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Domestic violence victims frequently visit health care facilities yet rarely disclose, so it is important to understand what factors are barriers and facilitators of disclosure. UK-based qualitative investigations into barriers and facilitators of disclosure in health care settings have suffered from a limited focus on ethnic minority women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore victims' perceptions and experiences of disclosing to health care services and to identify barriers and facilitators of disclosure within an ethnically diverse UK sample. Semi-structured interviews were administered among 29 British (8 ethnic minority) female victims. Content analysis demonstrated that barriers to disclosure were; emotional (e.g., fear, embarrassment/shame and self-blame), physical (e.g., partner's physical presence, controlling behavior, and manipulation of professionals) and organizational (e.g., appropriateness of setting and time for disclosure). Additional problems for ethnic minority women were language difficulties and religious practices. Facilitators to disclosure were interpersonal relations, safety, and validation from health care professionals. Barriers and facilitators of disclosure in health care services are diverse and some are specific to minority ethnic groups. Health care professionals should receive awareness and skills training to establish a positive, validating, and safe environment for victim disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development and testing of the psychometric properties of the Partner Violence Entrapment Scale (PVES), an instrument that evaluates the women's perceived reasons for staying in violent partner relationships. After initial pilot testing, the scale was administered to 213 Spanish women who were victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). An exploratory factor analysis identified six factors: Socio-Economic Problems, Attachment and Fear of Loneliness, Blaming Oneself and Resignation, Impact on Children, Fear of Harm and Worry for the Partner, and Feelings of Confusion. Discriminant validity was established by demonstrating associations between PVES factors and socio-demographic, clinical and abuse variables. The scale appears to be a useful assessment tool for social and clinical settings. Its factor structure, reliability, and validity need to be replicated in other populations and samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the literature and present a comprehensive model of three pathways through which IPV increases the risk for cervical cancer. The first pathway is increased exposure to cervical cancer risk factors among IPV victims, including smoking, psychosocial stress, risky sexual behaviors, and sexually transmitted infections (STDs/STIs), particularly human papillomavirus infection. The second pathway is poor compliance with cervical cancer screening. The third pathway is delay/discontinuation in treatment for cervical dysplasia and neoplasia. Control imposed by the abusive partner, competing life priorities, and limited access to financial/support resources restrict a woman's ability to seek cancer services. Higher rates, severity, and duration of IPV among low-income, Black, and Hispanic women may explain the pervasive cervical cancer disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discretionary decisions to prosecute cases in which a battered woman kills her partner were investigated using several research strategies and targeting a range of case elements. Law students presented with case elements reported they would consider legal elements over nonlegal (or 'supplemental') elements when making a decision to prosecute. In contrast, law students assessed through an open-ended format as to important case factors for deciding to prosecute spontaneously generated high proportions of supplemental case elements compared with legal factors. Vignette comparisons of 42 case elements on participants' likelihood to prosecute identified salient factors including legal and supplemental variables. Themes from the open-ended responses are discussed, as well as the extent to which supplemental factors were more likely to be considered in prosecution decisions when assessed through different methodological strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether battered women's evaluations of their intimate partners mediate the relationship between the abuse they experience and their self-esteem. The sample consisted of 196 battered women seeking services from seven shelters. Results provide empirical evidence against theoretical postulates about battered women's idealization of their abusive partners and against the hypothesized mediating role of partner evaluations in the association between intimate partner violence and women's self-esteem. The overall findings imply ongoing changes in a battered woman's internal state as she goes through different developmental stages in her process of breaking away from the cycle of intimate partner violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acts of violence recounted by 161 female victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) attended at a psychological care service in Spain are presented. The relationship between acts of violence and feelings of danger, childhood abuse, and dyadic adjustment are analyzed. Reported acts of IPV were obtained through a Semi-structured Interview on Domestic Violence; and marital satisfaction was assessed with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. The results showed women who have felt their lives were in danger are more likely to have been victimized. In addition, women who were both abused by their partner and sexually abuse as children are the ones that perceive more situations of danger in their adult couple relationship. The importance of studying perceived danger and the diversity of IPV experiences are discussed to