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Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a severe and prevalent global problem. It can damage women who survive it and children who witness it. Nurturing the mother–child relationship is critical to support mothers' and children's recovery. Research to date has mainly reflected information captured from conscious, verbal accounts by women and their children of explicit relationships. There is a lack of research on implicit relationships involving nonverbal and unconscious interactions that can be difficult to verbalize, especially for children. This is the first paper that describes the application of an art-based method, Joint Painting Procedure (JPP) with Chinese mother–child dyads who survived IPV to study their implicit relationship. It was conducted in a shelter for abused women in Hong Kong. Mother–child dyad was considered "partners," and JPP was used in novel ways of promoting their agency and strengths, which became the key to turning difficulties in the data collection process into advantages. The dyads mutually enjoyed their co-creation process; however, this did not guarantee their engagement in the post-painting discussion. To facilitate this, a post-painting discussion guide was co-developed to encourage dyads to exercise their agency and strengths, decide what to present in their discussions, and how to do this. JPP and the discussion guide created a synergistic way to optimize children's active participation, uncover mothers' needs of personal space boundaries and encourage children to learn to respect it, facilitate open dyadic dialogues, and allow reflection in a relaxed setting. Dyads' participation in JPP and the post-painting discussions elicited information that would have been otherwise challenging to obtain. This approach can improve understanding of the mother–child relationship in the context of IPV that may imply that the art-based dyadic process can be an effective approach to rebuild and restrengthen the mother–child relationship in the post-separation stage of IPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the family relationships of mothers and children living at a women's refuge because of intimate partner violence. Theoretically, the article contributes to the sociological literature analysing family relationships in terms of 'doing' and 'displaying' rather than 'being' a family. Empirically, it is based on ethnographic fieldwork and semi-structured interviews with children living at a refuge in Denmark. The article shows that family display at the refuge is conducted by both mothers and children and sometimes in conflicting ways, not least when it comes to the question of how to define the position of the father (who has committed the violence) in the family's future life. This highlights how display – as an evaluative practice – can be done in different ways in order to protect or reject family relationships, both internally and when addressing external audiences. Furthermore, the article analyses family relationships in a semi-public setting (the refuge) where powerful audiences are active interpreters of the family display enacted, and participants in decisions concerning the families' futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by a central concept in the sociology of childhood – that of 'place' – this article explores how childhood is constructed and experienced in an atypical place for childhood to unfold. The place in question is a refuge for women and their children who have experienced violence in the intimate sphere. In this article, 'place' has a dual meaning as referring to both social positions and physical locations. Employing this dual concept to investigate an atypical place provides insight into the dynamics that shape childhood space. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with children, the analysis shows how children negotiate children's places in challenging circumstances in a semi-public setting. It uncovers the plurality of children's places and how these are shaped by the children's positions in a protective context. The plurality of children's places becomes apparent by paying attention to the temporality of these places, which foregrounds the relational qualities and fields of power that contribute to the shaping of childhood space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased concern was raised globally at the outbreak of COVID-19 that victims of domestic violence would be even more at risk when isolated with a violent partner and out of reach of support due to restrictions. Swedish staff in violence against women services prepared for increased calls for help. Instead, a worrying silence arose in a time and place of high uncertainty. This article analyzes the narratology of risk, when staff members in violence against women services, reflect upon their accounts, responses, and experiences, during the pandemic. The analysis is based on three themes, accounting for expected increased influx, making sense of silence and accounting for mobilization. The findings are discussed by applying the relational theory of risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence shelters are a crucial service for women who have experienced violence and abuse from intimate partners. Despite research that demonstrates the effectiveness of shelter stays, little is known about the practices that occur and the interventions offered. Using data from qualitative interviews with six women's advocates and six shelter residents, the