Poised for Prevention: Advancing Promising Approaches to Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)

"This report includes a discussion of primary prevention of intimate partner violence, promising approaches to environmental/norms change, an examination of IPV primary prevention within immigrant communities, recommended actions to building momentum for primary prevention of IPV, and immediate next steps. The report is designed as a catalyst and call to action, to give a sense of direction and raise some issues for consideration."

The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report (pdf)

"The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers."

'I am at the lowest end of all' : Rural women living with HIV face human rights abuses in South Africa

"This report provides an analysis of patterns of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in rural contexts of widespread poverty and unemployment."

(Un)heard Voices: Domestic Violence in the Asian American Community (pdf)

This publication is based on the results of a focus group with Asian immigrant women and Asian American women from different backgrounds. Various questions and issues are addressed such as identifying victims and perpetrators, prevalence of domestic violence in Asian communities, barriers confronting Asian women and more. The report also gives recommendations to service providers and a national list of organizations committed to serving battered Asian women.

15 Years of the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Its Causes and Consequences (pdf)

This report reviews the status of violence against women as researched in 14 annual reports, 32 country mission reports, and 11 communication reports published as recently as December 2008. The report focuses on reproductive health and rights, poverty, migration, internally displaced persons (IDPs), women refugees, trafficking, aging, and adolescent girls. It also highlights how the mandate on violence against women has changed, what has been learned, and problems still to be addressed.

A Comparison of Two Prosecution Policies in Cases of Intimate Partner Policies in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)

"Whether or not to file domestic violence cases when the victim does not support prosecution is a difficult decision. Previous research provides contradictory evidence regarding the effects on victim safety, empowerment, and official measures of recidivism of prosecuting despite victim opposition. This study compared a jurisdiction that tends not to file cases if the victim opposes prosecution (the Bronx), with a jurisdiction that files all domestic violence cases (Brooklyn).

A Descriptive Analysis of Transitional Housing Programs for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in the United States

"This study examines the current state of transitional housing programs (THPs) and discusses future program considerations, including the need for evaluation studies that consider the possible impact that transitional housing programs have on the rates of violence toward women and their children, and on women's ability to achieve economic stability after separating from their abusive partners."

A Network Model for Providing Culturally Competent Services for Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence

"This article describes the CARE ( Collaborative for Abuse Prevention in Racial and Ethnic Communities) model, network formation, initial attempts to build collaboration and cultural competence, outreach and education activities, and organizational-level changes resulting from the establishment of the networks. The challenges, successes, and lessons learned in implementing this network model are also discussed."

A pilot study of abuse among Vietnamese Amerasians

"This report describes a pilot study of the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse, and current levels of psychological distress correlated with a history of abuse, in a group of Vietnamese Amerasians bound for the United States. Abused male Amerasians reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress than nonabused male Amerasians, while abused and nonabused female Amerasians did not differ in their levels of psychological distress."

A Preliminary Investigation of the Effects of Giving Testimony and Learning Yogic Breathing Techniques on Battered Women's Feelings of Depression

"This preliminary experiment tests whether African American and European American abused women who give testimony about their experiences of intimate partner violence and learn how to use yogic breathing techniques have reduced feelings of depression. Results indicate that learning yogic breathing techniques alone and combined with giving testimony significantly reduces feelings of depression. "

A Preliminary Study of Intimate Partner Violence Among Nepali Women in the United States

"The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of and vulnerabilities to (intimate partner violence) IPV among 45 Nepali immigrant women residing in the New York metropolitan area. The findings demonstrated that 75.6% of women had been verbally insulted by their current partners, and 62.2% had to seek permission from their partners to go to their friends' or relatives' houses."

A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults (pdf)

This report document is the result of a 2000 survey of state adult protective services.

Abuse During Pregnancy in Industrialized and Developing Countries

"Abuse during pregnancy has increasingly been identified as an important problem with significant consequences for maternal and infant health, particularly in North America. The authors review available evidence of the prevalence and consequences of abuse during pregnancy, including maternal mortality, outside of North America."

Acculturation, Partner Violence, and Psychological Distress in Refugee Women From Somalia

"This study examined the relations among acculturation, domestic violence, and mental health in 62 married refugee women from Somalia. The results showed that women who reported greater ability to speak English also reported more experiences of partner psychological abuse and physical aggression. Experiences of more psychological abuse and physical aggressions also predicted more psychological distress. Implications for future research and psychological services are addressed."

Addressing Culture in Batterers Intervention: The Asian Indian Community as an Illustrative Example

"The authors in this article utilize the Cultural Context Model(CCM) a community development and treatment model. The CCM approaches intervention with batterers and their families from a perspective that acknowledges a multilayered experience of culture. It requires accountability from batterers and supports the empowerment of victims and children at the same time as it recognizes the impact of a number of social forces related to culture and cultural differences on communities, families, and individuals. These forces include sexism, racism, and heterosexism, as well as experiences with immigration, colonization, and capitalism. Although the treatment approach is applicable cross-culturally, this article primarily focuses on examples involving families from Asian Indian-American communities."

Addressing Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Strategy and Framework for Action (pdf)

"This report identifies the particular areas where action is most urgently needed and proposes general policy frameworks for combating gender-based violence. The proposals, which focus on reducing gender inequality and discrimination, are aimed at UNFPA's overarching goal of eliminating violence against women and girls. The report critically examines existing policy frameworks, and suggests where future efforts need to be concentrated. "

Advancing the Nation's Health: A Guide to Public Health Research Needs, 2006-2015 (pdf)

"This guide is meant to serve as a critical resource for research areas that should be addressed during the next decade by CDC and its partners in response to current and future public health needs and events."

Advancing the Study of Violence Against Women: Evolving Research Agendas Into Science

"This review extends beyond prior reviews to explore the field of violence against women's unique challenges, its community of scientists, and the state of its written knowledge. This article argues for moving beyond "research agendas" and proposes creation of a transdisciplinary science for the field of study of violence against women."

Adverse Health Conditions and Health Risk Behaviors Associated with Intimate Partner Violence - United States, 2005

"This report indicates that persons who report having experienced IPV during their lifetimes also are more likely to report current adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors, underscoring the need for IPV assessment in health-care settings."

American Indians and Crime (pdf)

"Reports rates and characteristics of violent crimes experienced by Native Americans and summarizes data on Native Americans in the criminal justice system."

American Indians and Suicide: A Neglected Area of Research

"Published studies indicate that American Indians experience the highest rate of suicide of all ethnic groups in the United States. This article synthesizes the epidemiology and risk factors associated with suicide among American Indians, barriers to research, prevention, mental-health services, and recommendations for research and practice."

An Overview of Intimate Partner Violence Among Latinos

"This article reviews the existing literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) among Latinos to put the findings of this special issue into context. This review of the literature suggests that IPV occurs as frequently among Latinos as among non-Latinos when confounders are controlled for. Role strain, especially as a result of immigration and acculturation, might be unique to Latinos, and its importance, and the importance of male dominance among Latinas experiencing IPV, deserve more research."

Assessing Acceptance of Violence Toward Women: A Factor Analysis of Burt's Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Scale

"This study's purpose was to test the multidimensionality of the Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Scale (AIV). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on half a sample of 772 male participants and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the other half. EFA indicated a two-factor solution. Factors were labeled Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence. The CFA showed this model provided a good fit and was superior to the original one-factor model. Potential problems when using the single sum score and the applicability of the derived factor structure to violence research are discussed."

Attitudes of Jordanian Society Toward Wife Abuse

"This study was conducted among a sample of 260 Jordanian men and women, using self-administered open and closed questions to examine the participants' approach toward wife abuse. There was a strong tendency to consider wife abuse a personal and familial issue rather than a social and legal problem. The preferred method for coping with wife abuse and violence was the expectation that the abused wife should change her behavior and assume responsibility to change her husband followed by resorting to informal agents (family or community or religious figures). The implications of this study's findings for future research, interventions, and policy formulation are discussed."

Battered Women's Reports of Their Partner's and Children's Cruelty to Animals (pdf)

"This research study describes how abuse of pets is a method employed by batterers to control their partners, contributes to the impact on children exposed to violence, and may also be related to batterers' lethality."

Battered Women’s Protective Strategies

"This Applied Research paper adopts a holistic approach to understand battered women’s protective strategies, reviewing a wide range of strategies used by women to cope with numerous threats posed by battering, not just the threat of bodily harm."

Batterer Intervention Program Enrollment and Completion Among Immigrant Men in Massachusetts

"This study describes immigrant clients enrolled in Massachusetts batterer intervention (BI) programs from 2002 to 2004. The study seeks to describe the immigrant men enrolled in Massachusetts BI programs, investigate whether immigrants were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were nonimmigrants, and investigate whether immigrants in non-English, culturally specific groups were more or less likely to complete BI programs than were immigrants in mainstream groups."

Building Academic Capacity and Expertise in the HEALTH EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE AND ABUSE (pdf)

This report was created from the Proceedings from a Pre-Conference Symposium at the Family Violence Prevention Fund which offers a blueprint on advancing professional health education from a perspective on the health effects on violence and abuse.

California Batterer Intervention Systems Study

This study on batterer intervention programs in the state of California encompasses 5 counties, 53 batterer intervention programs that provide client data, and over 1,000 men enrolled in those programs. The study found that the individual characteristics of the offenders, and not the program they were enrolled in nor the features of the specific court they were sentenced in, were the strongest predictors of outcomes.

Canadian Domestic Violence Policy and Indian Immigrant Women

"This article explores the problems of Indian immigrant women who face cultural constraints in accessing the benefits of Canadian policies for domestically abused women. They expose the pressures of cultural, social, and family ties that prevent these women from getting necessary help for domestic violence. The limitations of Canadian policies and programs for these women and the means to improve their access to these policies and programs are discussed."

Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions (pdf)

"This 2008 brief report presents statistical information on maltreatment-related fatalities of children including who are the victims and perpetrators and how communities often respond. "

Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention : Reports from the Field and Ideas for the Future (pdf)

"This report summarizes findings from a PPN project conducted for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Child Abuse Prevention Program. The project sought to assess the current state of the child abuse and neglect prevention field as well as identify potential future directions for the field in terms of emerging priorities and prevention strategies."

