Bibliographies
Australian materials are indexed in the Australian Family and Society Abstracts Database and are available for loan from the ACSSA collection at the Australian Institute of Family Studies library. Online publications in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Sexual Assault in Intimate Relationships
Australian publications
Carnal knowledge.
Davies,
Julie-Anne.
The Bulletin 31 Aug 2004:
22-26
Teacher student sexual relationships have escaped
close scrutiny until just recently, according to this article. The
author examines attitudes to several recent Australian and American legal
cases of secondary school teachers having romantic and sexual
relationships with their underage students, and focuses particularly on
cases in which the offender is a woman. It considers the double standard
that sees a young boy who has sex with his female teacher as lucky,
rather than as a victim of child sexual abuse. It also discusses the long
term effects on female and male victims.
Crime in the intimate sphere: prosecutions
of intimate partner violence.
Douglas,
Heather.
Newcastle Law Review v.7 no.2 2003 - 2004:
79-100
The number of prosecutions of intimate violence
offences remains low in comparison with the
rate of prosecution of violent offences committed
in the public sphere. This paper examines a series
of Court of Appeal judgments involving intimate
partner violence, and looks at judges' responses
to the offence and whether the intimate nature
of the violence aggravates or mitigates the
penalty. In considering reasons for the low
rate of prosecution in intimate violence cases, the
paper suggests that cases that are prosecuted
are linked by three themes: the parties are
recently separated, serious personal violence or torture
is alleged, and there is a witness to the violence
or strong corroborative evidence.
Dimensions of disability, rurality and lesbianism
in women's experiences of intimate violence. (PDF
322K)
Gray,
Kay; Bradford, Michelle.
Queensland
Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research
Newsletter v.4 no.1 Sept 2005: 6-9, and Online
In
this article the author expands on the notion of
'intersectionality' discussed in a previous article.
The focus of this article is the interaction of constructs
of disability, rurality and lesbianism in shaping
and compounding women's experiences of domestic and
family violence. Disability, rurality and lesbianism
may interact with other dimensions of gender, race
and class to shape and amplify women's vulnerability
to domestic violence. The authors conclude that responses
that deconstruct and honour women's individual experiences
together with recognition and exposure of the systemic
and structural processes that support and perpetuate
oppressive and discriminatory practices, are essential
for supporting women to realise their rights to safety
and freedom from abuse.
Don't believe the hype: young women's experience of male violence in the 'Girl Power' era.
Baker, Joanne
Women Against Violence - An Australian Feminist Journal no.14 Jul 2003: 27-34
In this article it is argued that the material reality of young women's experience of male violence is at odds with the triumphant images of female success associated with girl power and postfeminist discourses. An analysis of the ways in which young women describe and explain dating and domestic violence is set in a context of liberal individualist ideology and masculinity politics which has implications for policy and practice. (Journal abstract)
Educating health professionals:
changing attitudes and
overcoming barriers.
Warshaw,
Carole; Taft,
Angela; McCosker-Howard, Heather.
In: Roberts,
G., Hegarty, K. and Feder, G., eds. Intimate
partner abuse and health
professionals: new approaches to domestic violence.
Edinburgh, Scotland:
Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier, 2006, p61-77
Health
professional education responses to intimate
partner violence are
considered in this chapter. The chapter discusses:
the limits of
traditional models; reasons for teaching more
complex models; the social
construction of abuse and clinical institutions;
core curricular
principles, competencies and educational strategies
for teaching about
intimate partner violence; creating a supportive
environment for
learning; feelings that arise in talking to patients
about abuse;
learning from survivors; simulated patients;
learning from empowerment
models and preventing retraumatisation; the importance
of educators
modelling non abusive behaviours; modelling respectful
community
collaboration; potential for vicarious traumatisation
of health
professionals; addressing structural barriers
and creating institutional
and system change.
Explaining,
and preventing, intimate partner violence.
(PDF 32K)
Flood, Michael.
In:
Women's Domestic Violence Court Assistance Program (Legal Aid Commission)
Ten Year Anniversary Celebration. Sydney, NSW: Australian Domestic and
Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2007, 5p, Online (PDF 32KB)
Though rates of violence against women seem to have declined in the last
decade, over 440,000 women still reported experiencing violence in 2006.
This paper briefly describes what is known about the determinants of male
intimate partner violence against women, and outlines what is needed for
effective prevention strategies. Determinants of violence can be found
in the contexts of gender role attitudes and beliefs, power balance in
relationships, peer and community attitudes, social norms, community
violence, access to supportive resources for women, childhood exposure to
domestic violence, social isolation, socioeconomic status, alcohol and
drug abuse, and so forth.
Figuring violence.
Domestic Violence
and Incest Resource Centre (Melbourne, Vic).
Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre Newsletter no.2
Winter 2004: 27
An overview of a 2003 population-based
survey of domestic violence in South Australia is presented. The study
sampled both men and women with a focus on abuse among intimate partners,
including physical, sexual and emotional abuse. A physically violent
relationship was reported by 12 per cent of respondents, with women more
likely than men to have experienced abuse. Reasons for not reporting
violence, risk factors and links to other forms of violence are
summarised.
Figuring violence: women attending abortion
clinics.
DVIRC Quarterly (Domestic Violence and
Incest Resource Centre) no.2 Winter 2006: 34
Recent
studies in the United Kingdom and New Zealand measured the prevalence of
family violence reported by women seeking an abortion. These women were
found to be at high risk of experiencing violence from intimate partners.
This article summarises the studies' results. (Journal abstract,
edited)
History of domestic violence and physical
health in midlife.
Loxton, Deborah; Schofield, Margot; Hussain,
Rafat and Mishra, Gita
Violence Against Women; Vol. 12, no. 8,
Aug. 2006, pp. 715-731.
The association between domestic violence and
physical health in middle-aged Australian women
is investigated via a cross-sectional survey of
14,100 women (45 to 50 years old) who responded
to the first Australian Longitudinal Study on
Women's Health survey. After adjustment for demographic
and health behavior characteristics and menopause
status in multivariate analyses, various physical
conditions (allergies or breathing problems, pain
or fatigue, bowel problems, vaginal discharge,
eyesight and hearing problems, low iron, asthma,
bronchitis or emphysema, cervical cancer) were
associated with domestic violence. The results
highlight the link between health and domestic
violence in middle-aged women and underscore the
need for health professionals to take a full social
history from women presenting with physical symptoms.
HIV/AIDS and violence against women.
Neame,
Alexandra.
Aware: Australian Centre for the Study
of Sexual Assault Newsletter no.3 Feb 2004: 6-12, and Online
This article discusses the links between HIV/AIDS and violence against
women in South Africa. HIV/AIDS and violence are both significant threats
to women's health globally, with South Africa having some of the highest
prevalence rates in both. The idea that HIV/AIDS and sexual violence
against women may be causally linked is explored in this article with a
discussion of biological and socio-cultural factors including: rape and
HIV/AIDS; violence and inequality in intimate relationships; childhood
sexual abuse and high risk behaviour; and transaction or survival sex.
The discussion highlights that violence against women cannot be
understood as an isolated issue.
How is intimate partner
abuse experienced by childbearing
women?
McCosker-Howard,
Heather; Woods, Anne
B.
In:
Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and Feder, G.,
eds. Intimate partner abuse and health professionals:
new approaches to
domestic violence.
Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill
Livingstone Elsevier,
2006, p111-126
The
prevalence of intimate partner abuse
during pregnancy and patterns of intimate partner
abuse during the childbearing year are discussed. The chapter
then looks at some effects
of intimate partner abuse during the childbearing
period, including
physical trauma, pregnancy intention, low birth
weight and postpartum
depression. It considers possible interventions
including identification
and screening, referral, counselling and support.
