bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Nature and Function of Fusion in the Dynamics of Lesbian Relationships
Authors: Greene Kathryn , Causby Vickie , Miller Diane Helene
Published: July 2003

Although much has been written about the problem of fusion in relationships, especially among lesbians, there is little evidence of its prevalence in the nonclinical lesbian community or information about the function it may serve in lesbian relationships. This study examined the frequency of fusion in lesbian and heterosexual women's relationships and the relationship of fusion to other relational variables. The study found that there were no differences between lesbian and heterosexual women's levels of fusion and that fusion was strongly related to both satisfaction and dependence.
Blending Work and Family: A Case Study
Authors: Sprang Ginny , Secret Mary , Bradford Judith
Published: July 2003

This article describes an employer-based infant-care program that is a unique response to the needs of working parents. This parentingatwork option allows mothers to blend the often-competing demands of work and family and provides high-quality child care to their infants in the workplace. The article also examines the impact of this program on the mothers, the infants, and the workplace.
Toward a Position Statement on the Congregate Care of Children
Authors: Peebles-Wilkins Wilma
Published: July 2003

Political considerations that both led to a focus on personal responsibility and culminated in current welfare-to-work programs involved early discussions and punitive proposals for the care of welfare dependent children. Social work advocacy groups lobbied extensively and developed reactive positions in response to these proposals. Aprofessional position statement on the care of dependent children had not been developed, and a number of social workers began to discuss ideological views such as the care of dependent children in orphanages. The following perspective is exemplar of some of those communications.
Restructuring Resilience: Emerging Voices
Authors: Bachay Judith B. , Cingel Pamela A.
Published: July 2003

This study presents a qualitative analysis of the subjective voice of minority women in which the women revealed three constitutional factors that enhanced their resilience: strong measures of self-efficacy, well-defined faith lives, and the ability to reframe barriers and obstacles. Relational factors that mediated success were close maternal relationships and positive relationships that served as sources of support within and outside the family at various developmental junctures.
Facilitating Effective Relationships Between Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Health Care Professionals
Authors: Stalker Carol A. , Schachter Candice L. , Teram Eli
Published: July 2003

Clients in psychotherapy related to childhood sexual abuse often consult a variety of health care professionals, including physical therapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors. On the basis of interviews with 27 women survivors of childhood sexual abuse, this article offers suggestions for facilitating the relationships between survivors and physical therapists. Awareness of the difficulties that many survivors face when receiving therapy involving touch will increase the ability of psychotherapists to help clients receive the maximum benefits from these therapies.
Teaching Students About Collaborative Approaches to Organizational Change
Authors: O'Connor Mary Katherine , Netting F. Ellen
Published: July 2003

This article explores the implications of teaching students about collaborative practice in organizations and how collaboration in making changes requires finding and developing alternative models to traditional approaches. It discusses the limits of models of planned change that are taught in organizational practice, identifies the underlying assumptions of collaborative approaches to change, and proposes a beginning framework for teaching students how to use collaborative change in organizations.
African American Grandmothers: New Mothers Again
Authors: Gibson Priscilla A.
Published: July 2003

This qualitative study captured the lived experiences of 12 grandmothers who assumed the role of primary caregivers of their grandchildren because the children's parents were not present. The study found that the grandmothers experienced a role shift from grandmothers to new mothers again, which resulted in unanticipated changes in all aspects of their lives.
Women's Issues and Social Work Accreditation: A Status Report
Authors: Bentley Kia J. , Valentine Deborah , Haskett George
Published: July 2003

This article highlights the challenges inherent in bringing a feminist perspective to women's issues in a woman's profession. It also reviews efforts by the Council on Social Work Education's Commission on the Role and Status of Women to determine how the accreditation process is perceived as a vehicle for improving the conditions and addressing the gender-based concerns of women faculty and students and increasing the inclusion of women's content in the curriculum.
Helping Clients, Helping Ourselves: A Social Work Agenda for Achieving Occupational Equity
Authors: Gibelman Margaret
Published: July 2003

This article explores the glass-ceiling barriers and pay inequities experienced by women who are employed in the nonprofit human services. In addition, it reviews past and current initiatives to ameliorate gender discrimination and discrepancies between equal opportunity policies and continued marketplace realities and presents implications for policy development, social action, research, and practice.
Ethnic and Lesbian: Understanding Identity Through the Life-History Approach
Authors: Brotman Shari , Kraniou Stavroula
Published: July 2003