Child Custody and Visitation Decisions in Domestic Violence Cases: Legal Trends, Risk Factors, and Safety Concerns (Revised 2007) (pdf)

"Describes major legal and social trends surrounding custody and visitation decisions and the social science evidence supporting the need to consider domestic violence. Recommendations for custody and visitation decisions are explored."

Child Maltreatment 2006 Report (pdf)

"The latest Child Maltreatment annual report reports statistical data from the states on reports of maltreatment, characteristics of the children involved and their perpetrators, fatalities tied to maltreatment, and services provided to prevent maltreatment or to address the consequences of maltreatment."

Child Protection Information Sheets (pdf)

"This booklet comprises 14 information sheets which highlight how child protection is crucial to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Covering different forms of abuse, these sheets also outline how to build a protective environment for children and what UNICEF is doing on the ground to protect children."

Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review (pdf)

This study compared children exposed to domestic violence to children not so exposed. The results showed that child witnesses to domestic violence exhibit more negative outcomes.

Childhood Experience and the Expression of Genetic Potential: What Childhood Neglect Tells Us About Nature and Nurture (pdf)

"Abuse studies from the author’s laboratory, studies of children in orphanages who lacked emotional contact, and a large number of animal deprivation and enrichment studies point to the need for children and young nonhuman mammals to have both stable emotional attachments with and touch from primary adult caregivers, and spontaneous interactions with peers. If these connections are lacking, brain development both of caring behavior and cognitive capacities is damaged in a lasting fashion. The effects of the childhood environment, favorable or unfavorable, interact with all the processes of neurodevelopment."

Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Research Findings and Implications for Intervention

Prevalence rates are discussed in addition to moderating factors for childrens' responses to domestic violence. Group and individual interventions are reviewed in the context of witnessing DV.

Children’s Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey (pdf)

"This Bulletin discusses the National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence that measured the past-year and lifetime exposure to violence for children age 17 and younger across several major categories: conventional crime, child maltreatment, victimization by peers and siblings, sexual victimization, witnessing and indirect victimization (including exposure to community violence and family violence), school violence and threats, and Internet victimization."

Collaborating for Family Safety: Results From the Greenbook Multisite Evaluation

"This special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence features results from a multisite developmental evaluation of best practices at the intersection of child maltreatment and adult domestic violence."

Collaborative Efforts to Improve System Response to Families Who Are Experiencing Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence

This article explains the importance of collaborative efforts to responding to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. The Greenbook Initiative provided a framework for developing a multisystem collaborative approach to working with families.

Collecting Reliable Information About Violence Against Women Safely in Household Interviews: Experience From a Large-Scale National Survey in South Asia

"This article describes the first national survey of violence against women in Pakistan from 2001 to 2004 covering 23,430 women. The training module for interviewers focused on empathy with respondents, notably increasing disclosure rates. The authors conclude that surveys of violence against women in Pakistan not using methods to minimize underreporting could seriously underestimate prevalence."

Combining Ethical Considerations With Recruitment and Follow-Up Strategies for Partner Violence Victimization Research

"This article uses multiple methods to compile information about research ethics with vulnerable participants as well as with recruitment and follow-up strategies, and shows how considering research ethics may actually enhance recruitment and follow-up strategies with women experiencing partner violence victimization."

Compendium of Research on Violence Against Women, 1993-2008 (pdf)

"This is a comprehensive compilation of National Institute of Justice (NIJ)-funded research including a table of contents, index, and descriptions of projects available through the Violence Against Women & Family Violence (VAW&FV) program."

Considering the Interplay of Cultural Context and Service Provision in Intimate Partner Violence: The Case of Haitian Immigrant Women

This study explored the cultural context of how intimate partner violence affects accessibility to services for Haitian women. The study revealed that the nature and context of intimate partner violence in this immigrant community contribute to the women's hesitation to pursue services and that mainstream services were not accessible to them as well. The author concludes by giving suggesstions on overcoming these barriers and improving service delivery.

Corporal Punishment in Adolescence and Physical Assaults on Spouses in Later Life: What Accounts for the Link? (pdf)

"Using data on 4,401 couples who participated in the National Family Violence Survey, this article reports modeling of cultural norms or other processes that could account for the link between corporal punishment and partner violence. Because corporal punishment of adolescents occurs in over half of U.S. families, the findings suggest that elimination of this practice can reduce some of the psychological and social processes that increase the likelihood of future marital violence and perhaps other violence as well."

Creating Social Change in Cyberspace: 10 Years Strong

Article published by the University of Minnesota Gateway to Reseach & Innovations regarding the success of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse in providing knowledge to prevent violence.

Crime and the Nation's Households, 2003

"Presents national prevalence estimates for the percentage of households with one or more persons who were victimized by crime as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey."

Crime and the Nation's Households, 2004 (pdf)

"Presents information on the percentage of households or persons in households who are victimized as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey. Findings are presented by region; urban, suburban or rural location; and by household size."

Criminal Victimization, 2008 (pdf)

"The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes. The report also includes estimates of intimate partner violent crime and use of firearms and other weapons in the commission of violent crime overall."

Cultural Beliefs and Service Utilization by Battered Arab Immigrant Women

"This study examines the relationship between cultural beliefs and the utilization of services among Arab immigrant women. Significant correlations were found between the holding of traditional attitudes toward gender in general and wife battering in particular by the women and the utilization of formal mental services. The study's limitations, policy implications, and the impacts of 9/11 on the Arab immigrant community and on their use of services are discussed."

Cumulative Experiences of Violence Among High-Risk Urban Youth

"This study examines type-specific and cumulative experiences of violence among a vulnerable population of youth. Sixty high-risk, shelter-dwelling, urban youth were interviewed regarding their history of childhood maltreatment, exposure to community violence (ECV), and experience with intimate partner violence (IPV). Results show a high prevalence and high degree of overlap among multiple types of violence exposure. Childhood physical, sexual (CSA), and emotional (CEA) abuse were interrelated and were associated with ECV. Findings suggest that cumulative exposures to violence create cumulative risk for experiencing more violence."

Danger Zone: Battered Mothers and Their Families in Supervised Visitation

"This paper outlines research conducted at a supervised visitation center specifically for serving families where domestic violence was the primary reason for referral. The authors have classified their experiences based on these main subjects: battered women in supervised visitation, how battering continues during supervised visitation, how the rules of the supervised visitation center evolved during the first 18 months of implementation, the importance of well-trained visit monitors, and the need to include supervised visitation centers within a larger context of coordinated community responses to domestic violence."

Date Rape: A Hidden Crime (pdf)

"This Australian report provides an overview of main issues underlying date rape including: incidence, difficulties in measuring extent; complicated issues around sexual consent; impact on victims; and, obstacles and options in prevention and treatment."

Developmental Repair: A Training Manual (pdf)

Washburn Center for Children has recently completed a training manual on Developmental Repair – the treatment framework that has been developed and implemented in their Day Treatment Program under the clinical leadership of Anne Gearity PhD, LICSW. It is an intensive treatment model for working with young children who have experienced complex trauma and present with aggressive and disruptive symptoms.

Developmental Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children (pdf)

"In this report, published by the Institute for Social and Economic Development, the authors analyze findings from the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. They provide information about the developmental status and early intervention service needs of children under age three who are substantiated for maltreatment. Topics include: 1) the extent to which maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes; 2) the services maltreated children might be eligible for and ones they receive through the child welfare systems; 3) case characteristics, such as child welfare setting, that impact the effect of developmental services; and 4) existing barriers to services."

Dissociative symptoms in relation to childhood physical and sexual abuse

"This study found that subjects with a history of childhood abuse reported higher levels of dissociative symptoms than those who did not."

Domestic Violence (pdf)

Domestic disputes are some of the most common calls for police service. This guide discusses domestic disputes that involve violence, as well as the measures that can be used to reduce them. This is an essential tool for law enforcement to help analyze and respond to their local problem.

Domestic Violence against Women (pdf)

"This briefing kit in Spanish provides concise information on violence against women (VAW) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It consists of fact sheets in easy-to understand language, and is aimed at parliamentarians to help them advance or amend legislation on VAW."

Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls

"Highlights issues of abuse; femicide; forced prostitution; sexual abuse of children; sex-selective abortion, female infanticide and differential access to food and medical care; and, traditional and cultural practices that affect women's health and lives."

Domestic Violence Against Women and Girls (pdf)

"UNICEF's report discusses the scope and magnitude of the problem, causes and consequences of domestic violence, the socio-economic costs of violence, strategies and interventions, and state obligations with regard to domestic violence."

Domestic Violence Against Women in Albania (pdf)

"This qualitative report examines the prevalence of domestic violence in Albania, including forms of domestic violence and complicating factors."

Domestic Violence and Children: Creating a Public Response (pdf)

The authors of this paper address children's exposure to domestic violence as a factor in healthy development. Research findings suggest that children who witness domestic violence are often unnoticed and underserved by other agencies in the community. Principles serving as a guiding framework for policy and service are outlined, as well as recommendations for communities and governmental bodies to help children experiencing domestic violence.

Domestic Violence and Forced Sex Among the Urban Poor in South India: Implications for HIV Prevention

"This article examined the prevalence of physical and sexual violence among 1,974 married women from 40 low-income communities in Chennai, India. The authors found a 99% and 75% lifetime prevalence of physical abuse and forced sex, respectively, whereas 65% of women experienced more than five episodes of physical abuse in the 3 months preceding the survey. These domestic violence rates exceed those in prior Indian reports, suggesting women in slums may be at increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections."

Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour census of domestic violence shelters and services

This report is the most recent data documenting the number of individuals who seek services in a 24 hour period, the types of services requested, the number of service requests that went unmet because of lack of resources, and the issues and barriers that domestic violence programs are facing as they strive tirelessly to provide services to victims of domestic violence. Also contains a state by state report on services requested and provided.

Domestic Violence in the Vietnamese Immigrant Community: An Exploratory Study

"This study examines domestic violence in Vietnamese American families, focusing on changes in socioeconomic structure and culture, to identify factors associated with wife abuse. "

Domestic Violence Prevention Training: Participant Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes (pdf)

"The present study used intake assessments to identify family background, childhood memories and experiences with violence, substance abuse, male violence histories, and social interactions among the population who attended a Domestic Violence Prevention Training Program."

Domestic Violence Reading List

"This reading list was compiled by experts in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. It includes important recent work as well as classic books and articles on domestic violence by Network and other experts in the field."