Identification of intimate partner abuse in health
care
settings: should health professionals be screening?
Hegarty, Kelsey; Feder, Gene; Ramsay, Jean.
In: Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and
Feder, G., eds. Intimate partner
abuse and health professionals: new approaches
to domestic violence.
Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone
Elsevier, 2006,
p79-92
Research indicates
that the majority of women who
experience intimate partner abuse do not disclose
their abuse to health
professionals and that health professionals
are reluctant to ask about
abuse. This chapter explores health services
used by women experiencing
intimate partner abuse; barriers to disclosure
from the woman's
viewpoint; barriers to inquiry from the health
professional's viewpoint;
and facilitation of disclosure to health professionals.
It considers the
following issues relating to how health professionals
should identity
women who experience intimate partner abuse:
how they should ask about
abuse; what patient cues should alert them
to suspect abuse; the
validation role of inquiry through direct and
indirect approaches; direct
patient disclosure is rare; redefining successful
outcomes of universal
screening; what women and health professionals
think about screening; and
whether health care professionals should be
screening.
Implementation
of the domestic violence screening project
in a sexual assault service: an unexpected
result.
Hall, G; Hately, R
In: Practice and prevention: contemporary
issues in adult sexual assault conference. Sydney,
NSW: NSW Attorney-General's Department, Crime
Prevention Division, 2003, tables, figures, Online
only
On a global scale, violence is among the leading
causes of death for people aged 15 - 44 and violence
against women and girls is a major heath and
human rights issue. The authors document current
research on the relationship between domestic
violence and sexual assault and discuss responses
to violence against women in intimate relationships.
They discuss the trial conducted by Northern
Sydney Health, which implemented the domestic
violence routine screening tool in several hospitals
and services, and they explain why a sexual assault
service got involved in routine screening for
domestic violence.
International Violence Against Women Survey: findings
from the Australian component.
Heenan,
Melanie.
Aware: Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual
Assault Newsletter no.6 Apr 2005: 2-3, and Online
Findings
from the Australian component of the International
Violence Against Women Survey were recently published
by the Australian Institute of Criminology (Mouzos
and Makkai 2004, ).
The report provides important and up-to-date estimates
on prevalence rates for various types of sexual and
non-sexual violence against large proportions of women
residing in Australia. This article summarises some
of the key findings of the report.
Intersections
of oppression in women's experiences of
intimate violence. (PDF
252K)
Gray, Kay; Bradford, Michelle
Queensland Centre for the Prevention
of Domestic and Family Violence Newsletter
v.3 no.3 Jan 2005: 5-8 and Online
The author uses the concept of Intersectiionality
proposed by Crenshaw(1991) to analyse the intersection
of gender, race and class in domestic and family
violence settings. An intersectional approach
encourages practioners to work with women's
own angles of vision. The intersectional perspective
provides insight into the way social, economic,
cultural, political and legal forces oppress
and marginalise women and compound women's
experiences of intimate violence.
Intimate partner abuse among Australian students: prevalence
and attitudes.
Grant, Celeste; Xenos, Sophia;
Smith, David; Reece, John.
In: Moore, K. ed.
Psychology making an impact: proceedings of the Australian Psychological
Society 42nd Annual Conference, 25-29 September 2007, Brisbane, Qld.
Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society, 2007, p169-174 (PDF on
CD-ROM, whole volume 4.4MB)
Intimate Partner Abuse (IPA)
may be defined as a pattern of deliberate physical, sexual or
psychological abuse within a married, defacto, dating or courting
relationship. Previous research demonstrates that such abuse is a
significant problem in dating relationships among young people. The aim
of this paper was to investigate IPA attitudes and behaviours in an
Australian university and TAFE student sample. Findings about the
prevalence of IPA and levels of victim blaming attitudes among Australian
students are presented. The importance of attitudes towards women for
understanding IPA attitudes was demonstrated. There were no significant
relationships found between attitudinal variables and behavioural
variables. The implications of these findings for the development of IPA
prevention programs are discussed. (Author abstract)
Intimate partner abuse and health professionals:
new approaches to domestic violence.
Roberts,
Gwenneth, ed.; Hegarty, Kelsey, ed.; Feder, Gene, ed..
Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone,
Elsevier, 2006, 240p, figures, tables
Issues
associated with survivors of intimate partner abuse
who come into contact with the health system are explored
in this book. The book is divided into three parts,
covering history and background issues; impact, education,
identification and intervention; and cultural diversity
and intimate partner abuse. Most chapters have been
selected for individual indexing. The following chapters
have not: Impact of intimate partner abuse on physical
and mental health: how does it present in clinical
practice?, by Jacquelyn C Campbell, Kathryn Laughon
and Anne Woods; Clinical response to women
experiencing intimate partner abuse: what is the evidence
for good practice and policy?, by Gene Feder; Jean
Ramsay and Mary Zachary; Cultural competence and intimate
partner abuse: health care interventions, by Michael
A Rodriguez and George Saba; Gay and lesbian relationships
and intimate partner abuse, by Michael V Relf and Nancy
Glass.
Intimate partner abuse and Indigenous
peoples.
Atkinson, Judy.
In: Roberts, G., Hegarty,
K. and Feder, G., eds. Intimate partner abuse
and health professionals:
new approaches to domestic violence. Edinburgh,
Scotland: Churchill
Livingstone Elsevier, 2006, p197-212
The extent of
violence in Indigenous Australia, and similarities
in the experiences of
violence in the indigenous nations of Australia,
New Zealand, the United
States of America and Canada are discussed.
The chapter looks at public
health approaches to violence, the causes of
violence in Indigenous
communities, the effects of violence on victims
and their families, an
Indigenous new public health and educational
approach to Indigenous
needs, and the model of 'educaring', a health
and healing response to
intimate partner violence.
Intimate partner abuse
research and training: the way
forward.
Hegarty,
Kelsey; Feder, Gene; Roberts,
Gwenneth.
In:
Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and Feder,
G., eds. Intimate partner abuse and health professionals:
new approaches
to domestic violence. Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill
Livingstone
Elsevier, 2006, p229-236
This concluding chapter sums up
the previous chapters in the book. It summarises
what is known about
intimate partner violence, the areas on which
future research needs to
focus, and training and education for health
professionals who come into
contact with victims and perpetrators of intimate
partner violence
Intimate
partner sexual assault: the impact of competing
demands on victims' decisions to seek criminal
justice solutions. (PDF
40K)
Lievore, D
In: 8th Australian Institute of Family
Studies Conference, Melbourne, 12-14 February
2003: proceedings. Melbourne, Vic: Australian
Institute of Family Studies, 2003, 8p, figure,
Online only
Despite initiatives to encourage the reporting of sexual assault to police, women who are sexually victimized by intimate partners are least likely to seek legal redress. This leaves them at risk of repeat victimisation and open to victim blaming. This paper demonstrates that reporting decisions are mediated by a number of competing personal, cultural and situational demands, which act as barriers to the criminal justice system. At the same time, non-reporting may be viewed as a rational response to victimisation in some circumstances, as it maintains particular values and achieves desired outcomes. This is not to suggest that women should not be encouraged to report sexual offences, but indicates that victims who do report to police must be enabled to achieve other desired outcomes, such as protection from reprisal. (Author abstract)
Intimate partner violence in deviant settings: complex
needs of women survivors.
Cooper, Lesley; Anaf, Julia; Bowden,
Margaret.