article explores and documents the advocates' practices and the impact of the shelter stay on women residents. The women's advocates report that they provide women residents time to become comfortable, empower them to set their own goals and make their own decisions, and then help them to connect to other community resources. They also stressed that shelters are homes and they want to create environments within their shelters that are nonchaotic and violence free, so that the interactions encountered in these settings are different from women residents' experiences with their abusive partners. The women residents reported receiving interventions that were similar to the descriptions that the advocates provided about their practice. For these women, being able to feel comfortable, safe, cared for, respected, and not judged was central to feeling helped during their shelter stay. Although the interview accounts revealed the importance of the relationship between advocates and residents, the findings also demonstrate that the environment within these shelters is equally significant to determining the quality of residents' experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marginalized adults have limited access to learning experiences that prioritize reflection and discourse, both considered preconditions in the Mezirow-informed field of transformative learning (TL). Using narrative analysis of a staff focus group and participant interviews over a 1-year learning journey, this study shows how a literacy program in a women's homeless shelter created conditions that supported TL for two marginalized women of color. Results show how program learning goals were attuned to issues of positionality for women marginalized by race, class, and gender and were consistent with Africentric womanist epistemological and axiological assumptions. Conditions that fostered connectedness among women in troubling contexts and contributed to qualitative change in ways of knowing included purposeful spaces dedicated to reflection, dialogue, and student-centered pedagogy. The findings have important implications for the theoretical grounding of policy and practice in support of marginalized women's TL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service provision for domestic violence (DV) survivors has been a long-standing staple of shelters in the United States. Although shelter services provide numerous benefits for survivors, barriers tied to acquisition remain a pressing concern when combatting DV. Nevertheless, there has been minimal research exploring barriers to service acquisition on a cross-national level. As such, the current research cross-nationally examines perceptions of shelter staff regarding acquisition barriers as well as the effectiveness of local agencies to meet survivor needs and differences in populations served in the United States (specifically Texas) as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data collection stemmed from self-report surveys originally constructed in English and translated into Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian. Results underscored differences between populations served, perceptions of local agencies assisting survivors of DV, and barriers tied to cultural and financial concerns. Implications, limitations, and future directions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about intimate violence in Japan under the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Topics discussed include All Japan Women's Shelter Network that runs 67 privately run women's shelters in the country, and Kizuna, a Japanese work for the bonds between people, emerging as a buzzword after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The article discusses the shelter for sex workers when they grow old known as Casa Xochiquetzal in Mexico City, Mexico. Topics include the relationship between residents of Casa Xochiquetzal, the facilities the residents receive and avail of and the individual stories of these residents and how they came to become a sex worker.

This study explores the confluence of victimization and incarceration to contribute to the understanding of battered women’s experience of the criminal justice system. Building on previous qualitative research investigating pathways to incarceration for battered women, this study utilizes qualitative data from 10 focus-group interviews to investigate and compare battered women’s experiences with victimization, help-seeking, and perceptions of incarceration across four different site types: jails, prisons, shelters, and post-release support groups. The study makes comparisons across these sites and identifies site-specific service needs and perceived barriers to meeting these needs. These data also reveal three ways battered women perceive incarceration to operate with respect to their service needs: as a symbolic barrier, as a potential opportunity, and as a structural barrier. The association of these divergent perspectives on incarceration with specific locations in the criminal justice system and the implications for targeted interventions based on these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of the study was to examine coping strategies, attachment styles, and romantic feelings among a sample of battered women (BWS) in shelters in Israel compared with a sample of women recruited from the community (CS; defined as nonbattered women). Results indicate that BWS were significantly more anxious and avoidant than CS and their romantic feelings for their partners were lower. However, contrary to prediction, BWS used more problem-focused than emotion-focused coping. Also contrary to prediction, attachment style and romantic feelings predicted problem-focused coping among BWS while predicting emotion-focused coping among CS. Aside from challenging common assumptions, the findings of the current study enhance our understanding of the associations between coping style, attachment style, and emotions experienced by BWS and highlight the importance of considering the larger context within which an individual instance of leaving occurs. Even so, future studies should employ a longitudinal design so as to shed additional light on interrelationships between these variables. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite a long history of women’s movements and policy-making efforts to ameliorate women’s status in Turkey, the number and quality of women’s shelters are far from sufficient. This article aims to reveal the shortcomings of shelter policy through the lens of those “at work” on this important social issue using a qualitative research design. Forty semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with municipal administrative officials, state social workers, and employees of civil society organizations that run shelters. The research findings reveal that there is a lack of effective authority that has the willpower to combat violence against women, and that it is difficult to keep shelters secure in a patriarchal society away from the male gaze. Furthermore, results indicate that there has been an erosion of social services provided by the state. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examined how staff members in shelters for abused women perceive the women’s mothering and the challenges when working with these mothers. Data were collected through focus group interviews with 30 workers at Israeli shelters for abused women. Findings revealed that workers typically held a “deficit perspective” when describing the residents’ mothering skills. Most seemed committed to the notion of empowerment as a guiding framework for intervention with the women and made an effort to facilitate the women’s choices and autonomy in spite of the obstacles. The study examined workers’ perceptions from personal, professional, and sociocultural perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, causing devastation that would last a lifetime. Indeed, the communities along the Gulf Coast were dealt a critical blow. In the midst of this destruction, the only shelter for battered women in Orleans Parish was flooded and just days later, caught fire and burned to the ground. The director and staff evacuated all of the residents before hurricane landfall, yet returned almost immediately to navigate through the destruction and find ways to offer services to women living with intimate partner violence and also those living through the community-wide crisis of Hurricane Katrina. The storm, the flooding, and the damage would require the organization's staff to think about how to create refuge and safety during and after a catastrophe. In this paper, we use in-depth interviews, document analysis and direct observation to document and analyze how Katrina's devastation changed the direction, scope, and goals of New Orleans Shelter. The lessons New Orleans Shelter learned during this catastrophe may be useful for shelters in future disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much work has focused on the interpersonal dynamics of violent relationships, but less is known about the specific turning points that prompt women at least to try to end them. Using a feminist standpoint method and phenomenological-based analysis of in-depth interviews with mothers in a domestic violence shelter, this article focuses on the role of children in women's decisions to leave abusive partners. It discusses arriving at the decision, the logistics involved in leaving and planning for the future, and it presents policy and advocacy-based recommendations that are aimed at addressing the social welfare of women and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is estimated that approximately 75% of U.S. adults have e-mail access, the proportion of battered women's shelter residents who use e-mail is currently unknown. Remaining in contact with residents following shelter stays is challenging. E-mail might hold promise for follow-up contact if a sufficient number of survivors use e-mail and safety concerns can be addressed. Among a convenience sample of residents of 11 Massachusetts shelters (N = 57), the authors find that 47% had a current e-mail account. Among those with e-mail accounts, 89% used e-mail in locations other than their own homes; 81% reported that, to their knowledge, their e-mail accounts had never been accessed by unauthorized dating partners; and 88% reported that they thought it would be safe for the shelter to e-mail them following their departure. Additional research assessing the feasibility (i.e., safety, acceptability, and cost benefit) of remaining in contact with shelter residents via the Internet would be beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 2005 focuses on safe and independent housing for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). The focus on housing in the latest version of VAWA suggests recognition by Congress that removing barriers and increasing access to safe housing is critical to our nation's response to IPV, and that this type of systems-level response is necessary to reduce