Melanie F Shepard

• PhD in Social Work
• Professor Emeritus at University of Minnesota, Duluth

The study reported in this article explored the perceptions of rural women on custody and visitation arrangements with abusive ex-partners. Data were collected from questionnaires and focus groups with 23 mothers who were recruited from domestic violence support groups. Most mothers reported experiencing ongoing abusive and controlling behavior by...

In an era of fiscal constraint and increased accountability, consistent perceptions of the expectations, means of funding, and reporting of outcomes between administrators and school social workers is vital. School social workers and school administrators in four school districts in Minnesota were surveyed regarding outcomes expected as a result of...

The past 20 years have seen great strides in addressing violence against women by their male partners. Although the author cannot point to one single intervention or set of interventions as being the most effective, institutional reforms that have included coordinated community responses have had a positive impact. During the next 10 years, researc...

The Minnesota Rural Health School (MRHS), which operated from 1996 to 2003, was the University of Minnesota's first initiative that provided rural, community-based, interdisciplinary health professions education. The newly funded Minnesota Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is now coordinating interprofessional rural clinical education at the Acad...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a project designed to enhance coordinated community responses by examining recidivism rates. Project enhancements included expanded danger assessment and information sharing among criminal justice practitioners and advocates. When compared to a baseline period, results indicated that offenders had significa...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a screening and assessment protocol used by employee assistance program (EAP) counselors to identify domestic violence and make referrals. The protocol was used by ten counselors in screening 287 female clients. The protocol included asking specific questions to screen for domestic violence, assessing dange...

Public health nurses (PHNs) can play an important role in the detection of domestic violence. This study examines whether the introduction of a domestic violence assessment protocol by public health nurses in a maternal and child health visiting program increases the identification and referral rates of women experiencing domestic violence. Data co...

Research shows a close connection between domestic violence and child maltreatment. In recent years, there has been an increased recognition of this by child welfare professionals. However, little empirical work has been done on the actual assessments and interventions of frontline child welfare workers in relationship to domestic violence. Through...

This article describes an evaluation of an innovative site-based service program for residents of single-room occupancy hotels. The Growth and Achievement Program (GAP), a federal demonstration project, was designed to promote greater self-sufficiency among residents by providing social services and employment counseling to residents in their own e...

Interactive videodiscs have been used as effective educational tools in business, the military, and by some disciplines and professional programs in higher education. The effectiveness and potential of videodisc application stem from the combination of high quality video and audio with computer text and graphics into integrated learning programs. W...

The purpose of this study was to examine batterer recidivism rates 5 years after community intervention and to determine differences that discriminate between recidivists and nonrecidivists. Of the 100 men included in the sample, 40% were identified as recidivists because they were either convicted of domestic assault, the subject of an order for p...

Researchers have identified the need to develop instruments to measure domestic violence that include both physical and psychological abuse. Drawing from feminist theory, the Abusive Behavior Inventory (ABI) was developed to address a range of abusive behaviors. A validation study included a sample of 100 men and 78 women divided into groups of abu...

Advances graduate-level social-work curriculum model, designed to meet diverse training needs of rural communities. Emphasizes value of "advanced generalists," social workers who work in many roles with all community segments. Describes model's coursework, including research, field practicum, and specific focus on American Indians. (TES)

Seventy-one battered women were surveyed to explore the effect of battering on their employment status. Although the majority of the women were working, their work performance was seriously affected by the physical abuse, which resulted in their absenteeism. Furthermore, they had been harassed by their abusers at work. Many women also reported that...

To prevent domestic abuse during parental visitation, a number of divorced couples were required by court order to transfer their children at visiting centers. 25 custodial mothers with children aged 3+ yrs completed a modified version of the Abusive Behavior Inventory, and the Conner's Parent Rating Scales-48. 22 fathers completed a questionnaire...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Minnesota, 1985. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-118). Photocopy.