This article explores the roles of social (informal) and institutional (formal) support in the lives of 158 women whose intimate partner abuse (IPA) cases reached the courts in three jurisdictions in the United States.Women were asked who knew about the IPA and their levels of supportiveness. Data analysis includes comparisons across the women in terms of social support and institutional support, and how these were related to the women’s demographic characteristics, whether they were still in a relationship with their abusers, the severity of the violence, and the women’s mental health.
Adams, A.E., Sullivan, C.M., Bybee, D., & Greeson, M.R. ( 2008). Development of the scale of economic abuse. Violence Against Women, 14, 563-588.
2.
Andrews, F.M., & Withey, S.B. ( 1976). Social indicators of well-being: American’s perceptions of life quality. New York: Plenum .
3.
Barnett, O., Martinez, T., & Keyson, M. ( 1996). The relationships between violence, social support, and self-blame in battered women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence , 11, 221-234.
4.
Belknap, J. ( 1995). Law enforcement officers’ attitudes about the appropriate responses to woman battering. International Review of Victimology , 4, 47-62.
5.
Bennett, L., Goodman, L., & Dutton, M.A. ( 1999). Systemic obstacles to the criminal prosecution of a battering partner. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14, 761-772.
6.
Bosch, K., & Bergen, B. ( 2006). The influence of supportive and nonsupportive persons in helping rural women in abusive partner relationships become free from abuse . Journal of Family Violence, 21, 311-320.
7.
Bosch, K., & Schumm, W.R. ( 2004). Accessibility to resources: Helping rural women in abusive partner relationships become free from abuse. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 30, 357-370.
8.
Burch, R.L., & Gallup, G.G. ( 2004). Pregnancy as a stimulus for domestic violence. Journal of Family Violence, 19, 243-247.
Bybee, D.I., & Sullivan, C.M. (2002). The process through which a strengths-based intervention resulted in positive change for battered women over time. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30, 103-132.
11.
Campbell, R.S., Sullivan, C.M., & Davidson, W.S. , II (1995). Women who use domestic violence shelters: Changes in depression over time. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 237-255.
12.
Caralis, P.V., & Musialowski, R. (1997). Women’s experiences with domestic violence and their attitudes and expectations regarding medical care of abuse victims. Southern Medical Journal, 90, 1075-1080.
13.
Carlson, B.E., McNutt, L., Choi, D.Y., & Rose, I.M. ( 2002). Intimate partner abuse and mental health: The role of social support and other protective factors. Violence Against Women, 8, 720-745.
14.
Coker, A.L., Smith, P.H., Thompson, M.P., McKewn, R.E., Bethea, L., & Davis, K.E. ( 2002). Social support protects against the negative effects of partner violence on mental health. Journal of Women’s Health and Gender-Based Medicine, 11, 465-476.
15.
Coker A.L., Watkins, K.W., Smith, P.H., & Brandt, H.M. ( 2003). Social support reduces the impact of partner violence on health: Application of structural equation models. Preventive Medicine, 37, 259-267.
16.
Davies, J., Lyon, E., & Monti-Catania, D. (1998). Safety planning with battered women. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
17.
Davies, K., Block, C.R., & Campbell, J. ( 2007). Seeking help from the police: Battered women’s’ decisions and experiences. Criminal Justice Studies, 20, 15-41.
18.
Dienemann, J., Boyle, E., Baker, D., Resnick, W., Widerhorn, N., & Campbell, J. ( 2000). Intimate partner abuse among women diagnosed with depression . Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 21, 499-513.
19.
Dunham, K., & Senn, C.Y. ( 2000). Minimizing negative experiences: Women’s disclosure of partner abuse. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15, 251-263.
20.
El-Bassel, N., Gilbert, L., Rajah, V., Folleno, A., & Frye, V. ( 2001). Social support among women in methadone treatment who experience partner violence: Isolation and male controlling behavior. Violence Against Women, 7, 246-275.
21.