Domestic Violence, Mental Health & Trauma: Research Highlights (pdf)

"Provides statistical information and findings from several research reports. Statistics are provided on the prevalence of domestic violence and mental health in the U.S., followed by research findings supporting the connection between trauma and mental health."

Dossier on Domestic Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean

"This publication includes a detailed balance of the work developed in Latin American and the Caribbean to eliminate violence against women. The objective of the publication is to have a tool that will help to design future activities in a more accurate way that take into account the economic, cultural and geographical women's reality of the Region in order to eliminate domestic violence. It also contains guidelines and recommendations for the future work on women’s rights for a life free of violence."

Dowry and Its Link to Violence Against Women in India

"This article conducts a feminist psychological analysis of the dowry phenomenon, its link to domestic violence against women, and the role of the perpetrators. Existing and new explanations of the dowry system and its ramifications are explored. Psychologically based interventions and the implications of dowry related violence in the larger context of Asian Indians living in North America and the United Kingdom are discussed."

E-mail Use Among a Sample of Intimate Partner Violence Shelter Residents

"Although it is estimated that approximately 75% of U.S. adults have e-mail access, the proportion of battered women's shelter residents who use e-mail is currently unknown. Among a convenience sample of residents of 11 Massachusetts shelters (N = 57), the authors find that 47% had a current e-mail account. Among those with e-mail accounts, 89% used e-mail in locations other than their own homes; 81% reported that, to their knowledge, their e-mail accounts had never been accessed by unauthorized dating partners; and 88% reported that they thought it would be safe for the shelter to e-mail them following their departure. Additional research assessing the feasibility (i.e., safety, acceptability, and cost benefit) of remaining in contact with shelter residents via the Internet would be beneficial."

Economic Stress and Domestic Violence

This Applied Research paper provides data on domestic violence rates across social classes, highlights the relationship between economic stress and domestic violence, and explores employment, social support networks, and weaknesses in social services. The paper concludes by discussing strategies that may simultaneously address the intersecting problems of financial distress and DV, including universal screening for DV, responses by employers, and collaboration among social service providers.

Economic Violence To Women and Girls: Is It Receiving the Necessary Attention?

"This paper seeks to draw attention to the types of economic violence experienced by women, and describes its consequences on health and development. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are also given."

Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases (Executive Summary)

This is an executive summary of the document "Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policies and Practice." The aim of this document is to offer a more comprehensive set of responses to eliminate or decrease the enormous risks that individual battered mothers, caseworkers, and judges must take on behalf of children.

Eliminating Violence against Children (pdf)

"Jointly produced by UNICEF and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, this handbook describes measures parliamentarians can take to end violence against children: they can legislate, oversee government activities, allocate financial resources and, as leaders in their nations and communities, raise awareness of issues."

Emerging Responses to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

"This document reviews the new research, policies, and programs focused on children who have witnessed adult domestic violence. It argues that the diversity of children’s experiences requires equally diverse responses from those who serve them."

Ending Domestic Violence: Report from the Global Frontlines

"This publication shares inspiring stories of activists and advocates from 8 countries in diverse political contexts and societies: Brazil, Cambodia, China, India, Ireland, Russia, South Africa, and the United States. The countries highlighted here illustrate the many creative methods being applied by activists and advocates in very diverse political contexts and societies."

Ending Violence Against Women

"Highlights the 2 most prevalent types of abuse in the lives of women and girls around the world: intimate partner violence and rape. Demonstrates how world-wide gender-based violence is a major public health concern, suggesting strategies to respond."

Evaluation of Lifetime Trauma Exposure and Physical Health in Women With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Major Depressive Disorder

"This study examines lifetime trauma exposure rates in women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), or neither diagnosis and whether this is related to measures of PTSD, depression, hostility, health symptoms, and health care utilization. Findings indicate that multiple trauma exposures were prevalent in this sample and PTSD and MDD groups reported greater past year health conditions and health care utilization."

Every Life Lost is a Call for Change: Findings and Recommendations from the Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review

This report provides the most recent statistics on Washington state domestic violence fatalities; findings and recommendations from the reviewed cases of the past two years; and tips for utilizing the Fatality Review reports to mobilize change in your community.

Experiences of Sexual Coercion Among Adolescent Women: Qualitative Findings From Rakai District, Uganda

"This article presents results from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with pregnant and never pregnant sexually active female adolescents residing in Rakai District, Uganda, to examine sexual coercion, its context, and the links between coercion and adolescent reproductive health outcomes, including early sexual debut and pregnancy. Sexual coercion was perceived to be a normal part of intimate relationships; in particular, informants felt that a woman’s lack of decision-making authority, including choices on sexual encounters, was implicit to marriage. This information may help violence prevention programs develop a range of strategies for addressing sexual coercion among adolescents."

Experiences of South Asian Brides Entering Canada After Recent Changes to Family Sponsorship Policies

"This qualitative study examined understandings of sponsorship and marital/resettlement experiences among English-proficient and non-English-proficient South Asian brides who entered Canada after recent immigration policy changes to reduce sponsored women's vulnerability to maltreatment. The author found that English-proficient women were aware of their rights and permanent resident status, and reported significant integration support. In contrast, non-English-proficient women misunderstood sponsorship and faced multiple barriers to participation in Canadian life, along with severe abuse and neglect."

Exploring the Mediating Mechanism Between Gender-Based Violence and Biologically Confirmed Chlamydia Among Detained Adolescent Girls

"The study examined several behavioral mechanisms that link gender-based violence (GBV) to STD among detained, sexually active adolescent girls. GBV was related to chlamydia directly and indirectly through condom failures and through having sexual intercourse while high on drugs and/or alcohol. The study found that sexual risk reduction programs may benefit this population by addressing the role of GBV and its association with STD-associated behaviors."

Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses

2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.

Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)

"Presents findings from the NVAW Survey on the extent, nature, and consequences of IPV in the US. The survey compares victimization rates among women and men, specific racial groups, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. "

Fact Sheet: The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)

"Addresses the impact of domestic violence on children and the likelihood that men who abuse their partners will also abuse their children. Lists statistics that reflect the most recent research concerning the effects of domestic violence on children."

Facts About Intimate Partner Strangulation (pdf)

A recent fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.

Facts about Violence: U.S. Statistics & Global

"The article lists 45 facts about violence against women in the U.S. and globally along with their sources."

Facts: Intimate Partner Violence for the World Report on Violence and Health

"Describes the global epidemic of IPV in the following categories: The Extent of the Problem; The Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence; What are the Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence?; & What Can be Done to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence?"

Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2006 (pdf)

Recent report from Canada Centre for Justice Statistics on the profile of family violence and its associates.

Family Violence in the Military: A Review of the Literature

"This literature review critically reviews studies that examine child maltreatment and spouse abuse among military families and compares family violence in military versus nonmilitary populations."

Family Violence Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework (pdf)

Developed by independent experts and Victorian service providers, the framework includes three practical guides on identifying and assessing family violence, and includes case studies.

Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances

This study compares family and nonfamily violence statistics from victimization through the different stages of the justice system. Family violence is defined as all types of violent crime committed by an offender who is related to the victim and includes spouse abuse, parental violence against a child, and violence among other family members. Nonfamily relationships used for comparison include boyfriends and girlfriends, friends and acquaintances, and strangers. Data are drawn from victimization surveys, official police statistics, State and Federal court statistics, and surveys of inmates in State prisons and local jails.

Final Report on the project entitled: Animal Welfare and Domestic Violence (pdf)

"This study assesses animal maltreatment in samples of women seeking safety at shelters and community samples of women. Women in shelter were much more likely (54%) to report partners' hurting or killing of their pets than women not in shelter (3.5%)."

Frequency and Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence by Type: Physical, Sexual, and Psychological Battering

"This study estimated the frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence by type (physical, sexual, battering, or emotional abuse) among women seeking primary health care. Efforts to universally screen for partner violence and to effectively intervene to reduce the impact of such violence on women’s lives must be a public health priority."

Frequency and Perceived Effectiveness of Strategies to Survive Abuse Employed by Battered Mexican-Origin Women

"This study documented the frequency and perceived effectiveness of battered Mexican-origin women's usage of formal and informal help and personal strategies to survive abuse. This study illuminates battered Mexican-origin women's strengths and barriers that impede their survival efforts."

General Domestic Violence Statistics Packet: Using Statistics and Evaluating Research (pdf)

"Offers key issues on selecting statistics and questions to ask when reviewing a dataset or research study. Includes an annotated list of various statistics, a chart comparing four national datasets, a bibliography and extensive web site resource list."

Governmental and Industry Roles and Responsibilities With Regard to International Marriage Brokers: Equalizing the Balance of Power Between Foreign Fiancés and Spouses

"This article (a) provides an overview of the contemporary IMB (International Marriage Broker) industry, including a discussion of reasons underlying women's choices to use IMB agencies to meet and marry U.S.-based spouses, (b) discusses how this industry's marketing of marriages potentially endangers many women recruits, and (c) offers an update and analysis of new provisions under U.S. immigration law that strengthen protections available for women who immigrate as fiancés and spouses of U.S. citizens, including those in marriages arranged by IMBs."

Handbook for legislation on violence against women (Russian) (pdf)

"A Russian translation of the 2009 Handbook for legislation on violence against women, a report of the expert group meeting organized by the United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The group studied different legislative approaches to violence against women and developed this handbook for legislation based upon best practices and lessons learned. The handbook also includes commentary on legislation on violence against women in a number of countries."

Hate Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the United States (pdf)

This is a report about bias-motivated incidents targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender, queer, and questioning (LGBT) individuals in the U.S. during the year 2008. The report includes statistics on violence against LGBT people, stories from survivors, information on where to get help, safety tips, and information on hate crime laws.

Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA: A report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against People Experiencing Homelessness 2008 (pdf)

A new report from the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) contains case descriptions of each attack that includes sexual assault. The report notes that because crimes committed against homeless persons often go unreported, the actual numbers of non-lethal attacks is likely much higher. Rapes and sexual assaults also tend to go unreported. The report recommends that state legislatures add homeless persons as a “protected class” to hate crime legislation, and encourages police trainings so law enforcement officers will better understand homelessness and how to prevent hate crimes.