the link between IPV and subsequent homelessness. This study examines the current state of transitional housing programs (THPs) and discusses future program considerations, including the need for evaluation studies that consider the possible impact that transitional housing programs have on the rates of violence toward women and their children, and on women's ability to achieve economic stability after separating from their abusive partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares two groups of women in South Korea: one group incarcerated for the deaths of their male partners and the other staying in a shelter for battered women. The analysis serves to answer two questions: First, are the findings regarding women who kill their intimate partners in Western societies generally applicable to their counterparts in South Korea? Second, how are abused South Korean women who resort to lethal violence against their abusers different from those who do not? Regarding both abused and nonabused women incarcerated for criminal homicide against their partners, results indicate that they have less experience of psychological and physical abuse by their partners and that they are less educated, underemployed, and more supportive of traditional patriarchal norms than are the women who utilize domestic violence shelters. This research explores implications for intervention strategies to encourage abused women to seek help from legal and extralegal sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the results of a survey of North Carolina domestic violence programs that found that substance abuse problems are common among program clients, yet only half of the programs had policies concerning substance-abusing clients, and one fourth had memoranda of agreement with substance abuse treatment providers. Most programs with shelters asked clients about substance use; however, one third of the shelters would not admit women if they were noticeably under the influence of substances while seeking shelter residence, instead referring them to substance abuse programs. Approximately one tenth of the domestic violence programs did not have any staff or volunteers with training in substance abuse issues. Implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the presence of mental health symptoms and disorders reported by 74 women in a domestic violence shelter and the impact of those symptoms on function in work, school, and social encounters. Findings are compared to estimates of U.S. women generally, based on a national sample of over 65,000 women drawn from the 1995 National Health Interview Survey. The sheltered sample presents significantly higher rates of mental conditions and functional impairments affecting their work, school, and social functioning. These women are also less educated and poorer and use more health services than the U.S. population. Mental health conditions must be identified in shelters to improve functioning and facilitate independence from abusers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence is recognised as a pervasive problem in South Africa. This study focused on the narratives of four abused women and attempted to establish the significance of sheltering in their lives. A qualitative research design was used based on semi-structured interviews, which were analysed thematically. The findings supported past research, indicating that although the women's experiences were diverse they contained many features similar to those reported in previous studies. Each of the four women was not a passive victim, having taken the decision to leave an abusive and violent relationship. Sheltering was found to provide the protected space necessary to move beyond the abuse, and in addition provided the structure and social support necessary to start to transcend the abuse. Sheltering was found to fill gaps created by a society in transition, in which abuse and violence are often tolerated or condoned within existing social and family structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women residing at domestic violence shelters (S group) were nearly 11 times more likely to report that their partner had hurt or killed pets than a comparison group of women who said they had not experienced intimate violence (NS group). Reports of threatened harm to pets were more than 4 times higher for the S group. Using the Conflict Tactics Scale, the authors demonstrated that severe physical violence was a significant predictor of pet abuse. The vast majority of shelter women described being emotionally close to their pets and distraught by the abuse family pets experienced. Children were often exposed to pet abuse, and most reported being distressed by these experiences. A substantial minority of S-group women reported that their concern for their pets' welfare prevented them from seeking shelter sooner. This seemed truer for women without children, who may have had stronger pet attachments. This obstacle to seeking safety should be addressed by domestic violence agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores challenges to understanding mothering under difficult and unusual circumstances—that is, in the context of a shelter for battered women and their children. Drawing on participant observation and interviews with staff at a local battered woman's shelter, the authors suggest that mothering is largely invisible and subject to idealized constructions. When mothers are rendered visible in the shelter, they are observed through a lens of heightened sensitivity to abusive relations that are marked by unacceptable use of power and control. This lens is distorted in relation to mothering, and an understanding of the emotional complexities and challenges of everyday mothering is a prerequisite for practice with women with children. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for theory and practice that center on the concepts of power and maternal subjectivity in relation to battered women as mothers in shelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health implemented the Collaborative for Abuse Prevention in Racial and Ethnic Communities (CARE) project in two Latino communities, in the city of Chelsea and in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. One goal of CARE was to build collaborative networks of service providers to provide culturally competent services. Networks of existing community-based agencies that provide a variety of different services regarding violence against women were established in both locales. This article describes the CARE model, network formation, initial attempts to build collaboration and cultural competence, outreach and education activities, and organizational-level changes resulting from the establishment of the networks. The challenges, successes, and lessons learned in implementing this network model are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence continues to be one of the most pervasive, traumatic, life-threatening, and harmful family problems in society today. A new 5-level classificatory schema or continuum of the duration and severity of woman battering is proposed for assessment and intervention. The continuum is based on 501 in-depth interviews with battered women in emergency shelters, police departments, and a large state women's prison. The underlying goal of identifying different types of battering relationships is to provide social workers and forensic specialists with psychosocial indicators that can be used as a basis for early case-finding, crisis intervention, and preventive intervention. Crisis intervention protocols and other intervention strategies are needed with abused women throughout North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The battered women's movement lost a great leader and visionary when Susan Schechter died of endrometrial cancer in 2004. Schechter's legacy reminds advocates for battered women of how efforts to develop safe places for battered women began, the context of those times, how far we have come, and how far we still have to go. Her pioneering work in the area of the overlap between child maltreatment and adult domestic violence and services to children who are exposed to domestic violence has left the social work profession with a challenging agenda that must be met to create safety for all women and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence reportedly affects more than 5 million Americans each year, more than 85% of whom are women. Many of these women turn to their faith-based communities for support and guidance, but little is known about how the church members they turn to perceive or understand domestic violence. This article reports the outcomes of three focus groups in three diverse communities of faith in the African American community that resulted in a better understanding of how church leaders and congregants view spirituality and religion and how they converge with domestic violence. Implications for research and practice are presented for domestic violence intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the adjustment of battered women and their children after exiting domestic violence shelters. Participants were 62 women who had endured severe partner abuse, completed a shelter program with their children, and resided in the community for at least 6 months. Field interviews concerned mothers' and children's abuse histories and included measures of maternal depression, maternal trauma, and child behavior problems. Nearly all women had lived violence free since shelter exit. Child internalizing behaviors were associated with direct abuse, maternal depression, and shelter program. Externalizing behaviors were related to maternal depression and shelter program. Neither severity of interparental violence nor maternal trauma symptoms was related to child behavior problems. Mothers' family-of-origin abuse predicted current satisfaction with child functioning, beyond the effects of maternal depression and child behavioral problems. Findings suggest a need for postshelter therapeutic services and further research addressing the adjustment of such families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines changes in internal resources (empowerment and self-esteem), well-being (life satisfaction and hope), and integration in the shelter (participation and commitment) experienced by women at domestic violence shelters in Israel. The participants were compared at two points in time-i week and 3 months after their arrival at the shelter. Small but significant differences were found in all measures, except those concerning participation in and commitment to the shelter and one of the empowerment components-the ability to accept help and take advantage of professional services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on Haaken and Yragui's (2003) critique of the practice of concealing the location of domestic violence shelters. Risk for women being found in refuges by ex-partners; Risks of further abuse in the period after a woman has left an abusive male partner.