aid prevention and intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the centrality of court interventions to the U.S. response to intimate partner violence (IPV), it is crucial to evaluate their impact on reabuse. To do so, this study examined whether female IPV victims' experiences of abuse in the year following a criminal court case against their partner varied by case outcome or by whether the batterer had or had not been incarcerated. Consistent with prior research, we found no main effect differences in reabuse trajectories by court case outcome or by incarceration. We also examined variables that might moderate the impact of case outcome and incarceration on reabuse and found that although batterer legal history did not affect the impact of case outcome, his age, Time 1 employment status, the couple's Time 1 living arrangement, and duration of abuse did interact with case outcome. No variables tested moderated the relationship between incarceration and reabuse over time. Findings suggest that in certain cases there may be benefits to case outcomes that leave potential consequences hanging over the offender's head. These results also add to the growing body of evidence questioning the efficacy of one-size-fits-all approaches to IPV cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wife abuse is a major public health and human rights problem. Using an ecological framework, data from National Family Health Survey () of 3446 women were analyzed to determine the factors associated with wife abuse in urban and rural Tamil Nadu, India. The prevalence rate of wife abuse in the year prior to the interview was 25.8% and was similar across urban and rural areas. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that in urban and rural Tamil Nadu, the micro level variables explained the highest percentage of variance in wife abuse followed by the ontogenetic, the exo system, and the macro system variables. Some of the variables that were significantly associated with wife abuse in Tamil Nadu were witnessing parental violence, drinking habit in husbands, emotional abuse, patriarchal ideology, and positive attitudes towards abuse. Implications of the results are discussed within the socio-cultural milieu of the respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community coordination refers to a formalized system of collaboration between various social service agencies to help meet the needs of specific populations. In cases of intimate partner violence (IPV), community coordination includes a system of policies, information sharing, and referrals between the criminal justice system and counseling centers and shelters for survivors. The life model of social work practice suggests that social workers utilize both formal and informal groups as environmental resources for clients. In an effort to address the failures of community coordinated responses to IPV, community needs to be reconceptualized to include these additional groups, especially employers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on a handful of studies demonstrating battered women’s accuracy in assessing their risk of being physically reabused, this study examined how accurately victims assess their risk of future psychological abuse. Participants’ ratings of the likelihood that their partner would engage in controlling/dominance behaviors or efforts to humiliate/degrade them in the coming year and their reports 18 months later of whether this had actually occurred were used to create a four category version of accuracy (true positive, false positive, true negative, false negative). Victims were more likely to be right than wrong in their assessments of risk; PTSD symptoms, the recency of physical violence, and the degree of stalking and psychological abuse in the relationship predicted membership in the four accuracy categories. These findings overlap considerably with those examining victim accuracy in predicting physical abuse and inform ongoing debates about the value of incorporating victims’ insights into risk assessment efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a study conducted among 173 Turkish medical students, which examined their beliefs about wife beating through a self-administered questionnaire. An integrative conceptual framework was tested as the basis for explaining the students’ beliefs. The results revealed that between 4.5 and 38.7% of the participants justified wife beating, between 3.5 and 5.3% of them tended to believe that battered women benefit from beating, and between 4.7 and 28.5% of them tended to believe that battered women are responsible for their beating. In addition, between 68.4 and 90.6% of the students expressed willingness to help battered women, and although nearly half of them perceived the violent husbands as responsible for their behavior, only about one-quarter of them supported punishing violent husbands. The results also indicate that significant amounts of the variance in students’ beliefs about wife beating can be attributed to their patriarchal ideology toward family life and to their exposure to family violence during childhood and adolescence. