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Investigations of physical assault have found that a substantial number of women have been victimized within the context of a dating relationship. The present study examined a wide range of interpersonal, attitudinal, personality, past history, and demographic variables for 308 college women in order to understand what factors differentiate women in physically violent and nonviolent dating relationships. The study employed a 2 (abuse) x 2 (depression) design and as such was able to examine the unique effects of physical abuse without being confounded by the effects of depression. Twenty-one percent of the participants reported either current or past involvement in a physically abusive dating relationship. After controlling for depression, it was found that abused women employed poorer coping, had more social support, and experienced more sexual victimization than non-abused women. Implications of these findings are discussed. (Contains 36 references.) (Author/JDM)

The increasing prevalence of domestic violence in Israel has engendered a critical need to identify and treat battered women. This paper looks at Posttraumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) and considers its predictors among battered women. The research sample was comprised of a sample of 91 battered women between the ages of 20 and 60 who applied to the Domestic Violence Treatment and Prevention Center for treatment. They were administered the Traumatic Event Questionnaire, Conflict Tactics Scale, and the PTSD-Scale for Family Violence. The results showed that previous trauma, severity of violence, physical and verbal violence distinguished battered women with and without PTSD. The findings reflect the severe consequences of verbal violence on the psychological health of battered women. (Author/JDM)

A comparative study of the impact of violence on immigrant women's learning was conducted among immigrant women of two communities in the Toronto area: the Spanish-speaking community and the Kurds. The two authors of the study each worked with one of the communities in which they had knowledge of the language. An in-depth, non-structured, conversational interview was used with 14 women of each group in order to document the life histories of these women as they experienced them. The Spanish-speaking women also participated in a workshop wherein they focused on learning about the law. All the women had been involved in violence, whether the mostly-domestic violence that the Spanish-speaking women had experienced or the political violence in which the Kurdish women or their husbands, sons, and brothers had participated. The study, reported separately for each group, found that the experience of violence places stress on the women that impedes their learning. The study also found that learning should be viewed as larger than just the learning of content--it includes learning to trust and act on their own behalf and take charge of their own learning. Some of the recommendations of the study included having peer-oriented learning groups to teach women about the legal system and the provision of legal materials in their native languages. (Contains 45 references.) (KC)

This paper discusses domestic violence, examining its epidemiology for the general population and for two Asian American groups. It reviews data from 10 empirical studies on domestic violence among Asian American women. Qualitative studies stress the impact of family ties, family honor, and shame; religious values; fear of the legal system; and racism and minority status. Quantitative studies show that wife abuse relates to length of residency, acculturation level, status inconsistency, traditionalism, rigid adherence to sex role performance, partner's alcohol use, and lack of social contact. Research indicates that Asian American women are unable to leave abusive situations. The 1994 Violence Against Women Act helps undocumented battered women petition for their own permanent resident status. Evidence shows that mental health services are underutilized for domestic violence issues among Asian American women, and it notes the need for culturally sensitive interventions, outreach, and treatments for battered Asian American women. The paper reviews research on interventions, including battered women's shelters, crisis hotlines, support groups, and legal advocacy, as well as more focused clinical treatments (unilateral, bilateral, and dyadic). It examines advantages and disadvantages of family systems interventions for domestic violence, noting the paucity of research in this area. (Contains 32 references.) (SM)

This paper examines the prevalence of domestic violence directed against pregnant women of Mexican origin. About 18 percent of Hispanic women experience abuse by a partner. Over half of abused women incur injuries during pregnancy, which subjects the fetus to significant risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, injury, or death. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 521 Mexican American and Mexican women at prenatal care facilities in rural and urban U.S. sites and an urban Mexican site. Overall prevalence of abuse was 8.8 percent but ranged from 17.5 percent at the rural U.S. site to 3.8 percent at the urban U.S. site. Overall prevalence of abuse during pregnancy was 6.2 percent and ranged from 2.7 to 11.4 percent across sites, with the rural U.S. site highest. Although rural U.S. women reported more abuse, urban U.S. and Mexican women reported more severe abuse. Compared to nonabused women, abused women had lower self-esteem and higher acculturation levels. No differences were found in delay in seeking prenatal care. Focus group results revealed the women's thoughts concerning battered women, battered pregnant women, what constitutes battering, the role of Mexican culture in abuse, the role of alcohol and other contributing factors, factors that discourage abuse, helpful strategies for battered women, and awareness of available resources. Recommendations cover primary prevention strategies, including health education for secondary school students, and research needs. (Contains 35 references.) (SV)