Healing the Wounds of Domestic Abuse: Improving the Effectiveness of Feminist Therapeutic Interventions with Immigrant and Racially Visible Women Who Have Been Abused

"In this paper, the author will examine both the effectiveness of feminist therapy and its limitations when counseling immigrant and racially visible women who have been abused. The author will also describe the reality of domestic violence among these women and how their needs differ from women in the dominant culture. Strategies for a more inclusive form of feminist therapy will also be offered as alternatives to existing modes of practice and assessment."

Healthy Marriage and the Legacy of Child Maltreatment: A Child Welfare Perspective (pdf)

"This brief explores how childhood experiences, specifically child maltreatment and involvement with the child welfare system, impact the potential for a healthy, lasting marriage. The author also offers recommendations for addressing the unique needs of couples in which one or both partners have experienced childhood maltreatment."

Here is Where We Start (pdf)

This booklet informs men of the extent of sexual and domestic violence and provides them with concrete ideas on how they can become part of the solution for ending these crimes. It outlines steps men can take to change the social norms that support sexual and domestic assaults.

Hispanic Victims of Violent Crime, 1993-2000 (word)

"Examines violent crimes committed against Hispanic victims including rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. Crime victimizations are compared with those of four non-Hispanic groups: whites, blacks, American Indians, and Asians."

Housing and Battered Women

"This paper offers a research on DV and homelessness and trends in federal housing policy. A model for conducting a community assessment of local housing needs includes critical thinking questions on an organization’s capacity for housing advocacy."

How Children Are Involved in Adult Domestic Violence: Results From a Four City Telephone Survey (pdf)

This article, which was published in Vol. 18, No. 1 of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2003), summarizes a study that collected direct reports on domestic violence events. Information was gathered through anonymous telephone interviews with 114 battered mothers in four metropolitan areas across the United States, eliciting detailed information from the women on their children’s observations and responses to the violence being committed against the mothers. The article concludes with recommendations for a greater emphasis on careful assessment of children’s involvement in domestic violence incidents and on assisting mothers to achieve economic stability as well as safety.

Husband Abuse: An Overview of Research and Perspectives (pdf)

"This discussion paper provides insight into the issue of abuse against men by their intimate partners. It summarizes information from three sources, offers resources and services for male victims, and describes policy implications."

If I Had One More Day: Findings and Recommendations from the Washington State Domestic Violence Fatality Review

The report includes: our most current domestic violence fatality statistics; detailed findings and recommendations based on cases reviewed over the past years; an exploratory study of the connection between domestic violence and suicide; copy-ready pages summarizing key findings and recommendations; and an index of the topic areas covered in all four Fatality Review reports.

Immigrant Populations as Victims: Toward a Multicultural Criminal Justice System (pdf)

"This report summarizes findings from a study about the criminal justice system's approach to immigrant victims of crime and barriers that prohibit immigrants from reporting crimes."

Immigrant South Asian Women at Greater Risk for Injury From Intimate Partner Violence

"Factors related to immigration may place South Asian immigrant women at increased risk for intimate partner violence. The purpose of the current study was to assess the relations between immigration-related factors and intimate partner violence among a sample of South Asian women residing in the United States."

Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence

This special collection highlights the common experiences of immigrant women who are in abusive relationships, the legal protections and public benefits available, and practices and suggestions for increasing the effectiveness of services provided to immigrant women.

Implementing Mental Health Treatment for Batterer Program Participants: Interagency Breakdowns and Underlying Issues

"The implementation of a screening and referral system for supplemental mental health treatment among batterer program participants was investigated in a 2-year formative evaluation. The research team conducted direct observation of the agency procedures, participation in training and supervision meetings, debriefing interviews with administrators, and informal conversations with staff and clients. Inconsistencies and breakdowns associated with nearly every step of the screening and referral process were identified. Several underlying issues were also exposed: administrative absenteeism and turnover, administrative-staff gaps, client overload, and differing agency priorities. These issues reinforce the challenges facing coordinated community response."

Incidence Rates of Violence Against Women: A Comparison of the Redesigned National Crime Victimization Survey and the 1985 National Family Violence Survey

This document highlights the differences between two of the largest U.S. surveys that attempt to measure violence against women, and explores the factors that attribute to the differences in incidence rates of violence in each study. The surveys examined are the National Crime Victimization Survey and the National Family Violence Survey. Includes a discussion about what each survey tells us about men's and women's use of violence.

Individual-Systemic Violence: Disabled Women's Standpoint (pdf)

"This article explores reasons for the systemic omission of women with disabilities from mainstream research and from services addressing non-disabled women's experiences."

Infant Exposure to Domestic Violence Predicts Heightened Sensitivity to Adult Verbal Conflict (pdf)

The results of this article found that infants do respond negatively to verbal conflict in the environment.

Information about Murder-Suicides (pdf)

A fact sheet created by the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women as part of a statewide training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and advocates titled the Anatomy of Strangulation.

Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens

"Approximately one in three adolescent girls in the United States is a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner – a figure that far exceeds victimization rates for other types of violence affecting youth. This “shockingly common behavior among adolescents” is the subject of a new Focus Report from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. The research finds that girls exposed to interpersonal violence are more likely to be exposed to other forms of violence, show a greater propensity for unsafe sexual activity, and a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicide than either boys or non-abused girls. The report also offers recommendations for primary prevention programs."

Interpersonal Violence and Women With Disabilities: A Research Update

"This article provides an update on what researchers have learned during the past ten years about abuse and women with disabilities and offers some perspectives on the state of current research and its implications for future studies and advocacy efforts."

Intersections of Harm and Health: A Qualitative Study of Intimate Partner Violence in Women's Lives

The purpose of this study was to determine how recent exposure to intimate partner violence affects women's health. An observation of a series of women's focus groups revealed that intimate partner violence led to adverse health effects, worsening already existing health problems, and increasing dependency on abusive partners where women are ill or disabled.

Intimate or Childhood Sexual Abuse and Obesity in Kentucky

This study concluded that sexual abuse, whether experienced as an adult or child, was associated with a 32% increase in obesity among 4,391 women in Kentucky. The study also found that intimate partner violence and obesity are common health threats for women. The authors suggest that efforts to prevent physical and sexual abuse and mental health consequences of abuse on victims can have implications to improve women's health.

Intimate Partner Violence

May 1999. Provides information on violence by intimates. Covers trends in intimate violence, characteristics of victims, where victims tend to live, types of crime, and trends for reporting to police. Intimate victimizations measured include rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Data on murder by intimates are also given.

Intimate Partner Violence Against Athabaskan Women Residing in Interior Alaska: Results of a Victimization Survey

"A survey instrument mirroring the National Violence Against Women Survey was administered in person to measure the incidence and prevalence of intimate partner violence against Athabaskan women residing in the interior of Alaska.Findings revealed that intimate partner assault victimization is more prevalent and is considerably more frequent when compared to that reported for American women in general."

Intimate Partner Violence Among Male and Female Russian University Students

"This article reports data from three Russian sites of the International Dating Violence Study. Using a sample of 338 university students (54% female) from three Russian university sites, four different types of partner violence are examined: physical assault, physical injury, sexual coercion, and psychological aggression. The study found that male and female students were about equally likely to be victims and perpetrators of all violent and aggressive actions and that high prevalence rates were found for all types of violence, aggression, and coercion. Recommendations for prevention are made in the conclusions."

Intimate Partner Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Challenges, Promising Practices and Recommendations (pdf)

"This document describes intimate partner violence (IPV) in immigrant and refugee communities in the United States. The report contains four main sections: background information on the incidence of the problem among immigrant and refugee communities, an overview of the needs and challenges of immigrant and refugee IPV victims and service providers, recommendations for funders, service providers and policy-makers, and lastly a discussion of IPV research and evaluation issues to be addressed in immigrant and refugee communities."

Intimate Partner Violence in Jamaica: A Descriptive Study of Women Who Access the Services of the Women's Crisis Centre in Kingston

"This study provides descriptive statistics on women who access the services of the Women's Crisis Centre, a nongovernmental organization in Kingston, Jamaica, whose mission is to provide 24-hour counseling and shelter for women who are the victims of domestic violence. Results revealed a high level of physical injury and a low level of reporting violent incidents to the police. Multisectoral support to strengthen and expand the services of the Women's Crisis Centre is recommended."

Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001 (pdf)

Updating Intimate Partner Violence (May 2000, NCJ 178247), these findings are based on NCVS data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).

Intimate Partner Violence: High Costs to Households and Communities (pdf)

A report on the cost of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Bangladesh, Morocco and Uganda. These three countries were specifically studied because they have high rates of IPV and their governments recently began to address this problem through new programs and laws. The researchers found that most women did not utilize services after experiencing IPV. The study concluded that IPV imposes huge direct costs on women and service providers in all three countries, including health, justice, police, local traditional authorities and social services, and indirect costs on women and families through lost wages and lower productivity.

Is Domestic Violence Screening Helpful? (pdf)

An article published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in which the author reviews the uncertainty in determining whether screening for domestic violence effectively works to the benefit of families.

Kenyan Laws and Harmful Customs Curtail Women’s Equal Enjoyment of ICESCR Rights (pdf)

"The Federation of Women Lawyers Kenya (FIDA Kenya) and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic (IWHRC) at Georgetown University released this report as a supplement to Kenya’s latest periodic report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The report finds that Kenyan laws and practices prevent women from attaining economic, social and cultural Rights."

Leave or Stay?: Battered Women's Decision After Intimate Partner Violence

"Using data from the Domestic Violence Experience in Omaha, Nebraska, a discrete-time hazard model was employed to examine a woman's decision to leave or stay based on four factors: financial independence, witness of parental violence, psychological factors, and the police response to the domestic violence call."

Lethality Assessment Tools: A Critical Analysis

This document critiques several lethality assessment tools and examines the link between these instruments and research on domestic homicide. Includes a discussion on the antecedents of lethal violence and the utility of dangeousness assessment tools in promoting the safety of battered women.