Examinations of social movements have typically overlooked the organizational context of social-movement agencies as well as the role of agency employees in shaping the larger movement. This study explored meso- and micro-level forces that affect the battered women's movement, as found in one particular women's shelter. The findings suggest that although the larger social movement may encourage the examination of battering from a systemic perspective, shelter workers adopt a more narrow, psychological interpretation. Shelter workers adopt this perspective because of the socialization that occurs within the shelter context itself which employees then replicate to be seen as competent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two personalized substance abuse assessment and feedback interventions were tested for effectiveness in engaging female domestic violence shelter residents in substance abuse treatment. One hundred forty-seven residents were assessed for quantity and frequency of substance use, negative consequences due to use, motivation to change substance use behavior, and psychopathological symptoms related to substance abuse. Assessment identified (33) 22% of participants as heavy substance users. Twenty of the 33 heavy-using residents received one of two personalized substance use feedback interventions:face-to-face feedback or written feedback placed in shelter mailboxes. Treatment engagement was defined as attending at least one substance abuse treatment session within 30 days after the intervention. Results showed a significant difference in treatment engagement rates in favor of the face-to-face feedback group (60% vs. 0%). The results provide preliminary data suggesting that substance abuse assessment can be effectively accomplished in the shelter environment and that the face-to-face feedback procedure may be an effective intervention to bridge the service linkage problem between domestic violence services and substance abuse treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feminist scholars promote an advocacy and social change approach that is rooted in centering women's knowledge and suggestions for change. This article centers and analyzes suggestions made by women staying in shelters for women who have been battered and explores the ways their perspectives reflect individualized or structural discourse and their solutions concentrate needs at the level of survival, equality, or transformation. The article finds that women have a range of perspectives and suggestions, and feminist scholars are encouraged to understand and address these from women's multiple positions while continuing to grapple with how to promote social change to improve women's lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article critically analyzes feminist practice in shelters for battered women, with particular attention to the extent to which, and how, issues of mothering are addressed. Drawing on participant observations and interviews with staff and residents at a local shelter in Canada, it appears that practice in this arena remains immune to feminist analyses of mothering. An articulation of some of the consequences of the invisibility of women as mothers in shelter settings and suggested implications for shelter practice are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although shelters for abused women are common across North America, few have been evaluated. This qualitative study consisted of in-depth interviews with 63 shelter residents. Thirty-five of these women were interviewed in follow-ups 4 to 6 months later. In each interview, they were asked what they found helpful during their shelter stay. Residents were positive about the supportive nature of the staff, safety, relationships with other residents, and the child care. Residents expressed some concerns about the availability of counseling from busy staff and the appropriateness of some shelter residents. Generally, the women endorse shelters as resources that save lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines services offered to battered women at women's shelters in three states in the Southern United States. Methods of the study; Services available to battered women in these states; Which groups of women are most likely to receive assistance; Investigation of why some groups, including women of color, lesbian women, and mentally ill women, were less likely to receive care.

Presents a study of organizational readiness, impact, and response among domestic violence programs in communities hit by environmental disasters in Canada and the United States. Evidence of an increase in domestic violence following natural disasters; Finding of low levels of preparedness along with interest in increasing disaster readiness; Suggestions for more fully integrating women's services in community-based disaster mitigation, planning, and response.

The article explores the relationship between workers in shelters for abused women, clergy, and churchwomen. Research on the relationship between conservative churches and social service agencies has revealed several points that are relevant to understanding the interaction between churches and transition houses in a broader context. Although conservative churches may be less likely to provide social services than their more liberal counterparts, conservative Protestants prefer church-based to secular-based interventions for mental health care, a preference that may be influenced by tensions between clergy and secular therapists. Social recognition of the prevalence of wife abuse was precipitated by grassroots feminists who were active in the transition house movement. Feminist action centered on three main projects: revealing the extent of male violence against women, challenging traditional responses to wife abuse, and establishing profeminist services for survivors of abuse. The feminist model explains wife abuse in relation to power, the economically disadvantaged position of women, and the general level of violence in society. Many feminists have come to view the family as an institution that works in the interests of men to preserve the hegemony of patriarchy; their model of the family includes single-parent families and same-sex partners.

Examines the levels of depression reported by women who had used a domestic violence shelter. Assessment of depressive symptoms; Incidence of depression upon shelter exit and after six-month follow-up; Evaluation of ecological, longitudinal model to predict women's depression.

The author examines various risk and protective factors at multiple system levels that mediate the impact of marital violence on child adjustment. Participants included 185 children and their mothers who were residing at battered women's shelters. Numerous risk and protective factors are identified, and the implications of the findings for clinical intervention are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study based on interviews with battered women whose partners had completed a batterers' intervention program (BIP) administered through a womens' shelter in a Canadian urban setting. Exploration of the women's experience with the BIP, including changes, if any, in their partners; Finding that the programs were mostly beneficial, enhancing their feelings of safety and personal well-being, feeling validated by counselors, and increasing their knowledge of abusive behaviors.

