bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ): The Development of a Scale to Measure Deviant Drivers’ Attitudes
Authors: Wiesenthal David L. , Hennessy Dwight , Gibson Patrick M.
Published: September 2018

The Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ) was developed and administered to assess drivers’ use of vengeance when faced with common driving situations. Subjects in the development of the scale were 266 male and female university students. The scale was then administered to 271 university students (both male and female) and 74 male inmates who were classified as either violent or nonviolent offenders on the basis of the amount of force used in committing the offence. A Cronbach alpha of .83 (M = 40.76, n = 310) indicated a high level of internal consistency for the DVQ. Younger drivers (18-23 years old) indicated higher levels of vengeance while driving than did older drivers (24-66 years old, M = 44.35 and 37.81, respectively). Those with less driving experience (0-6 years) expressed higher levels of vengeance while driving than more experienced drivers (6+ years, M = 42.95 and 38.81, respectively). Male drivers responded with greater vengeance to the questionnaire items than females (M = 42.07 and 39.62, respectively). The level of force used in commission of crime failed to correlate with the DVQ. A factor analysis was performed with a different sample of subjects using a slightly modified version of the DVQ to deal with the issue of whether horn honking constituted an appropriate measure of aggression. When the two relevant DVQ items were changed to read “leaning on horn” rather than mere honking, a strong, single factor of vengeance was found to characterize the scale. Suggestions were made for the use of DVQ in the screening of driving license applicants and in the study of problem drivers.
Predictors of Dropout Among Men Who Batter: A Review of Studies With Implications for Research and Practice
Authors: Daly Jennifer E. , Pelowski Susan
Published: September 2018

Identifying the characteristics of men who drop out of batterers’ programs is crucial for prevention, intervention, and research. This article reviews studies of program attrition to establish a description of men who fail to complete group-based batterers’ interventions. Studies indicate that men who drop out are more likely to be unemployed, be unmarried and/or childless, have lower incomes, and less education than men who remain. Dropouts are also more likely to have a criminal history, to report substance abuse or related problems, and to present with particular relationship concerns or orientations. The relationship between court referral and dropout was inconsistent across studies and may vary according to socioeconomic status. Psychopathology is consistently related to dropout, but may be associated with other factors (e.g., comorbidity or referral source). Age, race, childhood exposure to violence, and battering history are all inconsistently associated with dropping out. The implications of these findings for research and program development are discussed.
Labeling Partner Violence: When Do Victims Differentiate Among Acts?
Authors: Hamby Sherry L. , Gray-Little Bernadette
Published: September 2018

Domestic violence professionals have debated whether all physical assaults by partners should be labeled abuse. This study examined the use of labels such as “abuse,” “victim,” and “battered woman” in a sample of women (n = 78) who had sustained at least one physical assault in their current or most recent relationship. Self-labeling followed a differentiating strategy, that is, women experiencing more frequent and more severe assaults were more likely to apply labels. Lower partner income, being Black, lower relationship commitment, and having ended the relationship also were associated with increased self-labeling. Labeling of hypothetical acts followed an inclusive strategy, that is, all assaults were considered abusive. These results suggest that contextual factors influence labeling. Prevention and intervention programs may be able to increase their effectiveness by including more situational context in their messages.
An Empirical Study of Stalking Victimization
Authors: Bjerregaard Beth
Published: September 2018

This article empirically studies the phenomenon of stalking and its victims by utilizing a random sample of college students at a large public University. The study found that 25% of the women and 11% of the men had been stalked at some point in their lives and that six percent were currently being stalked. Additionally, the study found that the majority of stalking victims are women who are stalked by male offenders. The sample reported being stalked for an average of 347 days and having engaged in a variety of actions in response. A substantial number of victims reported being threatened by their stalkers. This threat was associated with higher levels of fear among the victims and a greater chance of physical attack by the stalkers, particularly for the female victims.
Domestic Violence Laws: The Voices of Battered Women
Authors: Smith Alisa
Published: September 2018

This article reports the findings from an exploratory survey of battered women’s views about mandatory arrest, mandatory reporting by doctors and nurses, no-drop policies, confidentiality laws, privilege laws, court-victim advocate programs, and specialized domestic violence courts. Although there was general support for the adoption of these laws, some variation based on demographic and situational circumstance was found. These findings raise questions about the universalistic nature of polices developed to address the problem of domestic violence. Battered women are not a homogeneous group, and public policy may be better designed to accommodate the individual needs of victims.
Perpetrators as Victims: Understanding Violence by Female Street-Walking Prostitutes
Authors: Arnold Elizabeth M. , Stewart J. Chris , McNeece C. Aaron
Published: September 2018