Australian Family
Physician v.35 no.10 Oct 2006: 791-794, and Online
Women
experiencing intimate violence within deviant settings, including bikie
and other gangs and cults, have recently been the focus of research in
South Australia. Domestic violence shelters are seeing increasing
numbers of these women, who are often involved in high risk behaviour and
or situations that pose significant risk to themselves and any
accompanying children. This article provides an overview of the profiles
of women and their children escaping intimate partner violence within
deviant settings, and the range of complex physical and mental health
needs medical practitioners are likely to encounter in these patients.
Specific women's histories of ritualised partner abuse, its cultural
context, and the resultant physical and mental health issues for these
women and their children are discussed. The article provides strategies
for practitioners to work with these women and their children to overcome
existing barriers to clinical intervention. (Journal abstract,
edited)
Just Sex? The cultural scaffolding
of rape.
Gavey, Nicola
Hove, East Sussex: Routledge, 1st ed.,2005, 268p, notes, references.
This book examines social and feminist research on rape and coercive sex and the new phenomenon of date rape. Sexual intercourse and heterosexual relations need to be understood in the context of broader cultural constructs. Some choices avavilable to women are limited by culture, while certain choices are favoured. This book is recommended for researchers as well as professional health practioners.
Kinks,
cubes and cyberspace: working with young
people to prevent sexual violence.
Smith,
Chris; Huxley, Jenny; McKernan, Katherine.
In:
Home Truths: Stop Sexual Assault and Domestic
Violence, a National Challenge Conference,
Melbourne, September 2004: presentations. Melbourne,
Vic: CASA Forum, 2004, 13p, Online only
Two approaches to
working with young people towards preventing sexual
violence are described in this presentation. Kinks and bends: what's
the go with relationships? is an educational
program about sexual violence in young people's
social lives, while Negotiating Consent Resources
talks with young people about date rape and
negotiating consent to sex. The paper explains
the aims, methodology and evaluation of each
program. It discusses key principles and
philosophical approaches that inform ways of
working with young people to prevent sexual
violence.
Life
stages and roles within the family as locations
of vulnerability to intimate violence.
(PDF 291K)
Gray,
Kay; Bradford,
Michelle.
Queensland
Centre for Domestic and
Family Violence Research Newsletter v.4 no.3
Mar 2006: 7-10, and Online
The
intersection of intimate
violence with stages of life and roles within
the family are the focus of
this literature review. It draws together
research reflecting women's
experiences of violence and coping abilities
at different life stages,
and in differing family roles. It discusses
implications for practice
and policy.
Managing the whole family
when women are abused by intimate
partners: challenges for health professionals.
Taft, Angela; Shakespeare, Judy.
In:
Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and Feder, G., eds.
Intimate partner abuse and
health professionals: new approaches to domestic
violence. Edinburgh,
Scotland: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2006,
p145-162,
figure
The management
of whole families affected by
intimate partner violence can be a complex
process. This chapter looks
at comorbidities among men who abuse their
partners, profiling the
characteristics of abusive men, principles
and goals of management,
attitudinal barriers in health care professionals,
disclosure and
confidentiality, managing men who abuse, and
men's behaviour change
programs. It discusses intimate partner violence
and parenting, managing
when children are directly abused by the male
partner, talking to
children who are living with intimate partner
violence, the impact of
violence on young people, safety planning,
balancing competing needs,
managing the couple, marital counselling, enhancing
the engagement of
health professionals in multi agency processes,
the health professional's
responsibility to contribute to interagency
processes, resources, record
keeping and documentation, training, the needs
of high risk and less
accessible groups, and safety in the practice.
Marital
rape in the 21st century.
Yllo,
Kersti.
In:
Home Truths: Stop Sexual Assault and
Domestic Violence, a National Challenge Conference,
Melbourne, September
2004: presentations - Keynote Address 6. Melbourne,
Vic: CASA Forum, 2004, 8p, Online only
The
issue of rape within marriage is
insufficiently studied and the victims are
underserved. This paper
summarises the existing research and looks
at rates, types and
experiences of rape within marriage. It discusses
attitudes to marital
rape, legal changes regarding this offence,
and HIV AIDS as a consequence
of forced sex in marriage.
Measuring the impact of intimate partner violence on
the health of women in Victoria, Australia. (PDF
570K)
Vos,
T; Astbury, J; Piers, L S; Magnus, A; Heenan, M;
Stanley, L; Walker, L; Webster, K.
Bulletin of the World Health Organization v.84
no.9 Sept 2006: 739-744, tables, figure, Online
Intimate
partner violence constitutes a significant risk to
women's health. This study aimed to estimate the contribution
of intimate partner violence to the total burden of
disease for Victorian women during 2001. The paper
discusses the health outcomes of intimate partner violence
and the results of the study.
Medico-legal issues: when
women speak into silence.
Scutt,
Jocelynne.
In: Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and
Feder, G., eds. Intimate partner
abuse and health professionals: new approaches
to domestic violence.
Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone
Elsevier, 2006,
p163-177
The approach
of Australian police and the law
towards domestic violence, which treats it
as a civil matter, has decriminalised, and therefore legitimated,
acts of violence against
women. This chapter looks at changes to laws,
customs and government
initiatives relating to wife assault and sexual
violence over time. It
considers the role of health professionals
in the case of potential law
reforms relating to mandatory reporting and
to rules governing women
giving evidence against their husbands.
Opinion: revisiting America's date rape
controversy.
Neame, Alexandra.
Family Matters no.68 Winter 2004: 50-54
This
article outlines the Australian policy context that indicates the
emergence of relationship violence as a topical issue, and the reasons why we might expect a hostile reaction whenever violence in relationships
(particularly sexual violence) makes its way onto the public agenda. It
then revisits America's 'date rape' debate of the late 1980s and early
1990s, and critically evaluates the aggressive response that emerged in
that country against research indicating higher rates of rape in dating
relationships than the media and general public were willing or able to
accept.
Partner violence among a sample of police detainees.
Mouzos, Jenny; Smith, Lance.
Canberra,
ACT: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2007 (Trends and issues in
crime and criminal justice no.337), and Online
Data from
the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program were used to explore
involvement in intimate partner violence among police detainees. Levels
of intimate partner violence were found to be significantly higher in
this group than among the general population. More than two thirds of
the detainees involved reported being both a victim and a perpetrator.
Risk factors for involvement in partner violence among detainees were
prior arrest, drug and alcohol dependency, having dependent children and
experiencing physical abuse as a child. Gender was found not to be a
risk marker once the other risk factors were controlled for. The
implications of the findings are discussed, including the need for early
intervention among at risk families and particularly those with emerging
drug and alcohol dependency problems.
Pathways:
how women leave violent men. (PDF
188K)
Mulroney, J.
Australian
Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse Newsletter
no.13 Jan 2003: 1-4 and Online
The Pathways report, written by
Shirley Patton for Women Tasmania, is based on interviews with women
about their experience of family violence, its impact on them and their
children, and how they left the relationship. In her review of the report
the author summarises its main findings and highlights the importance it
places on the need for workers in this area to focus on how women leave
violent situations. She outlines the demographic details of the
participants involved in the study, the type of abuse they experienced
and its impact, the various pathways the participants took to leave the
violence, and the barriers they had to overcome in order to leave. She
summarises the report's recommendations.
Pedagogy, praxis, paradigms and paradox. (PDF
156K)
Willis, M;
Whittle, S.