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the results for future research, theory development, and training of medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learned helplessness (LH) may mediate the link between violence exposure and mental disorders in battered women. This study evaluated the contribution of LH to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and major depression (MDD) in women with prolonged exposure to partner violence in 101 residents of shelters for battered women in Israel. DSM-IV axis-I disorders were assessed by a structured clinical interview. Self-report questionnaires evaluated exposure to violence, symptoms of PTSD and depression, LH, history of child abuse, SES and the extent of male-dominance and prejudice against women in the participants prior socialization background. LH significantly mediated the effect of violence on PTSD and depression symptoms. Male-dominated background contributed to LH. Thus, LH may increase the risk of mental disorders in battered women and should be addressed in interventions designed to reduce the burden of mental illness in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality patterns, psychopathological symptomatology, dyadic relationship adjustment, and the characteristics of abuse suffered by a sample of women who attended residential services for battered women in Barcelona (Spain) are evaluated in this study. Over half the women had suffered psychological, physical, and sexual abuse on the part of her partner, mostly of long duration, and this had also been suffered by their children. The results obtained using the MCMI-II show a relatively low presence of anxious or depressive symptomatology and the predominance of a schizoid personality pattern. This means that clinical efforts need to be directed towards countering emotional withdrawal and social isolation. The importance of studying interpersonal patterns amongst battered women with a view to optimizing care and to preventing future victimization is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family violence is a prevalent, dangerous, and often life-threatening social and public health problem. It is an indiscriminating crime that knows few boundaries, as recent annual estimates indicate that over 8.7 million women are battered by husbands, boyfriends, and other intimate partners [Roberts, ; Roberts & Roberts, ]. This article examines a new five-level classificatory schema or typology detailing the duration and severity of woman battering. Five hundred and one battered women completed in-depth interviews which formed the basis for a new classification typology ranging from short-term to chronic to homicidal levels. The current research on different types of battering relationships provides clinicians and forensic specialists with psychosocial indicators that can be utilized as a basis for early intervention and prevention of lethal consequences. The concept of the unknown prevalence of women abuse, or the “dark figure,” is also addressed in this article. Additionally, practical suggestions are made for implementing crisis intervention protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on partner abuse in women from non-Western cultures and resulting psychological morbidity are scant. The present study examined these issues among women who experienced partner violence and sought refuge at a domestic violence shelter in Malaysia. These women completed a semi-structured interview and standardized measures to assess posttrauma morbidity. Responses by Malaysian shelter residents were compared with a sample of US women who also reported partner violence. The majority of women in both samples reported severe levels of distress and met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These findings suggest that psychological problems that women face after partner abuse may be similar in many respects, despite political, geographical, or cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What role does childhood abuse have on the coping choices made by a battered woman? Ancillary to a depression study (Bailey, 1996) in 79 battered women from a Houston area women's shelter were compared for past abuse experiences and how the women were coping with abuse in adulthood. This study compared coping styles between two groups of battered women: those who experienced childhood physically abuse (CPA) (n=35), and those who did not experience childhood physically abuse (NCPA) in childhood (n=44). All of the women filled out a battery of questionnaires including The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and a scale for learned helplessness. A t-test conducted on obsessive-compulsive tendencies (OCT) scale of the BSI found that women who were NPPA had significantly lower BSI-OCT scores t(77)=−2.05, p < .05 than women who were PPA. No statistically significant differences were found between groups for learned helplessness. Out of the 35 battered women who reported physical abuse in childhood were more likely to report sexual abuse as girls than battered women who were not physically abused, t(77)=−3.40, p < .001. Battered women who had been physically and sexually abused in childhood were more severely depressed. Battered women who were not abused in childhood had more obsessive compulsive tendencies. The ramifications of these findings for therapeutic treatment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We replicate and extend research using the Investment Model (Rusbult, 1980, J. Exp. Social Psychol., 45, 101–117) to understand battered women's commitment to abusive relationships. The Investment Model is a nonpathologizing theory that views commitment as a function of one's satisfaction with, alternatives to, and investments in the relationship. These factors were examined in a shelter-based sample of battered women. Investment model variables, particularly satisfaction, were also examined as mediators of the relationship between abuse exposure and commitment. Both Investment Model and abuse exposure constructs were assessed using instruments more fully developed than in previous research. Results indicated that each of the Investment Model factors contributed uniquely to women's commitment, and that relationship satisfaction mediated the relationship between psychological (but not physical) abuse and commitment. Implications for future research and intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the lack of research on the effect of arrest in deterring domestic violence in minority communities, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted with Korean American social workers providing services to Korean domestic violence victims in the New York metropolitan area. The authors examined study participants' perceptions