Canadian lesbians of ethnic ancestry experience many identity struggles as a result of being in multiple situations within both their own ethnic communities and their chosen lesbian communities. The case study presented here used a life-history approach to explore these dynamics. The life and experiences of one lesbian of ethnic ancestry are examined to highlight the usefulness of the life-history method in uncovering the complex realities that ethnic lesbians face in the creation of their subjective identities.
Battered Women and Their Children: A Public Policy Response
Authors: Owens-Manley Judith
Published: July 2003

Domestic violence has long been acknowledged as an issue in intimate relationships but treated as a private, rather than a public, problem. As fewer federal funds are made available and more fiscal responsibility is shifted to state governments, the states' policies will become more and more critical. This article assesses New York State's domestic violence policy and presents a framework of a three-tier continuum of services: shelter and short-term assistance, transitional services, and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems.
Sexual Revictimization
Authors: Yeater Elizabeth A. , O'Donohue William
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this study was to evaluate previously victimized and nonvictimized women's responses to a sexual assault prevention program using a training-to-criterion approach. Responses measured included (a) whether participants already knew the information provided, (b) whether sexually revictimized experimental participants took longer to be trained to criterion than did nonrevictimized experimental participants, and (c) whether sexually revictimized control participants knew less information than did nonrevictimized control participants. Results indicated that sexually revictimized participants did not take longer to be trained to criterion on the program segments and did not know less material on Trial 1 of the prevention program than nonrevictimized participants did. In fact, participants who reported a single victimization experience took significantly longer to be trained to criterion than did revictimized participants on a measure that assessed identification of risky dating behaviors. Implications of these results and suggestions for future research in prevention programming with women are discussed.
Alcohol Consumption and Expectancies Among Sexually Coercive College Men
Authors: Wilson Amy E. , Calhoun Karen S. , McNair Lily D.
Published: July 2003

This study investigated the relationship between college men's self-reported histories of coercive sexual behavior, alcohol consumption, and alcohol expectancies regarding sexual behaviors. Hypotheses were (a) history of sexually coercive behavior would be associated with more alcohol consumption, (b) sexually coercive men would hold greater alcohol expectancies for sexual behaviors, and (c) alcohol expectancies would moderate the relationship between alcohol consumption and sexual coercion. In addition, the authors hypothesized that alcohol expectancies would vary as a function of the method of sexual coercion used, such that men reporting that they had sexually coerced a woman by giving her alcohol would hold greater alcohol expectancies than would coercive men who used other methods. Results supported the first three hypotheses. However, men who used alcohol as a means of coercion did not hold significantly greater alcohol expectancies than did coercive men who used other means.
The Effects of Extremely Violent Comic Books on Social Information Processing
Authors: Kirsh Steven J. , Olczak Paul V.
Published: July 2003

This study investigated the effects of reading extremely violent comic books (EVCB) versus non-violent comic books (NVCB) on the interpretation of overt and relational ambiguous provocation situations. Two hundred forty-nine introductory psychology students read either EVCB or NVCB. After reading the comic books, participants read hypothetical stories in which overt or relational aggression occurred but the intent of the provocateur was ambiguous. After each story, participants were asked a series of questions about the provocateur's intent, potential retaliation toward the provocateur, and the provocateur's emotional state. Trait hostility was significantly related to hostile responding. Regardless of the type of aggression, participants reading EVCB responded more negatively than participants reading NVCB did. Males responded more negatively to the overt scenarios, whereas females responded more negatively to the relational scenarios. Results indicate that interpretation of ambiguous material appears to be affected by a number of variables, including gender, trait hostility, and violent media.
Thresholds and the Abstinence Violation Effect
Authors: Warren Keith
Published: July 2003

The idea that sexual offenses occur as the culmination of a chain of actions on the part of offenders is central to contemporary cognitive behavioral models of relapse prevention. However, quantitative tests of this idea have remained rare. This article presents a mathematical model of the offense chain that allows a quantitative hypothesis test and tests the model using archival records of the daily behaviors of 7 developmentally disabled sex offenders. The results lend statistical support to models of the offense chain and allow consideration of the implications of the dynamics of offender behaviors for treatment
Abductor Violence in Nonfamily Infant Kidnapping
Authors: Baker Timothy , Burgess Ann W. , Rabun John B. , Nahirny Cathy
Published: July 2003

A study of 199 nonfamily infant abduction cases reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children between 1983 and 2000 compared violent with nonviolent cases. Violence occurred in 30 (15%) of the 199 cases. Murder of the victim mother occurred in 18 (60%) of the 30 cases, including 2 cases in which both parents were murdered. In 6 of the 30 cases (33%), the newborn was extracted by cesarean section, and 1 newborn died. Violent abductors compared to nonviolent abductors were more often women who were older than 30, married, overweight, who planned the abduction, had a prior relationship with the victim mother, used a confidence-style approach, carried a weapon, had a codefendant, and were motivated by a need to secure a partner relationship
Childhood Victimization and Lack of Empathy as Predictors of Sexual Offending Against Women and Children
Authors: Simons Dominique , Wurtele Sandy K. , Heil Peggy
Published: July 2003

