Journal of Family Violence (J FAM VIOLENCE)

Publications in this journal

• Article: Intimate Partner Violence Among Hispanics: A Review of the Literature.

  Amanda M Cummings, Rosa M Gonzalez-Guarda, Melanie F Sandoval
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  ABSTRACT: This paper analyzed the existing literature on risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence among Hispanics using the four-level social-ecological model of prevention. Three popular search engines, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Google Scholar, were reviewed for original research articles published since the year 2000 that specifically examined factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) among Hispanics. Factors related to perpetration and victimization for both males and females were reviewed. Conflicting findings related to IPV risk and protective factors were noted; however, there were some key factors consistently shown to be related to violence in intimate relationships that can be targeted through prevention efforts. Future implications for ecologically-informed research, practice, and policy are discussed.
  Journal of Family Violence 02/2013; 28(2):153-171.
• Article: Johnson, K. A. & Lynch, S. M. (2013) Child sexual abuse among incarcerated women: A structural model of self-blame, emotion regulation, posttraumatic stress, and coping. Journal of Family Violence, 8(1), 43-52.

  Johnson, Kritsine, Lynch, Shannon
  Journal of Family Violence 01/2013;
• Article: The relation between intimate partner violence, parenting stress, and child behavior problems

  Renner, L.M, Boel-Studt
  Journal of Family Violence 01/2013; 28(2):201-212.
• Article: The Prevalence of Mental Health Problems in Men Arrested for Domestic Violence.

  Ryan C Shorey, Jeniimarie Febres, Hope Brasfield, Gregory L Stuart
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  ABSTRACT: The problem of male perpetrated intimate partner violence (IPV) is widespread. In an effort to identify risk factors for perpetrating IPV, researchers have examined mental health problems among perpetrators. However, the majority of research in this area has examined personality psychopathology and/or limited their investigation to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression. Thus, the present study examined self-reported Axis I psychopathology among men arrested for domestic violence (N = 308). Results replicated past research showing high rates of PTSD and depression. In addition, the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social phobia, and alcohol and drug disorders were very high. All types of mental health problems were positively associated with aggression perpetration. Males meeting probable diagnostic classification reported significantly more frequent aggression than males not meeting diagnostic classification, even after controlling for social desirability. Directions for future research and implications of these findings are discussed.
  Journal of Family Violence 11/2012; 27(8):741-748.
• Article: Prevalence and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence Among Young, Middle, and Older Women of Korean Descent in California.

  Sandy Liles, Paula Usita, Veronica L Irvin, C Richard Hofstetter, Tara Beeston, Melbourne F Hovell
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  ABSTRACT: This research examined the prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) among younger, middle-aged, and older Korean American women. Data were drawn from telephone interviews of a population-based, representative probability sample (N = 592) of female adults of Korean descent residing in California, with a completion rate of 70%. Data were grouped by age. In each group, psychological aggression was the most common type of IPV in the past year, followed by a moderate form of sexual coercion, while physical assault and injury were infrequent. Immigration stress was associated with psychological aggression in all three groups, and partner alcohol use was associated in none. Other predictors varied by group. Results suggest that psychological abuse is a serious issue, and that women's life stage is an important consideration in IPV among Korean Americans. Findings, which sometimes diverged from those of prior studies of this population, merit further investigation.
  Journal of Family Violence 11/2012; 27(8):801-811.
• Article: "What Fresh Hell Is This?" Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Describe Their Experiences of Abuse, Pain, and Depression.

  Catherine Cerulli, Ellen Poleshuck, Christina Raimondi, Stephanie Veale, Nancy Chin
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  ABSTRACT: Traditionally, professionals working with intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors view a victim through a disciplinary lens, examining health and safety in isolation. Using focus groups with survivors, this study explored the need to address IPV consequences with an integrated model and begin to understand the interconnectedness between violence, health, and safety. Focus group findings revealed that the inscription of pain on the body serves as a reminder of abuse, in turn triggering emotional and psychological pain and disrupting social relationships. In many cases, the physical abuse had stopped but the abuser was relentless by reminding and retraumatizing the victim repeatedly through shared parenting, prolonged court cases, etc. This increased participants' exhaustion and frustration, making the act of daily living overwhelming.
  Journal of Family Violence 11/2012; 27(8):773-781.
• Article: Bridging Prevention and Health: Exploring Community Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Honduras.