In: Practice and prevention:
contemporary issues in adult sexual assault conference. Sydney, NSW: NSW
Attorney-General's Department, Crime Prevention Division, 2003, Online
only
The authors discuss the Kids Relate project, a
violence prevention pilot program for the Clarence Valley, New South
Wales. The aims of the project were to increase the unacceptability of
violence and to teach young people to relate in non violent and non
aggressive ways. The program was directed at students first entering high school, in the hope that the adolescents could be reached before the
patterns in intimate relationships are well established. The authors
provide a history of the project, the challenges faced, evaluation and
future directions.
Prevalence and associations of partner abuse in women attending general practice: a cross-sectional survey.
Hegarty, K L; Bush, R
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health v.26 no.5 Oct 2002: 437-442, tables, figures
The authors in this article report on a study aimed at determining the prevalence and socio demographic associations of physical, emotional and sexual abuse by a partner or ex partner for women attending general practices. In 1996, women attending general practices in Brisbane were screened for a history of partner abuse using a self report questionnaire. Thirty-seven percent of the survey participants admitted to having ever experienced abuse in an adult intimate relationship. Twenty-three percent had ever experienced physical abuse, 33 percent emotional abuse and ten percent sexual abuse. Abused women were 64.1 times more likely to have ever been afraid of any partner than non abused women. Of women in current relationships eight percent self reported physical, emotional or sexual abuse in the past year and 1.5 percent all three types of abuse. Associations of abuse included being younger, separated or divorced, having a history of child abuse or domestic violence between their parents. The authors concluded that partner abuse is very common in women attending general practice and clinicians need to be alert to possible indications of partner abuse. (Journal abstract, edited)
Promoting
women's mental health: the challenges of
intimate/ domestic violence against women.
(PDF 632K)
Taft,
A.
Kensington, NSW: Australian Domestic and
Family Violence Clearinghouse, University of
New South Wales, 2003, 24p, figure (Issues
paper no.8) and Online
This
report presents information on rates and effects
of domestic violence against women and the
responses of health services. The author considers
recent evidence on the impact of intimate partner
abuse on the mental health of abused women.
She then discusses violence against women in
reference to the wider environmental and social
context, investigating how factors such as
poverty, unemployment, low education levels,
homelessness, immigration
and refugee status can heighten mental illness amongst
sufferers of intimate violence. The author
argues that if the ill effects of partner abuse
are addressed at all levels of society, women's
health can be improved. She uses quotations
from a study of abused Victorian women and
a United Kingdom study of domestic violence
and mental health services.
Psychological health in midlife among
women who have ever lived with a violent partner
or spouse.
Loxton, Deborah; Schofield, Margot & Hussain,
Rafat.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence; Vol. 21, no.8, August
2006, pp.1092-1107
This study examines the psychological health
correlates of domestic violence in a large random
sample of mid-aged Australian women (N=11,310,
age 47 to 52 years).
Ready willing and able: a young person's
guide: consent and sexual activity.
Sexual
Assault Resource Centre. Education and Training
Unit.
Subiaco, WA: Sexual
Assault Resource Centre, 2006, 1 DVD (10 min.) + notes
This DVD for young people contains information about,
and dramatic illustrations of, consent to sexual activity.
It gives definitions of consent, sexual assault and
sexual abuse, and discusses drink spiking, internet
safety, alcohol and other drugs, date rape and the
effects of sexual assault. The accompanying training
notes include suggestions for group discussion.
Real rape, real pain: help for women
sexually assaulted by male partners.
Easteal,
Patricia; McOrmond-Plummer, Louise.
Ormond,
Vic: Hybrid Publishers, 2006, 345p
This
book arose out of the authors' similar histories,
determination and motivation to have the truth
told about partner rape. Their reason is that
they do not want other women to experience the
same sense of shame, isolation and silence that
they, as survivors of partner rape, have experienced.
They book covers identifying sexual assaults
and confronting society's denial, as well as
stereotypes of women raped by their partners. It also
discusses the changing values and attitudes
in society and the positive role that men can
play. The book concludes with a list of suggested
reading and online resources.
Relationships
should be heaven, not hell: a guide to healthy
relationships for young people.
Support,
Help and Empowerment Inc.
Tas:
Support, Help and Empowerment Inc., 2004, 20p
This
guide provides information for young people on
healthy and unhealthy relationhips. It describes
charactersitics of healthy and unhealthy relationships
and different types of abuse that can occur. Advice
for young people in abusive relationships is given
on how to say no and how to get help.
Sexual assault by male partners: is the licence still
valid?
Easteal, Patricia; Feerick,
Christine.
Flinders Journal of Law Reform v.8
no.2 Sept 2005: 185-207
This study collected information
about partner rape from a number of sources in the Australian Capital
Territory. The article discusses low disclosure and reporting rates,
discontinuing cases, going to trial, consent, evidence of prior violence
and consent, and complainant credibility.
Sexual ethics, young people and sexual assault
prevention.
Carmody, Moira.
DVIRC Quarterly (Domestic Violence and Incest Resource Centre)
no.3 Spring 2007: 18-21
How effective is sexual assault
prevention education? This paper discusses the results of research that
reviewed education programs and examined the behaviour of young people in
negotiating sexual relationships. This information was used to develop a
sexual ethics education program that includes skills for non verbal
communication, law and sexual consent, skills in negotiating sexual
consent, conflicting desires in an ongoing relationship, breaking up
ethically.
Shredded.
Annie North Women's Refuge and Domestic
Violence Service.
Bendigo, Vic: Annie North Women's Refuge and Domestic Violence Service, 2003, 1 video (28min), booklet
Shredded is a short motion picture drama, scripted from stories told and workshopped by women from the Annie North Women's Refuge in Bendigo Victoria. The result is a broadcast quality film that explores the uncertain line between normal couple conflict and what can be characterized as an unhealthy relationship of power and control which emotionally affects the whole family.
Silent
suffering: the extent, level and nature of
violence in pregnancy: a survey of 400 Australian
women.
Walsh, Deborah; Weeks, Wendy.
In:
Home Truths: Stop Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence,
a National Challenge Conference, Melbourne, September
2004: presentations. Melbourne, Vic: CASA Forum, 2004,
35p, Online only
This
presentation defines violence and considers problems
with definitions in domestic violence research and
practice. It presents results of research that aimed
to determine the extent, level and nature of intimate
partner violence against women during pregnancy. The
presentation looks at local and international research
in this area, violence as a risk factor in women's
reproductive health and risk factors for infants. The
study methodology is outlined.
Staying
Home Leaving Violence: Promoting choices
for women leaving abusive partners. (PDF
816K)
Edwards, R.
Sydney, NSW: Australian Domestic and
Family Violence Clearinghouse 2004, 60p
This research report explores how women leaving
domestic violence relationships can remain in
thier own homes with their children while the
violent partner is removed from the home. The
study was conducted over 15 months from October
2002 to December 2003. Twenty nine women participated
in face-to-face 'in depth' interviews for this
research. On leaving a domestic violence relationship,
of the total twenty-nine women, nine remained
in their home and twenty left their home.
Tackling partner violence in families.
Taft,
Angela J; Hegarty, Kelsey L; Feder, Gene S.
Medical
Journal of Australia v.185 no.10 20 Nov 2006: 535-536,
and Online
A team of clinical experts in partner violence has
delivered a new set of international consensus guidelines
for primary care physicians for managing the whole
family when intimate partner violence is present.
This article outlines the development process and the
role of the guidelines.
Talking with men who have used violence
in intimate relationships: an interview with
Tod Augusta-Scott.
Augusta-Scott, Tod; Denborough, David.
International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work
no.4 2006: 23-30
Tod Augusta-Scott works in Canada with
men who have used violence in their intimate relationships.