about their clients' experiences of arrests in domestic violence situations. Findings reveal major barriers for Korean victims that prevent them from utilizing help from the police. Main themes from the data show both negative and positive results from arrests. Participants perceived arrest as an ultimately necessary tool for deterring domestic violence in the Korean community in the U.S. Participants suggested some changes in the criminal justice system to better respond to immigrant victims of domestic violence. Practice and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports findings from interviews with 242, primarily African American, battered women in Detroit. Most of the women rated domestic violence advocacy as very or somewhat helpful. Satisfaction with police and receiving referrals from the legal system were significantly associated with ratings of advocates’ helpfulness. Receiving information, being emotionally supported, and having advocates readily available and accessible were the most common reasons why women rated advocates as helpful. Women who gave advocates low helpfulness ratings described them as unavailable, unsympathetic, or ineffective in legally sanctioning abusers. Less than half of the women who experienced severe violence in the focal incident reported that advocates helped them with safety planning, and there was a low rate of follow-up on referrals provided by advocates. This analysis suggests that advocacy can be satisfying for urban, African American women, but more intensive services should be provided to make a significant contribution to their safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the current literature regarding coping among battered women. It considers a number of contextual factors that are related to women's choices in coping with partner abuse, including factors related to the relationship (e.g., frequency and severity of abuse, length of relationship) and women's resources (e.g., social support, financial resources). Relationships between different forms of coping and psychological outcomes are also examined. As the research in domestic violence coping is somewhat lacking in coherence, theories, and models from the broader coping literature are used to organize the findings from the domestic violence field. Methodological concerns, such as research methods, measurement issues, and sampling, are raised throughout the paper. Suggestions for future research are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixty-two battered women who had accessed domestic violence services were asked to whom they disclosed the partner abuse, the responses they received, and how supported they felt by kin and nonkin network members. The findings showed that older women and those who had resided in the United States longer were more likely to make disclosures to kin members. Older women, those who had higher levels of perceived social support, and those who reported lower frequency of physical violence were more likely to disclose to nonkin members. The findings suggest that those women experiencing more severe abuse may be the least likely to disclose to others. As a group, the South Asian women were older and more educated, and greater proportions were or had been married to the abuser. In contrast to the other groups, a greater proportion reported having been burned or scalded and fewer reported being sexually coerced. In greater proportions, they disclosed the abuse to brothers and fathers and were advised to stay in their marriages. Service providers working with minority battered women must be knowledgeable of cross-cultural differences in the experience of abuse and disclosure patterns. Culturally appropriate and aggressive outreach within specific ethnic communities may be required to reach battered women in the community. Service providers must consider working with members of women's informal support network to provide both emotional and instrumental support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality profiles of women with multiple abusive relationship histories (n = 42) are compared with either abused women with an abusive relationship (n = 33) or a control group (n = 52) on the Coolidge Axis II Inventory, a self-report measure based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Women with multiple abusive relationships have higher rates and greater levels of dependent, paranoid, and self-defeating personality disorders than women in the other two groups. Women in multiple abusive relationships have significantly more depression, and women in this group with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have significantly more personality disorders than women with single abusive relationships with PTSD. Women in single abusive relationships do not exhibit more psychopathology than do women in the control group with matched marital status. Theoretical and methodological issues and treatment recommendations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a comparative study of 82 battered women with children who sought counseling in Italy and the United States. Italian women who contacted the telephone hotline for wife abuse in Rome and Anglo and Mexican women staying at battered women's shelters in the southwestern United States were interviewed about relationship violence, social support and extended family, potential risk factors for their partners' violence (drinking, unemployment), their own, and their children's mental heath. Battered women in Italy were more likely to be married to their abusers and to have endured more years of violence than women in the United States. Descriptions of violence in the home were similar in frequency and severity across groups, although fewer Italian women (30%) reported sexual abuse from their partners than either Hispanic or Anglo American women (more than 70%). Drinking was strongly associated with domestic violence in the United States, but not in Italy. Women and