This study investigates the cumulative impact of sexual abuse in childhood and adult interpersonal violence in the past year on depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample of 265 primarily African American (74%) women. The frequency of depressive symptoms, measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), was highest for…

This essay synthesizes the research on intimate partner violence (IPV) in American Indian and/or Alaska Native communities using a social ecological framework. The review of literature demonstrates that American Indian and/or Alaska Native women are at an elevated risk for IPV compared to non-American Indian women and thus this essay describes…

Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate, within an at-risk population, parent and child characteristics associated with a mother's self-reports of severe physical assault and assault on the self-esteem of the child in the first 3 years of life. Design: The study population consisted of a community-based sample of mothers of…

Mental health professionals' (MHPs') accuracy in assessing the risk of violence in female patients is particularly limited. Based on assessments made by 205 MHPs of 605 patients in an emergency room, this study explored potential causes of MHPs' poorer accuracy in assessing women's potential for violence. The dimensions that underlie MHPs'…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to: (a) investigate differences in demographic variables and psychological variables between treatment completers and dropouts among abusive women in a treatment program for domestic violence offenders; and, (b) create a predictive model that would correctly identify women at greatest risk of dropping out…

This article describes an urban community's attempts to increase domestic violence survivors' participation in the criminal justice system by combining social work advocacy, specialized police officers, and prosecutors into precinct domestic violence teams. An analysis of the outcomes of 1,057 domestic violence reports found that the presence of…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to inform the ongoing quest for efficacious treatment of domestically violent women by (a) describing their representation in cases of intimate partner homicide over the period of 1985-1999 in Houston, Texas, and (b) by utilizing a measure known as the spousal sex ratio of killing (SROK), determining…

Studies show that 65-85% of mothers hold their infants on the left side of their own body and that this left-bias may be reduced or reversed when mothers have symptoms similar to depression or dysphoria (de Chateau, Holmberg, & Winberg, 1978). No studies, however, have used diagnostic criteria to assess the mother's psychological state. The…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among global self-worth (GSW), competencies in various domains, discrepancy between these perceptions of competence and their ratings of importance, and perceived social support of children who were exposed to marital violence using Harter's (1985a, 1985b) theoretical model. Participants…

Elementary school teachers must clearly understand that many children of domestic violence abuse are struggling with abuse issues at home along with literacy learning at school. This article will demonstrate how a child from an adverse home environment may face additional literacy challenges in school. This article will also provide specific…

The intention of this article is to illuminate the developmental coping experiences of children of domestic violence abuse whether observed and/or experienced, and the impact upon school discourse at the elementary school level. It is aimed at providing school professionals with insights into their roles and responsibilities in the area of…

This paper reports on an evaluation of a drama-based Healthy Relationships programme on domestic violence delivered on a pilot basis to Year 8 pupils. The programme included a play delivered by a local theatre-in-education company followed by a series of weekly workshops. Eighty-five pupils in a secondary school located in an area with high rates…

As this author traveled around the country, many university professors and domestic violence advocates told him that prosecuting or even intervening with social services is morally "wrong" in cases in which parents fail to protect their children. There are two problems with these arguments. First, these arguments assume that mothers should "never"…

A model of child abuse/neglect is described, in which the perpetrator, victim, and observer all contribute to precipitating and sustaining the maltreatment. The three form a triangle which rotates with time and circumstance. There are also components of the perpetrator, victim, and observer within each individual, creating triangles within…

Child advocates have succeeded in getting child abuse recognized as a serious social problem requiring governmental response. Ironically, this success now threatens the viability of child abuse programs: 65 percent of all reports are ultimately dismissed. This flood of unfounded reports violates parental rights and overwhelms the limited resources…