Erez, E., & Belknap, J. ( 1998). In their own words: Battered women’s assessment of systemic responses. Violence and Victims, 13, 3-20.
22.
Few, A.L. ( 2005). The voices of Black and White rural battered women in domestic violence shelters. Family Relations, 54, 488-500.
23.
Fleury, R., Sullivan, C., Bybee, D.I., & Davidson, W.S. (1998). Why don’t they just call the cops?: Reasons for differential contact among women with abusive partners. Violence and Victims, 13, 333-346.
24.
Goodkind, J.R., Gillum, T.L., Bybee, D.I., & Sullivan, C.M. (2003). The impact of family and friends’ reactions on the well-being of women with abusive partners . Violence Against Women, 9, 347-373.
25.
Goodman, L., Bennett, L., & Dutton, M.A. ( 1999). Obstacles to victims’ cooperation with the criminal prosecution of their abusers: The role of social support. Violence and Victims, 14, 427-444.
26.
Goodman, L., Dutton, M.A., Weinfurt, W., & Vankos, N. ( 2005). Women’s resources and use of strategies as risk and protective factors for re-abuse over time. Violence and Victims, 11, 311-336.
27.
Hage, S.M. ( 2006). Profiles of women survivors: The development of agency in abusive relationships. Journal of Counseling & Development , 84, 83-94.
28.
Hartman, J., & Belknap, J. ( 2003). Beyond the gatekeepers: Court professionals’ self-reported attitudes about and experiences with domestic violence cases. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 30, 349-373.
29.
Hassouneh, D., & Glass, N. ( 2008). The influence of gender role stereotyping on women’s experiences of female same-sex intimate partner violence. Violence Against Women, 14, 310-325.
30.
Hollenshead, J.H., Dai, Y., Ragsdale, M.K., Massey, E., & Scott, R. ( 2006). Relationship between two types of help seeking behavior in domestic violence victims. Journal of Family Violence, 21, 271-279.
31.
Johnson, H. (1995). Risk factors associated with non-lethal violence against women by marital partners. In C. R. Block & R. Block (Eds.), Trends, risks, and interventions in lethal violence (pp. 151-168). Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.Johnson, I. (2007). Victims’ perceptions of police responses to domestic violence incidents. Journal of Criminal Justice, 35, 498-510.
32.
Jones, A.S., Campbell, J.C., Schollenberger, J., Dienemann, J.A., Kub, J., O’Campo, P.J., et al. (1999). Annual and lifetime prevalence of partner abuse in a sample of female HMO enrollees. Women’s Health Issues, 9, 295-305.
33.
Jones, S.M., Bogat, G.A., Davidson, W.S., von Eye, A., & Levondosky, A. (2005). Family support and mental health in pregnant women experiencing interpersonal partner violence. American Journal of Community Psychology, 36, 97-108.
34.
Jordan, C.A. ( 2004). Intimate partner violence and the justice system: An examination of the interface. Journal of Interpersonal Violence , 19, 1412-1434.
35.
Knickmeyer, N., Levitt, H.M., Horne, S.G., & Bayer, G. ( 2004). Responding to mixed messages and double binds: Religious oriented coping strategies of Christian battered women. Journal of Religion & Abuse, 5, 55-82.
36.
Kurz, D., & Stark, E. ( 1988). Not-so-benign neglect: The medical response to battering . In K. Yllo & M. Bograd (Ed.), Feminist perspectives on wife abuse (pp. 249-268). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
37.
Levendosky, A.A., Bogat, G.A., Theran, S.A., Trotter, J.S., von Eye, A., & Davidson, W.S. , II (2004). The social networks of women experiencing domestic violence. American Journal of Community Psychology, 34, 95-109.
38.
Liang, B., Goodman, L., Tummala-Narra, P., & Weintraub, S. ( 2005). A theoretical framework for understanding help-seeking processes among survivors of intimate partner violence. American Journal of Community Psychology, 36, 71-84.
39.