This
considers a number of key themes in this work, including
ways of inviting men to consider the effects of their
violence; ways of exploring expressions of shame and
remorse; the importance of developing alternative
story lines of respect and responsibility; approaches
to group work; and the use of documentation. Tod also
reflects upon his own work practices and performance
of masculinity. (Journal abstract, edited)
The health consequences of child sexual abuse and partner abuse for women attending general practice.
Hegarty, K.
Australian Family Physician
v.32 no.9 Sept 2003: 760, table
Child sexual abuse and
domestic violence are common, although hidden, problems, for women
attending general practice. Studies have shown that despite high levels
of abuse, less than 50 percent of women have disclosed abuse to a general
practitioner. With recent evidence indicating that women who have been
victims of child sexual or partner abuse being at an increased risk of
developing cervical cancer, the author argues that there is a need for
further research.
The
health costs of violence: measuring the
burden of disease caused by intimate partner
violence: a summary of findings. (PDF
400K)
Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth).
Carlton South, Vic: Victorian Health Promotion
Foundation, 2004, 40p, tables, figures, and Online
This
report summarises the findings of a study that assessed the health impact
of intimate partner violence, specifically examining the prevalence,
health problems caused and contribution to the total disease burden in
Victorian women. The study was contributed to by a range of experts from
across Victoria and elsewhere. Findings show that intimate partner or
domestic violence is common, with one in five women reporting being
subjected to violence at some time in their adult lives. The physical and
mental health effects on women are wide-ranging and persistent, with
intimate partner violence contributing nine per cent of the total disease
burden in Victorian women aged 15-44. The study also found that intimate
partner violence is the leading contributor to death, disability and
illness in Victorian women aged 15-44.
The history of intimate
partner abuse and health professionals: what
have we inherited?
Roberts,
Gwenneth.
In:
Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and Feder,
G., eds. Intimate partner abuse and health
professionals: new approaches
to domestic violence. Edinburgh, Scotland:
Churchill Livingstone,
Elsevier, 2006, p3-17
The
social, legal and political
contexts of wife beating in 19th century England
and the United States of
America are explored here. The chapter looks
at the rise of feminism,
psychiatry and intimate partner abuse and the
phenomenon of hysteria,
research into intimate partner abuse, intimate
partner abuse and health
professionals in the 20th century, psychological
trauma and intimate
partner abuse, and nursing and intimate partner
abuse.
Towards
integrated community responses to men
who use violence towards family members.
Male Family Violence
Prevention Association Inc
Melbourne, Victoria: No To Violence (NTV)
Response to "Ending Domestic Violence: Program for Perpetrators?" Report.
Using
it or losing it: men's constructions of
their violence towards female partners.
(PDF 158K)
James, K;
Seddon, B; Brown, J.
Sydney,
NSW: Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse,
University of New South Wales, 2002, 20p, and Online
This study aimed
to explore men's experience of their violence towards women in the
context of their own lives. The research team used qualitative
methodology to explore in depth the ways in which men who use violence in
their intimate relationships, understand the experience of violence, with
the goal of assisting practitioners to develop and refine their
interventions. The paper first addresses the context in which the
research was conducted, including the limitations of current
interventions into men's domestic violence, and the need to tailor
services more specifically to engage men in a change project. It then
presents and discusses the research outcomes.
Violence against women: Australia says no.
Abetz,
Eric.
Canberra, ACT: Australian
Government, 2004, 21p, and Online
This booklet, as part of the
Violence Against Women - Australia Says No campaign, a national campaign
to eliminate violence against women, aims to raise awareness in young
people about violence in personal relationships, including sexual assault
and rape. The booklet discusses relationships and violence and includes
stories of real life experiences. Information on getting help for people
in violent relationships and their families is provided.
Violence
Against Women; Australia says no: Education
rescource pack.
Australian Government.
Canberra, ACT:
Australian Government, 2004, resource kit (2 booklets,
1 poster, 1 DVD, 1 CDROM) and online
This resource kit is designed for
delievery as part of the secondary education curriculum.
It is part of the broad community education campaign
of the same name "Violence Against
Women b Australia Says No". The materials are intended
to assist the community and individuals in identifying,
responding to and avoiding abusive and violent relationships.
Violence during pregnancy: potentially
disabling consequences for mothers and babies.
Olle,
Liz.
DVIRC Quarterly (Domestic Violence and Incest
Resource Centre) no.4 Summer 2005 - 2006: 27-29
This
article is an edited extract from a forthcoming discussion
paper by the Domestic Violence and Incest Resource
Centre on violence induced disability. The discussion
paper explores all life stages and the relationship
of experiences of violence to particular disabilities,
such as, learning and behavioural disabilities in children,
acquired brain injury in adult women, and depression
and anxiety in older years. The article outlines how
violence against pregnant women may contribute to low birth
weight in babies, and then looks at the links with
cerebral palsy. (Journal abstract, edited)
Walk
on
Hodge, Brenda.
Rowville, Vic: The five mile press pty ltd,
1st ed.,2005, 207p
This is an autobiography of Brenda Hodge, the last
person sentenced to death in Australia. Brenda Hodge
murdered her de facto husband. The reveals the history
of sexual abuse that leads her ulitmately behind
bars. In prison though, she studies and graduates
with an arts degree. The book is also a chart of
her journey toward peace and family reconcilliation.
What
a smile can hide: a report on the study
of violence against women during pregnancy.
(PDF 1.8M)
Walsh, Deborah; Weeks,
Wendy.
Melbourne, VIC: The Royal Women's
Hospital, 2004, 176p, and Online
This report examines the
extent, level and nature of violence against women
during pregnancy. Research on evaluating programs that
routinely screen women in antenatal care has been emphasised.
Strategies for intervention are recommended as research
in this area in Australia is limited. It is suggested
that physical violence can contribute to a number of
complications during pregnancies and other health risks.
Most women who reported violence during pregnancy suffered
alone and in silence.
What is the impact of intimate
partner abuse on
children?
Smith,
Jennifer.
In: Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and
Feder, G., eds. Intimate partner
abuse and health professionals: new approaches
to domestic violence.
Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone
Elsevier, 2006,
p127-143
Children
who witness or live with intimate
partner violence can experience several negative
physical and mental
health effects. This chapter looks at children's
experiences of intimate
partner violence, the prevalence of children's
involvement in intimate
partner violence, and the impact of intimate
partner violence on
children, including behavioural and emotional
problems, mental health,
psychobiological and neurodevelopmental problems,
physical health and
development problems, and social competence.
It discusses longer term
effects of intimate partner violence and factors
that influence
children's coping and adjustment, including
cumulative stresses, such as
child abuse and parental alcohol abuse, parenting
factors, developmental
issues, child characteristics, such as gender,
age and temperament,
ethnicity, dimensions of intimate partner
abuse and children's
adjustment, and children's perception of intimate
partner abuse. The
chapter considers options for identification,
assessment and therapeutic
intervention.
What is intimate partner
abuse and how common is
it?
Hegarty,
Kelsey.
In:
Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and Feder, G., eds.
Intimate partner abuse and
health professionals: new approaches to domestic
violence. Edinburgh,
Scotland: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier,
2006, p19-40, figure,
tables
Definitional
issues surrounding intimate partner
abuse are explored in this chapter, which
discusses: types of abuse,
severity and frequency of abuse, and meaning
and intention of abuse;
various theories of causation of intimate
partner violence, including
psychological, sociological, feminist and
current perspectives; how
intimate partner violence is measured; and
how common intimate partner
violence is in the community. The chapter
argues that intimate partner
abuse is best understood as a chronic syndrome
characterised by emotional and psychological abuse that is used to control
the victim.
Women's experience of
partner violence.
Australian Bureau of
Statistics.