In the mid 1980's some of the counselors on Guam began to explore oppressive family patterns. This resulted in major legislative, child welfare, and law enforcement changes, as well as a quest for treatment strategies that would meet the needs of this unique multi-cultural population. This paper discusses the use of experiential, culture-sensitive techniques to help women experiencing partner abuse. Themes are used as treatment strategies for education and recovery group counseling of abused women and include personal safety, victim blaming, growing up females, and denial. (JDM)

Little research has been directed at the psychological development of poor women. So as to better understand this group, the results of a qualitative study of 20 white, semi-rural women receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (welfare) are reported in this paper. All of the women were completing a two-year college degree. Their process of psychosocial transformation is the focus of this research. Each participant was invited to tell her story as a woman, as a student, and as a welfare mother. Results show that nearly all the participants depicted themselves as objects subjected to the power and control of men and social institutions. Their narratives spoke of devaluation and subordination, evidenced by sexual and physical abuse, male violence, and institutional contempt. A clear correspondence between the control and devaluation the participants experienced and their expressed fears, self-blame, and feelings of worthlessness, stupidity, and incompetence emerged. Most of the women described three critical turning points in their self-transformation: motherhood, betrayal by mates, and higher education, all of which challenged their existing definitions of self. Their stories describe a process of self reconstruction amidst the constraints of male power and control. (RJM)

Human Options is a non-profit social service agency in Orange County, California which provides services for battered women and their families. This study: assessed the outcomes for graduates of its programs; obtained consumer evaluations of the agency's services; measured the needs for aftercare services; and assessed how the children of program graduates were doing. This study builds on an initial follow-up survey in which 90 graduates of the Human Options program were interviewed. For the current study, data was collected from two groups of Human Options graduates: graduates of the Second Step program and former residents of the Human Options Shelter. Results show that Second Step respondents, even though they had more problematic backgrounds than the Shelter women, were doing as well as their Shelter peers on most indicators and even better in some areas, such as being less likely to report that they or their children have been abused. Consumer satisfaction was high for graduates of both programs. However, exploratory data on the children revealed cause for concern, with many of the children expressing themselves through physical violence, having trouble making friends, and performing below grade level in reading. Recommendations for future research are made. Contains numerous tables throughout the document. (RJM)

Children's exposure to family violence may lead to increased school difficulties, as shown in studies demonstrating the relationship between children's adjustment disorders and stressful family events. To examine the unique effects of violence on children's cognition, this study compared the academic performance and conflict levels of two groups of children, ages 6 to 12, and their mothers: those living in battered women's shelters and those in homeless shelters. Seventy-three families (113 children) from battered women's shelters and 55 families (82 children) from homeless shelters completed a variety of tests including the Conflict Tactics Scale, the General Health Questionnaire and the Child Behavior checklist. The children completed the Wide Range Achievement Test, the Digit Scan, and the Children's Locus of Control Scale. Few significant differences were found among the children's test results; in addition, the results were similar for homeless shelter children with no violence in their histories and for those with past exposure to violence (not within the past year). The prediction that extreme family violence would lead to extremely poor school performance also was not supported. Furthermore, when families were retested 10 months after leaving the battered women's shelter, no changes were found in children's cognitive performance. Although children in shelter situations do experience school difficulties, the data demonstrate that school performance is not uniquely affected by family violence. (Contains 12 references.) (CH)

This study examined the psychosocial adjustment of young children who were living in families where domestic violence had occurred, and presented implications for early childhood teachers. The research data were collected in a structured interview with 54 mothers who had at least 1 child between 3 and 6 years of age. These women had left a violent partner from 3 to 24 months prior to participation in the study and were not in a new relationship. The family interview schedule included the administration of the Conflict Tactics Scale, and the mothers also completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). At the time of the interview, 42 percent of the children showed a level of behavioral problems warranting clinical intervention. A series of hierarchical regression analyses was conducted with scores on the CBCL as criteria. The variables of child age, sex, abuse status, level of family violence prior to separation, period of separation, and post-separation contact with the violent partner were the predictors. It was found that a high level of family violence prior to separation was the most consistent predictor for the extent of behavioral problems seen in the child. (Includes suggestions for how early childhood professionals can respond to the needs of children who live in violent families. Contains 34 references.) (Author)

Research literature pertaining to revictimization as a sequela to childhood sexual abuse of females is reviewed and the methodology critiqued. Inconsistent definitions of the variables and a variety of possible intervening factors make the attribution of direct causality between sexual abuse in childhood and subsequent revictimization in adulthood difficult to determine. However, adult women who are sexually victimized by others or physically abused in intimate relationships have a higher incidence of childhood sexual abuse than the general population. Women who victimize themselves through prostitution, self-injury and suicide are also more likely than females in the general population to be survivors of sexual abuse in childhood. Theories of revictimization are presented and recommendations for future research are proposed. Contains 44 references. (Author)