Little is known about the perpetration of violence by women who engage in street prostitution. While some researchers have examined the incidence of abuse among this population, the association between receipt of abuse and violence and later perpetration of violence is unclear. This study presents data from a recent evaluation of a case management program for street-walking prostitutes. A description of the program clients is provided, and factors that are associated with assaultive behavior against clients are examined. Bivariate analyses revealed statistically significant differences between assaultive and nonassaultive women with regard to history of psychiatric hospitalization, history of sexual abuse, history of physical abuse, history of emotional abuse, and whether they had been assaulted on the streets. However, logistic regression on variables related to abuse and violence indicates that controlling for other variables, the only statistically significant predictor of assaultive behavior was history of physical abuse. These results indicate the need for further research on this population as well as access to treatment for these women to address their own abuse and victimization.
Effects of Alcoholic Beverage, Instigation, and Inhibition on Expectancies of Aggressive Behavior
Authors: Cheong Jeewon , Patock-Peckham Julie A. , Nagoshi Craig T.
Published: September 2018

To investigate the role of alcohol expectancy, situational factors, and personality variables in predicting postdrinking aggression, two questionnaire studies were conducted. Subjects were randomly assigned to imagine themselves and their responses in a scenario situation, which was a combination of different beverages (soda vs. alcohol), instigation, and inhibition conditions. Both studies found significant 3-way interactions of personality aggression proneness (Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory Assault scale) by beverage condition and by situational cue condition on subjects’ reported likelihood of engaging in aggressive behavior. Expected aggression was strongly associated with greater aggression proneness in the nonalcoholic condition when there was a situational cue (low inhibition in Study 1, high instigation in Study 2) invoking aggression, but not when the situational cue was absent. This relationship between aggression proneness and expected aggression, however, was attenuated in the alcoholic drink conditions in both studies. In general, it was found that the effect of alcohol on expected aggression was minor relative to the large and significant effects of aggression proneness, instigation, and inhibition.
The Implementation of Workplace Violence Policy in State Government
Authors: Lord Vivian B.
Published: September 2018

Workplace violence has received an increasing amount of attention in the last five years. While it is difficult to conclude that it is actually escalating, the numerous studies do provide numbers that lead one to believe that it is a serious problem. Although agencies and corporations are beginning to develop workplace violence policies, there is no published research that documents the results of the implementation of such policies. The current research examines North Carolina state employees’ familiarity with their new workplace violence policy and reporting procedures, how uniformally the policy is being utilized, victims’ perceptions of their agencies’ responses to their own violent incidents, and their generalized perceptions of the agencies’ intent to keep the workplace safe.
Pregnancy, Stress and Wife Assault: Ethnic Differences in Prevalence, Severity, and Onset in a National Sample
Authors: Jasinski Jana L. , Kantor Glenda K.
Published: September 2018

Research using primarily hospital-based samples has suggested that pregnancy may put women at increased risk for wife assault, however, this research is largely limited by the lack of a comparison group of women who are not pregnant, and the failure to consider racial or ethnic differences in risk for violent victimization. The present study uses data from the 1992 National Alcohol and Family Violence Survey, a national probability sample of 1,970 individuals, to examine the prevalence, severity, and onset of wife assaults associated with pregnancy among Anglo and Hispanic families. The results indicated that pregnancy was associated with minor assaults among Hispanic women and severe assaults among Anglo women. Multivariate analyses revealed that among both Anglo and Hispanic families, there was no direct effect of pregnancy on risk for violent victimization after controlling for socioeconomic status, stressful life events, and age.
Characteristics of Maltreatment Experience and Academic Functioning Among Maltreated Children
Authors: Kinard E. Milling
Published: September 2018

This article examined the impact of maltreatment characteristics on academic functioning in a sample of school-age maltreated children. Results revealed several differences among three types of maltreatment subgroups (physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse) on characteristics of maltreatment experience. Few maltreatment characteristics were significantly related to measures of academic functioning, but the findings suggest that the effects of maltreatment characteristics should be examined separately for different types of maltreatment.
High School Students’ Responses to Dating Aggression
Authors: Watson Jennifer M. , Cascardi Michele , Avery-Leaf Sarah , O’Leary K. Daniel
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this study was to identify high school students’ actions in response to physical aggression in their dating relationships. The association of these actions with race/ethnicity and gender was also examined. From a sample of high school students (N = 476), a subsample who reported that they had experienced at least one episode of being victimized by physical aggression in a dating relationship (n = 183), served as the sample of interest. On average, students engaged in two help-seeking actions, with females reporting more actions than males. Overall, the most common responses to physical aggression in a dating relationship were aggressive action (e.g., fight back), informal help seeking, threatened or actual breakup, and doing nothing (males) or crying (females). Females were more likely to fight back than were males. Race was largely unrelated to students’ actions. Intervention opportunities and areas for future research are discussed.
Childhood Risk Factors for Persistence of Violence in the Transition to Adulthood: A Social Development Perspective
Authors: Kosterman Rick , Graham John W. , Hawkins J. David , Catalano Richard F. , Herrenkohl Todd I.
Published: September 2018