In: Australian social trends 2007.
Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007, (ABS catalogue
no.4102.0), p200-204, and Online
Partner violence is one
of the most common forms of violence against women. It affects the
wellbeing of those who experience it and has an impact on their families,
communities and society. Using data from the 2005 Personal Safety Survey
(PSS), this article examines women's experience of partner violence,
including the characteristics of this violence and the women who
experienced it.
Working
with men: addressing the issue of sexual assault within men's domestic
behaviour change programmes.
Yee, G; Crowe,
M.
In: Practice and prevention: contemporary
issues in adult sexual assault conference. Sydney, NSW: NSW
Attorney-General's Department, Crime Prevention Division, 2003, Online
only
The authors discuss the work of Sydney counselling
agency LifeCare. The cornerstone of the agency's philosophy is child
protection, a pro feminist analysis of domestic violence, and a male
positive approach. They discuss LifeCare's men's domestic violence
behaviour change program, which has been operating for 10 years and which
addresses the issue of adult sexual assault.
International publications
About male batterers who sexually abuse their
intimate partners.
Civic Research Institute
Sexual Assault Report Vol. 10, No. 2, November/December
2006
Assessment of partner violence : a handbook
for researchers and Practitioners.
Rathus, Jill H. and Feindler, Eva L.
Washington, DC : American Psychological Association,
2004, xviii, 394 p. ; 27 cm
This book provides comprehensive assessment information
spanning five decades of research and three types of
assessment methods: interview, self-report measures,
and analogue assessment/behavior coding devices. This
one-of-a-kind handbook offers detailed descriptions
and critiques of several dozen instruments in an easy-to-read
reference format. [This] volume covers target population,
equipment needs, format, administration and scoring
guidelines, psychometric analysis, primary and related
references, and scale availability as well as advantages,
limitations, and general recommendations. In addition,
the authors provide invaluable context by discussing
key psychometric concepts and research issues as well
as practical clinical issues in the assessment of partner
violence.
Beyond
zero tolerance: key issues and future directions
for family violence work in New Zealand. (PDF
540K)
Fanslow, Janet.
Wellington, NZ: Families Commission, 2005,
109p, figures, tables (Research report no.3/05),
Online
This report provides an overview of New Zealand's
responses to family violence and current trends
in government and community initiatives. It discusses definitions
of family violence, child abuse, elder abuse and intimate partner
violence; incidence and prevalence of these types of violence; consequences
of these types of violence; programs and service approaches to
child abuse; deaths and hospitalisations from partner violence and elder
abuse; risk factors for child abuse, elder abuse and partner violence;
recognising diversity in perpetration of violence and differences in coping
trajectories for 'targets of violence'; intervention and prevention
efforts for partner violence, child abuse and elder abuse; health
care interventions; school and employer based programs; gender; mass media
campaigns; advocacy; legal responses to partner violence; arrest policies
and alternative sanctions; interventions for batterers; coordinated
community responses; co occurrence of child abuse and partner abuse;
economic costs; a framework for violence prevention; and policy
and research recommendations.
Domestic violence at the intersections of race, class, and gender.
Sokoloff, Natalie J. and Dupont, Ida.
Violence Against Women; Vol. 11, no. 1 Jan. 2005, pp.38-64.
This article provides a comprehensive
review of the emerging domestic violence literature
using a race, class, gender, sexual orientation
intersectional analysis and structural framework
fostered by women of color and their allies to
understand the experiences and contexts of domestic
violence for marginalized women in U.S. society.
The first half of the article lays out a series
of challenges that an intersectional analysis grounded
in a structural framework provides for understanding
the role of culture in domestic violence. The second
half of the article points to major contributions
of such an approach to feminist methods and practices
in working with battered women on the margins of
society.
Domestic violence at the margins : readings
on race, class, gender, and Culture.
Sokoloff, Natalie J. and Pratt, Christina. (eds)
New Brunswick, N.J. : Rutgers University Press, c2005,
xviii, 443 p. ; 26 cm.
Domestic violence issues for women in minority
groups are examined in this book. Women from all races
and classes are victims of domestic violence. This
book examines the nature and prevelance of violence
in the lives of many different types of women. It
also presents strategies, both at individual and community
levels, that have been implemented by women to combat
the violence and regain control of their lives.
Ending intimate abuse : practical guidance
and survival strategies.
Roberts, Albert R. and Roberts, Beverly Schenkman.
New York : Oxford University Press, c2005.
Written for professionals and their clients,
this book describes types of intimate partner violence,
including duration and severity, based on case
studies with 501 women, and presents guidance on getting
help. Chapters on drug induced acquaintance rape and
police and court procedures, and a directory of American
resources and services are also included.
Family psychology : the art of the science.
Pinsof, William M. and Lebow, Jay. (eds).
New York : Oxford University Press, c2005, xviii, 590
p. : ill. ; 27 cm.
This book covers a range of family issues
including intimate partner violence. A life span
developmental systems perspective on aggression
toward a partner is presented. The effects of partner
violence on children is investigated and psychosocial
interventions for offenders are evaluated.
Female violence against intimate partners:
special issue.
Special Issue editors: Irene Hanson Frieze, Maureen
C. McHugh
Psychology of Women Quarterly; Vol.
29, no. 3, 2005
This special issue addresses some of the contradictions
found in the research literature on intimate partner
violence.
Family violence and police response: learning from research, policy and
practice in European countries.
Malsch, M. and Smeenk, Wilma Hendrika.
Burlington, VT : Ashgate, 2005.
Police response to incidents to intimate partner violence can be
critical. This volume investigates the elements in the institutional,
legal and organizational context that are relevant for police response to
incidents in the realm of the private sphere and whether there exists a
relation with the reporting of such incidents by victims.
jacket.
Family violence statistics : including statistics on strangers and
acquaintances.
Durose, Matthew R.
Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of
Justice programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2005,
72 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.
This report presents a snapshot of family violence as seen in statistics
from the American justice system. The data compares offender and victim
characteristics for family and non-familiar assault, with consideration
also for non-reported asaults.
Forced
sexual relations among married young women
in developing countries. (PDF 160K)
Deepika Ganju, William Finger, Shireen
Jejeebhoy, Vijaya Nidadavoluand, K.G. Santhya,
Iqbal Shah, Shyam Thapa and Ina Warriner (2004),
Population Council
Genetic and environmental influences on intimate
partner aggression : a preliminary study.
Hines, Denise A. and Saudino, Kimberly J.
Violence & Victims; Vol. 19, no. 6, Dec. 2004, pp.701-718.
This study uses a sample of twins to examine the extent
to which genetic and environmental factors contribute
to individual differences in intimate aggression. Social
learning theory argues that children learn to behave
aggressively through environmental influences. The
results of this study however, challenge this, arguing
that genetic influences can contribute to aggresion.
Intimate partner abuse and health professionals: new approaches
to domestic violence.
Roberts, Gwenneth, ed.; Hegarty, Kelsey, ed.; Feder, Gene, ed..
Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier, 2006, 240p, figures, tables
Issues associated with survivors of intimate partner abuse who come into contact
with the health system are explored in this book. The book is divided into
three parts, covering history and background issues; impact, education,
identification and intervention; and cultural diversity and intimate
partner abuse. Chapters not listed above include: Impact of intimate partner abuse on physical
and mental health: how does it present in clinical practice?, by Jacquelyn C Campbell, Kathryn Laughon and Anne Woods;
Clinical response to women experiencing intimate partner abuse: what is the evidence for good
practice and policy?, by Gene Feder; Jean Ramsay and Mary Zachary; Cultural competence and intimate partner abuse:
health care interventions, by Michael A Rodriguez and George Saba; Gay and lesbian relationships and intimate partner abuse, by
Michael V Relf and Nancy Glass.
