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The Danger Assessment (DA) is a widely-used risk assessment instrument designed to help women understand their risk of femicide. Currently, no validated tool exists in Brazilian Portuguese. The purpose of this study was to conduct a cross-cultural adaptation of the DA for use in the Brazilian context as a precursor to validation and broader testing among women in Brazil. This study describes a community participatory approach for translation and cultural adaptation of the DA from European to Brazilian Portuguese that engages the target population in the process. Using a three-step process, a final version of the DA-Brazil instrument was developed.

Black transgender women are disproportionately affected by violence and poor care-delivery, contributing to poor mental health. Little is known regarding the effect of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) community connection (TCC) on health. This analysis (a) explores relationships between TCC, polyvictimization, and mental health and (b) analyzes how TCC influenced help-seeking following violent experiences among Black transgender women. Mixed-methods data from 19 Black transgender women were analyzed using correlational and thematic content analyses. Findings suggest that TCC is associated with improved help-seeking and mental health among Black transgender women, highlighting a need for longitudinal research to identify approaches for leveraging TCC.

This study seeks to determine the concurrent and predictive validity of a dual risk assessment protocol. It combines the risk of persistence in intimate partner violence (IPV) measured via the Domestic Violence Screening Instrument–Revised (DVSI-R) with supplemental items from the Danger Risk Assessment (DRA) bearing on the risk of potential lethality. We further test whether this assessment protocol reproduces disparities by race and ethnicity found in the larger population. Using a sample of 4,665 IPV male defendants with a female victim, analyses support both types of criterion validity. The DRA risk score is associated with felony charges, incarceration at the initial arrest, and the frequency of subsequent dangerous behavior. Results also suggest minimal predictive bias or disparate impact by race and ethnicity. Incorporating supplemental items bearing on potential lethality risk adds important information concerning the risk management strategies of those involved in IPV.

This pilot study examined whether an evidence-based intervention for preventing HIV that was adapted for women residing in domestic violence shelters improved residents’ HIV knowledge and condom use self-efficacy. The intervention acceptability, feasibility, and fidelity were also assessed. Seven domestic violence shelter workers facilitated the intervention to 32 shelter residents. Residents had significantly higher HIV knowledge and condom use self-efficacy after the intervention. Residents found the intervention highly acceptable. Intervention facilitators generally agreed that the intervention was acceptable and feasible. Facilitators taught the intervention mostly as suggested, but with some changes. Study implications are discussed.

This qualitative study of 10 rural women examines their lived experience of intimate partner violence during pregnancy and the first 2 postpartum years. In-depth interviews occurred during pregnancy and 4 times postpartum. A Heideggerian approach revealed “negotiating peril” as the overarching theme; sub-themes were unstable environment, adaptive calibration, primacy of motherhood, and numb acceptance. Some incremental shifts in severity of abusive situations were observed. Results elucidate the ambivalence with which these women view institutions that are designed to help them. Findings highlight factors that may explain why interventions designed to help often do not appear efficacious in facilitating complete termination of an abusive situation.

The lack of rigorous evaluations of intimate partner violence (IPV) programs has severely limited our knowledge about what works. However, IPV programs can be rigorously evaluated through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted ethically and safely. This article provides an example of how a RCT to test an IPV preventive intervention—the Enhanced Nurse Family Partnership Study ( ENFPS)—was successfully implemented by a partnership of researchers and practitioners. The article concludes with some recommendations, arrived at by the researchers and practitioners on the ENFPS team, for achieving a successful collaboration thought to be essential in executing a field experiment.

This study explored differences in intimate partner homicides (IPHs) among Asian Americans. Data from newspapers and femicide reports by different state coalitions on 125 intimate partner killings occurring between 2000 and 2005 were analyzed. Men were the perpetrators in nearly 9 out of 10 cases of Asian IPHs. Gender differences were found in ages of victims and perpetrators, types of relationship between partners, and methods of killing. Most homicides occurred among South-east Asians, and East Asians had the highest within-group proportion of suicides. The findings call for culturally competent risk assessment and intervention strategies to prevent IPHs among at-risk Asian Americans.

As we go into the 21st century, we can look at the past 30 years of domestic violence advocacy and research and remark proudly on how far we have come. The accumulated scientific knowledge, practitioner wisdom, policy changes, and public opinion changes are all remarkable (Klein, Campbell, Soler, & Ghez, 1997). What is even more exciting is that it looks like all that work has achieved at least partially the goal of decreasing, if certainly not yet ending, domestic violence. At the very least, we have definitely decreased the number and rate of intimate partner (IP) homicide of both men and women since 1976. However, one of the ironies in the field is that the rates of IP homicide have decreased much more for men than for women. The studies that have examined the decrease have found that a significant proportion of the decrease is attributable to increases in domestic violence resources such as hotlines and shelters and improvement in domestic violence laws (Browne, Williams, & Dutton, 1998; Dugan, Nagin, & Rosenfeld, 1999, 2003). It is also important to note in this era of marriage promotion as a solution for domestic violence that divorce availability was also associated with the decline in IP homicide in the Dugan et al. (1999) multivariate analysis. Even with IP homicide decreasing and progress apparent, every life that is lost from domestic violence is far too many and haunts all of us. Fatality reviews have increased exponentially as one way to identify ways the system can be improved to prevent these deaths. Another strategy is the development of lethality risk assessment instruments and systems. Barbara Hart (1988) led the

Abuse during pregnancy has increasingly been identified as an important problem with significant consequences for maternal and infant health, particularly in North America. The authors review available evidence of the prevalence and consequences of abuse during pregnancy, including maternal mortality, outside of North America. The range of prevalence found in developing countries is much wider (3.8% to 31.7%) than that of industrialized countries (3.4% to 11%), which is much closer to findings from North America. There is a need for more studies using consistent definitions and methodologies to examine the patterns and forms of abuse related to pregnancy worldwide.