Making the Case for Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: An Overview of Cost Effective Prevention Strategies (pdf)

"This report from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention provides and overview of a range of prevention strategies that have been found to have some evidence of being able to preventing child abuse and neglect. "

Male Victims of Domestic Violence: A Substantive and Methodological Research Review (pdf)

"This paper explores claims of gender symmetry in intimate partners' use of violence by reviewing the empirical foundations of the research and critiquing existing sources of data on domestic violence. "

Maxillofacial Injuries and Violence Against Women

The purpose of this study was to determine if patterns of facial injuries differed between those of female assault victims with maxillofacial injuries and those of female patients with maxillofacial injuries from other causes. The study indicates that periorbital injuries positively correlate with IPV (intimate partner violence) and that women assaulted by unidentified or unknown assailants had a higher than expected incidence of mandible fractures than other female facial trauma patients. The study concludes that universal screening and examination can assist medical professionals in identifying these patients and initiating appropriate medical and social intervention.

Measuring the Extent of Woman Abuse in Intimate Heterosexual Relationships: A Critique of the Conflict Tactics Scales

This document offers a critique of the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS), a commonly-used measurement instrument designed to estimate the extent of violence against women, and the revised version of the instrument (CTS2). The authors examine several limitations to the CTS and CTS2 and describe the need for multiple measures of woman abuse to supplement these measurement instruments.

Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences

This study provides important insights into the role that shelters play in survivors' efforts to escape violence and abuse. Results capture the voices and experiences of over 3,400 shelter residents in 215 programs across eight states. The website includes links to the press statement announcing the study's release, the Research in Brief, the Executive Summary, and the full report.

Methods for Estimating Medical Expenditures Attributable to Intimate Partner Violence

"This article compares three methods for estimating the medical cost burden of intimate partner violence against U.S. adult women (18 years and older), 1 year postvictimization. Estimates of the medical cost burden of intimate partner violence within the first 12 months after victimization range from $2.3 billion to $7.0 billion, depending on the method used. Each method reveals that intimate partner violence imposes a substantial burden on the health care system."

Mexico: Amnesty International Submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review

An Amnesty International report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council in February 2009. The report highlighted problems in the area of violence against women, in particular, the prevalence of domestic violence in Mexico and the femicides in Ciudad Juarez along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse

"The mission of the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA) is to support research, education, and access to violence related resources."

Mobilizing Communities to Prevent Domestic Violence

"This Applied Research document provides an overview of the research on community mobilization to prevent domestic violence, explores guiding concepts and frameworks, and discusses the challenges of implementing community mobilization strategies."

Mutual Partner Violence: Mental Health Symptoms Among Female and Male Victims in Four Racial/Ethnic Groups

"This study was conducted on university students in heterosexual relationships and examines the racial/ethnic and sex differences in the prevalence of mutual intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health symptoms. Analyses were conducted on four different racial/ethnic groups (African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and European Americans) and men reported stronger correlations between IPV perpetration and IPV victimization. The authors conclude that experiencing higher partner and coercive violence was significantly related to increased mental health symptoms for both members of the couple in the majority of the groups studied."

National Crime Victimization Survey Criminal Victimization, 2007 (pdf)

"Presents estimates of rates and levels of personal and property victimization for 2007 and describes the substantial fluctuations in the survey measures of the crime rates from 2005 through 2007. The report includes data on violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault), property crimes (burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching), and the characteristics of victims of these crimes."

National Elder Abuse Incidence Study - 1998 (pdf)

An incidence report detailing the definitions of elder abuse, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators of elder abuse, and the findings of this survey project.

National Trends in Intimate Partner Homicides: Explaining Declines in Canada, 1976 to 2001

"In the past decade, research has begun to identify factors that may be contributing to declines in spousal homicide. The authors address two gaps in the Canadian literature: (a) the documentation of trends, including subgroup variations, and (b) the identification of factors that may be associated with declines. Results indicate that shifts in relative employment and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates for women, whereas shifts in men's education and divorce rates appear to be associated with declining rates of spousal homicide for men."

New York City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee Annual Report 2008 (pdf)

This report describes family-related homicides that occurred in New York City between 2002 and 2007. Includes key findings, risk factors, and action steps in response to findings.

Not a Minute More: Ending Violence Against Women (pdf)

This report highlights many of the achievements towards the empowerment of women and indicates what must be done to build on them. It provides examples of practices as well as efforts that did not meet the goals set out for them — and explores why. It looks at the challenges ahead and asks what the most fruitful next steps might be.

Operationalizing Accountability: The Domains and Bases of Accountability (pdf)

In this article, the authors focus on batterer accountability from a personal accountability standpoint. They created a working definition of accountability that was both theoretically sound and user friendly for participants. The authors concluded that learning how to be accountable in the domains of their daily life is important in facilitating their understanding of accountability in ways that will be useful to them in the future.

Overcoming Domestic Violence: A Global Challenge (pdf)

"The project is part of the World Council of Churches' decade on Overcoming Violence. The report contains seven chapters, beginning with the author’s recommendations from the project. The rest of the chapters place domestic violence within an international human rights framework, discuss domestic violence’s roots, its effects on development, relevant international law milestones, practical strategies culled from project experiences around the world, and the importance of monitoring development projects to ensure women’s full participation."

Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation: Research Reviews (pdf)

This VAWnet document provides a historical and research overview of Parental Alienation Syndrome and Parental Alienation, identifies strategic issues for advocates working with victims, and offers guidelines to improve courts’ treatment of these issues.

Partner Violence and Sexual Jealousy in China: A Population-Based Survey

"This article examines the prevalence and risk factors for partner violence with a special focus on the important role of sexual jealousy. Comparison shows that the Chinese prevalence is modestly below the overall median for other societies. Net of other factors, jealousy exacerbates hitting for both men and women in a reactive pattern, with the jealous partner getting hit. This suggests a rethinking of the role of sexual jealousy in spousal violence in some social settings."

Patriarchal Beliefs and Perceptions of Abuse among South Asian Immigrant Women

"This study investigates the relationship between South Asian immigrant women’s patriarchal beliefs and their perceptions of spousal abuse. Twenty-minute telephone surveys were conducted with 47 women.As hypothesized, higher agreement with patriarchal social norms predicted a decreased likelihood of identifying the woman in the vignette as a victim of spousal abuse. This finding is discussed in terms of its application to violence against women educational programs in the South Asian immigrant community."

Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students --- United States, 2003

This article in brief addresses the incidence of physical dating violence among high school adolescents and introduces risk as well as protective factors.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Sri Lankan University Students as a Consequence of Their Exposure to Family Violence

"A study on the association between exposure to family violence during childhood and adolescence and adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The findings indicate that the more participants witnessed and experienced family violence, the more they exhibited PTSD symptoms. Findings also indicate that participants’ exposure to family violence explains a significant amount of the variance in their PTSD over and above the variance that can be attributed to their sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, number of siblings, and family’s socioeconomic status) and to their perceptions of the environment and functioning of their families. The limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed."

Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part I: Law Enforcement

"The first of a 3-part study focuses on what the research tells law enforcement officers about the perpetrators and victims of domestic violence, the outcomes of current law enforcement responses, and what the findings mean for daily law enforcement tasks."

Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part II: Prosecution

"This second part of a 3-part study of the practical implications of domestic violence research for criminal justice personnel focuses on prosecutors' policies and procedures."

Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research, Part III: Judges

"This third part of a three-part study of the practical implications of domestic violence research for criminal justice personnel focuses on judges' policies and practices."

Practical Implications of Current Domestic Violence Research: For Law Enforcement, Prosecutors and Judges (pdf)

"The purpose of this work is to describe to practitioners what the research tells us about domestic violence, including its perpetrators and victims, the impact of current responses to it and, more particularly, the implications of that research for day-to-day, real-world responses to domestic violence by law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges."

Prevalence and Determinants of Intimate Partner Abuse Among Public Hospital Primary Care Patients (pdf)

"The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and depression correlates of intimate partner abuse among an ethnically diverse population of women patients."

Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women

A November 1998 report that summarizes the results of a national survey on men's and women's experiences with violence. This research brief is issued jointly by the National Institute of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Includes information about rape, stalking, and rate of injury. The report is available to download as either an ASCII text file or an Adobe Acrobat file.

Preventing and Responding to Teen Dating Violence

"This special collection emphasizes collaborative and multilevel approaches to the prevention of and response to teen dating violence. It draws on the work of many organizations and organizes the resources on TDV prevention and responses by different populations."

Preventing violence and reducing its impact: How development agencies can help (pdf)

This document makes the case for increased attention on the impact of violence on development by international development agencies. A key aim is to stimulate dialogue on the role of international development agencies in the prevention of violence globally, and ultimately to increase investment in a commonly agreed set of applied violence prevention strategies. The primary audience for this document is policy-makers, high-level planners, and others in the international development field.

Preventing Violence the Problem-Solving Way

April 1999. Analyzes intervention methods based on the hypothesis that behavior can be modified by focusing on thought processes rather than on behaviors.

Profiling Domestic Violence: A Multi-Country Study

"This study examines the prevalence and correlates of domestic violence and its health consequences using nationally representative data from nine countries: Cambodia, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Nicaragua, Peru, and Zambia."

Programming to Address Violence against Women (pdf)

"This is the second volume in a series that focuses on prevention and response tools for violence against women. The publication features eight case studies that highlight initiatives that have proven successful in combating violence against women: Algeria, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The UNFPA hopes to support current efforts in the eight case study countries and encourage other countries to take steps toward ending violence against women."

Promoting gender equality to prevent violence against women (pdf)

"The World Health Organization has released a briefing highlighting the importance of the role gender plays in interpersonal violent situations, community- and school-based initiatives to empower women, the role of the media in altering gender norms, and the importance of engaging with men to combat violence against women. The briefing is one of an eight-part series on how to prevent interpersonal and self-directed violence."

Promoting the Safe and Strategic Use of Technology for Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: Evaluation of the Technology Safety Project

"The Technology Safety Project of the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence was designed to increase awareness and knowledge of technology safety issues for domestic violence victims, survivors, and advocacy staff. Evaluation of the project suggests that the program is needed, useful, and effective. Consumer satisfaction was high, and there was perceived improvement in computer confidence and knowledge of computer safety. Areas for future program development and further research are discussed."

Providing Services to Immigrant Women in Atlantic Canada (pdf)

"This article describes some of the findings of research conducted in 2005 and 2006, which found that being an immigrant was a factor not only in immigrant women’s experiences of violence in Atlantic Canada, but also in their access to support services. Immigrant women and the professionals who provide services to them describe some of the barriers they face and conclude that fully funded and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and services to immigrant women are needed in Atlantic Canada."

