Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2009. / Adviser: Jay Corzine. Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-137).

This thesis investigates the functions and roles of victim support groups and their leaders in Northern Ireland. In doing so, this thesis employs social capital theory as a conceptual apparatus for understanding leadership roles and the functions of victim support groups. This thesis is the product of a qualitative case study of victim leaders in Northern Ireland. The data was collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with victim support group leaders and policymakers. In the findings chapters of this thesis, a typology of leadership emerges from the data, revealing three distinct types of leaders – Shepherds, In Loco Parentis and Social Innovators – that help explain the roles of victim leaders and the reasons why they engage in certain types of group activities over others, specifically, activities which contribute to bonding, constriction or bridging social capital. The findings reveal that one of the main roles of victim leaders centers around the bonding and bridging of social capital in their groups. Consequently, around 80 percent of victim support groups were found to be bonding, whereas only 20 percent of groups were bridging. Moreover, around 20 percent of victim support groups were engaged in dysfunctional bonding, possibly leading to constriction. These findings have negative implications for the social inclusion of victims, as well as the social cohesion of wider society. This thesis argues that the reasons why victim groups bond, bridge or constrict is directly related to two factors: the type of leadership employed in each group and government policies and funding strategies that reinforce exclusivity and fail to encourage bridging. This thesis also makes significant contributions to the scholarly literature on Northern Ireland’s victims, government policy and social capital theory. The conclusion of this thesis argues that social capital theory and constrict theory both fail to fully explain the roles of victim groups and their leaders because the conceptualizations of these theories do not take into account the effects of leadership in groups and social trust that has been traumatized by protracted political violence. Thus, this thesis re-conceptualizes social capital theory and constrict theory by adding traumatized trust and leadership as important variables which help explain the roles of victim support groups and their leaders in divided and transitional settings. Finally, this thesis offers suggestions for policymakers and victim leaders on a social capital strategy that aims to increase positive forms of social capital and discourage constriction.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, June, 2009.. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D)--Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. / Prepared for: Dept. of Psychology. Title from resource description page. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MA(Criminology))-University of Pretoria, 2007. / Abstract in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

M.A. / Violence exacts an enormous social cost which is concerned with the loss of self-respect in both the perpetrators, the victims as well as the family and the broader social community. The purpose of this study was to describe the link between environmental violence and family well-being so as to develop effective intervention strategies for social work practice and community development. This study was conducted within Zola Primary Health Care Clinic in Soweto. A questionnaire was used as a method of gathering data that was required. The researcher used an exploratory descriptive design. It was found in this study that environmental violence has an impact on family well-being. The results of the study indicated that there is a significant difference between the type of environmental violence that was experienced by the victim e.g. rape/sexual abuse especially whereby the perpetrator is a family member or relative. The results showed that family well-being was affected in a way that victims felt less power, less goal-inclined, less safe within their own families as well as within their own communities. The family well-being is also affected by several factors such as housing, marital status, age, education. For an example the results showed that victims of violence with a higher level of education felt more power, more goal-inclined and safer within their families and within their own communities. Recommendations for social work practice and community development were drawn whereby the importance of knowing and understanding the needs of the victims were highlighted – before effective intervention can take place. / Dr. E. Oliphant

The aim of this study was to investigate the lived experience of forgiveness or unforgiveness in individuals who had been victims of violent crime. 6 participants who had experienced violent crime underwent an in-depth interview (Silverman, 2000) aimed at gathering descriptions of their life world with respect to their experience of forgiveness/unforgiveness. The method used to analyse the transcriptions was Giorgi's (1985) phenomenological method adapted slightly by Wertz (1985 as cited in Giorgi,1985). Findings indicated that the capacity to forgive is associated with the way in which individuals see themselves, others, their world and their perpetrators. Results were discussed with reference to the literature reviewed and an Object Relations Theoretical framework was introduced in order to explain and illuminate some of the findings. The implications and limitations of the study are discussed as well as recommendations for future research. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The Interactive and Discursive View of Violence and Resistance proposes the existence of four-discursive-operations that “(i) conceal violence, (ii) mitigate perpetrators’ responsibility, (iii) conceal victims’ resistance, and (iv) blame or pathologize victims” (Coates & Wade, 2004, p.500). These linguistic operations produce incorrect representations of violence that ignore the unilateral nature of acts of violence and, instead focus on pathologizing victims (Coates & Wade, 2004). Examining how violence, victims, perpetrators, and responsibility for the violence are represented in therapy transcripts in which the presenting issue is violence, will allow us to see if linguistic strategies that are used to discredit victims in everyday talk are also used in therapy by therapists. Analysis of 19 therapy transcripts found that the four-discursive-operations were used in each of the transcripts and that therapists often initiated the use of these inaccurate representations or encouraged the perpetrator’s use of four-discursive-operations. / xii, 228 leaves ; 29 cm.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 17, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-27).

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1999. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2953. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaves i-iii. Includes bibliographical references (178).