Presents a study on the difficulties battered women experienced when separating from the batterer, going to a shelter, and starting a new life. Methods, which include interviewing former residents of a shelter in Cape Town, South Africa; Results; Recommendations regarding the provision of shelters, bridging and counseling services as well as the social and legal recognition of battering as a crime.

Features the Moscow Sexual Assault Recovery Center (Sisters) in Russia. History and purpose; Organizational structure; Activities and programs.

Examines how husband's mental state, antagonism between the disputants, and victim injury affect officers' inferences and referral decisions to battered women shelters and outpatient mental health centers in Georgia. Study of Stalans and Finn; Officers' referral to shelters when wives are injured or are not intent on hurting abusive husbands.

Interviews were conducted with forty-two women with extensive abuse histories who had killed their intimates and fifty-nine women with similar abuse histories who were in shelters for battered women. Controlling for demographic and other differences, analyses indicated that alcohol and other drug use ably distinguished between the two groups of women (correctly classifying 89% of the cases), and that alcohol use was more salient than other drug use. The partner's alcohol use and the respondent's alcohol use were significantly higher among the intimate homicide group, suggesting an association between intimate homicide and alcohol use. Alcohol counseling should, therefore, be a significant part of programs for both battered women and for men who batter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of shelters on the experiences of battered women is examined through data drawn from participant observation of a battered women's shelter. The organizational philosophy, beliefs, and actions of shelter workers are shown to be critical variables in the outcome of battered women's contacts with the shelter. The therapeutic-intervention model imposed by funding agencies and the board was the context in which counselors developed their understanding of battered women. Counselors viewed battered women as suffering from mental problems requiring long-term therapy. The treatment women received varied depending on the degree to which they approximated staffs vision of "good clients." Good clients projected an image of self-sufficiency, sincerity, and responsiveness, and did not question organizational rules. The processing of battered women revolved around organizational and staff criteria which were based on the self-sufficiency ethos. The shelter served as a short-term intervention, providing practical, but not emotional alternatives to a violent marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses some factors Gelles proposed to explain why women stay with spouses who physically abuse them. Variables in Gelles's hypothesis are tested with data obtained from women staying in shelters after leaving their abusers. Gelles said that decisions to leave are based on certain factors; those defined by Gelles that are focused on here are the severity and frequency of the violence and the amount of abuse the victim suffered from parents as a child. Gelles derived his data from interviews with 66 wives and 14 husbands in intact families in their homes, whereas this investigation employed a variety of techniques with female battering victims, usually during their stay in shelters. One technique was a questionnaire that included some items suitable for testing Gelles's hypothesis. Statistical tests offer no support for two of the major variables proposed by Gelles to explain why battered women stay with their abusers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children in battered women's shelters have been shown to have more behavior problems than their peers but limited information is available about their development. A pilot survey was undertaken to determine the prevalence of developmental or academic problems in children of residents of a battered women's shelter. Demographic data, medical and school histories and responses to standardized developmental or behavioral surveys were obtained from 39 mothers of 76 children. Two-thirds of the children were victims of abuse. On the Minnesota Child Development Inventory, the mean General Developmental Quotient (DQ) of 28 preschool children was 98; however, 39% had developmental delays by test criteria. Of 46 school-aged children, 21 (46%) had evidence of academic problems, including grade repetition, failing grades and need for special educational services. On the Louisville Behavior Checklist, 75% of 48 children had behavior problems. Children in a battered women's shelter are likely to experience academic and behavioral problems; however, further study is needed to elucidate etiological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the patterns of causal attributions for marital violence made by women who have left their partners to seek the safety of a women's shelter. Related studies; Use of the Beck Depression Inventory.