Logan, T.K., Shannon, L.S., & Walker, R. ( 2005). Protective orders in rural and urban areas: A multiple perspective study. Violence Against Women, 11, 876-911.
40.
McKenry, P., Serovich, J., Mason, T., & Mosack, K. ( 2006). Perpetration of gay and lesbian partner violence: A disempowerment perspective. Journal of Family Violence, 21, 233-243.
41.
Mirowsky, J. ( 1999). Analyzing associations between mental health and social circumstances. In C. S. Aneshensel & J. C. Phelan (Eds.), Handbook of the sociology of mental health (pp. 105-123). New York: Plenum.
42.
Mitchell, R., & Hodson, C.A. ( 1983). Coping with domestic violence: Social support and psychological health among battered women. American Journal of Community Psychology, 11, 629-654.
43.
Potter, H. ( 2007). Battered Black women’s use of religion and spirituality for assistance in leaving abusive relationships. Violence Against Women, 13, 262-284.
44.
Radloff, L.S. ( 1977). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement , 1, 385-401.
45.
Rennison, C.M., & Welchans, S. ( 2000). Intimate partner violence. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics. Department of Justice .
46.
Rose, L.E., Campbell, J., & Kub, J. ( 2000). The role of social support and family relationships in women’s responses to battering. Health Care for Women International, 21, 27-39.
47.
Staggs, S.L., Long, S.M., Mason, G.E., Krishnan, S., & Riger, S. ( 2007). Intimate partner violence, social support, and employment in the post-welfare reform era. Journal of Interpersonal Violence , 22, 345-367.
48.
Stark, E. ( 2007). Coercive control: How men entrap women in personal life . New York: Oxford University Press .
49.
Straus, M.A. ( 1979). Measuring intrafamily conflict and violence: The Conflict Tactic (CT) Scales. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 75-88.
50.
Sullivan, C.M., & Bybee, D.I. ( 1999). Reducing violence using community-based advocacy for women with abusive partners. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 6, 43-53.
51.
Tan, C., Basta, J., Sullivan, C.M., & Davidson, W. ( 1995). The role of social support in the lives of women exiting domestic violence shelters. Journal of Interpersonal Violence , 10, 437-452.
52.
Theran, S.A., Sullivan, C.M., Bogat, G.A., & Stewart, C.S. ( 2006). Abusive partners and ex-partners: Understanding the effects of relationship to the abuser on women’s well-being. Violence Against Women, 10, 950-969.
53.
Thompson, M.P., Kaslow, N.J., Kingree, J.B., Rashid, A., Utett, R., Jacobs, D., et al. (2000). Partner violence, social support, and distress among inner-city African-American women. American Journal of Community Psychology, 28, 127-143.
54.
Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. ( 2000). Prevalence and consequences of male-to-female and female-to-male partner violence as measured by the National Violence Against Women Survey . Violence Against Women, 6, 142-161.
55.
Trujillo, M.P., & Ross, S. ( 2008). Police response to domestic violence: Making decisions about risk and risk management. Journal of Interpersonal Violence , 23, 454-473.
56.
Waldrop, A.E., & Resick, P.A. ( 2004). Coping among adult female victims of domestic violence . Journal of Family Violence, 19, 291-302.
57.
Wenzel, S.L., Tucker, J.S., Elliott, M.N., Marshall, G.N., & Williamson, S.L. (2004). Physical violence against impoverished women: A longitudinal analysis of risk and protective factors . Women’s Health Issues, 14, 144-154.
58.
Wuest, J., & Merritt-Gray, M. (1999). Not going back: Sustaining the separation in the process of leaving abusive relationships. Violence Against Women, 5, 110-133.
59.
Zlotnick, C., Johnson, D.M., & Kohn, R. ( 2006). Intimate partner violence and long-term psychosocial functioning in a national sample ofAmerican women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 262-275.
60.
Zweig, J.M., Schlichter, K.A., & Burt, M.R. ( 2002). Assisting women victims of violence who experience multiple barriers to service. Violence Against Women, 8, 162-180.