This study examined violent behavior from ages 13 to 21 and identified predictors at age 10. Logistic regression was used to assess predictors of developmental patterns of violence. The sample is from a study of 808 youth interviewed annually from age 10 to 16 years, and again at ages 18 and 21. Over 28% of the youth in the sample reported nonviolence throughout adolescence and into early adulthood. Most youth (55%) engaged in violence in adolescence but desisted from violence in early adulthood, while 16% persisted in violent behavior at age 21. Violence in adolescence was best predicted by male gender, Asian American ethnicity (a protective factor), childhood fighting, early individual characteristics, and early antisocial influences. Adult persistence of violence was best predicted by male gender, early school achievement (which was protective), and early antisocial influences. Early prosocial development was also protective against violence persistence for females. Implications for prevention are discussed.
Correlates Contributing to Involvement in Violent Behaviors Among Young Adults
Authors: Williams James H. , Van Dorn Richard A. , Hawkins J. David , Abbott Robert , Catalano Richard F.
Published: September 2018

The study examines the extent to which gender, personality attributes, household, community, and environmental factors are associated with violent behaviors in young adulthood. The authors present findings from a sample of 765 21-year-old individuals participating in a drug and delinquency prevention study. Personality attributes, opportunities, and social acceptability of antisocial behaviors were identified as accounting for gender differences and having more influence on violent behavior than environmental correlates. Implications for preventive intervention are discussed.
Characteristics of Homicidal and Violent Juveniles
Authors: Shumaker David M. , McKee Geoffrey R.
Published: September 2018

Homicidal youth have received considerable attention in the mass media and social science literature in recent years. Due to several methodological obstacles, relatively little is known about the premorbid and offense characteristics of this population. The current investigation compared 30 juvenile males charged with murder with a group of 62 juvenile males charged with other violent felony offenses. Comparisons were made across 33 demographic, historical, clinical, offense, and forensic characteristics. Both groups were similar in their demographic characteristics and family backgrounds. Juvenile homicide defendants, however, were less likely than the comparison group to have a current Axis I psychiatric diagnosis. Homicide defendants were also more likely to have acted alone and to have committed their alleged crime in a domestic setting. Implications of the results are discussed as are suggestions for future research.
Wife Assault and Perceptions of Sanctions
Authors: Carmody Dianne C. , Williams Kirk R.
Published: September 2018

Using survey data based on telephone interviews of 1,626 coupled males, this study explores the relationship between perceptions of four possible sanctions for wife assault and involvement in this form of physical aggression. The exploratory analysis addresses the following questions: To what extent do men perceive negative reactions to wife assault as certain and severe? Do nonassaultive men perceive the reactions of others as more certain and severe than men who engage in physically aggressive behavior? Among men who assault their partners, are the perceived certainty and severity of sanctions greater for one-time offenders than for repeat offenders? The relevance of the findings on the deterrent and experiential effects of sanctions are discussed, and suggestions are offered for future studies that apply deterrence theory to the phenomenon of assaults taking place between adult partners.
Crime at Home and in the Streets: The Relationship between Family and Stranger Violence
Authors: Fagan Jeffrey , Wexler Sandra
Published: September 2018

Research and theory on violent behavior have treated aggression between intimates and aggression between strangers as separate phenomena. Major criminological works on violence and aggression have generally overlooked violence in the home. As a result, independent and distinct bodies of theoretical and practical knowledge exist regarding family violence and aggression toward strangers, and the relationship between family violence and violence directed against strangers is little understood. Estimates of the intersection of these behaviors vary extensively. Severity of domestic violence is associated with violence outside the home. Exposure to violence as a child consistently emerges as a strong explanatory factor for both domestic violence and the behavior of “generally” violent men. Behavior patterns appear to shift over time, from domestic violence only to violence toward both strangers and family members. However, an integrated theory of violent behavior by males provides explanations of both stranger and family violence. Early childhood socialization toward violence, modified by social and cultural supports during adolescence and adulthood, suggests a social learning paradigm. Hypotheses are developed that integrate and unify theories of stranger and family violence.
Women’s Attributions of Responsibility for Date Rape: The Influence of Empathy and Sex-Role Stereotyping
Authors: Coller Sarah A. , Resick Patricia A.
Published: September 2018