Psychological Abuse: A Discussion Paper (pdf)

"This paper is a review of research on psychological abuse in interpersonal and family relationships including in settings such as long-term care residences.The paper presents research findings on the personal, economic and health related costs of psychological abuse to the individual and to society, and briefly outlines legal recourses for victims. It concludes by exploring ways to recognize and address psychological abuse, while emphasizing the importance of developing holistic approaches "

Putting Women First: Ethical and Safety Recommendatons for Research on Domestic Violence Against Women (pdf)

This document provides guidelines for research on domestic violence against women.

Rape Myths (pdf)

This document looks at several articles that examine widely held prejudicial beliefs about rape, rape victims, and perpetrators and the role these myths play in justifying and perpetuating sexual violence.

Rape Prevention and Risk Reduction: Review of the Research Literature for Practitioners

"This Applied Research paper examines both single- and mixed-gender rape prevention and risk reduction programs, and provides suggestions for practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate programs."

Rate of family violence dropped by more than one-half from 1993 to 2002

The rate of family violence fell by more than one-half between 1993 and 2002, from an estimated 5.4 victims to 2.1 victims per 1,000 U.S. residents 12 years old and older, reflecting the general decline in crimes against people during the same period.

Re-Examining ‘Battering’: Are All Acts of Violence Against Intimate Partners the Same? (pdf)

"This article differentiates among five categories of domestic violence by analyzing the dynamics, nuance and components of intimate partner violence, with the idea that this critical comprehension is vital in creating intervention and prevention models that befit the behavior. Grasping important differences in partner violence is crucial for researchers, practitioners and advocates for developing effective interventions for victims and perpetrators."

Recommendations for Establishing and Maintaining Successful Researcher-Practitioner Collaborations (pdf)

This document summarizes advice and information collected from the perspectives of victim advocates, practitioners, and researchers about ways to create effective collaborations that produce the most useful research on issues relevant to ending violence against women.

Recruitment and Retention in Intimate Partner Violence Research (pdf)

This report focuses on methods of recruitment and retention in intimate partner violence research with particular attention to attrition in batterer treatment programs and retention in longitudinal studies. Case studies highlighting recruitment and retention methods in five different intimate partner violence research programs are described by their respective investigators. A set of guidelines is offered for recruitment and retention in intimate partner violence research, which is intended to help guide the field by offering suggestions that can lead to successful recruitment and retention efforts in a way that maintains the safety of participants and researchers alike.

Reflections from the Field: Considerations for Domestic Violence Specialists (pdf)

"Domestic violence and child protection professionals from multiple states came together to discuss the complexity of systems-change work and the continued need for a social justice framework to guide these efforts. This document is a compilation of their stories and insights as people who have worked as or supported domestic violence specialists dedicated to helping families experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment."

Refugee and Asylum Seeking Women Affected by Rape or Sexual Violence: a Literature Review (pdf)

"The review summarizes the learning from the Refugee Council Vulnerable Women’s Project and situates that learning within the wider context of what is known about rape and sexual violence. It provides a summary of evidence that is available about the prevalence of sexual violence against refugee women, and about access to justice in some of the countries from which the Project’s clients have fled."

Report Cards on Teen Dating Violence 2008 (pdf)

Break the Cycle issued the first-ever state-by-state report cards evaluating the level of legal protection each state offers young victims of domestic and dating violence. The report was issued in conjunction with National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, February 4-8, 2008.

RESEARCH INDICATING THAT THE MAJORITY OF CASES THAT GO TO COURT AS "HIGH CONFLICT" CONTESTED CUSTODY CASES HAVE A HISTORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

This document, comprised of research from many leading experts in the field of domestic violence, lays out the case that the majority of high conflict child custody disputes have a history of domestic violence.

Research Violence Against Women: A Practical Guide for Researchers and Activists (pdf)

An in depth look at the issue of violence against women as a health issue and suggests tools for using research and developing data assessing this issue.

Restorative Justice and Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)

This Applied Research document discusses the role of victims within restorative justice, reviews the research on restorative justice, and discusses the potential harms and benefits of using restorative justice in cases of intimate partner violence.

Risk Factors for Abusive Relationships: A Study of Vietnamese American Immigrant Women

"This study identifies risk factors for Vietnamese American women's abuse. Patriarchal gender arrangements in the family, arguments about fulfilling gender and family roles, and partner's threat that divorce would compromise the participant's immigration status put women at risk for each type of abuse. "Picture brides" were at heightened risk for sexual abuse. For women with limited resources, education and interventions within the ethnic immigrant community are critical to addressing wife abuse."

Risk Factors for Injury to Women from Domestic Violence

This study concluded that women at greatest risk for injury from domestic violence include those with male partners who abuse alcohol or use drugs, are unemployed or intermittently employed, have less than a high-school education, and are former husbands, estranged husbands, or former boyfriends of the women.

Risk Factors for Physical Injury Among Help-Seeking Battered Women: An Exploration of Multiple Abuse Dimensions

"The current study assessed the nature and extent of minor and severe injuries among a help-seeking sample of battered women. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to assess the unique roles of physical violence, sexual coercion, psychological abuse, and stalking to the prediction of minor and severe injuries in battered women. Results are discussed in terms of implications for future research and intervention with battered women."

Safe Start Promising Approaches Communities: Working Together to Help Children Exposed to Violence (pdf)

Launched by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention(OJJDP) and its Federal partners in the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the initiative is designed as a national framework which seeks to address the needs of children exposed to violence. This booklet describes each of the 15 Safe Start Promising Approaches communities and outlines how these programs are integrating evidence-based or promising practices as well as other complementary interventions within their geographical, agency, and community contexts.

Safe States, 2003 edition (pdf)

This document explains how state health department injury prevention programs apply the public health model every day, achieving results that reduce injuries and save tens of thousands of lives.

Screening for Intimate Partner Violence in Medical Settings

"This article examines the potential impact of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations for IPV screening and the emerging literature supporting measurable health benefits resulting from screening interventions in medical settings. "

Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Domestic Violence Advocates: Workplace Risk and Protective Factors

"This study identified workplace factors associated with secondary traumatic stress (STS) in a sample of 148 domestic violence advocates working in diverse settings. Findings indicate that coworker support and quality clinical supervision are critical to emotional well-being and that an environment in which there is shared power—that is, respect for diversity, mutuality, and consensual decision making—provides better protection for advocates than more traditional, hierarchical organizational models. The discussion includes implications for practice and policy as well as directions for future research."

Security Begins at Home (pdf)

The Kosova Women’s Network released the country’s first study on domestic violence, called Security Begins at Home. The report highlights key points such as: what the citizens of Kosovo perceive as domestic violence, the forms and consequences of domestic violence, citizens' response to ending it, and the legal and institutional gaps in addressing it.

Self-reported Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Data Brief (pdf)

"Summarizes intimate partner and sexual violence victimization from three different Minnesota surveys and one national survey."

Sexual Violence Against Women and Children in Chinese Societies

"This article provides a comprehensive overview of the reported patterns of sexual violence against women and children in China. It reviews the prevalence of and risk factors for various types of sexual violence and discusses community knowledge and perceptions of these violent acts.It also critically examines three major problems of sexual violence research in China. Recommendations for future research are also discussed."

Shattered Hearts: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota (pdf)

A groundbreaking report released by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC) highlights the alarming and pervasive sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota. The first comprehensive report of its kind, it highlights risk factors for victims that include poverty, a disproportionate number of American Indian homeless, high incidences of overall sexual assault, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and pervasive multi-generational trauma.

Silence is Violence: End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan (pdf)

A new United Nations (UN) report on women in Afghanistan that focuses on the growing trend of violence and threats against women in public life and rape/sexual violence. The report concludes that these forms of violence are a huge occurrence in the everyday lives of Afghan women and the government has a crucial role in helping to eradicate these harmful practices towards women.

Sita’s Trousseau: Restorative Justice, Domestic Violence, and South Asian Culture

"This article focuses on the particular cultural factors that affect South Asian women who are abused and immigrant South Asian women who are abused, in particular, in the restorative justice process. By exploring cultural practices and the icon of Sita, the mythological heroine of the Ramayana, this article demonstrates how the South Asian ideals of womanhood and wifehood help to create a mind-set whereby South Asian women are reluctant to advocate for themselves and are reluctant to leave."

Social Support Among Afro-Trinidadian Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

"This study examines the types of, availability of, use of, and satisfaction with informal and formal social supports among Afro-Trinidadian women who have experienced intimate partner violence. The findings suggest that despite male dominance and control, women were able to maintain some contact with family and friends. Although some women felt they had family and friends to turn to, many were dissatisfied with the support. Women also expressed dissatisfaction with legal and social services."

Spiritual Abuse: An Additional Dimension of Abuse Experienced by Abused Haredi (Ultraorthodox) Jewish Wives

This article aims to conceptualize spiritual abuse as an additional dimension to physical, psychological, sexual, and economic abuse. Three levels of intensity are identified. The concept and its typology are illustrated by means of examples from the women’s abusive experiences and may be of theoretical and therapeutic worldwide relevance.

Spouse Assault Replication Program: Studies of Effects of Arrest on Domestic Violence

"Reviews NIJ studies on arrest policies for misdemeanor domestic assault, an attempt to replicate the Minneapolis Domestic Violence Experiment (1984), which found that arrest was almost twice as effective as other police actions in preventing re-arrest."

Stalking and Domestic Violence Report to Congress (pdf)

"This report to Congress is part of an ongoing commitment to share information about strategies that show promise in the field and about the development of laws addressing stalking. It is produced in response to Subtitle F of VAWA, which directs the U.S. Attorney General to submit a report on these issues. The report includes information on cyberstalking, victim needs, law enforcement responses to stalking, and a bibliography."

Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development

"This report provides a straightforward summary of the interactions between early brain development, childhood emotional experiences and trauma. Drawing from this research, it concludes by making a case for increased services to counter the disadvantages faced by children who experience trauma or neglect."

State Court Processing of Domestic Violence Cases

"Report on a study comparing domestic violence and non-domestic violence sexual and aggravated assault cases filed in state courts of 15 large urban counties during May 2002 on 11 prosecution, conviction and sentencing outcome measures."