A model of sexual deviance is presented which illustrates that lack of empathy mediates the associations between childhood victimization experiences and adult risk for sexual offending against women and children. For 188 incarcerated sexual offenders, admissions of victims and disclosures of childhood experiences of abuse and early exposure to pornography were recorded from criminal history, a sexual history questionnaire, and polygraph examinations. Empathy was assessed using victim- and abuse-specific measures. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model that included the direct effects of childhood victimization on number and type of victims, as well as the mediated effects through lack of empathy. Offenders who reported child sexual abuse as children and early exposure to pornography displayed less empathy for children in abusive situations and they reported more child victims. Offenders who reported physical abuse displayed less empathy for women in abusive situations and they reported more adult victims.
Agreement on Reports of Intimate Partner Violence Among White, Black, and Hispanic Couples in the United States
Authors: Caetano Raul , Schafer John , Field Craig , Nelson Scott M.
Published: July 2003

This article examines agreement on reports of male to female partner violence (MFPV) and female to male partner violence (FMPV) and predictors of agreement among White, Black, and Hispanic couples in the United States. Using a probability sample, separate face-to-face interviews were conducted in respondents' homes with both members of 1,635 couples living in the 48 contiguous states. The response rate was 85%. Results indicate that concordance about intimate partner violence among couples is low, independent of ethnicity. More than half of all MFPV and FMPV events would not have been identified if identification required agreement between partners. Women seem to be more willing to identify themselves as perpetrators of violence than men are. Logistic analysis shows that cohabitation versus marriage, more years of education, and Hispanic compared to White ethnicity are associated with a lower level of agreement on MFPV. No variable in the analysis affects levels of agreement for FMPV.
The Effectiveness of the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire as an Offenders' Classification Measure
Authors: Loza Wagdy , Loza-Fanous Amel
Published: July 2003

This study was conducted to investigate whether the Self-Appraisal Questionnaire (SAQ), which has been demonstrated to be reliable and valid for the prediction of violent and nonviolent recidivism, could also be effective as a classification tool for offenders. The results demonstrated that the SAQ could be a useful tool for classifying offenders to different levels of security, assigning to appropriate programs, and assisting with the prediction of offenders' institutional adjustment. These results have broadened the utility of the SAQ within the criminal justice system
The Role of Weapons in Violent Acts
Authors: Killias Martin , Haas Henriette
Published: July 2003

The role of guns and other weapons in violent acts has often been a subject of debate. The present study is based on a sample of 21,314 valid interviews with 20-year-old Swiss men, representing more than 70% of this cohort. The results show a much higher frequency of violence among owners of handguns and other weapons, but not of rifles. Gun owners also have been injured more often and they suffer more often from psychiatric symptoms. A considerable proportion of violent gun owners had previous police contacts and court appearances, suggesting that policies designed to confiscate guns would be feasible. In a multivariate model, which considered a great number of conventional criminological variables (such as delinquent friends) and indicators of psychopathology, ownership of handguns and other weapons (but not rifles) turned out to be a very important factor in explaining violence leading to bodily injury.
Characteristics of High-Risk Adolescents' Dating Violence
Authors: Chase Kenneth A. , Treboux Dominique , O'leary K. Daniel
Published: July 2003

Eighty-nine high-risk dating violent (DV) and non–dating violent (NDV) male and female adolescents were compared on several factors within the domains of behavioral problems, psychological adjustment, and parenting, in this exploratory investigation. Dating violence status was then regressed onto the significantly differing factors. DV males reported more violence against a past partner and marijuana usage in the past year, earlier onset of drug use other than marijuana, and elevated levels of externalization (together accounting for 58% of variance), whereas DV females reported elevated rates of internalization and having received less parental involvement, supervision, and behavioral control (together accounting for 35% of variance). Past dating violence for males and internalization for females accounted for significant unique variance. Findings, clinical implications, and directions for future research on high-risk adolescent dating violence are discussed.
The Toll of Stalking
Authors: Blaauw Eric , Winkel Frans W. , Arensman Ella , Sheridan Lorraine , Freeve Adriënne
Published: July 2003