  Javeed Sukhera, Catherine Cerulli, Barbara A Gawinski, Diane Morse
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  ABSTRACT: This qualitative study rooted in community-based participatory research principles utilized semi-structured interviews with 2 focus groups (n=9) with female healthcare volunteers (FCVs) and 3 male key informants who were community leaders (MCLs). The study aimed to examine how a rural Honduran community defines and responds to intimate partner violence (IPV) in order to lay the foundation for future interventions. Based on grounded theory, the authors assessed for common themes across transcripts. Authors found that a number of participants denied the existence of IPV. Perspectives on the causes and definitions of IPV varied between FCVs and MCLs. All participants affirmed the need for intervention and many participants mentioned healthcare and legal systems as potential venues to ameliorate IPV. The results highlight potentially important differences between FCV and MCL perspectives that may inform future interventions. Findings suggest health-care workers can play a role in IPV prevention and intervention in rural Honduras.
  Journal of Family Violence 10/2012; 27(7):707-714.
• Article: Childhood Violence Exposure: Cumulative and Specific Effects on Adult Mental Health.

  Carole Hooven, Paula S Nurius, Patricia Logan-Greene, Elaine A Thompson
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  ABSTRACT: Childhood exposure to violence and victimization is a significant public health problem, with potentially long-lasting, deleterious effects on adult mental health. Using a longitudinal study design, 123 young adults-identified in adolescence as at-risk for high school dropout-were examined for the effects of multi-domain childhood victimization on emotional distress and suicide risk, net of adolescent risk and protective factors, including family dysfunction. The hypothesis that higher levels of cumulative childhood victimization would be significantly associated with mental health maladjustment in young adulthood was confirmed by the analysis. However, the victimization predictors of adult emotional distress were different than the predictors of adult suicide risk. These findings indicate the need for prevention and intervention approaches that include thorough assessment, and focus on the childhood and adolescent problem areas that are most consequential for long-term psychological well-being.
  Journal of Family Violence 08/2012; 27(6):511-522.
• Article: African American Caregivers and Substance Abuse in Child Welfare: Identification of Multiple Risk Profiles.

  Eusebius Small, Patricia L Kohl
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  ABSTRACT: Despite the strong correlation between caregiver substance abuse and child maltreatment, little information exists to understand the typology of African American caregivers with substance abuse problems in the child welfare system. Research shows African American caregivers contend with multiple problems stemming from substance abuse. Unfortunately, we do not yet know how to best tailor resources to be responsive to varying groups of African American caregivers. Using data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), this investigation tested for distinct multivariate profiles among a subset of African American caregivers with substance abuse problems (n=258). Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to classify caregivers, and five classes were identified among this high risk sample - each with distinct risk profiles. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for tailored practices to enhance the safety and stability of children involved with child welfare.
  Journal of Family Violence 07/2012; 27(5):415-426.
• Article: Predicting Conduct Problems from Community and Family Violence: The Moderating Effects of Hurricane Katrina

  Julia F. Vigna, Brittany C. Hernandez, Mary Lou Kelley
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  ABSTRACT: Although the devastation was immediately apparent, the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the behavior of youth are just now being revealed. Much post-disaster research targets adjustment of adults, but ample evidence indicates that youth experience a variety of psychological symptoms following a disaster, including depressive symptoms, aggression, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress. The aim of the current study was to determine whether hurricane exposure serves as a risk factor for developing conduct problems among violence-exposed youth. Results indicate that hurricane exposure had differential effects on the relations between conduct problems and community violence versus corporal punishment in the home. Though not statistically significant, there was an unexpected trend for youth with high hurricane exposure to show decreased conduct problems and those with low hurricane exposure to show increased conduct problems as violence exposure increased. Hurricane exposure played the predicted role in the relation between corporal punishment and conduct problems, such that high levels of hurricane exposure predicted increased conduct problems among youth experiencing high levels of corporal punishment, but not among those experiencing low levels of corporal punishment. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 24(8):597-605.
• Article: Predicting Officer Physical Assaults at Domestic Assault Calls

  Richard R. Johnson
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  ABSTRACT: Police work is rife with the potential for physical harm, and domestic assault calls are one source of assaults on officers. Inability to accurately predict what circumstances might lead to an attack is one cause of officer cynicism and paranoia. Having the ability to identify which suspects pose the greatest threat of assault would allow officers to take appropriate protective measures. Using data collected from 1,951 domestic assault calls across three cities, the present study compared characteristics and behaviors of the batterers with whether or not the batterers physically assaulted the responding officers. Findings revealed five significant batterer characteristics (employment status, shared residence with abuse victim, alcohol consumption, property damage, and hostile demeanor toward officers) that successfully predicted officer assaults. These risk factors may be incorporated into police safety training in the response to family violence calls. KeywordsDomestic violence–Officer safety–Officer assaults
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 26(3):163-169.
• Article: Typologies of Intimate Partner Violence: Evaluation of a Screening Instrument for Differentiation

