Patriarchy's Link to Intimate Partner Violence: Applications to Survivors' Asylum Claims.

Eligibility for asylum for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) has recently been contested. We summarize social science evidence to show how such survivors generally meet asylum criteria. Studies consistently show a relationship between patriarchal factors and IPV, thereby establishing a key asylum criterion that women are being persecuted because of their status as women. Empirical support is also provided for other asylum criteria, specifically: patriarchal norms contribute to state actors' unwillingness to protect survivors, and survivors' political opinions are linked to an escalation of perpetrators' violence. The findings have implications for policy reform and supporting individual asylum-seekers.

Beliefs and Recommendations Regarding Child Custody and Visitation in Cases Involving Domestic Violence: A Comparison of Professionals in Different Roles.

Research is lacking on differing perspectives regarding custody cases involving domestic violence (DV). In a survey of judges, legal aid attorneys, private attorneys, DV program workers, and child custody evaluators (n = 1,187), judges, private attorneys, and evaluators were more likely to believe that mothers make false DV allegations and alienate their children. In response to a vignette, evaluators and private attorneys were most likely to recommend joint custody and least likely to recommend sole custody to the survivor. Legal aid attorneys and DV workers were similar on many variables. Gender, DV knowledge, and knowing victims explained many group differences.

Factors associated with child custody evaluators' recommendations in cases of intimate partner violence.

Although child custody evaluations can lead to unsafe outcomes in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV), little is known about factors associated with evaluators' recommendations. In this study of 465 child custody evaluators, we investigated the association between evaluators' beliefs, background, and knowledge and their custody and visitation recommendations in cases involving IPV. We hypothesized that evaluators' belief in false allegations by the mother and their recommendations that perpetrators have custody or unsupervised visits would be positively associated with (a) being a male evaluator, (b) patriarchal norms, (c) not knowing a survivor of IPV, and (d) less knowledge of IPV. In addition, we hypothesized that evaluators' belief in false allegations by mothers would be related to their recommendation that perpetrators have custody or unsupervised visits. Results supported most of the hypothesized relationships. Multivariate analysis revealed that belief variables explained more of the variance in custody-visitation outcomes than demographic and knowledge variables. Implications of the findings for IPV training, evaluator selection, and evaluation guidelines are provided.

A comparison of women of color and non-Hispanic White women on factors related to leaving a violent relationship.

This study compares women of color and non-Hispanic White women regarding the influence of socioeconomic status, family investment, and psychological abuse on leaving a violent relationship. It was found that most women who left stayed away for less than a month. Women of color and non-Hispanic White women did not differ in their length or rate of leaving, although women of color left more frequently when they did leave. Factors associated with leaving for both groups were threat with a weapon, psychological abuse, being single, and having fewer adults in the household. Women of color with higher socioeconomic status were less likely to leave, which was not the case for non-Hispanic White women. Non-Hispanic White women were more likely to leave if they had lived with their partners less than 5 years and had children at home.

What attracts men who batter to their partners? An exploratory study.

Men who batter, because of particular personality traits and sense of entitlement, may select partners whom they perceive will be dependent on them, meet their emotional needs, or be "objects" of physical attractiveness. During treatment intake, 181 offenders responded to the question, "What attracted you to her (your partner)?" We explored whether men who mentioned their own needs or her physical traits would engage in more frequent and severe violence and would have specific forms of personality disorder dimensions or personality traits. Six categories of attraction, including "her physical traits" and "his needs," were derived from the men's responses. The results showed that men who focused on their partners' physical attractiveness were more likely to be violent after treatment. Men who cited their own needs for their attraction had higher scores on borderline personality, alcohol abuse, and psychotic thinking and lower scores on compulsive-conforming.

Group interventions for men who batter: a summary of program descriptions and research.

This article provides a summary of the latest research on men's group interventions for men who batter their intimate partners. The major components of current programs are described, along with studies on treatment effectiveness. Evidence for the effectiveness of treatment combined with a coordinated community response is also presented. Several related topics are covered, in particular methods for enhancing treatment motivation and culturally competent practice.

When will adolescents tell someone about dating violence victimization?

This study examined factors that influence help-seeking among a diverse sample of adolescents who experienced dating violence. A sample of 57 high school students in an urban community reported on the prevalence and characteristics of dating violence in their relationships. Someone observing a dating violence incident and a survivor's attaching an emotional meaning to the event significantly influenced adolescents to talk to someone. When dating violence occurred in isolation, survivors were more likely to receive no support from others in the aftermath of the incident. Differences between boys' and girls' help-seeking and implications for dating violence intervention and prevention programming are discussed.

Informal helpers' responses when adolescents tell them about dating violence or romantic relationship problems.

This study examines the responses of informal helpers to adolescents who disclose dating violence or upsetting but non-violent experiences in their romantic relationships. Based on a survey of 224 Midwestern high school students, the study found that youths were more likely to disclose problems to friends rather than others. A factor analysis of potential helpers' responses showed that, compared to avoidance and minimization, nurturing was the most typical response received. Adolescents who told someone about being victimized by severe dating violence were more likely to receive an avoidance response than those who told about less severe dating violence. Males encountered high levels of minimization regarding less severe dating violence. While friends and family seem to respond effectively to romantic relationship problems, youths need more training in how to respond helpfully to friends' difficulties with dating violence or how to encourage victims to seek help from trained practitioners.

TANF workers' responses to battered women and the impact of brief worker training: what survivors report.

Battered women (n = 159) report on their experiences with their Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) case workers. Workers most often ask about physical harm, feelings of fear, and police involvement. They least often create a safety plan, give information about work exemptions, and ask whether the partner had a gun. Women's major reasons for not talking about abuse are that the worker did not ask and a fear of negative outcomes. Workers who attended 1-day training are more likely than untrained workers to discuss the women's fear and physical harm, to help develop a safety plan, and to be viewed as generally helpful.

Leaving an abusive partner: an empirical review of predictors, the process of leaving, and psychological well-being.

Four facets of leaving an abusive relationship are reviewed: (a). factors related to initially leaving an abusive partner; (b). the process of leaving an abusive relationship; (c). the psychological well-being of survivors after leaving; and (d). the predictors of this well-being. The conceptual and methodological limitations of studies in each of these areas are presented. Consistently found predictors of leaving include both material and psychological factors. Because battered women typically undergo several shifts in their thinking about the abuse before leaving permanently, research on leaving as a process is highlighted. A stress-process framework is used to explain the seemingly paradoxical finding that some women just out of the abusive relationship may have greater psychological difficulties than those who are still in it. For those experiencing the most stress, psychological health can worsen over time. Researchers and practitioners need to pay more attention to the plight of women who have left abusive partners.