Information on the psychological consequences of stalking on victims is scarce. The present study aimed to investigate whether stalking victims have a heightened prevalence of psychopathology and the extent to which symptom levels are associated with stalking features. Stalking victims (N = 241) completed the General Health Questionnaire and provided information on specific features of their stalking experiences. High levels of psychopathology were found among stalking victims. Symptom levels were comparable with those of psychiatric outpatients. The frequency, pervasiveness, duration, and cessation of stalking were associated with symptom levels but explained only 9% of the variance of the level of distress. It is concluded that stalking victims generally have many symptoms of psychopathology. The symptoms are largely independent of features of their stalking experience. These findings indicate that better therapy outcomes can be expected from therapies focusing on boosting general coping skills and on decreasing general vulnerability than from therapies focusing on specifically dealing with the stalking situation.
The Social Context of Physical Aggression Among Adults
Authors: Graham Kathryn , Wells Samantha , Jelley Jennifer
Published: July 2003

Adult respondents to a telephone survey who had been involved in an incident of physical aggression in the past 12 months were asked open- and closed-ended questions regarding the social context of the most recent incident. Incidents that occurred in bars were more likely to involve male participants, drinking by the respondent and opponent, more than two participants, and low emotional impact. Incidents in public places also tended to involve males and drinking by the opponent. Aggression in social gatherings occurred primarily among friends or acquaintances and was reported equally often by males and females with most incidents involving both genders or males only. Incidents in the home were more likely to be reported by females than males and tended to occur between intimate couples, involve only two participants, and have high emotional impact. The usefulness of a contextual approach for developing a better under-standing of naturally-occurring aggression is discussed.
Risk Factors for Violence Against Children
Authors: Tajima Emiko A.
Published: July 2003

This secondary analysis of the 1985 National Family Violence Survey sought to improve understanding of child abuse in the context of wife abuse by comparing risk factors for physical child abuse, verbal abuse, and physical punishment in homes with and without wife abuse. Interaction effects between wife abuse and various parent, child, and family risk factors were examined. For physical and verbal child abuse, several differences in risk factors were found, and interaction effects were significant. No interaction effects were found for the physical punishment model. In homes with wife abuse, adolescents were at particular risk of physical abuse, and alcohol abuse was an especially strong predictor of verbal child abuse. The intergenerational transmission of violence was more important in explaining physical child abuse in homes without wife abuse. This research points to global risk factors for physical punishment and specific risk factors for physical abuse and verbal abuse.
Trauma Symptoms in Preschool-Age Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
Authors: Levendosky Alytia A. , Huth-Bocks Alissa C. , Semel Michael A. , Shapiro Deborah L.
Published: July 2003

The posttraumatic stress symptoms of 39 children who had witnessed domestic violence and 23 children who were living in families with domestic violence were assessed by maternal report. Two measures of PTSD were used and compared, one based on the DSM-IV symptom list and one from the CBCL. Although all children had experienced at least one symptom of trauma, only 3% or 24% of the children, depending on the measure used, met criteria for PTSD based on the DSM-IV. Children with reexperiencing trauma symptoms also had more externalizing behavior problems. The applicability of DSM-IV criteria for young children and the use of the CBCL to assess trauma symptoms were questioned.
The Radiating Impact of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Riger Stephanie , Raja Sheela , Camacho Jennifer
Published: July 2003

Many studies of violence against women focus on the impact of abuse on the victim's emotional and physical well-being. Here the authors expand the conceptualization of the impact of violence to include other aspects of the victim's life as well as the lives of those in her social world. Analyses of life narrative interviews with women 1 year after their stay in battered women's shelters indicates that violence affects not only women who are abused but also those who are not directly victimized yet who nonetheless suffer consequences of violence. The authors discuss the implications of this conceptualization of violence for both research and policy
The Victim-Perpetrator Overlap and Routine Activities
Authors: Klevens Joanne , Duque Luis Fernando , Ramírez Clemencia
Published: July 2003

The overlap between the populations of victims and perpetrators, as well as the differences between victims who are perpetrators and those who are not, are explored using data from a cross-sectional survey of violence among a random sample ( n = 3,007) of the general population in Bogotá, Colombia. The findings show that about a third of the population have been both a victim and perpetrator of violence, whereas another third have been only victims. Victims who have not been perpetrators differ in their demographic profile and routine activities from those who have but tend to be similar to the general population. Given the large overlap between victims and perpetrators, interventions used to reduce aggression and offending might also have an impact on victimization in this population. Risk factors different from those hypothesized in the routine activities theory among victims who are not perpetrators of violence need to be explored.
Service Barriers for Battered Women With Male Partners in Batterer Programs
Authors: Gondolf Edward W.
Published: July 2003