  Daniel Joseph Friend, Renay P. Cleary Bradley, Rebecca Thatcher, John M. Gottman
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  ABSTRACT: Given the prevalence and impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) in both community and therapeutic settings, it is vital that the varying typologies of IPV be identified and treated accordingly. The present study sought to evaluate the efficacy of a screening instrument designed to differentiate between characterologically violent, situationally violent, and distressed non-violent couples; focus was placed on identifying situationally violent couples so that they could be invited to participate in a conjoint pyschoeducational workshop. Couples from two samples were assessed to achieve this goal. Situationally violent couples (N = 115) from Sample 1 were screened into the study via a phone interview and participated in an in-home assessment, which assessed self-reported relationship violence. These couples were compared to a previously collected sample (Sample 2; Jacobsen et al. 1994) of characterologically violent, distressed non-violent, and situationally violent couples. The main hypotheses stated that couples from Sample 1 would report less severe relationship violence than characterlogically violent couples from Sample 2, and would report greater amounts of low-level violence than distressed non-violent couples from Sample 2. Additionally, similar rates of both self-reported violence would be seen for situationally violent couples from Samples 1 and 2. Multivariate analyses supported this with the exception that situationally violent couples from Sample 1 did not differ significantly across all domains from distressed non-violent couples in Sample 2. Implications for the screening instrument’s utility in clinical and research settings are discussed. KeywordsIntimate partner violence–Typologies–Situational violence–Screening
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 26(7):551-563.
• Article: Determinants of Domestic Violence: Evidence from Malaysia

  Halimah Awang, Sharon Hariharan
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  ABSTRACT: This study investigates the determinants of domestic violence, which is often unseen, and is a widespread form of gender-based violence affecting women the world over. The analysis is limited to the household impact in examining how demographic and marital capital factors relate to domestic violence in Malaysia. Empirical evidence used in this study is based on secondary data obtained from Women’s Aid Organisation’s case files. Results indicate three variables, specifically the perpetrator’s age, the survivor’s income status, and the number of children, show a significant link to the level of violence in a household. KeywordsDomestic violence–Victim–Perpetrator–Marital capital factors–Multinomial logistic regression
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 26(6):459-464.
• Article: The Impact of Children on Legal Actions Taken by Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

  Karin Verlaine Rhodes, Melissa E. Dichter, Catherine L. Kothari, Steven C. Marcus, Catherine Cerulli
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  ABSTRACT: Successful criminal or civil legal system response to assaults against intimate partners (intimate partner violence; IPV) usually rely on the victim’s participation in the legal process, including having contact with the prosecutor, filing charges, and/or applying for an order of personal protection. Using data abstracted from criminal and civil legal system records for a county-wide cohort of 990 female IPV victims over a 4-year period, we examine the impact of having children, and of specific child factors, on victims’ engagement with the criminal prosecution of their abusive partners and/or seeking a personal protection order (PPO) in the civil court system. Having children increased victim’s contact with the prosecutor and applications for PPOs, but did not increase her likelihood of wanting to file or drop charges. Findings support prior work suggesting both the importance and complexity of children on mothers’ decision-making. Policy makers and service providers may want to assess survivors’ thoughts about the role children play in their decision-making. Additionally, by offering survivors interventions to help their children address the impact of IPV exposure, survivors may be more willing to engage with services. KeywordsIntimate partner violence–Children–Prosecution–Personal protection order–Help seeking
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 26(5):355-364.
• Article: Enhancing Treatment Outcomes for Male Adolescents with Sexual Behavior Problems: Interactions and Interventions

  Monit Cheung, Barbara J. Brandes
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  ABSTRACT: This exploratory study identifies patterns of multidisciplinary interactions and interventions that aim to improve outcomes for juvenile sex offenders (JSOs). With a response rate of 63.45% at two major statewide conferences in Texas, data from 336 JSO service providers suggest that interactions among service providers should occur before the delivery of interventions. Factor analyses indicated that Protocol (26%), Collaboration (17%), and Role Clarity (15%) explain 58% of the variance in “Multidisciplinary Interactions,” while Counseling (13%), Treatment Placement (11%), and Self-Discipline (10%) explain 34% of the variance in “Interventions.” Treatment staff preferred the implementation of cognitive and person-centered treatment approaches. Additional research is needed to establish objectivity and increase awareness about the importance of service diversity with a common goal within this multidisciplinary community. KeywordsJuvenile sex offenders–Child sexual abuse–Multidisciplinary interactions–Intervention effectiveness
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 26(5):387-401.
• Article: Views of Male University Students About Social Gender Roles; An Example From East of Turkey