An intergenerational literacy project involving economically disadvantaged parents, their preschool children, and preservice teachers was conducted at Eastern Montana College. Parents enrolled in the Head Start and Even Start programs attended sessions at which they were trained to be literacy tutors at training meetings and/or combination dinner/training sessions. Forty Even Start enrollees and 20 Head Start families attended the sessions. Four literacy tutors and 49 college students were trained to work alongside parents as literacy volunteers. Literacy services were provided at the Head Start and Even Start centers and at the local shelters for battered spouses and the homeless in Billings, Montana. The sites were furnished with 719 books and 35 backpacks of books-on-tape were developed for parents to check out and use at home. The project was considered highly successful and will be continued. (Appendixes constituting approximately 75% of this document contain the following: a list of more than 100 books recommended for parents and preschoolers; a parent interview form; parent-child observation checklists; a course syllabus; instructional materials inventories; and a handbook for conducting family literacy nights that includes lesson plans, overhead transparency masters, and student handouts.) (MN)

Noting that family violence is a global and pernicious problem, this report summarizes a symposium--sponsored by the Baha'i International Community's office for the Advancement of Women, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women--on meeting the challenge of and raising public awareness about the scope and seriousness of family violence. Building on a diversity of cultures, professions, experiences, and perspectives, participants proposed that effective efforts to create violence-free families must be designed on the basis of including the whole family and active participation of all social sectors. The report elaborates the following conclusions, which emerged in consensus from the symposium: (1) family violence must be publicly acknowledged as a problem; (2) the social and economic costs of family violence are incalculable; (3) family violence is a human development issue; (4) family violence is a human rights issue; (5) a violent society produces violent families; (6) family violence must be addressed by the world community; (7) NGOs have a major role to play--and they are already playing it; (8) the media must eliminate stereotyped images of girls and women and portray them in egalitarian relationships with men; and (9) educational systems need to redesign curricula, texts, sports programmes and other activities to promote gender equality. Several selected recommendations are listed which were proposed at the workshop discussions from the perspectives of research, education/training, services, and international and national legislation. (AP)

This report reviews the activities of a workshop on violence and the American family that was conducted to consider the nexus between research and policy issues in the field, identify key issues that need to be addressed in responding to the problem of family violence, and highlight program initiatives to address the problem. It lists workshop participants and outlines key issues in regard to the dimensions of family violence, existing interventions, and policies, programs, and research directions. The report then identifies key elements of programs that can address the full range of issues, including social services, health, and criminal justice concerns. It concludes by advocating three steps that can be taken to address the problem of family violence in America: (1) development of a public education campaign that would foster understanding of the complex dimensions of family violence; (2) development of rigorous evaluations of public-sector programs designed to treat or reduce the incidence of child and spousal abuse and abuse of the elderly; and (3) integration of preventive measures for family violence into a comprehensive, community-based program of family support services. (MDM)

This document details how Australia's government intends to implement the New National Agenda for Women, which was formulated in 1993 after a review of many recent reports and after a forum to obtain input from women in the community, representatives of many women's organizations, and all areas of government. Sixteen of the 23 chapters examine the following issues: women and decision making; eliminating violence against women; women and the media; education; training; employment; child care; sex discrimination; health and well-being; women and families; homes and communities; income security; superannuation; sport, recreation, arts, and culture; women and the environment; and international cooperation. Six chapters discuss government programs/policies toward the following groups: non-English-speaking women, young women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women in rural and remote areas, older women, and women with disabilities. Outlined in chapter 23 are processes being used to implement, monitor, and report progress in achieving the national agenda. Each chapter includes a statement of goals and lists of achievements thus far and planned actions. Appended are key information on commonwealth government departments and agencies and a list of organizations represented at the 1992 National Agenda for Women Renewal Forum. (MN)

This paper, first in a series of special reports concerning disability and the family, presents a review of the relationship between abuse and disabilities, arguing that roughly 25 percent of all disabilities are caused by child or spousal abuse. A national survey revealed that 12 states have legislation addressing these issues, and the paper includes excerpts, with comments from the relevant statutes of each of these states. The states are: Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming; a 13th state, California, has pending legislation. Recommended components of model legislation are identified. The paper also provides a synopsis of a literature search investigating incidence, prevalence and extent of disability caused by abuse and neglect. An analysis of associated fiscal costs is provided suggesting the cost effectiveness of greater prevention efforts. Finally, observations are made regarding the need for a national program to confront this problem. (Contains 60 references.) (PB)

