"It's the little things": women, trauma, and strategies for healing

Women recover and heal from traumatic violent experiences in many different ways. This study, which is part of the Franklin County Women and Violence Project, explores the healing experiences of 18 women who have histories of violence, substance abuse, and involvement in the mental health and/or substance abuse treatment system. Ethnographic interviews suggest that while professional intervention can be beneficial, it may not be adequate. In fact, it can be retruamatizing. The means of service delivery and treatment by individuals, service providers and others, may be more important than the actual service. Often women find that caring individuals and a safe environment yield the greatest benefit. It is not so much what people do to help, but how they do it.     

Barriers to marriage and motherhood: the experiences of disabled women in Malaysia

ABSTRACT

The conceptualisation of disability is contested globally and issues in gender studies further complicate the movement towards the development of an inclusive and equal society. However, most disability and gender research studies are based on the data collected in the Global North, and little is known about disabled women in the Global South. The data presented here is from a bigger study focusing on the lived experiences of women with disabilities. This paper sets to explore how disabled women in Malaysia experience their lives in terms of marriage and motherhood prospects. The data of this qualitative study was collected from a set of in-depth interviews involving 32 women in Malaysia with physical (mobility) impairment. Over a period of 6 months, 16 Malays, 8 Chinese and 8 Indian women were interviewed twice. The analysis proposes both retrospective and introspective accounts on marriage and motherhood. The data gathered from the in-depth interviews was transcribed and analysed thematically with the help of NVivo software. The findings indicated that most participants have experienced significant barriers concerning individual constraints, familial control, and societal barriers. These were discussed with the intrinsic aspects and contextual factors of living in a patriarchal and traditional society that significantly undermined the wellbeing of disabled women in this study. Nevertheless, many of those interviewed refused to give up their hope of having a family life despite the constant struggles they encountered in their pursuit of happiness. However, their aspirations to experience family life were restricted and this caused them to experience significant psycho-emotional problems. They were constantly reminded that they were ‘disabled’ and not worthy of experiencing life like other women. The paper will discuss these challenges and negative societal attitudes towards the issue.     

The needs and experiences of women in sexually integrated prisons

Three issues were considered in this evaluation of the usefulness of co-corrections: violence, over-management and policies about sexuality. A study of one sexually integrated prison showed that co-corrections has both advantages and disadvantages for women. Inmates and staff were included in the research. Survey and anecdotal data were collected. The strengths of co-corrections were described from the data along with some suggestions for overcoming the weaknesses.     

From electronic health records to personal health records: emerging legal issues in the Italian regulation of e-health

In 2012, the Italian Legislator has provided an appropriate legal framework for the realisation of the national Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, in which the patient plays a pivotal role: with the implementation of the Fascicolo sanitario elettronico (FSE), patients will have access to their EHRs through the online platform, and decide which data to share and with whom. In this perspective, one of the most interesting innovations is the so-called ‘taccuino’, a digital space of patients’ FSE in which they can autonomously record data and information relating to their health. Patients’ ability to access their own health data and EHR at any time and to enter information by themselves in a personal area is a unique form of power at a European level, but their legal consequences are still vague. The aim of this contribution is to offer a first review of the Italian e-health reform, showing the most critical aspects.     

Battered women and the state: From the failure of theory to a theory of failure

Within the context of legal reform, the Battered Wife Movement has divided feminists on the question of criminal justice as a desirable component of a feminist agenda. Thus it provides a good example of the dilemmas of developing a feminist theory about the state as the basis for informed practice. In this paper, Currie overviews the way in which the BWM has been transformed from a radical demand for the redistribution of social power into an expansion of current patriarchal institutions. As an example of the institutionalization of feminist issues, however, she rejects explanations of this transformation as simply ideological revision by the state. Rather, Currie notes that it occurs through and not against feminist discourse, meaning that we must acknowledge theory as practice if we are to develop a truly subversive and liberatory discourse within feminist scholarship.     

A comparison of sexual coercion experiences reported by men and women in prison

Comparisons were made between self-reports from 382 men and 51 women who had experienced sexual coercion while incarcerated. Victim data were obtained from a sample of 1,788 male inmates and 263 female inmates who responded to an anonymous written survey distributed in 10 midwestern prisons. Men reported that their perpetrators in worst-case incidents were inmates (72%), staff (8%), or inmates and staff collaborating (12%). Women reported that their perpetrators were inmates (47%) and staff (41%). Greater percentages of men (70%) than women (29%) reported that their incident resulted in oral, vaginal, or anal sex. More men (54%) than women (28%) reported an incident that was classified as rape. Men and women were similar in feeling depression; however, more men (37%) than women (11%) reported suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts (19% for men, 4% for women). Implications of results for prevention of sexual coercion in prison are discussed.     

Aboriginal organized crime in Canada: Developing a typology for understanding and strategizing responses

The present study explores the theory and, to the greatest degree possible given the limitations of the data, the reality of aboriginal participation in what may be defined as ‘organized crime’ in Canada, engaging the possibility of a definition of ‘aboriginal organized crime’ and the proposal of a ‘typology’ of participants. In the development of both the definition and typology, the researchers build upon Beare's definition of organized crime to include the dimension of motivations—whether social, political or economic—which theorists agree are crucial in understanding organized crime activities, but which do not appear in current definitions of the term, as well as important contextual factors informing participation in aboriginal organized crime networks.     

