Battered and on Welfare: The Experiences of Women with the Family Violence Option

Noting the incidence of battered women on welfare, lawmakers passed the Family Violence Option (FVO), which allows states to offer waivers from welfare program requirements. Assumptions were made that many women would seek relief under the FVO. However, reports indicate that less than 5 percent of welfare recipients are receiving waivers. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study that sought to explore the experiences of 29 battered women with the welfare system and the FVO in New York State. Their experiences suggest that changes in FVO screening process are necessary to fully implement the program in the way legislators intended

Women\u27s Experiences of Victimization and Survival

In an effort to more fully understand the experiences and aftermath of girlhood and adult woman physical, sexual and psychological victimization, research was undertaken that explored the prevalence and the consequences of such victimization, and the survival strategies women activate at various points in their lifespan in the aftermath of that violence. Women participants were recruited from five different communities; three urban, one rural and the only correctional facility for women in a Midwestern state. These venues were selected as ideal sites in which to secure a racially, ethnically and geographically diverse sample of women age 18 and older. Findings yielded from the total sample of 423 women reveal a significantly high rate of multiple types of victimization amongst the entire sample population. Certain health and mental health-related adult outcomes for these women are reported, as are the relationships between the types of victimization experienced and those adult outcomes and the influence of certain factors on those adult outcomes. Finally, women\u27s experiences using and evaluating the helpfulness of a variety of services post-victimization are presented

Women\u27s Experiences of Victimization and Survival

In an effort to more fully understand the experiences and aftermath of girlhood and adult woman physical, sexual and psychological victimization, research was undertaken that explored the prevalence and the consequences of such victimization, and the survival strategies women activate at various points in their lifespan in the aftermath of that violence. Women participants were recruited from five different communities; three urban, one rural and the only correctional facility for women in a Midwestern state. These venues were selected as ideal sites in which to secure a racially, ethnically and geographically diverse sample of women age 18 and older. Findings yielded from the total sample of 423 women reveal a significantly high rate of multiple types of victimization amongst the entire sample population. Certain health and mental health-related adult outcomes for these women are reported, as are the relationships between the types of victimization experienced and those adult outcomes and the influence of certain factors on those adult outcomes. Finally, women\u27s experiences using and evaluating the helpfulness of a variety of services post-victimization are presented

Services for youth involved in domestic minor sex trafficking: Divergent perspectives on youth agency.

Domestic-minor sex trafficking (DMST) continues to affect youth in the United States; however, lack of empirical evidence for interventions and the complex sociopolitical discourses surrounding sex trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) hamper delivery of effective services to this population. To explore perspectives on best practices with these young people, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders whose work provides them with a unique vantage point on the needs and experiences of survivors of DMST in New Jersey. Notes from interviews were coded and analyzed for emergent themes. While key stakeholders generally agreed on best practices, there were several important areas of dispute that emerged regarding how best to serve youth involved in DMST, specifically with regard to youth running away from services, models of service provision, and the use of technology by these youth. Findings suggest that professionals from diverse backgrounds may disagree about the extent to which youth involved in DMST possess agency in their decision-making capacities as adolescents. This study explores these areas of dispute, and discusses the implications for the many different professionals and systems that must work together in providing services to this population

Wives and Mothers At Risk: The Role of Marital and Maternal Status in Criminal Activity and Incarceration

This is the publisher's version, also found here: http://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.3891As the numbers of women entering prison are increasing, more attention is being paid to the social circumstances of criminally involved women. Crime research has highlighted the familial roles of women more than men, focusing on the social and personal roles of women. This study examines a cross-sectional sample of 423 women in one state, assessing the associations of motherhood and intimate partnership with criminal activity. The study finds that criminal activity, particularly economic crime, is highly related to motherhood. Economic crime is predicted by having a higher number of young children, while both economic and violent crimes are predicted by a woman’s history of victimization; marriage does not reduce these risks

Ambiguous agency as a diagnostic of power: Efforts of child welfare providers to promote responsible agency among youth involved in sex trades.

Ambiguous agency is a term which has been used to describe the ways in which young people demonstrate their agency in ways that challenge traditional ideas about how youth are supposed to behave. State and nongovernmental actors, such as service providers, generally view these behaviors as deviant and have utilized a variety of interventions to transform these youth so that they engage in acts of responsible agency instead. This article will explore how the concept of ambiguous and responsible agency relate to youth involved in sex trades by analyzing the case records of eight youth who were identified as survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) by child protective services within New Jersey through this framework. Specifically, this study seeks to determine the views and perceptions of caseworkers related to ambiguous and responsible agency of these youth. Drawing on notions of agency, this manuscript provides new understandings about how youth involved in sex trades potentially exert their own limited power. Implications for the provision of services to youth involved in sex trades and research are also discussed

A global collaboration to study intimate partner violence-related head trauma: The ENIGMA consortium IPV working group

Intimate partner violence includes psychological aggression, physical violence, sexual violence, and stalking from a current or former intimate partner. Past research suggests that exposure to intimate partner violence can impact cognitive and psychological functioning, as well as neurological outcomes. These seem to be compounded in those who suffer a brain injury as a result of trauma to the head, neck or body due to physical and/or sexual violence. However, our understanding of the neurobehavioral and neurobiological effects of head trauma in this population is limited due to factors including difficulty in accessing/recruiting participants, heterogeneity of samples, and premorbid and comorbid factors that impact outcomes. Thus, the goal of the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium Intimate Partner Violence Working Group is to develop a global collaboration that includes researchers, clinicians, and other key community stakeholders. Participation in the working group can include collecting harmonized data, providing data for meta- and mega-analysis across sites, or stakeholder insight on key clinical research questions, promoting safety, participant recruitment and referral to support services. Further, to facilitate the mega-analysis of data across sites within the working group, we provide suggestions for behavioral surveys, cognitive tests, neuroimaging parameters, and genetics that could be used by investigators in the early stages of study design. We anticipate that the harmonization of measures across sites within the working group prior to data collection could increase the statistical power in characterizing how intimate partner violence-related head trauma impacts long-term physical, cognitive, and psychological health

When child abuse overlaps with domestic violence: The factors that influence child protection workers' beliefs

Over the past decade, Child Protective Services (CPS) has been challenged with how to adequately respond to families experiencing domestic violence and whether exposure to domestic violence constitutes child abuse. Research provides a limited understanding of what factors (i.e. professional, personal, training) influence the beliefs of CPS workers but much more information is needed. The research described in this paper provides another opportunity to explore these factors that influence the beliefs and attitudes of 64 workers from a CPS system in a Midwestern state. Anonymous and confidential surveys queried respondents on demographic information, their beliefs about domestic violence and the intersection of domestic violence and child abuse, prior domestic violence training, and their professional and personal experiences with domestic violence. The results provide insight into challenges of addressing workers' beliefs about domestic violence and its overlap with child abuse and instill the need for more research to fully grasp how best to respond to families experiencing domestic violence.Domestic violence Child Protection Services Overlap of abuse Beliefs