children showed elevated psychological symptoms. Across ethnic groups, the average child exposed to marital violence was within the clinical range according to the Child Behavior Checklist, although Mexican children showed slightly fewer overall symptoms. Italian children were less likely to display conduct problems than American children of any ethnic origin. Although there are few differences in the impact of abuse, the catalysts and family circumstances appear different across cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research was designed to (1) replicate prevalence estimates of clinical levels of conduct problems in a large (n = 401 ) sample of children residing at a shelter for battered women, and (2) assess the stability of mothers' reports of child conduct problems following shelter departure. According to mothers' reports on standardized questionnaires and diagnostic interviews obtained during shelter residence, approximately one third of the children between 4 and 10 years of age exhibited clinical levels of conduct problems. Prior research has demonstrated elevated maternal distress during shelter residence and suggests that such distress may influence mothers' reports of child conduct problems. To examine this issue, a subset of families with children exhibiting clinical levels of conduct problems (n = 68 ) was reassessed following their shelter departure. Mothers' reports of child conduct problems remained stable despite significant reductions in mothers' distress after shelter exit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study integrates an ecological perspective and trauma theory in proposing a model of the effects of domestic violence on women's parenting and children's adjustment. One hundred and twenty women and their children between the ages of 7 and 12 participated. Results supported an ecological model of the impact of domestic violence on women and children. The model predicted 40% of the variance in children's adjustment, 8% of parenting style, 43% of maternal psychological functioning, and 23% of marital satisfaction, using environmental factors such as social support, negative life events, and maternal history of child abuse. Overall, results support the ecological framework and trauma theory in understanding the effects of domestic violence on women and children. Rather than focusing on internal pathology, behavior is seen to exist on a continuum influenced heavily by the context in which the person is developing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventy female residents of an urban domestic violence shelter were interviewed to examine a series of hypotheses concerning two factors relevant to the process of leaving an abusive relationship: risk assessments and decision-certainty. Participants' subjective estimates of their own risk of returning to the batterer were examined relative to their perceptions of the likelihood that most battered women will return to the batterer, their certainty regarding the decision to leave the batterer, and their status on known risk factors for returning to an abusive relationship. As hypothesized, battered women's perceptions of personal risk for returning to the batterer were biased by unrealistic optimism; specifically, personal risk was estimated as significantly lower than the risk of most battered women and was not correlated with actual risk factors. Further, the magnitude of the optimistic bias was significantly greater among women expressing high certainty about their decision to leave than among women who expressed less certainty. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has examined the influence of the abusive personality (Dutton, 1994a,b) on relationship dynamics. Men with high scores of abusive personality (borderline personality organization, anger and MCMI8: Negativity) generate more frequent and extreme forms of physical and emotional abuse in intimate relationships. Other lines of research have examined the role of these relationship features in influencing post-separation adjustment in women. The current study combines two data sets; one bearing on the first of these issues, the other on the second issue, in order to connect characteristics of the perpetrator's personality to post separation aspects of victim reaction. Substantial associations are found between abusive personality and relationship dynamics and between the latter and persistent attachment, trauma symptoms, and lowered self esteem in battered women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an ecological study of services provided to 392 battered women under a comprehensive domestic violence protocol. It focuses on microsystemic interactions between battered women and battered women's services and legal systems. We examine the relationships between women's receipt of services from a battered women's agency, receipt of protective orders, and completion of prosecution of batterers. We also explore the associations between women's receipt of services and protective orders and their partners' subsequent arrests and police contacts. We use open-ended interviews with battered women and with staff of the battered women's agency to expand and illustrate the quantitative data. The analysis shows that when a woman received battered women's services or had a protective order, a completed court case was more likely and numbers of arrests rose. We found that these associations were strongest when women received both battered women's services and at least one protective order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental outreach program offered shelter-based support groups or phone counseling to battered women in the criminal and civil courts. The outreach project attempted to contact 1,895 eligible women drawn from the court dockets. Nearly 50% of these women could not be reached, another third refused services, and about a fifth of the women accepted either the shelter-based counseling or