The purpose of the study presented here was to investigate the relation-ship among sex-role stereotyping, empathy with the victim, and subsequent blaming of the victim in response to a date-rape scenario. It was hypothesized that sex-typed (traditional) females would be less likely to perceive forced sex on a date as rape and would attribute more responsibility to the victim than would more egalitarian (nontraditional) females. It was also predicted that the enhancement of victim empathy would result in less victim blame. The subjects were 76 female undergraduates who were chosen on the basis of their extreme scores on a sex-role stereotyping scale. Vignettes describing a date rape were used to manipulate victim empathy. Findings indicated that although attributions of responsibility were influenced by the subject’s sex-role stereotyping, the manipulation of empathy had no apparent influence on victim blame. Furthermore, the lack of correlation between the degree of victim empathy and the subject’s own history of victimization suggests that victim empathy is not a component in victim blame.
The Incidence and Prevalence of Woman Abuse in Toronto
Authors: Smith Michael D.
Published: September 2018

A telephone survey on the physical abuse of women by a male intimate was conducted with a representative sample of 604 Toronto women. Results showed an annual incidence rate of 14.4% and a prevalence rate of 25.0%, based on the Conflict Tactics Scales as the measure of abuse. Several additional measures increased the prevalence rate to 36.4%. These estimates, which are much higher than those obtained in a similar survey conducted two years earlier in Toronto, appear to be the result mainly of improved methodological procedures in the present study.
Grief and Women: Stillbirth in the Social Context of India
Authors: Roberts Lisa R. , Anderson Barbara A. , Lee Jerry W. , Montgomery Susanne B.
Published: September 2018

INTRODUCTION: Few in Western society would argue the potentially devastating impact of stillbirth related grief; but in many developing countries where stillbirth remains the highest in the world, perinatal grief is barely recognized as an issue. The purpose of this study was to explore how poor, rural central Indian women perceive and cope with stillbirths.

METHODS: Seventeen key informant interviews and two focus groups (N = 33) with local health care providers, family members, and women who experienced stillbirth were conducted over a 1-month period in 2011 and then systematically coded for emerging themes using grounded theory methods to explore how women experienced stillbirth.

RESULTS: Although usually never talked about and not recognized as an issue, perinatal grief emerged as a significant shared experience by all. The perceptions of stillbirth-related grief emerged in three major themes and bear evidence of gender and power issues and indicate that local social norms negatively factor heavily into their perinatal grief experiences.

DISCUSSION: The findings in this richly textured study add to the limited literature regarding rural, central Indian women’s experiences with stillbirth and factors influencing their resulting perinatal grief. In light of the void of recognition of this phenomenon in Indian society, a better understanding of the context in which poor Indian women experience perinatal grief will be a first step toward developing much needed culturally rooted interventions to positively impact the women’s abilities to better cope with stillbirth in the context of their realities.
Childhood Sexual Victimization among College Men: Definitional and Methodological Issues
Authors: Fromuth Mary E. , Burkhart Barry R.
Published: September 2018

Little information exists on the childhood sexual victimization of males as it occurs in nonclinical samples. Employing a broad funnel-type of questionnaire methodology, the current study examined childhood sexual victimization in two samples of college men consisting of 253 and 329 students from a large Midwestern and Southeastern university, respectively. There was general consistency between the two samples in the prevalence and descriptive features of the abuse. However, different definitions of abuse generated markedly different outcomes in the data. Depending on the definition utilized, prevalence rates varied from 4% to 24% of the samples being defined as “abused.” Moreover, the quality of experiences varied by definition. Using less restrictive definitions, the experiences reported by men were distinctively different from those reported in studies of college women or clinical samples of boys. This study identifies methodological and definitional issues as being critical to the study of childhood sexual victimization, particularly among males.
Making a Difference: The Experiences of Midwives Working With Women Who Use Illicit Drugs
Authors: Miles Maureen , Chapman Ysanne , Francis Karen
Published: September 2018

AIM:This article describes the experiences of midwives who choose to work with pregnant women who use illicit drugs.

BACKGROUND:Pregnant women who use illicit drugs present complex challenges for those who choose to work with them. Society’s views on illicit drug use fluctuate from acceptance and harm minimization to reprimand and retribution.

METHOD:Qualitative interviews were conducted between June and August 2009 with 12 Australian midwives. A thematic analysis method informed by hermeneutic phenomenology was applied to interpret this data to explicate lived experiences and gain deeper understanding and meanings of this phenomenon.