Recent qualitative investigations of abusive men have indicated that power and control of the wife are central themes in incidents of marital violence. Furthermore, anecdotal and empirical evidence suggest that abusive husbands hold more traditional sex-role stereotypes, are more possessive and jealous, and are more controlling than nonabusive husbands. This study investigated the effects of discrepancies between the affiliation needs of wives and husbands on marital violence. Subjects were 272 couples who participated in a longitudinal study of early marriage. Assessment took place 1 month prior to marriage and at 6, 18, and 30 months thereafter. The Autonomy Scale from Jackson's Personality Research Form was used to assess autonomy, and the Marital Adjustment Test was employed to measure relationship satisfaction. Relationship violence was assessed using The Conflict Tactics Scale. Results indicated that at 18 and 30 months of marriage women high in autonomy who married men low in autonomy reported a significantly greater amount of husband-to-wife violence than women low in autonomy. Women high in autonomy who married men low in autonomy did not differ in their reports of violence from women high in autonomy who married men high in autonomy. (ABL)

The stereotype of the "drunken bum" wife abuser has a long history in American culture. U.S. population surveys document a positive correlation between alcohol consumption levels and marital violence. In this study risk factors for marital violence among treatment seeking male alcoholics were examined. Subjects were couples (N=107) who had a newly abstinent husband entering treatment in the Counseling for Alcoholics' Marriages Project. Subjects were divided into aggressive and nonaggressive categories based on responses to the Conflict Tactics Scale. Drinking patterns, drinking location, antisocial and other aggressive behavior, severity of alcohol problems, family drinking history, motivations for drinking and beliefs about alcohol, marital disharmony and conflict, and demographic variables were assessed. Results indicated maritally aggressive alcoholics (N=71) were different from nonaggressive alcoholics (N=36) in their drinking patterns (more likely to have an arrest history and higher verbal aggression levels), alcohol problem severity (earlier problem onset and greater problem severity), family history (more alcohol problems among male biological relatives and less maternal use), beliefs about alcohol (less confidence in their ability to manage interpersonal conflict without drinking and stronger beliefs that alcohol causes marital problems), and demographics (younger age and shorter length of marriage). Surprisingly, extent of marital dissatisfaction did not distinguish the two groups. (Author/ABL)

A number of factors came together in the 1970s to create a social problem called "battered wives". Then, beginning in 1977, there was an attempt to create a social problem called "battered husbands." So far, such attempts have been unsuccessful. This analysis compares the issue of battered husbands and battered wives to determine why one was successfully constructed as a social problem while the other was not. The development of the two issues is delineated, and then compared. The results of the comparison show that the factors that were present in the construction of battered wives as a social problem--a social movement, professional and mass media attention, and appropriate gender images--were not present for battered husbands. The existence of the feminist movement and the battered women's movement helped establish battered wives as a social problem while gender images supported the notion of women as appropriate and acceptable victims of violence by their husbands. These findings suggest that a climate that supported the existence and maintenance of one of these social problems could not, and has not, supported the institutionalization of the other. (Author/BF)

Findings of a 1990 study that identified the educational needs of Texas children who were homeless as a result of domestic violence are presented in this paper. Data were derived from: (1) interviews with three staff members of the Texas Council on Family Violence; (2) visits to four domestic violence shelters--three urban and one rural--and elementary schools serving two of the shelters; (3) interviews with shelter executive directors, elementary principals, shelter residents, and two classroom teachers; and (4) a survey sent to all domestic violence shelters in Texas, which yielded 34 responses, a 38 percent response rate. Survey statistics suggest that a significant portion of children who resided in a domestic violence shelter attended elementary school (27 percent). However, the statistics did not include children who continued to live in violent homes, those taken in by other family members, or those whose mothers had the financial resources to seek assistance elsewhere. The following recommendations are made: (1) implement practices to enroll all children in school; (2) maintain confidentiality of children's enrollment status; (3) provide comprehensive inservice training for school staff; (4) award the children immediate access to services and programs; (5) exempt the children from discipline policies involving corporal punishment; (6) improve communication between school and shelter staffs; (7) provide homebound services and transportation to those for whom safety is a concern; and (8) attempt to mainstream the children. (LMI)