Still a Movement After All These Years?: Current Tensions in the Domestic Violence Movement

"Through interviews with advocates, the current study explores the degree to which domestic violence work can still be characterized as a social change movement, illuminates some central tensions within the movement, and lays a foundation for debate among those responding to domestic violence. This research also highlights movement leaders' visions for a reenergized movement."

Substance Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence

This paper discusses the link between substance abuse(SA) and intimate partner violence(IPV), the co-occurrence of SA and IPV, highlight the special role of men’s drunkenness in IPV, examine substance abuse by victims, and briefly present issues related to coordination and integration of SA and IPV services.

Surveillance for Homicide Among Intimate Partners -- United States, 1981--1998

Report released Oct 2001 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Discusses that between 1981 to 1998, women were more than 60 percent more likely to be killed by their intimate partners than men. This report analyzes statistics from the FBI's Supplemental Homicide Reports, finding that intimate partner homicides dropped during the period from 1981 to 1998, but the decline mirrors the nationwide drop in the overall crime rate. The report calculates state rates of intimate partner homicide, as well as national intimate partner homicide rates for white Americans, African Americans, Asian or Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native.

Taking Stock: What do we know about interpersonal violence? (pdf)

A comprehensive report covering the history, prevalence, scope and laws concerning interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, in the United Kingdom.

Teen Dating Abuse Report 2009: Impact of the Economy and Parent/Teen Dialogue on Dating Relationships and Abuse (pdf)

A recent study found that approximately one in three teens have experienced verbal, physical or sexual abuse in their dating relationships and that there is a direct relationship between the declining economy and the increase of teen dating violence. The study also found that not enough parents recognize behaviors that may be warning signs of abuse.

The "Battering Syndrome": Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of Domestic Violence in Primary Care Internal Medicine Practices

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among female patients and to identify clinical characteristics that are associated with current domestic violence.

The Availability and Utility of Interdisciplinary Data on Elder Abuse: A White Paper for the National Center on Elder Abuse (pdf)

This new study commissioned by NCEA highlights data sources on elder abuse in the health care, long term care, criminal justice, fiduciary, and legal services arenas, beyond adult protective services data. Such data are required as a basis for informed and enlightened social policy on the prevention and treatment of elder abuse.

The Cost of Violence in the United States

"The items on this fact sheet provide evidence of the large health and economic burden of violence in the US as reported in the journal article, Medical Costs and Productivity Losses Due to Interpersonal Violence and Self- Directed Violence."

The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence (pdf)

This document examines the economic effects of interpersonal violence, including sexual violence, as well as the economic effects of interventions seeking to reduce violence and the ways in which economic factors such as poverty and income inequality contribute to violence.

The Economic Impacts of Domestic Violence: A Blueprint for Action (pdf)

"This report contains selected findings and recommendations resulting from a series of hearings held in MA in June 2001. The hearings involved more than 125 people, with 40% of these identifying as survivors of domestic violence."

The Elusive Search for Definitive Evidence on Routine Screening for Intimate Partner Violence

The authors suggest that three problematic assumptions have impeded progress on the impact of routine screening for intimate partner violence. They conclude that a range of study designs is required and a rethink of assumptions is needed in researching this area.

The Epidemiology of Trauma and Trauma-Related Disorders in Children and Youth (pdf)

"This publication reviews general population studies, disaster research, child maltreatment studies, and special population studies that report the prevalence of PTSD in children, adolescents, and young adults. It includes a brief discussion of the cumulative adverse effects of traumatic stress experienced from infancy through adolescence."

The Facts on Reproductive Health and Violence Against Women (pdf)

This fact sheet provides information and statistics on teen and adult unintended pregnancies, contraception use, sexually transmitted infections, and violence during pregnancy.

The Facts On Teen Dating Violence (pdf)

A fact sheet created by FVPF on the prevalence and consequences of teen dating violence.

The Impact of Conflict on Women and Girls in West and Central Africa and the UNICEF response (pdf)

"This first-of-its-kind study by UNICEF on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights innovative programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls - particularly adolescent girls."

The Intersection of HIV and Intimate Partner Violence: Considerations, Concerns, and Policy Implications

"This article provides an overview of the current recommendations for HIV testing and counseling and IPV screening and discusses issues germane to providing services to persons at risk for both HIV and IPV. The article concludes with considerations for practice and policy."

The Longitudinal Association of Adolescent Dating Violence With Psychiatric Disorders and Functioning

"This study on adolescents and young adults examines the prevalence of physical violence inflicted by an intimate partner and its relationship with psychiatric disorders and psychosocial functioning. Physical dating violence was associated with poorer psychosocial functioning, substance dependence and comorbid Axis I diagnoses at 6-month follow-up. These findings suggest that youth mental health services are well positioned not only to screen for dating violence but to intervene to ameliorate the mental health consequences of abuse and to prevent further violence."

The Relationship Between Domestic Violence and Child Abuse (pdf)

"Cites surveys and reports published between 1987 and 1996, briefly describing: what is domestic violence; what is child abuse; how does domestic violence affect children; and similarities/correlations between domestic violence and/or child abuse."

The Relationship Between Violence in the Family of Origin and Dating Violence Among College Students

"This research examines the relationship between experiencing and perpetrating dating violence and exposure to violence in the family of origin. Specifically, the current research examines gender differences in the relationship between exposure to violence during childhood and physical and psychological abuse perpetration and victimization. The implications of the current research on policy are discussed."

The Role of Young Adolescents' Perception in Understanding the Severity of Exposure to Community Violence and PTSD

"This study seeks to (a) identify and measure the lifetime exposure to community violence of 137 African American and Latino middle school students from a low income neighborhood and apply numerical weights to each violent event; (b) examine the relationship between the objective severity of child self reported violence exposure and the child's subjective perception of the most bothersome event; and (c) examine the relationship between child's exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)."

The Roots of Resistance to Women's Self-Defense

"In this article, the author discusses three major types of resistance to women's self-defense (and to women's resistance to violence more generally): the belief that women's resistance is impossible, that it is too dangerous, and that it risks blaming the victim. The author argues that one source of these reactions is people's taken-for-granted beliefs about gender, which limit their ability to understand the research on women's resistance and self-defense—and, indeed, prevent them from being able to conceptualize women as strong and competent social actors."

The Safe Start Center Series on Children Exposed to Violence: Pediatric Care Settings (pdf)

This issue brief translates emerging research and program practice into action steps for practitioners in pediatric care settings to design and implement programs that meet the needs of children who are exposed to violence.

The Social Construction of Wife Abuse: Experiences of Asian Indian Women in the United States

"The terms wife abuse and battered woman were coined in the 1970s. Although such naming is meaningful, these social constructions are restrictive so that only a narrow range of behaviors and people fit these labels. With the help of interviews with Hindu Asian Indian immigrants, this article highlights the importance of including the experiences of diverse groups of women in any analysis of domestic violence. The study challenges the popular perception of abused women, specifically South Asian battered women, as passive victims."

The State of the World's Children 2009 Report

"The State of the World's Children 2009 examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival."

The Structured Decision Making Model: An Evidenced-based Approach to Human Services

Structured Decision Making (SDM) is an evidence-based model designed to help agencies and caseworkers make accurate risk assessments about families and children. A new guide from the Children's Research Center (CRC), a division of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, reviews the principles of the SDM model and provides updated information on its use in jurisdictions around the country.

The Use of Expert Testimony on Intimate Partner Violence (pdf)

"This Applied Research paper presents an overview of the uses of expert testimony, the qualifications and roles of experts, the literature on the use of testimony on the effects of battering, and considerations for future research."

The Women of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast: Multiple Disadvantages and Key Assets for Recovery Part 1. Poverty, Race, Gender and Class

"This briefing paper addresses the needs of the women of the Gulf Coast region and uncovers the multiple disadvantages experienced by women affected by both hurricane Katrina and Rita."

Toolkit for Integrating Domestic Violence Activities into Programming in Europe and Asia (pdf)

"A manual designed to address violence against women, and specifically domestic violence, as a global human rights violation. Additionally, it explores the connections between domestic violence and human trafficking and analyzes different programming models for addressing the needs of survivors in (United States Agency for International Development) USAID programs. The toolkit is intended for USAID workers, donor organizations, and local organizations working to combat violence against women in countries where USAID operates."

Towards a Common European Framework to Monitor Progress in Combating Violence Against Women (pdf)

"Contains proposals for policies and indicators that could form the basis for a tool to monitor State progress in combating violence against women, as well as case studies of European initiatives that illustrate good practices."

Trauma Victim: Yes or No? Why It May Be Difficult to Answer Questions Regarding Violence, Sexual Abuse, and Other Traumatic Events

"The aim of this study is to explore the reasons why it may be difficult to answer questions regarding violence, sexual abuse, and other potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Difficulties in answering occur more frequently with violence and sexual abuse items and are associated with exposure. Reasons for difficulties in answering include "event fit" (severity, frequency, force), "me as a victim" (responsibility, reactions, protection, memory), and "you as abuser" (intention, protection)."

Two steps forward, one step back: Community attitudes to violence against women

"Summarizes key findings of the Violence Against Women Community Attitudes Project, undertaken to inform future work to prevent violence against women by improving understanding of how community attitudes contribute to this problem."

U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Intimate Partner Violence

"This DOJ Report has data on IPV based on estimates from the NCVS. This report is often cited for the finding that intimate partner victimization rates were significantly higher for people living in rental housing vs. those living in their own homes."

UN study on Violence Against Children

"A press release on a new effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of violence against children, and propose clear recommendations for action to prevent and reduce such violence. The study focuses on violence against children in five settings: the home and family, schools and educational settings, other institutional settings (orphanages, children in conflict with the law), the community and on the streets, and work situations. "

Understanding and Preventing Violence

"Discusses the findings of the National Academy of Sciences Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violent Behavior, established to review the current status of research in violence."

Understanding Children’s Exposure to Violence (pdf)

The Safe Start Center has developed a series of briefs on Children Exposed to Violence. The briefs are developed to respond to an urgent need to translate research-based information and disseminate it to practitioners who can use it in their work with children and families in different settings. This particular brief describes core concepts—gleaned from research and program practice—used in designing and implementing programs that address children’s exposure to violence.

Understanding National Rape Statistics (pdf)

"This Applied Research paper provides an overview of how estimates of sexual violence in the United States are produced, with particular emphasis on major sources of rape statistics at the national level."