phone counseling. However, only 19% ( n = 71) of those who accepted service (or less than 4% of the total eligible women) actually participated in the service. The women refused services primarily because they did not feel they needed them; they accepted service mainly to get help with their emotions. The women who participated in the shelter-based counseling tended to be of a higher social economic status than women who generally contacted the courts. The main problems for the women in phone counseling was recurring abuse from their partners and getting help for their children. The findings may suggest different types of battered women that warrant different strategies to reach them. The outreach efforts might be further developed, as well, to more actively recruit and engage women in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working within an attachment perspective, we examined women's success at emotional separation from abusive partners. The attachment patterns of 63 abused women were assessed shortly after having left their abusive relationships. Six months later, their perceptions, feelings, and behaviors regarding the separation were assessed, to determine an overall level of separation resolution. As expected, attachment patterns associated with a negative self model were overrepresented (88% of the sample had a predominant pattern of fearful or preoccupied attachment). Further, preoccupation was associated with shorter relationship length, more frequent previous separations from the abusive relationship, continuing emotional involvement with partners after separation, and more frequent sexual contact with partners. These findings suggest that preoccupation may be a risk factor in successful separation resolution from abusive relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study compared battered women incarcerated for killing/seriously assaulting their abusers with battered women incarcerated for other offenses to explore possible similarities and differences in the characteristics and experiences of the two groups as well as to determine what factors may lead some battered women to use lethal force against their partners. Comparisons were made on a number of variables including sociodemographic factors, characteristics of the battering relationship, alcohol/drug use of battered women and their abusers, perceived social support, actions taken to end the violence, prior criminal behaviors, and childhood trauma factors. Findings revealed that women in the homicide/assault group were older, in the relationship longer and experienced a longer duration of violence in this relationship. They also experienced more frequent and severe battering, including sex assaults and sustained more injuries than those in the comparison group. Further, battered women who killed/seriously assaulted their partners were more likely to believe that their lives were in danger, were less likely to use violence against their partners, and were less likely to have a prior criminal record or to have served time previously. The implications of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to identify patterns of psychological abuse (abuse) and determine whether different patterns mediate the effects of violence and sexual aggression. Interviews were completed with 578 (80.3%) of 720 women who volunteered for a study of "bad" or "stressful" heterosexual relationships. Cluster analysis with 51 items assessing many types of subtle and overt psychological abuse identified six groups. Cluster 1 sustained the most serious abuse, violence, and sexual aggression, but partners did not denigrate women or control finances. Cluster 2 sustained serious abuse which was more subtle than the dominating-controlling abuse discussed by others and had moderate violence and sexual aggression scores. Cluster 3 scored relatively low on abuse but reported controlling types (e.g., isolation, enforced secrecy) and relatively little violence and sexual aggression. Cluster 4 sustained the least abuse, violence, and sexual aggression but the abuse was overt (e.g., criticism, several types of control). Clusters 5 and 6 were similar with high abuse and moderate violence and sexual aggression scores but they experienced very different types of abuse. Total psychological abuse, threats of violence, acts of violence, and sexual aggression scores made different contributions to women's health, help seeking, and relationship perceptions depending on the pattern of abuse they sustained. Results for each type of harmful act are discussed separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article examines demographic and background variables, psychosocial factors, critical incidents during childhood, battering incidents, and coping methods among 210 battered women. Based on in-depth interviews with a group of incarcerated battered women who had killed their batterers and a community sample of non-violent battered women, several key results were found. The vast majority of battered women who killed their abusive partners was much more likely than the community sample to: (1) have been sexually assaulted during childhood, (2) have dropped out of high school, (3) have an erratic work history of one to three unskilled jobs. (4) have cohabited with their partner. (5) experienced a drug problem. (6) have attempted suicide by drug overdosing, and (7) have access to the batterer's guns. The findings provide support for the increased probability of battered women killing their mates after they have encountered brutal and repeated assaults, death threats, failed in their attempts to escape through alcohol or drug abuse, and failed in their attempts to commit suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared battered and non-battered women on their sex role types, control needs, and inclusion needs. The subjects included 33 battered, married women matched with 33 unbattered married women on education, employment, status, and