Relativelyf ew women had extensive contact with additional services during a multisite evaluation of batterer intervention in four cities. At a 30-month follow-up, women were asked why they did not seek additional services (n = 278 of 618). The majority of the women (59%) indicated that they had no need for additional services from a battered women's program. The remaining women did not seek services because of negative views of battered women's programs (16%), practical barriers (12%), and other reasons (11%). More than half (56%) of the women who held negative views of women's programs based those views on prior experiences, as opposed to the remaining half (44%) who based their views on their perceptions only. The women responded in a similar way to a question about other kinds of social services. The most appropriate means and extent of outreach is uncertain, given the need to appreciate women's self-determination versus the possibility of denial.
Measuring Physical Violence in Male Same-Sex Relationships
Authors: Regan Katherine V. , Bartholomew Kim , Oram Doug , Landolt Monica A.
Published: July 2003

Previous research has not established whether standard violence measures are appropriate for assessing violence in same-sex relationships. This study, therefore, evaluated the structure of an expanded version of the physical violence scale of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS) in a sample of randomly selected gay and bisexual men. In total, 284 gay and bisexual men reported on perpetration and receipt of 14 violent acts in their same-sex relationships, both at any time in the past and during the past 12 months. Item response theory analyses indicated that the violence items were unidimensional for receipt ever in the past and for perpetration both ever in the past and in the past 12 months. The items were dispersed along the underlying violence continuum, from lower to higher severity of violence, and discriminated well in this range. We discuss implications for scoring the CTS.
Community Violence Exposure in University Students
Authors: Scarpa Angela , Fikretoglu Deniz , Bowser Felicia , Hurley Jimmy D. , Pappert Caroline A. , Romero Nancy , Van Voorhees Elizabeth
Published: July 2003

This study validates a survey for community violence exposure, provides details of exposure in young adults, and determines psychological effects. 518 university students completed the Survey of Exposure to Community Violence (SECV) and questionnaires regarding trauma and socioemotional outcomes. Participants were divided into high, moderate, or low witnessing and victimization groups. Results showed SECV validity, with violent trauma more frequently reported in moderate/high victimization groups. 93.2% of respondents reported witnessing and 76.4% being victimized by violence. The most frequent events involved being hit, threatened, or seeing a gun/knife used as a weapon. The most frequent perpetrators were non-family members, except for domestic violence. The most frequent location was near home, although school was noted for peer victimization. High-exposure groups reported greater depression, aggression, interpersonal problems, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. This replicates and extends previous findings on the prevalence of violence exposure and its negative effects in today's young adults.
Sexual Coercion and Victimization of College Men
Authors: Russell Brenda L. , Oswald Debra L.
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of love styles, sexual coercion, and victimization among men. Men were classified in two categories: perpetrator (either inexperienced, consensual, or coercive) and victim (never victimized, verbally victimized, physically victimized, or both verbally and physically victimized). Love styles were indicative of both perpetrators and victims of sexual coercion. Men who reported engaging in coercive strategies were more likely to endorse Ludus (game-playing love) love style, and less likely to endorse Agape (unconditional love) love style than noncoercive men. Men who reported love styles of Storge (a friendship-first attitude toward love) and Pragma (a selective, practical approach toward love) were more likely to report being victims of sexually coercive behaviors. Those men who reported being sexually victimized were also more likely to report using coercive strategies. The results can further our understanding of male victimization and usage of sexually coercive strategies.
World Assumptions, Sexual Assault, Depression, and Fearful Attitudes Toward Relationships
Authors: Harris Holly N. , Valentiner David P.
Published: July 2003

The current study examines the relationships among world assumptions, history of adult sexual assault, depressive symptoms, and fearful attitudes toward relationships. Three hundred and sixty-one female college students completed the Assumptive World Scales and a set of questionnaires to assess their sexual assault history subsequent to age 15, levels of depressive symptoms, sexual aversion, paranoia/self-consciousness, and fear of intimacy. Factor analysis of the Assumptive World Scales items revealed five dimensions that had clear relationships with factors proposed in the initial study. These five Assumptive Worlds dimensions accounted for significant variance in depression. These dimensions also accounted for significant variance in sexual aversion, paranoia/self-consciousness, and fear of intimacy, even when controlling for levels of depressive symptoms and sexual assault severity. The implications of these findings for research on sexual assault, cognitive schema, and interpersonal functioning are discussed.
Domestic Violence Survivors' Self-Identified Reasons for Returning to Abusive Relationships
Authors: Griffing Sascha , Ragin Deborah Fish , Sage Robert E. , Madry Lorraine , Bingham Lewis E. , Primm Beny J.
Published: July 2003