Intimate partner physical assault before
and during pregnancy : how does it relate to women's
psychological vulnerability?
Goldstein, Karen M. & Martin, Sandra
L.
Violence & Victims; Vol. 19, no. 4, 2004, pp. 387-398.
This study examines the perception of
vulnerability of pregnant women who suffered
intimate partner violence before and during their
pregnancy. Perceptions of vulnerability may result
in negative health outcomes. Clinicians need to
evaluate for feelings of vulnerability as well as
experiences of intimate partner violence.
Intimate
partner violence and child maltreatment: understanding
co-occurrence and intergenerational connection.
Lynette M. Renner and Kristen Shook Slack (2004), Institute
for Research on Poverty Discussion Paper No. 1278-04
‘Intimate’ violence
against women: When
spouses, partners, or lovers attack.
Lundberg-Love, P. K., & Marmion, S. L. Westport,
Conn.: Praeger, 2006.
In this concise work, a team of writers examines
the emotional, physical and sexual abuse
of women. They explain the risk factors for
becoming a target of ‘intimate’ abuse,
including
the effects of class and culture on this type
of
violence. They look at potential legal issues
and
explore effective treatments for recovery. (Book
jacket)
Is it rape? : on acquaintance rape and taking women's consent seriously.
McGregor, Joan.
Aldershot, Hants, England : Ashgate, c2005, x, 267 p. ; 22 cm.
This book considers how the law treats nonconsensual sex, in cases between
acquaintances and without extreme physical violence. The book discusses
the nature of consent, coercion, and autonomy, with reference to attitudes
of the law and other academics.
Just sex? the cultural scaffolding of rape.
Gavey, Nicola.
New York : Psychology Press, 2005, xii, 268 p. ; 24
cm.
This book examines social science research and feminist
theories that have prompted a radical shift in Western
understandings of rape and coercive sex in recent decades.
This shift in perception has revealed the new phenomenon
of date rape, which now clouds the divide between rape
and what was once just sex.
Managing sex offender risk.
Kemshall, Hazel. and McIvor, Gill.
London : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, c2004, 256 p.
; 24 cm
Drawing on key research into assessment,
treatment and recidivism, the authors offer practical
guidance on improving intervention techniques with
sex offenders. They explore the monitoring and
surveillance strategies and cognitive-behavioural
techniques currently used both in prison and in
the community, and give clear directions for future
practice. Providing a detailed overview of the
typologies and characteristics of offenders, they
suggest strategies for managing different kinds
of offender, including children and young people
who are sexually aggressive.
Marital
Rape: New research and directions. (PDF
75K)
Raquel
Kennedy Bergen (2006), Applied Research Forum,
National Online Resource Center on Violence
Against Women
Men's violence against women : theory,
research, and activism.
Kilmartin, Christopher and
Allison, Julie.
Publication info: Mahwah, NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum
Assoc., 2007.
Perceived causes of physical assault
in heterosexual dating relationships.
Mahlstedt, Deborah L. and Welsh, Lesley A.
Violence Against Women; Vol. 11, no. 4, 2005, pp. 447-472.
This article compared two studies of college
students' perceptions of the causes of physical
abuse in dating relationships. The students that
were presented with dating violence as a social
problem identified the primary causes as power and
gender socialization. Whereas, those that were presented
with concrete scenarios identified communication
and relationship problems as the causes.
Predicting wife assault : A critical
review and implications for policy and practice.
Hilton, N. Zoe. and Harris, Grant T.
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse; Vol. 6, no.1, Jan.
2005, pp. 3-23.
In this review, the authors examine the research evidence
for the prediction of wife assault recidivism, lethal
wife assault, and wife assault onset. They also review
and present original data on the effect of treatment
attendance on wife assault risk. Violence does not
always become a stable habit, and variables associated
with wife assault onset do not necessarily predict
recidivism. General antisociality, psychopathy, substance
abuse, and a history of assault and psychological abuse
in the relationship are the most promising predictors
of recidivism. Formal risk assessments, and victims'
predictions, have demonstrated value in predicting
recidivism. The authors review existing assessments
for wife assault onset and recidivism and explain the
relative merits of actuarial tools and structured clinical
assessments. Because of statistical and practical limitations
to predicting lethal assault, they recommend using
an actuarial assessment of wife assault risk, plus
attention to the strongest correlates of lethal assault
when lethality is a concern.
Regulating
intimacy: judicial discourse in cases of
wife assault (1970 to 2000).
Crocker, Diane.
Violence against Women; Vol. 11, no. 4, Apr. 2005,
pp. 197-226.
This article describes the findings
of research into judicial decision making in Ontario
courts in cases of intimate violence against
women. Judges are condemning the violence,
issuing relatively harsh sentences, and arguing
that the intimate context of the violence is an
aggravating factor. The analysis also reveals
that judges often rely on stereotypes and traditional
notions of marriage, family, and femininity. As
records of decisions, the documents suggest a
high level of understanding that wife abuse is
a crime. As judicial discourse, they reveal how
the justice system regulates intimate relationships
and how traditional ideologies persist despite
the harsh sentences.
Rethinking domestic violence
Donald G. Dutton.
Vancouver : UBC Press, 2006, xii, 415 p. ;
24 cm.
This book calls for a new understanding of
the causes of intimate partner violence, with
consequences for its treatment and prevention.
The author examines research on early personality
development, personality disorders, police arrest
records, and female offenders, to argue against
a politicized feminist paradigm of male perpetrators
and female victims, and the damaging impact this
approach has had on police prosecution attitudes
and treatment strategies.
Risk factors for reabuse in intimate
partner violence: a cross-disciplinary critical
review.
Bennett Cattaneo, Lauren. and Goodman, Lisa A.
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse; Vol.6, no. 2, 2005,
pp. 141-175.
This literature review aims to identify
the risk factors associated with reabuse in intimate
partner violence situations. The literature is
spread across a number of disciplines. The range
of predictors examined in the different studies,
variations between the studies and the most consistent
findings are presented.
Sexual revictimization : a review of
the empirical literature.
Classen, Catherine C., Gronskaya Palesh,
Oxana and Aggarwal,
Rashi.
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse; Vol.6, no. 2, 2005,
pp. 103-129.
In this literature review on sexual
revictimization 90 empirical studies were examined.
The studies include information on prevalence,
risk factors and the correlates of sexual revictimization.
The effects of revicimization on the victims
are also explored.
Situational determinants in intimate
partner violence.
Wilkinson, Deanna L. and Hamerschlag, Susan J.
Aggression & Violent Behavior; Vol. 10, no.
3, Mar.-Apr. 2005, pp. 333-361.
The authors argue that an event perspective
approach to domestic violence and intimate partner
violence will help close gaps in the current
understanding of these problems. Event perspective
combines the study of the offender, victim and
social context of the unfolding violence.
The differential effects of intimate
terrorism and situational couple violence:
findings from the National Violence Against
Women Survey.
Johnson, Michael P. and Leone, Janel M.
Journal of Family Issues; Vol. 26, no. 3, 2005, pp.
322-349.
This study defines two major forms of intimate partner
violence, intimate terrorism and situational couple
violence. Intimate terrorism is embedded in a general
pattern of controlling behaviors and a pattern of violence
that is not likely to stop. Situational couple violence
is caused by a specific incident that escalates into
violence.
The experience of sexual assault
: findings from a statewide victim needs assessment.
Monroe, Laura M., …[et al].