Case illustrations of negative sexual experiences among university women in Japan: victimization disclosure and reactions of the confidant

A retrospective study of negative sexual experiences (NSEs) was conducted among 532 Japanese university women. More than one third of the respondents reported having experienced at least one NSE, and two thirds were victimized by strangers. When the woman knew the perpetrator well, the NSE was more likely to be repeated. One sixth of victims did not disclose the incident. Older children disclosed incidents more frequently than did younger children. Women in the total disclosure group disclosed the incidents more quickly than did those in the partial disclosure group. Women victimized by strangers were more likely to disclose the incident completely. Less than 10% of women were disappointed with the reaction of the first-disclosure receiver. Unlike results obtained in previous studies, the victims did not necessarily regard it negatively when the incident was viewed less seriously or they were criticized by first-disclosure receivers. On the other hand, instrumental support was not always supportive.     

Informal powers and the removal of Aboriginal children: Consequences for health and social order

Current high levels of morbidity and mortality, and high rates of incarceration among Australian Aboriginal populations are related historically to the attempted separation of Aboriginal people from family and community. The paper discusses these events through an analysis of legal and extra-legal forms of power in the late 19th century in Victoria, and through an analysis of the workings of the informal powers of administrators and mission superintendents, within a broader framework of liberal political reason.     

Prediction of women's utilization of resistance strategies in a sexual assault situation: a prospective study

The present study prospectively explored the predictors of resistance strategies to a sexual assault situation. Participants were assessed at the beginning of an academic quarter on a number of variables, including past history of sexual victimization, perceived risk of sexual victimization, and intentions to use specific types of resistance strategies. Only women who reported being victimized over the interim (N=68) were included in the analyses, which suggested that women's Time 1 intentions to utilize assertive resistance strategies (e.g., physically fight, run away) and offender aggression predicted women's use of assertive resistance strategies in response to the assault that occurred over the follow-up. Women's utilization of nonforceful verbal resistance (e.g., reason, plead, quarrel) was predicted by perpetrator aggression and previous sexual victimization. Women's immobility (e.g., turn cold, freeze) during the assault that took place over the interim was predicted by experiences of childhood sexual victimization and previous sexual victimization.     

A systematic review of effective therapeutic interventions and management strategies for challenging behaviour in women in forensic mental health settings

Women in secure forensic mental health care require therapy and care that is responsive to their specific needs. Despite the policy recognition that women require a distinct service, evidence based practice is not available for this population. This review was undertaken in response to a clinical need within a medium secure unit in Glasgow that was experiencing high levels of challenging behaviour, in a female ward. The review aimed to identify effective strategies or interventions for the management of challenging behaviour in women in secure services and, therefore, improve practice and patient care. A synthesis of the findings from the 11 identified studies revealed variability in the approaches used to support women in forensic services, including: behavioural programmes; organisational change with a focus on staff training and support; medication; ECT and mechanical restraint. The challenging behaviours assessed included self-harm; physical and verbal aggression; suicide attempts and arson/fire setting. The majority of articles suggested some improvement in aspects of challenging behaviour, however this was limited by the lack of control groups and small sample sizes. Further investigation is required to find out whether interventions identified in this review can sustain a reduction in challenging behaviours in the long-term.     

From Public Sociology to Public Philosophy: Lessons for Law and Society

The late Philip Selznick's final book, A Humanist Science, examines the role of values and ideals in the social sciences, including the study of law and society. Throughout his academic career, Selznick was committed to what he called “legal naturalism,” a sociological version of the natural-law perspective, while his critics continue to adhere to various forms of positivism. But the age-old opposition between natural law and legal positivism today may be giving way to the quest for public sociology—a sociology that promotes public reflection on significant social issues and thus functions as a moral and political force. A Humanist Science ends with a strong plea for public philosophy. Public philosophy overlaps with public sociology but is a much stronger concept. Selznick's message of public philosophy may be another of his enduring contributions to the field of law and society.     

Academic credit for life experiences in criminal justice: Issues and concerns

This article focuses on awarding credit for life experiences (work experience, training, or other forms of experiential learning) in criminal justice education. The efficacy and consequences of this practice are explored in an attempt to delimit the issues and raise relevant questions that need to be explored in developing policies for awarding such credit. The authors raise questions concerning the definition of viable and relevant experiential learning and the process of evaluating life experiences. The article also discusses the need to consider a number of factors in implementing a credit-for- experiential-learning program; for example, the implications for “in-service” versus “preservice” students, extra-university regulations, the transferability of credit to other institutions, and the importance of a careful assessment of the overall impact on the criminal justice system and on criminal justice as an academic discipline.     

成就與局限:能動主義司法實踐中的個人信息保護

在我國,司法機關對個人信息的保護,具有較強的司法能動性和司法造法性。因爲在立法上,不但對傳統(古典)隱私權的獨立保護是較晚的事情,而對以個人信息爲主要保護對象的現代隱私權的保護,是在完全沒有個人信息保護法的背景下完成的。對我國關於個人信息保護的司法實踐分析和研究,有助於