The present study examines self-identified reasons for returning to abusive relationships. Ninety female residents of an urban domestic violence shelter completed structured interviews that included questions about their previous attempts to separate from the batterer and their perceived likelihood of returning in the future. The results indicated that participants appeared to underestimate their likelihood of returning to the relationship. A particularly intriguing pattern of findings emerged with respect to emotional attachment. Compared to those leaving for the first time, participants with a history of past separations were significantly more likely to indicate that they might return to the batterer because of their continued attachment. Emotional attachment also had a high rate of repeat endorsement, indicating that those who considered returning because of their attachment to the batterer were significantly more likely to have done so for this reason in the past. Clinical implications of the findings will be discussed.
Professionals' Attitudes and Accuracy on Child Abuse Reporting Decisions in New Zealand
Authors: Rodriguez Christina M.
Published: July 2003

Without mandatory child abuse reporting laws in New Zealand, professionals'decisions to contact child protective services must often reflect subjective and situational factors. This study examined abuse reporting decisions of 255 New Zealand health, education, and mental health professionals on 12 abuse scenarios. Certainty ratings on reporting decisions and eight attitudes about reporting were also obtained. Accuracy of professionals'decisions was compared to judgments by child protective services. Mental health professionals were less accurate in reporting decisions than were teachers or doctors. Across occupations, those opposed to mandatory reporting were least accurate but most certain in their reporting decisions. Accuracy was lowest for child neglect and highest for sexual abuse cases. Continued efforts to clarify influences on reporting behavior will enable a review of public policy initiatives and the efficacy of mandatory reporting laws.
An Application of Cognitive-Behavior Principles in the Reduction of Aggression Among Abused African American Adolescents
Authors: Lesure-Lester G. Evelyn
Published: July 2003

This study examined the difference between a cognitive-behavior therapeutic approach and an indirect therapeutic approach on the reduction of aggression among abused African American adolescents. The sample consisted of 12 males (age 12 to 16) living in a group home under the protective services of local authority. Participants received psychological treatment over a 52-week period. All participants received indirect therapy during the pretest phase of treatment (1 to 26 weeks). During the posttest phase (27 to 52 weeks), half of the participants were provided cognitive-behavior therapy (skilled group), and the remaining half received indirect therapy (nonskilled group). As predicted, results showed a greater decrease in aggressive behaviors for adolescents trained in cognitive-behavior techniques than for those who received indirect therapy. A major implication is that specific cognitive-behaviorally based interventions can be an effective and promising treatment for aggression reduction among African American youth with a history of abuse.
The Effectiveness of Psychological Interventions With Individuals Who Physically Abuse or Neglect Their Elderly Dependents
Authors: Campbell Reay Alice M. , Browne Kevin D.
Published: July 2003

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an education and anger management intervention program for individuals who physically abuse or neglect their elderly dependents. Pre- and postintervention assessments were carried out to measure the degree of conflict, strain, depression, anxiety, and cost of caring on two populations: 9 who physically abused and 10 who neglected. The investigation also established whether significant change was maintained at follow-up, 6 months after the interventions. Both the physical abuse and neglect groups showed significant reductions in strain, depression, and anxiety as a result of the education intervention. Both groups then demonstrated further reductions in these areas resulting from the anger management intervention. This intervention also produced lower levels of cost of care for both groups and fewer conflict tactics for the physical abuse group. The significant reductions in problem factors were maintained at follow-up. The implications for clinical practice are discussed.
The Help-Seeking Decisions of Violent Crime Victims
Authors: Kaukinen Catherine
Published: July 2003

National data are used to examine the help-seeking strategies of male and female crime victims. Victims who seek help from family and friends and the users of mental health, social services, and self-help groups tend to be female. In contrast, most male victims do not seek help. When men do seek help, they are more likely to call the police than to call on family and friends. This study also finds that attacks by known offenders lead to help-seeking strategies that rely primarily on family and friends. Finally, the author finds that the victim-offender relationship conditions the effect of gender on help-seeking decisions. Help-seeking strategies are unique to particular gender/victim-offender relationship categories. Women victimized by known offenders rely on family and friends. In contrast, men victimized by strangers most often do nothing, but some men who have been victimized by a stranger will report the victimization to the police
Agreement About Violence in U.S. Couples
Authors: Schafer John , Caetano Raul , Clark Catherine L.
Published: July 2003

Numerous studies have demonstrated that cohabiting and married partners often do not agree about the occurrence of intimate partner violence. This study assessed agreement about intimate partner violence in a large, representative sample of U.S. couples. Using a multistage probability sampling design, separate face-to-face interviews were conducted with both members of 1,635 respondent couples in their homes in the 48 contiguous states. Using statistics appropriate for the evaluation of agreement, the results suggest that concordance about intimate partner violence in the U.S. general population is low. Classification of one partner's report as violent on the basis of the other partner's report of violence yielded unacceptably high misclassification errors. Use of the proxy method for investigations of intimate partner violence is not recommended
Coverage of Domestic Violence Fatalities by Newspapers in Washington State
Authors: Bullock Cathy Ferrand , Cubert Jason
Published: July 2003

