming the victim. Because most victims seek help from informal supporters first, predictive personality factors of supportive attitudes towards DV victims from informal supporters was the main focus of this study and a measure, the Support for the Victim scale, was developed for the current study based on a review of the literature and a consultation with a licensed psychologist. Using a sample of college students from Brigham Young University, an online survey was conducted to examine which factors are predictive of supportive attitudes towards DV victims.

This research study examined the perspectives of social workers regarding the effects of domestic violence on adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. Research has shown that adolescents who are exposed to domestic violence suffer from long-term psychological and behavioral issues; they exhibit many external and internal behaviors. This study gathered qualitative data by interviewing 13 social workers who have experience working with this demographic and hold a master’s degree in social work. These social workers were employed at a Foster Family Agency, located in Southern California, at the time of the interviews. Participants were asked 11 open and closed ended questions. The study found that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 who witness domestic violence exhibit numerous external and internal behaviors with aggression/anger and depression being the top behaviors exhibited by adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17.

Thesis (MPH)--University of Limpopo, 2010. / Background Despite of all the media information and reports about women abuse and non- reporting, there seems to be a high rate of domestic violence, according to reports obtained at Masonwabisane women support centre in Butterworth, Eastern Cape. According to the managing director of the above centre twenty (20) victims report daily at the centre. Probably because of cultural and religious beliefs, violence is not always reported or talked about. It is against this background that the researcher intended to conduct this study. Aims Examination of the characteristics of abused women who visited Masonwabisane Women Support Centre (MWSC) in Butterworth, Eastern Cape. Methodology Data was collected at MWSC in Butterworth an NGO operating under Mnquma local municipality. A descriptive quantitative study was used on records of abused women obtained from Butterworth areas who visited the centre and were reviewed retrospectively using a template developed by the researcher with effect from the 1st of July to 31 December 2007. The records were divided according to the areas served by the organization and the sub-samples randomly selected from each area. The analysis was based on the information that was generated from the questionnaires that women who visited the centre provided. Results The study indicated that the majority of the participants (94 %) were below the age of 40 years. Among the abused women 49 % were single. Almost all the women were living in the rural, informal settlement or township areas. Only ten (4 %) of the cases had no formal education while close to 82 % had at most a secondary school education and the rest 14.3 % had tertiary education. About 24 % of the cases were unemployed and 26.9 % were students. This gives a total of close to 50 % of cases who are economically inactive. The rest of the respondents were either in full time (15.1 %) and in part time (33.9 %) employment. At the time of presentation at the centre, two third (75 %) were traumatized 24 % injured, 13 % confused while 8.6 % were reserved and 2.9 % not well groomed. Over half (55.5 %) of the abuse cases were emotional abused, followed by physical abuse at 31 % while sexual abuse were 7.3 % and economical abuse were 6.1 %. Over a quarter (33, 5%) of women used tobacco, 10, 2% used alcohol and 3,3 % used illicit drug while over half (53,1%) of women did not use any from of substances. At the time of presentation at the centre the following personality traits from abused women were observed, almost half (44 %) of the abused women were angry, 26 % were stubborn and 15% were submissive while 14 % were aggressive. Majority of women (80 %) reported abuse during the week. One tenth (12 %) of women were abused during their pregnancy and 25% during their menstrual period. Because of the abuse almost a quarter (24 %) were physically disabled. Two thirds (66 %) of the women had children between 1 and 4 were abused. Majority (80 %) of women were abused by their husband or partners. Results show that employment and obstetric status were significantly associated (Χ2 = 96.24, p < 0.001). Type of abuse was not dependent on any other variables in the study. Frequency of reporting was associated with type of substance uses (Χ2 = 18.94, p = 0.04) and relationship with perpetrator (Χ2 = 94.78, p < 0.001). Occupation of the perpetrator was related to obstetric status (Χ2 = 193.58, p < 0.001), disability (Χ2 = 34.51, p < 0.001) and no of children the women had (Χ2 = 116.23, p < 0.001). Conclusion The following characteristics were observed from women who visited MWSC women support centre Butterworth, most women between 20-29 years of age were single they were either having steady relationships co-habiting. Most of them were staying in partner’s house or flat. Most of them came from townships and were economically inactive. It was evident from data analysis that most of them had low level of education (82 % secondary education) and they struggle to get employment. Another characteristic was that 66 % of cases were still students and therefore depended on their partners for financial support, which in some cases were elderly men. Most of them presented traumatized at the centre and the common form of abuse experienced was emotional abuse. Most of the abused women were found angry. To some extent others were so abused that they got injuries that led to their physical disability e.g. fractures. Most of them reported abuse at the centre during the weekdays and working hours. This could have an impact on statistics of women abuse as some women are abused by their partners or husbands during the night or weekend, some of them may feel it is no longer necessary to report abuse the following day or following week. Key words: Domestic violence, Characteristics of abused women, patterns of reporting.

Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29th, 2005. It is considered to be one of the costliest and devastating disasters in the history of the United States. The storm flooded 70% of New Orleans resulting in more than 1,500 people losing their lives and the displacement of an entire urban population. Reconstruction over the past ten years has revitalized much of New Orleans, demonstrating a great resilience and determination of its people. Nonetheless, New Orleans is also experiencing the long-term effects of Hurricane Katrina where victims of domestic violence and the institutions that serve them have been forever changed. This dissertation examines perceptions of domestic violence and help-seeking behaviors among women in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans from 2005 to 2015. Findings show that many women face striking inequalities demonstrated in higher rates of poverty, lack of affordable housing, and one of the highest wage gaps in the United States. Patriarchal attitudes seen in legal institutions, the police force, and political systems contribute to the perception of a gender bias against women. This qualitative research uses a case study methodology and employs ethnographic methods of observation, including 31 in-depth interviews that capture the complexity of domestic violence and identify the social and economic dynamics that create barriers to help-seeking in New Orleans. The data contends that women who have increased access to informal and formal networks are able to enact behaviors that will allow them to seek help and extricate themselves from abusive relationships. These findings demonstrate that inequalities in post-disaster reconstruction have created barriers to help-seeking among victims of domestic violence. These barriers include the destruction of social capital, institutional failures, and limited economic resources. Likewise, findings reveal that attitudes and behaviors regarding domestic violence help-seeking are dependent on social and economic well-being. This highlights the need for more research and hard data on the incidence of domestic violence in New Orleans to learn the exact scope of the problem and how to overcome the social and economic barriers that perpetuate the cycle of domestic violence. / 1 / Kelley Virginia Ponder

Despite the fact that all U.S. states offer some form of civil protection orders to intimate partner violence (IPV) victims, little research has assessed their efficacy. In this analysis, the effect of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status on civil protection order effectiveness is examined. The results indicate that race/ethnicity, overall, is not a significant predictor in protection order efficacy. However, SES, as measured by the petitioner?s highest educational attainment, employment status, and income, is statistically related to repeat victimization and perceptions of efficacy. Policy recommendations and areas for future research are proposed.

<p>The thesis hopes to augment this focus by exploring the multitude of discourses women make in terms of oppression, resilience being one such possible response. It is proposed that the research may expand on existing literature, offering an alternative perspective as to why women often remain in abusive relationships. Furthermore, the rationale of the thesis is to contest the notion that women who remain in domestically violent relationships do so for underlying pathological reasons.</p>

Despite the high prevalence of father-perpetrated maltreatment, relatively little empirical attention has been given to men who abuse and neglect their children (Dubowitz, 2006, 2009; Haskett, Marziano, & Dover, 1996). To further our understanding, the current dissertation explored father-child relational dynamics that underlie risk for child maltreatment. In the first study, data from a sample of 121 maltreating fathers were used to discern differential patterns of parenting dynamics using both theoretical and statistical approaches to classification. It was hypothesized that fathers would show problems predominantly in one of five areas: emotional unavailability; negative attribution, harshness, and rejection; developmentally inappropriate interaction; poor psychological boundaries; and exposure of a child to hostile inter-parental relations. Contrary to expectation, little support was obtained for the predominant problem hypothesis. Although methodological limitations may play a role, results indicated that men were more clearly differentiated by the degree of severity evidenced across their problematic parent-child interactions, than by differences in the specific pattern of problems they experienced. An interesting finding from Study 1 was that increasingly severe relational problems were associated with a misprioritization of parent and child needs. Study 2 further explored this dynamic by revising and re-evaluating a self-report measure of men’s ability to balance needs in the father-child relationship. Data from two samples (93 community fathers and 85 maltreating fathers) provided mixed results: Support was obtained for the internal consistency and construct validity of the image-emotional needs subscale of the measure; however, minimal support was obtained for the personal needs subscale. Furthermore, in contrast to expectation, discriminant validity was not obtained for either subscale, as maltreating fathers reported a better ability to balance needs on both scales than fathers drawn from a community sample. Social desirability was one of several factors deemed to play a key role in this finding. Each study’s contribution to the field is reviewed, along with discussion of limitations and future directions.