Understanding Violence Against Chinese Women in Hong Kong: An Analysis of Risk Factors With a Special Emphasis on the Role of In-Law Conflict

This study examined the risk factors of intimate partner violence that Chinese women face. The rates women self-reported violence by their partners and conflict with in-laws were computed across socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. The findings show that in-law conflict was a significant characteristic of women reporting violent victimization. The authors suggest that screenings for in-law conflict be included in the assessment of risk for intimate partner violence.

UNIFEM Facts & Figures on Violence Against Women

The United Nations Development Fund For Women provides statistics on many forms of violence women face including domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence, trafficking of women and girls, HIV/AIDS and violence, and more.

Update of the 'Battered Woman Syndrome' Critique

"This Applied Research paper reviews the definition, evolution, and utilization of “battered woman syndrome” in the courts and offers a critique of its framework and its use."

Using Rapist Risk Factors to Set an Agenda for Rape Prevention

"This article briefly reviews the empirical research on the behaviors, traits, developmental experiences, and biological antecedents that have been found to be associated with an increased probability that a male will become sexually aggressive. It attempts to differentiate correlative and causative factors and to identify gaps in our knowledge that must be addressed to develop models of etiology on which to base effective prevention programs."

Varieties of Patriarchy and Violence Against Women: Resurrecting "Patriarchy" as a Theoretical Tool

"The effort to construct a theory of patriarchy to explain violence against women have been derailed by criticism. In this article, the author addresses some of these criticisms, uncovers the explanatory strengths of this concept, and lays some foundations for a more fully developed theory of violence against women. The concept of patriarchy holds promise for theorizing violence against women because it keeps the theoretical focus on dominance, gender, and power. It also anchors the problem of violence against women in social conditions, rather than individual attributes."

Victims of Intimate Partner Violence More Likely to Report Abuse From In-Laws

This study of South Asian women was designed to assess the association between intimate partner violence and emotional abuse by in-laws and to identify those forms of abuse perpetrated by in-laws. The findings indicate a significant relationship between intimate partner abuse and abuse from in-laws. The authors conlude that intimate partner violence interventions with South Asian women should take into account abuse from in-laws.

View and Commentary from the Trenches: A Battering Intervention Project's Reaction to Participation as a Site in Program Evaluation

The PIVOT Project of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse in Houston is participating in a multi-site battering intervention program evaluation being conducted by Edward Gondolf and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This paper presents the view of collaborative research from the perspective of the program staff and what they learned from the process.

Violence Against General Practitioners in Turkey

"A descriptive cross-sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire answered by a convenience study population consisting of 522 health care practitioners. Of the participating respondents, 82.8% reported that they experienced violence, including sexual violence. Perpetrators were patients and/or their relatives in 91.1% of the events. The authors conclude that workplace violence against health care practitioners warrants more attention and as part of prevention efforts, more attention should be paid to continuous professional, administrative, and legal support from the government along with systematic, coordinated implementations independent from daily political concerns."

Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS: Setting the Research Agenda (pdf)

This report summarizes the important future research agenda regarding the intersection of violence against women, particularly sexual violence, within the context of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS.

Violence against women with a disability (pdf)

A recently published study on violence against women with disabilities in Belgium. The report illustrates the current state of research in this area, as well as established preventative methods.

Violence against Women – Facts and Figures (pdf)

"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women’s lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."

Violence Against Women: A Statistical Overview, Challenges and Gaps in Data Collection and Methodology and Approaches for Overcoming Them

This report provides information regarding the General Assembly of the United Nations' adoption of a resolution entitled "In-depth study on all forms of violence against women." The resolution requires the Secretary-General to conduct an in-depth study on all forms and manifestations of violence against women. This report offers background information on data collection, a summary of the discussion and objectives of the expert group meeting, and recommendations for collecting data on violence against women, improving population-based surveys and enhancing service-based data.

Violence Against Women: Classic Papers

The purpose of this project was to assemble some of the classic works in the field of violence against women so that new generations of students, practitioners, and researchers would have a collective understanding of the work that has shaped the field. Included are also commentaries from the original authors, when available, reflecting on why they authored the work when they did and the influence of their work on the field.

Violence against Women: Facts and Figures

"This article provides facts and figures on violence against women to illustrate the devastating toll on women's lives, on their families, and on society as a whole."

Violence and Victimization Research Division's Compendium of Research on Violence Against Women, 1993-2004 (pdf)

This document is a compilation of research and evaluation projects on violence against women issues from 1993 to 2004. The Compendium contains a table of contents which lists grants by topic and an index that lists the grants funded by year. Last updated December 2004.

Violence by Intimates: Analysis of Data on Crimes by Current or Former Spouses, Boyfriends and Girlfriends (pdf)

"Compiles some U.S. BJS and FBI data on violence between people who have an intimate relationship: spouses, ex-spouses, and current and former boyfriends and girlfriends. Includes violent crimes of murder, rape, sexual assault, and simple assault."

Violence Data Brief: Intimate Partner Violence in Minnesota 1998-2001 (pdf)

This document, published in November 2002, provides statistical information related to intimate partner violence (IVP) in Minnesota from 1998-2001. The document outlines the number of fatalities, the number of reported incidents in each county, and various other demographics such as gender and age.

Violence During Pregnancy in Jordan: Its Prevalence and Associated Risk and Protective Factors

"This study estimates the lifetime prevalence of physical violence during pregnancy and examines risk and protective factors among women (N = 390) attending reproductive health clinics in Jordan. A high frequency of quarreling, the husband's use of alcohol, attitudes supportive of a woman's duty to obey her husband, infrequent communication between the respondent and her family, and exposure to violence as a child increased the risk of violence. Consanguinity (marriage to a blood relative) and higher education levels were protective against violence during pregnancy."

Violence in the EU Examined (pdf)

"A report published by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia on good practices and general recommendations for domestic violence initiatives in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The project includes findings on sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, honor crimes, exploitation, trafficking, and other issues affecting women and children. A summary of the report’s general recommendations is also available."

Violence in the Lives of Children (pdf)

"This data brief from Child Trends reviews data on the types of violence experienced by U.S. children, including exposure to violence through media to abuse by parents and peers. Differences by age, gender, and race/ethnicity are discussed along with priorities for filling gaps in the data that is available on this topic."

Violence in the Lives of Persons who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

"This new Special Collection offers information regarding the experiences and needs of individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing and victims/survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. The collection seeks to increase knowledge and understanding of deaf culture, provide resources to assist professionals working directly with deaf individuals, and highlight best practices."

Violence, Pregnancy and Abortion: Issues of Women's Rights and Public Health

This review of literature aims to motivate researchers, policy makers, health professionals, personnel of the legal and law enforcement sectors, and nongovernmental organization (NGO) program implementers to increase their efforts to address the problem of violence in relation to pregnancy and abortion. The monograph first presents information on the possible links between violence, pregnancy and abortion in Section 1 and then discusses measures that can be taken to address the problem in Section 2.

Walking a Tightrope: The Many Faces of Violence in the Lives of Racialized Immigrant Girls and Young Women

"This article explores a hidden yet pervasive form of violence that marks the lives of young women from racialized immigrant communities in western Canada. The article suggests that racism constitutes a significant form of structural violence experienced by these young women. The author argues for an intersectional analysis that takes into consideration their heightened vulnerability to systemic and institutional forms of violence."

Welfare, Poverty, and Abused Women: New Research and its Implications (pdf)

"This summary of studies on domestic violence and TANF recipients explores their physical and mental health and work experience. It focuses on interference from their partners, barriers to work, the Family Violence Option, and the Child Support Exemption."

When Crises Collide: How Intimate Partner Violence and Poverty Intersect to Shape Women’s Mental Health and Coping?

"This article describes mental health consequences for women who contend with both partner violence and poverty. It proposes that the stress, powerlessness, and social isolation at the heart of both phenomena combine to produce posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and other emotional difficulties. The article also introduces the term ‘‘survival-focused coping’’ to describe women’s methods of coping with IPV in the context of poverty and highlights the role that domestic violence advocates, mental health providers, and researchers can play in addressing these tightly intertwined phenomena."

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2000 Homicide Data

This annual report details female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender and illustrates the unique role firearms play in female homicide. The report concludes that the majority of women are not killed by strangers lurking in the dark but by those that are closest to them, including spouses, intimate acquaintances, and close relatives.

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2001 Homicide Data (pdf)

When Men Murder Women offers national and state-by-state statistics from FBI Supplementary Homicide Report data including charts listing the number and rate of female homicides by state and a chart ranking each state by rate. For the top 15 states, data are broken out by: age and race of victim; type of weapon used; relationship of victim to offender; and, the circumstances of the murder.

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2007 Homicide Data (pdf)

The report details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. The study uses the most recent data available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report.

With an End in Sight

"With an End in Sight" narrates inspiring stories showing how groups of people are moving ahead and creating new ideas to combat violence against women. It provides knowledge, insight and hope of how violence against women can be eliminated with combined effort, compelling advocacy, and wide-reaching education.

Women and HIV/AIDS: Confronting the Crisis

"This report documents the latest information on the current HIV/AIDS pandemic, the devastating and often invisible impact of AIDS on women and girls and highlights the ways discrimination, poverty and gender-based violence help fuel the epidemic. Most importantly, the report targets the strategies to reverse the trends."

Women's Experiences of Violence and Seeking Help

"The study presented here explored women's experiences of victimization and their use of and perceptions about the services they received. It is learned that what providers usually prioritize and what the women in this study used—namely emotional, psychological, and legal support—are not what these women identified as the most helpful. Instead, tangible supports, such as food, housing, and financial assistance, were viewed as the most helpful, along with religious or spiritual counseling."

Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions

This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.

World Report on Violence against Children

"This book addresses all violence against children within the family, schools, alternative care institutions and detention facilities, places where children work and communities. It lists the relevant international and national legal instruments and standards. It also describes the nature and impact of all forms of violence, indicating possible risk and causal factors. Finally, and most important, based on existing evidence and concrete examples, it provides detailed recommendation on measures to be taken to enhance the protection of children from violence."

Younger Women at Great Risk of Intimate Partner Violence

Summary of the new report, Intimate Partner Violence and Age of Victim, released by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).