Femicide, the homicide of women, is the seventh leading cause of premature death for women overall. Intimate partner (IP) homicide accounts for approximately 40% to 50% of U.S. femicides. The vast majority of IP femicides are perpetrated by male partners, with .05% of IP femicides in the U.S. perpetrated by female partners. Few studies have examined intimate partner violence (IPV) between female partners and no study (to the authors’ knowledge) has examined female-perpetrated IP femicide and attempted femicide in same-sex relationships. This case study examines IP femicide and attempted femicide among a small sample of women in same-sex relationships. The findings call attention to this important women’s health issue, expand our contextual understanding of violence in female same-sex relationships, and assist health care, law enforcement, judiciary, service, and advocacy professionals to develop prevention strategies and resources to reduce the risk of serious injury and death among women in same-sex relationships.

In a sample of 616 active duty military women, 30% reported adult lifetime intimate partner violence (IPV), defined as physical and/or sexual assault. The prevalence of IPV during the time of military service was 21.6%. Lifetime prevalence of any abuse, including emotional abuse and/or stalking, was 44.3%. Risk factors for IPV (lifetime and while in the military) from multivariate logistic regression were separated or divorced marital status (odds ratio = 5.23, 6.17, respectively), being widowed (odds ratio = 3.57, 4.57), having one child (odds ratio = 2.12, 2.49) or three or more children (odds ratio = 2.72, 3.34), and being enlisted personnel rather than officers (odds ratio = 2.45, 2.77). These prevalence rates and risk factors were similar to a demographically comparable civilian sample from the same geographic area. Existing military policies and programs should be examined and enhanced to maintain military readiness as well as reduce military women's risk of harm.

National experts discuss challenges and strategies for improving health care's response to domestic violence and moving toward evidence-based health care for domestic violence. Comments address ethical and legal issues, system incentives, public health and prevention, the need for evidence-based care, designing an effective research agenda, and outcome measurement.

A Protocol Assessment Tool (PAT) was developed to assess emergency departments's (EDs's) protocols regarding treatment of patients sustaining partner violence. Using this tool, project staff members evaluated the content of written protocols submitted by ED nurse managers in California and in a national sample in 1992-1993 and in 1996-1997. The number of protocols and their overall content improved significantly in California between 1992-1993 and 1996-1997, and there was a suggestion of improvement in the national sample. Advocacy efforts influenced Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations guidelines and California laws, which in turn may have stimulated increases in the quantity and quality of protocols. The PAT permits readers to evaluate their local facility's protocols.

Surveillance in the field of violence against women holds great promise as a tool to establish and track prevalence over time, identify risk groups and factors, and evaluate interventions. Appropriate surveillance systems are population based and can be used as the basis for informed public policy formation and evaluation, and public attitude assessment and analysis. They can also decrease research costs and can be established in all of the systems (legal, health, and social services) that interact with victims. Yet surveillance is not a perfect system. This article examines the issues with surveillance in this field, including its assumptions, prevalence variations, sensitivity and specificity issues, and safety concerns. The conclusion offers some creative approaches to address these problems.

This article traces and analyzes the development of a collaboration between a battered women's shelter and a university school of nursing to provide health services, nursing student education, action research, program evaluation and improvement, and data for policy change. The authors discuss the wide variety of shared activities that they undertook over time as well as competing and shared commitments to knowledge, programs, and audiences. The importance of a long-term commitment, development of trust, working through frustrations, and formulating mutual goals is stressed.

The sample for this study consisted of 164 women recruited from newspaper advertisements and bulletin board postings asking for volunteers with serious problems in intimate relationships with men. Women were screened for battering using the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS). Of 164 battered women, 28% were moderately to severely depressed and 11% were severely depressed on the Beck Depression Inventory. Significant predictors of depression (accounting for 44% of variance) by multivariate analysis were childhood physical abuse, self-care agency, physical abuse by partner, and daily hassles. In addition to these analyses, the influence of self in relationship on depression was examined. The findings from this study suggest that physical abuse is an important part of the etiology of depression in battered women and that the abuse in combination with daily hassles supports a stress explanation of depression, with a woman's ability to take care of herself a protective factor.

This research used logistic regression to test components of Choice and Lamke’s (1997) two-part decision-making model and Hamby’s (2008) holistic risk assessment as predictors of the decision to separate from an abusive partner, comparing significant predictors for immigrant ( n = 497) and nonimmigrant ( n = 808) women. Findings demonstrated that immigrant women reported higher levels of perceived risks/barriers to leaving, provided some support for the use of a holistic risk assessment in understanding women’s decisions to leave, and demonstrated that immigrant and nonimmigrant women have both similarities and differences in the factors that predict leaving. Clinical and policy implications are addressed.

In a study to evaluate a collaborative police and social service intervention, researchers asked police officers to recruit intimate partner violence victims at the scene of domestic violence incidents. This article reviews the process of building successful partnerships with police departments as well as the strategies developed with collaborating police departments to create successful recruitment methods and enhance officer and department engagement with recruitment procedures. Over a period of 298 days, 800 victims were referred to the research study. Of these referrals, we were unable to contact 41.3%; of those contacted ( n = 471), we conducted interv iews with 67.73%.