FINDINGS:Three major themes encapsulated the experience: making a difference, making partnerships, and learning to let go. The focus of this article, “making a difference,” included two subthemes of “working on the margins” and “transition and transformation.” The midwives were both rewarded and challenged by the needs of women who use illicit drugs and by the systems in which they worked.

CONCLUSIONS:The midwives acknowledged that their aspirations “to make a difference” was not always sufficient when working with women who use illicit drugs. They also require the establishment of maternity services that are compassionate and accessible, including woman–care provider partnerships and continuity of the care environments.
Personality Characteristics of Spouse Abusers: A Controlled Comparison
Authors: Hastings James E. , Hamberger L. K.
Published: September 2018

The present study compared male spouse abusers, with and without alcohol problems, with age-matched, nonabusive males on measures of personality style, personality disorder, dysphoria, and a number of demographic measures. There were no differences among the groups in racial composition, religious preference, or religious devoutness. Male abusers were less likely to be employed, to be in intact relationships, and were less well educated. They were more likely to have witnessed abuse or experienced abuse as children, although that observation is more characteristic of abusers with alcohol problems. Measures of personality and psychopathology generally supported the hypothesis that abusive males would show greater elevations on test scales reflecting personality disorder and dysphoria and less conformity than nonbatterers. Alcohol abuse was related to greater batterer-nonbatterer differences. Implications of these findings and methodological concerns for future research are discussed.
Contributions of Family Violence Research to Criminal Justice Policy on Wife Assault: Paradigms of Science and Social Control
Authors: Fagan Jeffrey
Published: September 2018

Criminal justice policy on family violence has evolved over the past two decades, informed by political activism as well as theory and research from divergent and often competing perspectives. Experimental research on mandatory arrest of men who assault female partners, policy research on special prosecution programs, and the development of treatment programs for men who batter, typify the strategies for applying criminal sanctions to family violence. However, other critical research on family violence has not been integrated into criminal justice policy, limiting policy development and intervention strategies to practices which reflect contemporary models of sanctions and social control. The limited contributions of family violence research to criminal justice policy reflect competing paradigms of social science, the challenge of family violence cases to the normative processes and the social organization of the criminal courts, and divergent perspectives on social control of offenders in family and stranger violence cases. Strategies for an integrated policy development process are suggested.
Who Are Those Guys? Toward a Behavioral Typology of Batterers
Authors: Gondolf Edward W.
Published: September 2018

This paper reviews a cluster analysis of batterer abuse and antisocial variables drawn from intake interviews with battered women in Texas shelters. A substantial portion of severely abusive and extremely antisocial batterers are identified in the cluster solution. A typology, based on cross-tabulations of the clusters and descriptive variables, includes three types of batterers: sociopathic, antisocial, and typical batterers. These findings suggest that research on batterer characteristics needs to direct attention to the differentiation of batterers, and that intervention with especially the sociopathic and antisocial batterers needs to go beyond court-mandated counseling and anger control treatment.
Temperament, Adjustment, and Alcoholism in Adult Female Incest Victims
Authors: Carson David K. , Council James R. , Volk Margaret A.
Published: September 2018

Female adult incest victims differing in history of alcoholism were compared to an alcoholism-only and a no incest/no alcoholism group on dimensions of temperament, psychological adjustment, and self-esteem. Incest victims with histories of alcoholism were more alienated and withdrawn, less rhythmical in their daily behavior, and evidenced lower self-esteem, more negative mood, greater social nonconformity, and more emotional discomfort than women in the other three groups. Women in the no incest/no alcohol group showed the best self-esteem and psychological adjustment and were generally more positive in the expression of various temperamental characteristics. The findings also suggested an association between incestuous victimization and an alcoholic family of origin.
Conceptions of Rape
Authors: Remer Rory , Witten Barbara J.
Published: September 2018

Where previous studies have examined attitudes and perceptions of the rape act, we have attempted to delve into the meanings which people impute at a less conscious level. Using Semantic Differential methodology, a stratified sample of participants rated the concepts of “assault,” “rape,” “seduction” and “love-making”; these were chosen along an underlying dimension of violence/coercion. Analysis incorporating the blocking variables (gender X SES) and other demographic personal information demonstrated that: “assault/rape” and “seduction/love-making” were seen as similar; “rape/seduction” as somewhat similar; and “assault/love-making” and “rape/love-making” as dissimilar. In general, important demographic/personal variables yielded no interpretable results. However, “prior rape experience” influenced participants’ conceptions of the act of rape significantly. This result is discussed in light of some mixed results of previous studies in this area. We also present suggestions for interventions, based on the findings of this study.
Stakes and Risks in the Prediction of Violent Criminal Behavior
Authors: Gottfredson Don M. , Gottfredson Stephen D.
Published: September 2018