Although the effects of witnessing domestic violence on young children were long believed to be non-existent, current research indicates that young children do suffer negative consequences as a result of witnessing violence (e.g., Zeanah, et al., 1999). From research with older children it is known that exposure to violence is associated with emotional dysregulation, behaviour problems, and difficulties in school (e.g., Wolfe et al., 2003). Risk factors (e.g., maternal depression) and protective factors (e.g., secure attachment relationship) have been implicated in both emotional regulatory abilities and the effects of exposure to domestic violence. <p>The present research endeavoured to use a developmental psychopathology perspective to understand the experiences of young children exposed to domestic violence, specifically their emotion regulation abilities and behaviour problems. Study 1 explored the application and reliability of an emotion regulation coding scheme for use with young children during the Face-to-Face Still Face scenario. Study 2 examined the relationship between previous exposure to domestic violence and behaviour problems and emotion regulation, while considering possible moderating variables. The coding system from Study 1 served as the measure of emotion regulation in Study 2. Findings indicated that young children in this study who had been exposed to increased levels of domestic violence also displayed increased internalizing behaviour problems. No relationship was found between exposure to domestic violence and emotion regulation or externalizing problems or sleep problems. Child temperament, attachment security and maternal psychological symptomology were associated with behaviour problems in these children. Maternal psychological symptomology was marginally related to emotion regulation, however temperament and attachment security were not. The relationship between exposure to physical aggression and externalizing behaviour problems was moderated by child temperament and attachment security. The relationship between physical aggression and internalizing behaviour problems was moderated by attachment security. The implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are discussed. Taken together, these two studies expanded the existing literature on the adjustment outcomes associated with exposure to domestic violence in young children.

Despite the high prevalence of father-perpetrated maltreatment, relatively little empirical attention has been given to men who abuse and neglect their children (Dubowitz, 2006, 2009; Haskett, Marziano, & Dover, 1996). To further our understanding, the current dissertation explored father-child relational dynamics that underlie risk for child maltreatment. In the first study, data from a sample of 121 maltreating fathers were used to discern differential patterns of parenting dynamics using both theoretical and statistical approaches to classification. It was hypothesized that fathers would show problems predominantly in one of five areas: emotional unavailability; negative attribution, harshness, and rejection; developmentally inappropriate interaction; poor psychological boundaries; and exposure of a child to hostile inter-parental relations. Contrary to expectation, little support was obtained for the predominant problem hypothesis. Although methodological limitations may play a role, results indicated that men were more clearly differentiated by the degree of severity evidenced across their problematic parent-child interactions, than by differences in the specific pattern of problems they experienced. An interesting finding from Study 1 was that increasingly severe relational problems were associated with a misprioritization of parent and child needs. Study 2 further explored this dynamic by revising and re-evaluating a self-report measure of men’s ability to balance needs in the father-child relationship. Data from two samples (93 community fathers and 85 maltreating fathers) provided mixed results: Support was obtained for the internal consistency and construct validity of the image-emotional needs subscale of the measure; however, minimal support was obtained for the personal needs subscale. Furthermore, in contrast to expectation, discriminant validity was not obtained for either subscale, as maltreating fathers reported a better ability to balance needs on both scales than fathers drawn from a community sample. Social desirability was one of several factors deemed to play a key role in this finding. Each study’s contribution to the field is reviewed, along with discussion of limitations and future directions.