This study sought to identify personality differences in abused versus non-abused women. Abused women (N=25) were from several centers for abused women and non-abused women (N=39) were students in evening psychology classes. All subjects completed Rubin's Love Scale, the abbreviated Dominance and Romanticism Scale, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and questions about emotional and physical abuse and personal history. It was hypothesized that abused women would score lower on the Self-Esteem Scale and higher on both the Love Scale and the Dominance and Romanticism Scale than non-abused women. In support of the hypothesis, both the physically and emotionally abused groups were significantly lower in self-esteem than the non-abused groups. Both the physically and emotionally abused groups were more likely to endorse beliefs of dominance and romanticism than the non-abused groups. The hypothesis that abused women would score higher on the Love Scale was not supported; the physically and emotionally abused groups were significantly lower on the Love Scale score than the non-abused groups. Both the physically and the emotionally abused groups were significantly lower on the Love Scale score than the non-abused groups and both were significantly older than the non-abused groups. Although experience of abuse was confounded with age, age was not significantly correlated with any of the dependent measures. (Author/ABL)

One of the reasons why so few parents question the wisdom of "spare the rod and spoil the child" and why so few researchers have investigated the potential adverse effects, is probably the culturally accepted assumption that, when done "in moderation," physical punishment is harmless and sometimes necessary. This study starts from assumptions that are almost the opposite of that aspect of American culture. It tests the hypothesis that the greater the use of physical punishment, the greater the probability, later in life, of depression, suicidal ideation, alcohol abuse, wife assaults, and child abuse. The findings to be reported must be regarded as tentative because they are based on recall data about physical punishment, whereas an adequate test of this hypothesis requires prospective data for a large and representative sample. The findings are based on 6,002 families who were studied as part of the 1985 National Family Violence Survey. Measures used were a questionnaire regarding physical punishment in the family of origin, physical abuse measures, child abuse, wife assault, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and drinking index measures. The results suggest that use of physical punishment by parents is a risk factor for depression, suicide, alcohol abuse, physical abuse of children, and physical assaults on wives. The social-psychological processes which produced these effects need to be determined to provide a basis for treating persons suffering these consequences. (LLL)

Often Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) programs are based on the assumption that women have control over whether or not intercourse takes place; and, if it takes place whether or not condoms are used. However, those who are in violent relationships may have little or no control over the sexual activity in the relationship. Planned Parenthood of Maryland is in the third year of running a peer-support group program which is designed to prevent Human Immune Virus (HIV) acquisition in adolescents. After the first year's implementation it was clear that dating violence was an issue which needed attention. The second year program was expanded to include a session on dating violence. For the second year's evaluation a section on experiences with dating violence was added. Young black women (N=77), 79% of whom were sexually active completed a questionnaire which included questions on dating violence. Thirty-four percent of the women had experienced one or more episodes of dating violence in the past year and 15% percent had experienced severe dating violence. Group leaders gained the impression that the teenagers perceived the dating violence as normal. It is a matter of great concern that dating violence discouraged behaviors which are related to reducing the risk of contracting AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. These differences focused on condom usage, and perceptions of men's and peer's attitudes towards condoms. (ABL)

A number of studies have found evidence suggesting that being a witness to violence puts a child at risk of developing social and psychological problems. However, most of these studies used populations of severely battered women and did not control for confounding with other family characteristics. This study analyzed male and female responses (N=6,002) of the 1985 National Family Violence Survey using an analysis of covariance to control for confounding variables including physical attacks on the child, gender, age, and family socioeconomic status. The study also analyzed whether the child witnessed violence by the father, the mother, or by both. The results demonstrated a link between witnessing marital violence with various psycho-social problems including health problems, feelings of depression and stress, increased drug abuse, use of coercion and violence in marital conflict, child abuse, and engaging in violence and other criminal behavior outside the family. Results suggest that being a witness to violence between parents puts a child at risk for a number of serious mental health and other problems, and that this applies to children of all socioeconomic levels and regardless of whether the child has also been attacked by the parents. (CM)

In this study an interactive conceptual model was utilized in an attempt to examine variables which contribute to, and influence, the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in battered women. This model considers the individual's response to trauma as being the product of the interaction between factors related to the characteristics of the individual prior to the trauma, the nature and severity of the trauma itself, and factors related to the post-trauma environment. This study examined pre-trauma victim characteristics, individual cognitive styles, and violence related variables. Subjects (N=106) were women who were treated at an outpatient mental health center and who had experienced violence in their current relationship. Subjects completed the Attribution Questionnaire, the Appraisal of Violence Scale, the Structured Intake Interview, and the Derogatis Symptom Checklist 90-Revised. The results indicated that 60% of the subjects were PTSD-positive. These results appear to support the applicability of a PTSD diagnosis for battered women and suggests that these symptoms may be considered a central component of the emotional aftermath experienced subsequent to physical and/or sexual battering, rather than conceptualized as a rare exception to the rule. (ABL)