Retributive and utilitarian goals for criminal justice decisions are in conflict. In part, this is because the retributive aim rejects prediction, while all utilitarian aims require it. In the context of this debate, we review research concerning the prediction of violence, and conclude that because such predictions are of low accuracy, they are only modestly useful for public policy formulation or for individual decision-making. Because we believe prediction, and utilitarian goals, to be important, this paper focuses on two issues that have potential for increasing the accuracy with which predictions may be made. One is the measurement of the seriousness of crime and ways to improve it. Second, we introduce the concept of societal stakes and suggest that this must be assessed as well. Finally, we propose a model that may be useful for lessening the conflict between retributive and utilitarian perspectives.
Violence Prediction Methods: Statistical and Clinical Strategies
Authors: Gottfredson Stephen D. , Gottfredson Don M.
Published: September 2018

The paper suggests that the conventional wisdoms that we cannot and should not predict violence are wrong. We can predict violence, and we should predict violence. It is the unfortunate case, however, that we cannot do it very well, and this is true whether the predictions are made subjectively or statistically. Since the prediction of violence (and of other antisocial behaviors) is so pervasive in our justice and mental health systems, it is important that we attempt to do it better—that is, more efficiently and more effectively. In this paper we show that there is value to both clinical and statistical strategies toward the prediction problem, and suggest ways by which both may be improved. Attention to issues of fundamental measurement, to the base rate, to selection ratios, and to the methods of combining predictive information will be needed if the suggested improvements are to be realized. Finally, we propose that the statistician and the clinician need to pay attention to and learn from one another.
Unacknowledged Rape in the Community: Rape Characteristics and Adjustment
Authors: Littleton Heather , Layh Marlee , Rudolph Kelly
Published: September 2018

Unacknowledged rape, labeling a rape as a nonvictimizing event, remains largely unstudied among non-college women. This study therefore sought to examine differences in assault characteristics, adjustment, and disclosure by rape acknowledgment status among a sample of lower income rape victims (n =104) recruited from a reproductive health clinic (mean age = 28.8 years). Although unacknowledged rape was infrequent (17.1% of victims), unacknowledged victims reported that the perpetrator used less force and were less likely to have assertively resisted, as compared to acknowledged victims. There were no significant differences in disclosure, depression, and somatic complaints between unacknowledged and acknowledged rape victims. Implications of the findings for understanding rape acknowledgment and postrape adjustment among community women are discussed.
Characteristics of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Experienced by a Sample of Portuguese Men
Authors: Machado Andreia , Hines Denise , Matos Marlene
Published: September 2018

International research has established that men can be victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). In Portugal, this phenomenon has not yet received scientific or social attention, although since the 1990s, IPV has been acknowledged as a notable problem. An online cross-sectional study was conducted with 89 heterosexual men who, after completing the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, identified themselves as victims of IPV. We examined the prevalence of IPV, its context, its perceived impact, men’s reactions after an episode of violence, men’s perceived motives for the partner’s aggressive behavior, and reasons that prevented men from leaving the abusive relationship. The results revealed many similarities to the findings in the literature on female victims and are discussed in terms of their practical implications. Increased knowledge of this underreported phenomenon is vital to the development of suitable policies and support services.
Organized Activity Participation and Relational Aggression: The Role of Positive Youth Development
Authors: Eisman Andria B. , Stoddard Sarah A. , Bauermeister José A. , Caldwell Cleopatra H. , Zimmerman Marc A.
Published: September 2018

Relational aggression among early adolescents is a pervasive problem that negatively influences the health and well-being of youth. Strength-based approaches such as positive youth development (PYD) are a promising way to reduce risk of detrimental outcomes such as relational aggression. Participation in organized activities is a key way that youth build assets related to PYD. Yet, few researchers have examined empirically assets related to PYD as a mechanism by which organized activity participation may help reduce risk of relational aggression. In this study, we used structural equation modeling to investigate if assets associated with PYD mediate the relationship between organized activity participation and relational aggression using survey data from a diverse, school-based sample of early adolescents (N = 196; mean age = 12.39 years; SD = 0.52; 60% female; 45% African American, 27% White, 21% multiracial, and 7% other, 71% economically disadvantaged). We tested 2 competing models, 1 with decomposed PYD factors and 1 with an integrated PYD factor. Our results suggest that PYD better fit as an integrated versus decomposed construct, providing support for the notion that youth benefit most from assets related to PYD when they operate collectively. Our results also provide support for PYD-related factors as a mechanism by which participation may reduce risk of relational aggression. Limitations of this study, and implications for prevention are discussed.
Regional Variation in Homicide Rates: Why Is the West So Violent?
Authors: O’Carroll Patrick W. , Mercy James A.
Published: September 2018