  Filiz Adana, Hülya Arslantaş, Filiz Ergin, Necla Biçer, Nilüfer Kıranşal, Sultan Şahin
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  ABSTRACT: Social gender roles refer to the roles that are traditionally associated with women and men. Social gender role includes the personal attributes and behaviors which are culturally assigned to women and men. This study was conducted to determine the views of male students at Caucasian University Health School on social gender roles at work, social life, marriage, and family life. The study was conducted on male students studying at Kars Health School, Nursing and Health Officers Department during 2007–2008 academic year. The students were given 24 statements relating to work life, social life, marriage, and family life to determine their views on social gender roles. Results indicated that 30.2% of the male students stated that women could work in a paid job, 56.9% believed in equality of women and men, 44.8% approved honor killing, 40.5% said the girls should receive education as far as they can go, 54.3% said the role of the women was to “provide moral support to their husband and children”, 37.1% stated that husbands could beat their wives under certain circumstances, 52.6% said they witnessed violence in their family at some stage of their lives, 51.7% said the women’s environment should be decided by the spouses together, 25% said the women should engage in sexual intercourse with their spouses even if they did not want to. Men who thought the role of the women was to do housework/giving birth to children/looking after the elderly members of the house, and who approved honor killing and disapproved working of their spouses, and who did not believe in equality of women and men, were found to support violence to women by men. Moreover, the students who witnessed violence at some stage of their lives supported this view as well. It was considered that the students should be educated on the definition of violence and situations involving violence, and directed to consultant services. KeywordsGender role–Women’s role–Students–Perception
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 26(7):519-526.
• Article: Interpersonal Problems as a Mediator between Attachment and Intimate Partner Violence

  David M. Lawson, Stevie G. Malnar
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  ABSTRACT: Although attachment and interpersonal problems are associated with intimate partner violence (IPV), their interrelationship in predicting IPV has not been examined. The present study examined whether hostile dominant interpersonal problems (i.e., domineering, vindictive, and intrusive) mediate the relationship between attachment (anxious and avoidant) and IPV (violence severity and psychological aggression) in a sample 100 partner violent men. Several meditational analyses were conducted based on Baron and Kenny’s (1986) model for mediation, including the bootstrap analysis of the sampling distribution of the indirect effect. Significant results indicated that (a) hostile dominant interpersonal problems mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment and violence severity, and (b) hostile dominant interpersonal problems mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment and psychological aggression. Hostile dominant interpersonal problems did not mediate the relationship between anxious attachment and violence severity or psychological aggression. Implications of the findings for the treatment of IPV are discussed. KeywordsIntimate partner violence–Interpersonal problems–Attachment–Mediation
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 26(6):421-430.
• Article: The Time Course of Repeat Intimate Partner Violence

  Marie Mele
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  ABSTRACT: This study examines the time course of repeat victimization by assessing whether the opportunity for victim/offender contact influences the time lapse between successive incidents of intimate partner violence. Several measures of opportunity for victim/offender contact are used, including cohabitation, co-parenting, restraining order status, and victim unemployment. The study finds that some victims (i.e., those who live with the offender) are at risk of repeat victimization in a shorter period of time than other victims. However, the study yields conflicting findings about the relationship between other opportunity variables (i.e., co-parenting and victim unemployment) and the time lapse between successive incidents of intimate partner violence. Policy implications are discussed and suggestions are offered for future research on repeat intimate partner violence.
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 24(8):619-624.
• Article: Relationship Religiosity, Adult Attachment Styles, and Courtship Violence Experienced by Females

  Brian J. Higginbotham, Scott A. Ketring, Jeff Hibbert, David W. Wright, Anthony Guarino
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  ABSTRACT: This study assesses the association between adult attachment styles, religiosity, and courtship violence as experienced by females. The sample was composed of 299, 18 to 24-year-old females attending junior level Human Development and Family Studies courses at a midwestern state university. Statistical analyses evaluated interactional effects and mean-level differences for both victimization and perpetration of courtship violence. Additionally, structural equation models were generated. Results indicate significant relationships between adult attachment styles and religiosity on reports of victimization from intimate partners. In general, the results suggest that females with low religiosity and insecure attachment styles report experiencing more courtship violence than females reporting high religiosity and secure attachment styles. The analyses also provide support for a multidimensional conceptualization of religiosity. Indicators of `relationship' religiosity were more strongly linked to lower reports of courtship violence than personal and private relationship measures. The findings suggest that future studies evaluating the effects of religiosity on courtship violence should include measures of `relationship’ religiosity.
  Journal of Family Violence 05/2012; 22(2):55-62.