Skills training for treatment of spouse abusers: An outcome study

The present study evaluated a 15-week cognitive-behavioral skills training program for male spouse abusers. Results showed dramatic decreases in occurrence of violent behaviors after treatment, and up to 1-year follow-up in subjects (n =32)completing the intervention. Furthermore, compared to program dropouts (n =36),completers showed a lower rate of physical violence recividism over the 1-year follow-up period. However, there was evidence of continued psychological abuse among completers in some cases (as corroborated independently by the victim/partner). Changes measured by psychometric assessment indicated decreased dysphoria. No change in basic personality, characterized primarily by disorder, was found. The latter findings was interpreted to partly account for continued psychological abuse. Implications for refining programs to address psychological abuse and to develop mechanisms to reduce attrition are discussed.     

Healthcare Can Change from Within: Sustained Improvement in the Healthcare Response to Intimate Partner Violence

There is a great need to demonstrate sustained improvement in healthcare-based inquiry, intervention, and prevention provided to patients exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). We evaluated implementation of the Healthcare Can Change from Within model (HCCW) in three primary care clinics and an emergency department within a large healthcare system, using two other primary care clinics for a usual-care comparison on selected variables. Outcome measures included individual-level variables (staff knowledge and attitudes) and system characteristics (clinic policies, procedures, patient education materials, and IPV documentation in patient records). Doctors and nurses reported increased self-efficacy, understanding of referral resources, and understanding of legal issues; IPV knowledge was unchanged. Intervention clinics implemented new policies and procedures, increased patient education, and increased documentation of IPV screening, an improvement which was sustained at 2-year follow-up. Results suggest HCCW is a promising practice for improving the healthcare response to IPV.     

Methodological Contributions to the Gender Symmetry Debate and its Resolution

The concept of gender symmetry in intimate partner violence (IPV) may be an artifact of three factors. 1) Methodology: Subject recruitment frequently excludes clinical samples. Cross-sectional designs negate the ability to evaluate recidivism and do not account for women’s greater likelihood of leaving violent relationships. 2) Narrow Focus: Researchers focus on frequency of physical aggression, while excluding other types of aggression (e.g., sexual IPV, life-threatening violence, use of firearms), or the impact of such aggression (e.g., fear, depression, injury). 3) Measurement: Surveys are hindered by varying interpretations of seemingly face-valid items, effects of item instructions, and lack of multi-method assessment approaches. Strategies for addressing these problems and resolving the gender symmetry controversy are outlined.     

Scanning for patterns of relationship: analyzing kinship and marriage networks with Puck 2.0

The article presents the software Puck (Program for the use and computation of kinship data), a computer tool for the in-depth analysis of kinship networks. Its core feature consists in identifying, counting and classifying matrimonial circuit structures (resulting from marriages between kin or affines). Such matrimonial censuses make it possible to explore in a rigorous fashion one of the most central questions in kinship studies: the relationship between particular marriage choices and the patterning of the global kinship network that emerges from them. At the same time, Puck constitutes a general tool for the management, treatment and exploratory analysis of genealogical datasets, including non-genealogical relations and random simulations. Puck has been designed to meet two complementary expectations: the identification of the recurrent, cross-cultural organizational properties of kinship networks, and the ability to situate particular actors within social processes involving both genealogical and non-genealogical factors. This article presents the theoretical foundations and main functions of Puck, using concrete examples drawn from a genealogical dataset of upper-class Parisian Jewish banking dynasties present in Paris during the nineteenth century.     

Racial Differences in Battered Women’s Experiences and Preferences for Treatment from Physicians

The present study evaluated racial differences in battered women’s experiences and preferences for treatment from physicians when seeking help for abuse-related issues. Prior research revealed unexpected findings that African American women rated certain physician behaviors related to victim blaming and expression of sympathy for the male partner less negatively than White women. The present study found that when potential confounders, such as source of care, education level, and income were controlled, racial differences in approval ratings of physician behaviors almost disappeared. Only one physician behavior—blaming the patient for the abuse—differentiated the two groups. However, despite racial differences, both groups rated the behavior negatively. Other findings were that, overall, African American women are more likely than White women to seek abuse-related health care from emergency and urgent care settings and have fewer preferences for the race of their physician provider. Both White and African American women preferred to see a female physician. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.     

Personality correlates of men who abuse their partners: A cross-validation study

The present study was designed to replicate a previous investigation of personality profiles of men who abused their partners. The initial study found personality profiles reflecting general categories related to schizoidal /borderline, narcissistic/anti-social, and dependent/compulsive personality disorders. Cross-validation revealed a nearly identical replication of the initial findings. Further, as with the initial study, only about 12% of the subjects in the present effort showed no discernable psychopathology. It was concluded that (1) there is no unitary “batterer profile”, (2) the vast majority of batterers examined evidenced personality disordered profiles, and (3) personality and psychopathological processes must be considered as part of the constellation of psychosocial factors related to spouse abuse.