age. The instruments used were the Bern Sex Role Inventoy and the FIRO-B. Results indicated a significant relationship between the battered/nonbattered status and sex role type and wanted control. Battered subjects were more feminine in sex role type than the non-battered subjects. Battered women were also more tolerant of external control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that of the abused wives who remained in a women's protective agency for a period of at least 2 weeks, 50% return to their abusive situation. Several theorists have advocated that battered women remain in their abusive situation because they lack skills necessary to extricate themselves. A program was developed to provide personal and vocational counseling for abused women. Over a 2-week period, abused women who volunteered for the experiment were given the opportunity to participate in group counseling which provided cognitive restructuring therapy, self-assertiveness and communication skills training, problem solving training, body awareness, and vocational counseling. Three groups participated in the experiment: a control group, a group with the COPSystem Interest Inventory and the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire, and a group with the COPSystem Interest Inventory without the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire. The group with the COPSystem Interest Inventory administration and interpretation showed significant improvement within group measures from pre- to post-treatment in anxiety, depression, hostility, assertiveness, and self-esteem. The group with the COPSystem Interest Inventory and the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire utilization showed no significant improvement in any of the measures. It can be concluded that the women in the experimental group with the administration of the COPSystem Interest Inventory benefited from the therapy provided more than the women in the experimental group with both the COPSystem Interest Inventory and the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire administration and interpretation. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors that distinguished first admission and readmission to an emergency woman's shelter were examined using discriminant function analysis. Records from 563 women who were residents were analyzed. Results suggest that source of income, number and developmental stage of children, and prior history of physical assault are precursors of readmissions. This study was discussed in terms of improving follow-up services to former residents of emergency shelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of psychologists with expertise in the area of battered women are participating in the legal system as expert witnesses and occasionally testify on behalf of a battered woman who has injured or killed her partner. Testimony about the battered woman syndrome has been offered to help the jury understand why the defendant reasonably perceived that she was in danger of harm. One of the requirements of expert testimony is that it be beyond the common understanding of the jury. Many commentators assume that jurors are uninformed or misinformed about battered women and, thus, that expert testimony is necessary to educate them. This study evaluated what jurors know about violent relationships. Approximately 300 jurors read scenarios about spousal violence and answered a questionnaire dealing with circumstances surrounding such abuse. Results suggest that on certain dimensions of spousal violence, jurors are aware of empirical research findings. On other dimensions, jurors are less well-informed and could potentially benefit from the testimony of an expert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expert testimony regarding the battered woman syndrome is often presented at trial on behalf of women charged with killing their batterers. Where courts have admitted such testimony into evidence, they have done so on the theory that the testimony is needed to dispel common myths regarding battered women--e.g., erroneous beliefs that battered women are masochists, who are somehow responsible for the battering they suffer and could avoid being battered by simply leaving their batterers. To date, however, there is no published empirical evidence that either jurors or members of the public at large hold such erroneous beliefs. The results of this study provide empirical support for the judicial hypothesis. These results suggest that many members of the general public eligible for jury duty do, in fact, hold erroneous, stereotyped beliefs about battered women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was designed to examine the interpersonal problem-solving skills of battered women, while controlling for the effects of depression and anxiety. Battered, Counseling, and Control women were administered an interpersonal problem-solving inventory and asked to generate as many behavioral options as possible for each problem and then to select the one option they would chose to use in the given situation. All options were rated for effectiveness by two "blind" raters. Subjects were also administered the BETA intelligence test, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form-Y. Analysis of variance found no significant differences between the groups for intelligence, but the Counseling women were significantly more depressed and anxious than the Battered or Control women. Analysis of covariance (using BDI and STAI scores as covariates) found that Battered women: (1) generated fewer total options, (2) generated fewer effective options, and (3) chose fewer effective options for use in the situation than both Counseling and Control women. These findings provide indirect support for a general problem-solving skills deficit in battered women and reinforce the importance of problem-solving skills training for battered women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]