Scientists have long been interested in the fact that the South has consistently had the highest crude homicide rates in the United States. Past investigations, however, have generally been predicated on the assumption that this geographic pattern was not attributable to or substantially altered by the age or race structures of the populations being compared. In this study, we calculated age-adjusted homicide rates for each of three race categories—white, black, and other—for each state and region in the United States in 1980. We found that for each race group, homicide rates were highest, not in the South, but in the West. Moreover, homicide rates for blacks were lower in the South than in any other region of the country. We infer that, for 1980 at least, the high crude homicide rate in the South results from the mutual effect of two factors: (1) blacks have very high homicide rates compared with whites, and (2) blacks make up a larger proportion of the population in the South than in other regions of the country. It remains to be determined whether the age-adjusted, race-stratified rates of past decades also show this pattern.
The Development of a Measure of Psychological Maltreatment of Women by Their Male Partners
Authors: Tolman Richard M.
Published: September 2018

This study describes the initial development of a scale of measurement of psychological maltreatment of women by their male partners. The initial version of the scale was administered to 407 men and 207 women at intake into a domestic violence program. All 58 items of the scale were endorsed by a large enough number of subjects to warrant inclusion in the final instrument. Factor analysis revealed a similar factor structure for the men and women, with dominance-isolation and emotional-verbal abuse factors emerging from the analysis. Intracouple reliability for each item of the scale was examined for the subset of men and women who were cohabiting couples (n = 28). Unsurprisingly, the agreement of men’s and women’s reports was low, though the scores on the domination-isolation subscale were significantly correlated.
Child Abuse and Failure to Thrive: Individual, Familial, and Environmental Characteristics
Authors: Dubowitz Howard , Zuckerman Diana M. , Bithoney William G. , Newberger Eli H.
Published: September 2018

Similar theories of etiology have been postulated for child abuse and nonorganic failure to thrive (FTT). This study compared individual, familial, and environmental conditions in cases of child abuse to cases of FTT. Assessment of the mother’s childhood home, supports, current living situation, attitudes toward her child, and child characteristics (such as temperament, social maturity, and complicating medical conditions) showed the groups to be remarkably alike. The major significant difference was that although both groups were poor, the abuse group was even more impoverished and lived in more crowded conditions than the families with a child with FTT. These data suggest a common etiologic context for different pediatric social illnesses and the need for a broad collaborative approach by pediatricians and colleagues in related disciplines.
Male Abuse of a Married or Cohabiting Female Partner: The Application of Sociological Theory to Research Findings
Authors: Ellis Desmond
Published: September 2018

Does woman abuse vary with marital status and, if so, why? The primary objectives of this article are to answer these two questions. A review of research findings indicates that men are more likely to beat women they live with than those they have married. The theoretical accounts of Goode and Gelles are used as a starting point for an explanation of this finding. Implicated in this explanation are social factors operating at the level of society (group memberships), a disjunction between patriarchal societal norms and their existential basis in households (employment patterns), relational norms (ambiguity and flexibility), and social and economic costs. These variables influence woman abuse differentials by either increasing the amount of strain/stress or decreasing the likelihood of effective social regulation.
Counseling Male Spouse Abusers: Characteristics of Treatment Completers and Dropouts1
Authors: Hamberger L. K. , Hastings James E.
Published: September 2018

This article examines differential demographic and personality characteristics of completers (n = 88) and dropouts (n = 68) from a spouse abuse abatement counseling program. Chi-square analyses on categorical data and multivariate analyses of variance on personality test data revealed several predicted findings. In general, treatment dropouts were younger and had lower employment levels than treatment completers. Dropouts also had higher pretreatment levels of police contact than completers for alcohol- and drug-related offenses, as well as miscellaneous offenses, but not for violent offenses. Personality data indicated greater borderline and schizoidal tendencies among dropouts, compared to completers, as measured by the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). Moreover, completers evidenced lower levels of overall psychopathology than dropouts. Discriminant function analyses correctly predicted 71% of dropouts with the following variables: volunteer status, race, employment, MCMI-Alcohol scale and pretreatment miscellaneous criminal offenses. The results of the present study are discussed in terms of victim safety planning and program policy implications.
Brief Research Report: The Reliability of the Rape Index in a Sample of Rapists and Nonrapists
Authors: Barbaree Howard E. , Baxter David J. , Marshall William L.
Published: September 2018