This study explores how newspapers portray domestic violence fatalities, how accurately they reflect the victim' experiences and the broader social problem of domestic violence, and the implications of the patterns of portrayal. Using quantitative content analysis and frame analysis, the authors examined 1998 coverage of domestic violence homicides by all newspapers in Washington State. Overall, the analyses indicate that coverage gave a distorted view of domestic violence and victims' experiences, often supporting common misconceptions about domestic violence. The coverage generally presented domestic violence in terms of isolated incidents, rather than portraying it as a larger social problem. A handful of articles did not fit this mold. These portrayed domestic violence as a social problem with the potential to affect every reader, indicating that domestic violence fatalities can be more accurately portrayed within the boundaries of current journalistic norms and practices and pointing to ways journalists can improve coverage.
Sexual Homicide of Elderly Females
Authors: Safarik Mark E. , Jarvis John P. , Nussbaum Kathleen E.
Published: July 2003

The FBI consults regularly on the investigation of extraordinarily violent and unusual homicide cases. Although overall awareness of elderly victimization throughout the United States has greatly increased over the past decade, little attention has been focused on elderly female victims of sexual homicides and the offenders who commit these crimes. Law enforcement agencies are often faced with rarely seen and excessively violent crime scenes as they attempt to solve these homicides. This in-depth study examines the characteristics of 128 elderly women who were murdered by 110 offenders as well as the characteristics of the attendant crime scenes. An empirical analysis of crime scene attributes, victim characteristics (including severity of victim injuries), and offender demographics produces significant predictive information about offender characteristics that may assist law enforcement investigations of such cases.
Gender Differences in Victim and Crime Characteristics of Sexual Assaults
Authors: Kimerling Rachel , Rellini Alessandra , Kelly Vanessa , Judson Patricia L. , Learman Lee A.
Published: July 2003

The current study examines gender differences in victim and crime characteristics in an effort to determine the extent to which sexual assault is a similar experience for men and for women. Data from a routine structured interview was obtained from medical charts of 842 women and 128 men seen at an urban hospital-based rape treatment center. Demographic characteristics were similar, although males were more like to identify as gay or bisexual, and women were more likely to be of minority ethnicity. Men were more likely to report acute psychiatric symptoms, a history of psychiatric disorder, and a history of psychiatric hospitalization. Women were more likely to experience vaginal or anal penetration, to sustain injuries, and to make a police report. Implications for services for both men and women are discussed.
Physical Aggression in the Lives of Young Adults
Authors: Leonard Kenneth E. , Quigley Brian M. , Collins R. Lorraine
Published: July 2003

This study estimated the 1-year prevalence and location of observing and experiencing threat and aggression among two random samples of young adults. A community sample and a college sample completed a phone survey concerning how often they had observed physical aggression, experienced a verbal altercation, or were the target or the initiator of aggression. About 25% of women and 33% of men had experienced aggression in the preceding year. One of the primary locations was in or around a bar. For the most severe episode, the most common location was in or around a bar for men and in their own home for women. Experience with threats and aggression is common among young adults. Understanding criminal violence and people's fear of violence necessitates addressing this pandemic level of aggression in our society.
Enhancing Coordinated Community Responses to Reduce Recidivism in Cases of Domestic Violence
Authors: Shepard Melanie F. , Falk Dennis R. , Elliott Barbara A.
Published: July 2003

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a project designed to enhance coordinated community responses by examining recidivism rates. Project enhancements included expanded danger assessment and information sharing among criminal justice practitioners and advocates. When compared to a baseline period, results indicated that offenders had significantly lower rates of recidivism after the project was implemented. There were steady declines in the number of recidivists over 3 years of the project, beginning in the pilot year and decreasing significantly during the intervention years. Logistic regression procedures found two variables that were significantly related to offenders not having recidivated during all years of the study: the offender having been court mandated to attend the Men's Nonviolence Program and the offender having completed the program. There was evidence to support the use by probation officers of a danger assessment tool to predict recidivism
Violence and Intimacy in Close Relationships
Authors: Marcus Robert F. , Swett Bruce
Published: July 2003