Journal of Interpersonal Violence; Vol. 20, no. 7,
July, 2005, pp. 767-776.
For this study, the researchers interviewed
adult victims of sexual assault who attended
a sexual assault centre. The aim was to understand
quantitative and qualitative dimensions of
sexual asault as well as ascertain the needs
of victims, adndwhether these needs were being
met by current services.
The history of intimate partner abuse
and health professionals: what have we
inherited?
Roberts,
Gwenneth.
In: Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and Feder,
G., eds. Intimate partner abuse and health professionals: new approaches
to domestic violence. Edinburgh, Scotland: Churchill Livingstone,
Elsevier, 2006, p3-17
The social, legal and political
contexts of wife beating in 19th century England and
the United States of America are explored here. The
chapter looks at the rise of feminism, psychiatry
and intimate partner abuse and the phenomenon of hysteria,
research into intimate partner abuse, intimate partner
abuse and health professionals in the 20th century,
psychological trauma and intimate partner abuse, and
nursing and intimate partner abuse.
The impact of intimate partner violence on decisions
to leave dating relationships: A test of
the investment model.
Rhatigan, D.L. & Street, A.E.
Journal of Interpersonal
Violence, vol.20, no.12, 2005, pp.1580-1597.
This study examined the relation between
the experience of physical violence in a
dating relationship and the decision to leave that
relationship. Findings indicate that victimised
and nonvictimised women based their relationship
termination decisions on the same information.
Exposure to psychological abuse had more impact
on the decision to leave a relationship.
The impact of sexual assault history
and relationship context on appraisal of and
responses to acquaintance sexual assault risk.
VanZile-Tamsen, Carol., Testa, Maria. and Livingston,
Jennifer A.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence; Vol. 20, no. 7,
July, 2005, pp. 813-832.
This study was designed to determine if women with
sexual assault histories have difficulties in rape-related
threat situations because of impairments in risk
recognition, responding to threat or both, compared
to women without a history of sexual assault. Participants
were asked to read scenarios and assess risk by rating
the actions of the man in the scenario, as well as
how upset they would be in a similar situation. Behavioural
responses by the women were strongly influenced by
risk appraisals that were influenced by the relationship
to the perpetrator. Contray to the hypotheses of
the researchers it was found that sexual assault
history had little effect on risk recognition.
The influence of physical and sexual
abuse on marriage and cohabitation.
Cherlin, Andrew J.,…[et al].
American Sociological Review; Vol. 69, no. 6 Dec. 2004,
pp. 768-789.
This research examined the link between a history of
physical or sexual child abuse and the patterns of
relationship formation for low-income women. Women
who had been abused, either as children or adults,
are less likely to form stable, long-term relationships.
The authors suggest that this data may help explain
the decline in marriage among low-income women and
men.
The mediational role of relationship
efficacy and resource utilization in the link
between physical and psychological abuse and
relationship termination.
Raghavan, Chitra., …[et al].
Violence Against Women; Vol. 11, no. 1 Jan. 2005, pp.
65-88.
This study examines the roles of physical
and emotional abuse and resource utilization,
relationship efficacy, and childhood abuse on
relationship status (together or separated) in
a sample of 69 low-income, nonsheltered battered
women. Separate path models were conducted for
physical and psychological abuse. Increased physical
abuse was related to separated status, increased
resource utilization, and decreased efficacy.
The effect of physical abuse on status was mediated
by resource utilization and efficacy, whereas
the effect of psychological abuse on status was
partially mediated only by utilization. Increased
childhood abuse was associated with together
status. Baseline psychological but not physical
abuse predicted a longer term separated status
thereby suggesting that the effects of psychological
abuse may be enduring.
The paradox of the female batterer :
exploring the link between gender, personality,
and intimate partner violence.
Smith-Acuna, Shelly., Henderson Metzger,
Lynett. and Watson,
Megan.
Family Violence & Sexual Assault Bulletin; Vol. 20,
no. 1. 2004, pp. 5-16.
The personality characteristics of
males and females in treatment for domestic violence
were compared. The gender differences were quited
marked with females being significanlty more
distressed on a wide range of measures on the
scale. Reasons for the gender differences are
discussed.
Unhealthy parenting and potential mediators
as contributing factors to future intimate
violence: a review of the literature.
Schwartz. Jonathan P....[et al]
Trauma, Violence & Abuse. A Review Journal;
Vol. 7, no. 3 Jul. 2006, pp. 206-221.
In this article corporal
punishment and poor parenting are reviewed as family-of-origin
factors related to future intimate violence. In addition,
attachment theory, interpersonal skills, and emotional
and behavioral regulation and/or conduct disorder are
reviewed as variables that may result and mediate the
relationship between family-of-origin factors and future
intimate violence. Implications for preventing intimate
violence by intervening in the family of origin are
also identified.
What is intimate partner abuse and how
common is it?
Hegarty, Kelsey.
In:
Roberts, G., Hegarty, K. and Feder, G., eds. Intimate partner abuse and
health professionals: new approaches to domestic violence. Edinburgh,
Scotland: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2006, p19-40, figure,
tables
Definitional issues surrounding intimate partner
abuse are explored in this chapter, which discusses: types of abuse,
severity and frequency of abuse, and meaning and intention of abuse;
various theories of causation of intimate partner violence, including
psychological, sociological, feminist and current perspectives; how
intimate partner violence is measured; and how common intimate partner
violence is in the community. The chapter argues that intimate partner
abuse is best understood as a chronic syndrome characterised by emotional
and psychological abuse that is used to control the victim.
When
Violence Hits Home: How Economics and Neighborhood
Play a Role.
U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice
(NIJ), September 2004
WHO
Multi-country study on women's health and
domestic violence against women.
Initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and
women's responses
Claudia García-Moreno, Henrica A.F.M. Jansen,
Mary Ellsberg, Lori Heise, Charlotte Watts, 2005
Report findings document the prevalence
of intimate partner violence and its association
with women's physical, mental, sexual and reproductive
health. Data is included on non-partner violence,
sexual abuse during childhood and forced first sexual
experience. Information is also provided on women’s
responses: Whom do women turn to and whom do they
tell about the violence in their lives? Do they leave
or fight back? Which services do they use and what
response do they get?
Women's experience of violence during
stalking by former romantic partners.
Roberts, Karl A.
Violence Against Women; Vol. 11, no. 1 Jan. 2005, pp.
89-114.
This study investigated female experiences of physical
violence during stalking by a former romantic partner.
It aimed to identify factors that were predictive of
such stalking violence. Two hundred and twenty female
undergraduates who defined themselves as victims of
stalking following the dissolution of a romantic relationship
completed a short questionnaire. From their responses,
II predictor variables were considered. These were
self-reported relationship experiences of physical
and sexual violence, intentional damage to participant's
property, partner jealousy, isolation, monitoring,
criticism and insults by the former partner, former
partner's drug and alcohol abuse, and specific threats
of violence while being stalked. The dependent variable
in the study was whether stalking violence occurred;
35.9% (79/220) of participants experienced stalking
violence. Logistic regression analysis revealed that
there were statistically significant independent associations
between threats, partner jealousy, and former partner
drug abuse and stalking violence.
"You would if you loved me" :
toward an improved conceptual and etiological
understanding of nonphysical male sexual coercion.
DeGue, Sarah & DiLillo, David.
Aggression & Violent Behavior; Vol. 10, no.
4, 2005, pp. 513-532.
Nonphysical and physically aggressive
methods of male sexual coercion are compared. In
order to understand possible predictors and etiological
factors associated with male sexual coercion four
factors were examined. The literature relevant to
each of the areas was reviewed and discussed.