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                            Library & Multimedia
 Women's Experiences of Violence and Seeking Help
NCJ Number
              227559
Journal

*Violence Against Women* Volume: 15 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 852-868
Author(s)
          Judy L. Postmus;
                        Margaaret Severson;
                        Marianne Berry;
                        Jeong Ah Yoo
Date Published

July 2009
Length
              17 pages
Annotation
              This study explored women's experiences of victimization and their use of and perceptions about the services they received.
Abstract
              Findings in this study report higher levels of childhood and adult victimization, that violence between intimates is common, and that almost all women experienced physical intimate partner violence (IPV). Sexual violence in adulthood is also common; two thirds of the sample reported being raped. Childhood maltreatment is the least reported form of victimization, but was acknowledged by more than half of the women. Co-occurrence of four primary types of victimization (physical child abuse, sexual child abuse, physical IPV, and rape) was reported. When experiences of childhood sexual abuse and physical IPV were examined, significant differences across age, welfare receipt, and sample source were found. When examining the largest ethnic groups represented, Whites were most likely to experience physical IPV, followed by African-Americans. Latina women consistently reported the lowest levels of victimization. Women who have received welfare were significantly more likely than those who have not received welfare to experience childhood sexual abuse, adult IPV, and rape. Women in prison were more likely to report childhood sexual abuse and adult rape, whereas women from the domestic violence/sexual assault agencies reported higher rates of physical IPV. There were no significant differences found between demographic groups in the incidence of childhood physical abuse, nor in education levels for those reporting any of the four types of victimization. Data were collected from 423 women (157 women in prison, 157 receiving services from a domestic violence and/or sexual assault program, and 109 women who had not received services in the 12 months prior to the interview). Tables and references
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2003-IJ-CX-1037


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Report (Study/Research)


  
  
        
  Award
        Violence and Victimization: Exploring Women's Histories of
    
  
  
Date Published: July 1, 2009
    
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Related Datasets
        
                      http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04579
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      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Adult survivors of child sexual abuse
        Adults (18+)
        Black/African Americans
        Dating violence
        Domestic assault



  
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