This study has two foci: identifying what is known about couples' dynamics and violence and presenting an empirical study of 283 upper level college students. The review of current studies concerning emotional factors that lead to violence (or foster safety) demonstrated how positive emotions inhibit couples' violence. The empirical study demonstrated how specific, emotional components serve as protections against dyadic violence (positive affective tone, listening and understanding). The data supported these variables as highly predictive of couples' violence. The results of the study also showed that self-disclosure is not protective against violence in intimate relationships. The authors have posited that the quality of the self-disclosure and the over all emotional state of the relationship (level of deterioration) are factors that affect the predictive and protective importance of self-disclosure. The study also introduced an innovative approach to the study of couples'violence, through the use and validation of a new methodology for gathering information on violence in close relationships.
Joking Violence Among Highly Committed Individuals
Authors: Arriaga Ximena B.
Published: July 2003

Adopting a cognitive consistency framework, this study explores whether targets of physical violence reinterpret severely violent behaviors to be relatively benign. It was suggested that relationship commitment figures prominently in reinterpreting violence. Fifty-four participants who indicated on a measure of partner violence that their current relationship partner had engaged in at least one act of physical violence during a conflict also completed an almost identical measure that assessed the same acts of physical violence in a different context: when playing or joking around with a partner. Participants also completed a measure of relationship commitment. Consistent with hypotheses, only highly committed individuals who experienced substantial violence during a conflict reported severely violent behaviors as comprising mere instances of “joking around.”
Risky Behaviors Associated With Interpersonal Victimization
Authors: Davis Joanne L. , Combs-Lane Amy M. , Jackson Thomas L.
Published: July 2003

This study investigated the association of recent risk-taking behaviors (i.e., substance use and risky sexual behaviors) and lifetime interpersonal victimization in a sample of 310 female university students. Specifically, type of victimization (sexual or physical), number of experiences (single vs. multiple), and characteristics of assault (e.g., relationship to the perpetrator) were examined. Univariate analyses indicated that experiencing single and multiple incidents of sexual assault, multiple incidents of physical assault, and both sexual and physical assaults were associated with greater involvement in risk-taking behaviors. In addition, regression analyses revealed that younger age and experiencing sexual assault were uniquely associated with involvement in risky behaviors. Examination of specific characteristics associated with risk taking among victims of sexual assault revealed that experiencing sexual assault in both childhood and adulthood, assault by a friend or acquaintance, and assault by multiple perpetrators were associated with increased involvement in risky behaviors. Implications for future research endeavors are discussed.
The Relationship Between Family of Origin Violence and Dating Violence in College Men
Authors: Carr Joetta L. , Vandeusen Karen M.
Published: July 2003

The study evaluated the association between witnessing interparental violence as a child, being a victim of parental physical violence, and perpetrating violence in dating relationships. Witnessing interparental violence predicted the perpetration of physical dating violence in college men but not sexual aggression. However, attitudes supporting intimate partner violence were predictive of sexual aggression. In contrast to earlier studies, experiencing child abuse by a parental figure and adult perpetration were not significantly correlated. These findings support previous research that witnessing interparental violence has a detrimental effect and may lead to violent perpetration as an adult. Additional research is warranted to further isolate childhood variables that lead to specific types and levels of adult perpetration.
Childhood Risk Factors for Women's Sexual Victimization
Authors: Stermac Lana , Reist Donna , Addison Mary , Millar Golden M.
Published: July 2003

The purpose of this study was to examine a broad range of childhood experiences associated with risk for sexual assault victimization in adulthood. Childhood experiences hypothesized to enhance vulnerability for adult sexual victimization, including maltreatment experiences perpetrated by adults and children as well as family composition variables, were examined. A community sample of 277 women attending outpatient clinics at an urban hospital provided retrospective self-report regarding family composition and cohesion, childhood maltreatment experiences perpetrated by adults and peers, and adulthood victimization. Results of logistic regression analysis indicate that early sexual experiences with peers, childhood sexual abuse by adults, father or father figure's absence as a primary caregiver in childhood, perceived level of closeness to father in adolescence, and neglect by mother pose significant risk for subsequent adult victimization
Definition of Violence Against Women
Authors: Tang Catherine So-Kum , Cheung Fanny Miu-Ching , Chen Roda , Sun Xiaomei
Published: July 2003

This study aimed to explore how Chinese residing in different Chinese societies defined violence against women (VAW). A total of 3,540 Chinese human service professionals residing in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China participated in the study. In general, Chinese perception of VAW was best predicted by their gender, educational attainment, attitudes toward women, and the types of criteria that they used to determine VAW. Results also showed that there were regional differences in the perception of whether the depicted behaviors would constitute VAW, criteria in determining behaviors as VAW, and attitudes toward women. Compared to agency professionals, communion professionals had a broader definition of VAW and were more likely to rate the infliction of psychological harm and violation of women's rights as important determining criteria for VAW. Results and limitations of the study were discussed