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                            Library & Multimedia
 Secondary Data Analysis on the Etiology, Course, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence Against Extremely Poor Women (From Violence Against Women and Family Violence: Developments in Research, Practice, and Policy, 2004, Bonnie Fisher, ed. -- See
NCJ-199701)
NCJ Number
              199714

Author(s)
          Amy Salomon, Ellen Bassuk, Angela Browne, Shari S. Bassuk, Ree Dawson, Nick Huntington
Date Published

January 2004
Length
              10 pages
Annotation
              This study determined patterns of partner violence against poor
single mothers, with attention to childhood and adult risk
markers for partner violence; assessed the relationship between
partner violence and substance abuse among poor mothers; and
investigated the relationship between partner violence and
women's capacity to maintain employment over time.
Abstract
              Data were obtained from the Worcester Family Research Project, a
comprehensive investigation into the lives of 202 homeless and
216 low-income housed (never homeless) single mothers living in
Worcester, MA (Bassuk et al., 1996). This longitudinal study
interviewed the women at three points in time, i.e., at baseline
and at approximately 12 months and 24 months. Detailed
information was obtained on interpersonal violence in the lives
of these extremely poor women across their lifespans. To be
eligible for the study, the homeless women had to have lived in a shelter for at least 7 days and have been pregnant or had custody
of at least one dependent child younger than 17 years old. The
comparison group of low-income housed mothers was randomly
selected from women who visited Worcester's Department of Public
Welfare. They also had to be pregnant or had custody of at least
one dependent child younger than 17 years old and be currently receiving public assistance. Of the 436 women in the baseline study, 356 were reinterviewed between May 1994 and November 1996 (follow-up 1), and 327 were again reinterviewed between December
1995 and August 1997 (follow-up 2). At baseline, mothers were on
average 27 years old. Researchers found that poor women who
experienced childhood sexual abuse were significantly more likely
to have experienced intimate partner violence as adults. Two
aspects of women's social supports in adulthood were significantly associated with increased risk of partner violence in the multivariate model. Women who experienced no partner violence had significantly higher levels of emotional support from nonprofessional network members and significantly less conflict in their nonprofessional network than women who reported partner violence. In addition, women with lower self-esteem were more likely to be victimized by abusive partners. Women were at greatest risk for partner violence when their partners had substance abuse problems. A partner's poor work history also predicted increased risk for partner violence, but at a less pronounced rate. The study found that although the lifetime
prevalence of intimate partner violence was high among poor
women, most experiences of such violence were episodic and
limited over time. The study also found that intimate partner
violence was predictive of subsequent drug (but not alcohol)
abuse in poor women. Further, the study found that women who had
experienced recent intimate partner violence had less than one-third the odds of maintaining work over time. Implications of these findings are drawn for researchers and practitioners. 20 references
      
  
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Date Published: January 1, 2004
    
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                Intimate partner violence
        Family violence
        Violence against Women
        Longitudinal studies
        Female



  
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