Erectile responses of a sample of incarcerated rapists (N = 60) and male university students (N = 41) were monitored during verbal descriptions of adult heterosexual interactions. The verbal descriptions varied in terms of the consent given by the female and the degree of force or coercion used by the male. Each subject was tested in two laboratory sessions, and rape indices were calculated as the ratio of rape arousal to consenting arousal. The discrimination between consenting and nonconsenting cues was stronger in nonrapists than rapists. This difference was observed mainly because of an increase in the nonrapists’ discrimination in the second session, in which nonrapists’ arousal to consenting cues was enhanced. Based on the whole sample, test-retest reliability coefficients were unacceptably low. Eliminating subjects exhibiting only minimal arousal according to various criteria yielded higher coefficients in both groups. However, in the nonrapist group, acceptable levels of reliability were only reached after eliminating all subjects who did not reach at least 75% of full erection (over half the sample). We concluded that the reliability of the rape index is questionable, particularly when there is doubt as to whether the subject being tested is a rapist or a nonrapist, or when testing only nonrapists.
Police Response to Domestic Violence: The Influence of Individual and Familial Factors
Authors: Stith Sandra M.
Published: September 2018

Although police officers are often the first group outside the family to intervene in domestic violence situations, little is known about how individual and family characteristics influence the male police officer’s responsiveness in these situations. This study addressed this issue with data from 72 midwestern male police officers. The officers were asked to respond to vignette scenarios in which husbands had assaulted their wives. Three variables previously related to spouse abuse (sex role egalitarianism, approval of marital violence, and marital stress) and the officer’s use of violence in his own marriage were entered into a path model to predict three different possible police responses (i.e., mediating response, arrest, and antivictim response). The model predicted significant variance in the officer’s hostile response to victims of domestic violence but not to his likelihood of arresting abusers or mediating between the abusive couple. Implications for understanding domestic violence and police response are presented.
Premarital Violence: The Impact of Family of Origin Violence, Stress, and Reciprocity
Authors: Marshall Linda L. , Rose Patricia
Published: September 2018

Four hundred and fifty-four premarital undergraduates reported their stress and observation and experience of violence in their families of origin. They also reported the violence they have expressed and received in adult love relationships. Among females 53% to 71% of the variance in their expression and receipt of violence was accounted for by their own receipt and expression of violence (respectively) and by their having been abused as a child. This suggests that what they do is closely related to what is done to them. In contrast, among males less than 1% to 10% of the variance in their expression and receipt of violence was accounted for by the same variables. Neither negative stress ratings or the observation of violence were important explanatory variables. Surprisingly, positive stress contributed to males expressing violence.
Interventions with Battered Women in Health Care Settings
Authors: Kurz Demie
Published: September 2018

Over the past decade advocates for battered women in the health care system, citing the large number of battered women who come to health care settings, have proposed interventions and trainings for health care personnel on behalf of battered women. However, little is currently known about the effectiveness of intervention efforts. This paper presents observation data on characteristics of battered women in four hospital Emergency Departments (EDs) and on staff responses to battered women in these EDs. The data show definite patterns in the women’s characteristics and in staff responses to battered women. These data raise issues which should be considered in the researching and designing of interventions for battered women in the health care system.
Police Response to Wife Assault in Northern Ireland
Authors: Montgomery Pamela
Published: September 2018

To a large extent research on police response to wife assault had been dominated by the North American experience. Recent work in Britain has cast doubt on the extent to which these findings are applicable to the British context and drawn attention to the need for studies which explore the specific context in which policing occurs. It is argued that this approach has particular relevance in Northern Ireland where, in contrast to North America and Britain, the police operate in a context of political violence. Using data obtained from a series of semi-structured interviews with 67 women who defined themselves as victims of wife assault, the study examines police response in Northern Ireland. While the results indicate similar patterns of police response in Northern Ireland as those found elsewhere, the results also suggest that factors specific to the Northern Ireland context may influence women’s use of the police, police procedures and police attitudes, and women’s experience as victims.
The Role of the Child in Physical Abuse: A Reappraisal
Authors: Ammerman Robert T.
Published: September 2018

Friedrich and Boriskin’s (1976) seminal review presented compelling evidence pointing toward the contribution of child factors in heightening risk for physical abuse. Indeed, many authors currently accept that certain child characteristics (e.g., prematurity, low birthweight) can directly lead to abuse. Much of the data in this area, however, is based on methodologically weak designs, and recent findings do not support the premise that children have a major role in the etiology of abuse. There is some suggestion that children with relatively circumscribed features may add to risk in families that already exhibit additional factors predisposing them to maltreatment. This paper re-examines the role of the child in abuse, reviews recent relevant research findings, and offers new directions that research in this area might take.