A meta-analytic review of court-mandated batterer intervention programs: Can courts affect abusers’ behavior?

Court-mandated batterer intervention programs are being implemented throughout the United States to address the problem of domestic violence. Prior reviews of research on the effectiveness of these programs have arrived at conflicting conclusions. This study is a systematic review of the extant research on this topic. Experimental and quasi-experimental studies that used matching or statistical controls were included. The results were mixed. The mean effect for official reports of domestic violence from experimental studies showed modest benefit, whereas the mean effect for victim reported outcomes was zero. Quasi-experimental studies using a no-treatment comparison had inconsistent findings indicating an overall small harmful effect. In contract, quasi-experimental studies using a treatment dropout design showed a large, positive mean effect on domestic violence outcomes. We discuss the weakness of the latter design and raise concerns regarding official reports. The findings, we believe, raise doubts about the effectiveness of court-mandated batterer intervention programs.     

Implications of an Arrest in Domestic Violence Cases: Learning From Korean Social Workers' Experiences in the U.S.

In response to the lack of research on the effect of arrest in deterring domestic violence in minority communities, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted with Korean American social workers providing services to Korean domestic violence victims in the New York metropolitan area. The authors examined study participants' perceptions about their clients' experiences of arrests in domestic violence situations. Findings reveal major barriers for Korean victims that prevent them from utilizing help from the police. Main themes from the data show both negative and positive results from arrests. Participants perceived arrest as an ultimately necessary tool for deterring domestic violence in the Korean community in the U.S. Participants suggested some changes in the criminal justice system to better respond to immigrant victims of domestic violence. Practice and policy implications are discussed. This study was, in part, presented at the 23rd APPAM (Association for Public Analysis and Management) Annual Research Conference in Washington, D.C. on November 1, 2001.     

Reasons for Returning to Abusive Relationships: Effects of Prior Victimization

Studies have demonstrated that women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk of revictimization, but research has not yet examined whether a history of CSA may affect patterns of remaining in or returning to abusive relationships in adulthood. This study examines the impact of a CSA history on decisions to return to abusive relationships in a sample of 104 adult domestic violence survivors. Participants were interviewed about the number of times that they had previously separated from and returned to their abusive partner, the factors that influenced their decision to return (both psychological/internal and environmental/external factors), and their perceived likelihood of returning in the future. As predicted, CSA survivors (n = 34) reported a significantly greater number of past separations than non-CSA survivors (n = 70). CSA survivors were also significantly more likely to report that their decisions to return were influenced by emotional attachment to the batterer. CSA survivors did not perceive themselves to be at greater risk of returning in the future, suggesting that they may be more likely to underestimate their vulnerability to returning to the battering relationship. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.     

社会工作教育及专业社会工作关系的透视

从前线专业社会工作者以及实务对象的角度分析,当前社会工作专业教育存在冲突与限制。中国文化处境下,专业社会工作的关系是多重和多种关系的融合。社会工作专业教育以及社会工作教育者必须在策略、内容、实践等环节进行调适,以推动社会工作专业教育的本土化发展,建构本土化的关系模式和知识,进而推动中国社会工作专业化和职业化的发展。     

城市化过程中的农民工市民化问题

本文认为,目前官方的关于2009年城镇化水平达到47.6%的结论,只是一种表象,原因在于官方城镇人口统计中的农民工群体,其目前的生存状态无法与作为城市化主体的市民相称。农民工市民权的缺失表现为非正规工作、社会保障的有限性与不平等性、政治参与和利益代表不足、家庭分离的居住形式、平等教育权的缺失。文章从历史的视角考察了国家发展战略及其制度安排和结构性压力的相互作用及其对农民工市民化进程的影响,指出农民工市民化的出路在于外部"赋能"与自身"增能"。为此,需要:(1)国家在制定发展战略时对农民工的市民化予以高度重视,对农民工的城市化进程、定位、路径安排等要有整体性的规划与布局,要将农民工看作是公民而不仅仅是城市经济发展所需要的劳动力;(2)国家全面、系统地改革现行的社会政策体系,而不仅仅是考虑改革户籍制度甚至取消户籍制度本身;(3)让农民工获得足够的收入并拥有支付城市生活费用的能力,特别是组织能力和市场能力。     

促进企业劳动争议调解工作规范化和制度化的调查与思考

近期肥矿集团公司工会对全公司劳动争议调解工作情况进行了调研,对劳动争议组织建设、工作机制、工作情况、存在问题进行了全面掌握和分析。为进一步推进矿区劳动争议预防和调处工作的制度化、规范化,促进矿区的发展和和谐稳定,就必须进一步提高对劳动争议调解组织地位和作用的认识,不断加强劳动劳动争议调解组织建设和制度建设,切实履行劳动争议调解组织的职能,充分发挥劳动争议调解组织的作用,全面推进矿区劳动争议预防和调处工作向纵深发展。     

The Influence of Legal Reform on the Probability of Arrest in Domestic Violence Cases

Using domestic violence incidence and arrest data from Maryland (1991–1997), this research examines whether the proportion of incidents that result in arrest increased due to a legislative initiative implemented in 1994 and, if so, whether this change is uniform across different types of offenders (race and gender) and offense characteristics. Using interrupted time‐series analysis (ARIMA), we observe an increase in both the number of incidents reported to police and the percent of reported cases resulting in arrest. The legislative intervention has a significant positive impact on arrest likelihood above and beyond the increase over time for the state as a whole. While arrest probabilities increased across the board for males and females, African American and Whites, the ARIMA models do not suggest that the legislation differentially impacted arrest probabilities for these groups.     

法院在防治家庭暴力中的作用实证研究——以重庆市某区人民法院审理涉及家庭暴力案件情况为对象

通过实证调研,其结果显示家庭暴力的发生率仍然较高,并且当事人呈现出性别、年龄、职业等方面的特点。人民法院在涉家庭暴力案件的审理过程中,既有家庭暴力认定、举证责任分配、人身安全保护裁定送达、调解方法上的有益经验,也面临着防治家庭暴力立法及反家庭暴力联动机制不完善、人身安全保护裁定的局限性、取证难等一些困境。建议我国尽快制定一部统一的"家庭暴力防治法",在加强防治家庭暴力宣传的同时,明确规范各相关部门的职责与责任,加强各部门之间的联动协作。     

弱势地位下的农民工犯罪问题探析

城市农民工是城市中的特殊群体,他们在城市发展中扮演着非常重要的角色,但由于受制度歧视,社会保障机制不完善,导致出现农民工犯罪问题。本文从构建和谐社会的角度思考农民工犯罪问题,通过对弱势群体的农民工生存状态的关注,剖析引发农民工犯罪的主要原因,从社会、政府等角度来思考预防农民工犯罪的对策,以维护社会稳定,构建社会主义和谐社会。