"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."
"The controversy over the commitment of sex offenders is fueled by different interpretations of sexually violent person (SVP) laws. SVP laws require that a sex offender has a mental condition that predisposes them to commit sex offenses and poses a high risk to reoffend because of serious difficulty controlling behavior. This article reviews those constructs; evaluates them from clinical, epidemiologic, and legal perspectives; and proposes interpretations that address both the major criticisms of civil commitment and the challenges in SVP assessment."
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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
Collaborating to Help Trafficking Survivors: Emerging Issues and Practice Pointers (pdf)
"This manual is for those committed to assisting trafficking survivors, especially sexual assault and domestic violence advocates and their allies in the criminal and legal systems who have basic knowledge of the trafficking assistance process. This manual examines issues and promising practices that have emerged during the six years since the federal government decided in 2000 to devote significant attention to trafficking and its victims."
"Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) evaluate public child welfare systems to determine how well they achieve safety, permanency, and well-being in difficult situations of neglect, physical and sexual abuse, and co-existing domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health issues, poverty, and community violence. This guide can help stakeholders develop effective (Program Improvement Plans) PIPs for achieving safety, permanency, and well-being in domestic violence cases, and to identify or anticipate related technical assistance needs."
Factors Associated With Women’s Risk of Rape in the Military Environment (pdf)
"This study assessed military environmental factors associated with rape occurring during military service, while controlling for pre-military trauma experiences. The goal of this exploratory study was to describe characteristics of rape victims and perpetrators and to attempt to identify workplace environmental factors associated with rape occurring during military service."
Moving From Them to Us: Challenges in Reframing Violence Among Youth (pdf)
"This paper explores how youth and violence have been framed in the media, how the issue of race complicates depictions of youth and violence, and how public attitudes about government can inhibit public support for strategies to effectively prevent violence. This paper makes recommendations for the next steps in re-framing violence among youth."
Sustainability 101: Fostering Collaboration Between SANE Program Coordinators and Medical Directors (pdf)
In addition to collaboration between Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs), community partners and other agencies, this document talks about the importance of collaboration between SANEs and physician colleagues to assist with the credibility and sustainability of a SANE Program.
Sustainability 101: Creating A Business Plan For Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (pdf)
This guide reviews the basic steps of developing a business plan and explains the components needed for SANE services to be successful. It is identified as a critical tool for starting and sustaining existing healthcare services.
Utilizing Social Media Tools to Engage the Community - Webinar Materials
"Materials from the webinar on September 15 and 16, 2009 that includes the powerpoint presentation and questions and answers from Nakia Hansen, the presenter. The webinar focused specifically on how the domestic violence community can utilize social networking sites, tools, and applications to get our message of prevention and effective intervention out to the community."
Prosecuting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence at the International Criminal Court (pdf)
"The report assesses the effectiveness of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in reducing acts of sexual violence in armed conflict. The report explores whether the existence of the ICC acts as a deterrent for gender-based violence in conflict situations, and whether perpetrators of sexual violence can be brought to justice under provisions of the Rome Statute specifically addressing gender violence. The report also offers recommendations for improving the ICC’s ability to actually and symbolically reduce violence against women by characterizing gender-based violence in conflict situations as an international war crime."
Domestic violence laws in Australia
The report analyzes domestic violence legislation in all Australian States and Territories and in New Zealand in order to assist the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. The report notes gaps and overlaps between State and Territory domestic violence protection orders and the Family Law Act 1975.
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.
Civil Tort Actions Filed by Victims of Sexual Assault: Promise and Perils
"This Applied Research paper examines tort actions for sexual assault - law suits that seek financial compensation for wrongs that cause injury to the victim. The paper also discusses benefits and drawbacks of tort litigation for sexual assault survivors."
The Effectiveness of Sexual Assault Services in Multi-Service Agencies
"This Applied Research paper examines whether organizational affiliation and structure affect the quantity and quality of sexual assault services. The paper offers recommendations for future research evaluating the effectiveness of rape crisis centers."
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."
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."
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."
Sexual Violence Public Policy Topics
"This area contains topic-specific resources related to public policy and systems advocacy. Current topics include: civil legal rights, clergy sexual abuse, DNA, drug-facilitated sexual assault, indigenous issues, marital rape, privacy & confidentiality, public health, sex offender, sexual harassment, sexual violence in military, prisons and on campus, and trafficking."
Employment and Domestic Violence
"This special collection includes a categorized and selected listing of articles, bibliographies, fact sheets, laws and court action, papers, regulations, reports and surveys relating to domestic violence and employment. It is offered as an additional tool to assist advocates working on and interested in employment issues related to ending violence against women. "
Domestic Violence and Health Care
"This special collection on health care and domestic violence draws heavily from the work of the Family Violence Prevention Fund's Health Resource Center. The resources included in this special collection are organized into the following five areas: 1) the impact of domestic violence on health; 2) public health approaches to domestic violence prevention; 3) guidelines and issues concerning identification and intervention by health care providers; 4) information about collaboration between health care providers and domestic violence advocates; and 5) training. This special collection also includes a bibliography of related journal articles."
Men in the Movement to End Violence Against Women: Training and Education
"This collection highlights several training tools and background information for use in promoting men's involvement in the movement to end violence against women. Also included are educational materials to support the teaching of non-violence to boys and young men. It is one in a series of three special collections focusing on the domestic violence prevention and education efforts of men. "
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."
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."
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 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.
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.
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.
Trafficking in persons monitoring report July 2007 – December 2008 (pdf)
This report details governmental responses to trafficking, comparing Australia’s approach to those of other Asia-Pacific countries. The report identifies factors that contribute to high levels of trafficking within a country, and highlights economic instability as a major obstacle to effectively identifying and preventing trafficking activities. Finally, the report offers recommendations for continuing to prevent and prosecute trafficking activities.
Confronting Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations (pdf)
"This document is one of four sections to be published in the organization's upcoming handbook, 'Women Claiming Justice: Using International Law in Conflict and Post-Conflict Situations'. The report outlines the various manifestations of sexual violence frequently exhibited in conflict zones, specifically highlighting rape and sexual abuse, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Also provides a “Peace Builders Action Toolkit” with resources for activists working to create peace and justice. "
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."
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."
Sexual Intercourse Among Adolescents Maltreated Before Age 12: A Prospective Investigation (pdf)
"This study found that maltreatment (regardless of type) predicts sexual intercourse by 14 and 16. Emotional distress explains the relationship by 14. By 16, other factors likely contribute to intercourse. Maltreated children are at risk for early initiation of sexual intercourse and sexually active adolescents should be evaluated for possible maltreatment."
A Novel, Intensive Home-Visiting Intervention for Runaway, Sexually Exploited Girls
"This study both describes a home-visiting intervention program for young, sexually assaulted runaways (10-14 years old) and provides preliminary outcomes from the first 20 female participants. Following the one-year intervention, teens' risk behaviors decreased, including truancy, runaway episodes, sexually transmitted infections and substance use."
Anti-Human Trafficking Manual for Criminal Justice Practitioners
"The purpose of this manual is to support criminal justice practitioners in the prevention of human trafficking, the protection of its victims, the prosecution of its culprits and in the international cooperation needed to achieve these goals. The manual is divided into fourteen modules which outline the indicators of human trafficking, the impact of abuse on victims, international cooperation in prosecuting cases, how to engage with trafficked persons, and victims’ needs and support mechanisms."
Power to Change is a new European resource to help victims of domestic violence. It is a practical guide to running support groups and self-help groups with victims and survivors of domestic violence.
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."
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."