Affilia

Many theoretical frameworks have been suggested for practice with survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) with very little verification of application. This study uses data from qualitative interviews with 22 IPV advocates to assess what constructs guide practice. What theories and philosophies guide advocacy practice? The findings revealed that empowerment, feminism, and strengths-based perspective are dominant lenses for practice but that hope theory and emerging clinical models are beginning to be adopted by advocates. Implications are discussed.

Three white female social work instructors reflect on our privilege and its manifestations in the classroom. Using examples from our teaching, we describe the limiting effects of our privilege, including making assumptions about our students’ experiences, displaying bias in our choice of teaching materials, and not meeting student learning needs. We also noticed times when we modeled skills for students, held ourselves accountable for our actions, and were allies for students from marginalized backgrounds. Through reflection, we strive to transform the limitations into critical learning opportunities in social work education. Implications are discussed for teaching and institutional support.

The absence of representation from the sex industry in efforts to address the commercial sexual exploitation of children is striking. “Voices” that get heard are generally limited to survivor testimony, while those who are currently in “the life” are excluded, despite the fact that many enter into prostitution underage and would have been defined as child sex trafficking victims under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. This article explores the silencing effect of conflating prostitution with sex trafficking, the ways in which sex workers might contribute to addressing the commercial sexual exploitation of children as “allies,” and the ethical responsibility of social workers in anti-trafficking work.

Latinas may be unlikely to report violent crime, particularly when undocumented. This research examines the impact of fear of deportation and trust in the procedural fairness of the justice system on willingness to report violent crime victimization among a sample of Latinas (N = 1,049) in the United States. Fear of deportation was a significant predictor of Latinas’ perceptions of the procedural fairness of the criminal justice system. However, trust in the police is more important than fear of deportation in Latinas’ willingness to report violent crime victimization. Social workers can provide rights-based education and encourage relationship building between police and Latino communities.

This study aimed to assess the mediating impact of depression on the association between three forms of intimate partner violence (economic abuse, physical/sexual abuse, and emotional abuse) and later experiences of material hardship. Partial mediation effects were found for economic and physical/sexual abuse, while no impact of emotional abuse on experiences of material hardship was observed. Experiencing economic (odds ratio [OR] = 1.39) or physical/sexual abuse (OR = 1.55) both had strong direct effects on later experiences of material hardship. Implications for social work practice include the need to address both economic abuse and long-term economic stability with survivors.

Social capital is positively associated with adult health and well-being. We know little, however, about the impact of social capital for women, especially those from developing nations. Knowledge of this relationship is important not only for women but also for social workers engaged with this population. This study examines the impact of social capital on the health and well-being of 6,099 women in Indonesia. Results indicate that education and trust positively correlate with health and well-being. The findings are relevant for social workers at a direct practice and programmatic level to offer services designed for improved health and well-being.

Fifty years after the Equal Pay Act of 1963, research continues to find disparities between the salaries of men and women across disciplines. This study examines empirical evidence about salary and gender within the social work profession from the 1960s to present day. All available articles with empirical data regarding salary and gender during the time period were included in this systematic review. Salary disparities were found between men and women in the vast majority of studies. The authors classify contributing factors into three categories (a) characteristics of the employing organizations, (b) characteristics of the position held, and (c) characteristics of the individual, and include a discussion of factors relevant to social workers in academic positions. The researchers recommend legislative policy changes, best practices in organizational policy, and proactive education within social work programs. Social workers have the opportunity to effect change in this area by promoting social justice within our society, practice, and educational institutions.

This study investigated Zimbabwean Christian women who had experienced domestic violence with a view to finding out the forms of violence these women experienced at the hands of their male intimate partners. The qualitative investigation was informed by the feminist paradigm. Data were collected, by means of in-depth semistructured interviews, from 22 Christian women who were purposefully selected. The women were aged 18 and above and stayed in and around urban Masvingo, Zimbabwe. Data were analyzed thematically. The study revealed diverse but interrelated forms of domestic violence, namely, physical, verbal/emotional, sexual, and economic. Knowledge of forms of domestic violence could assist social workers to come up with relevant intervention strategies to curb domestic violence. Further research going beyond the scope of the current one would enrich an understanding of domestic violence in the form of intimate partner violence.

Through an historical biographical lens, this article examines the career of an early Canadian social worker, Bessie Touzel (1904–1997). Touzel was a socialist feminist and practiced a left-leaning form of social work during the formative years of the profession. This was in tension with the earlier dominant ideas based on an imperial Anglo-Christian worldview. Two world wars, the Great Depression, and the establishment of the welfare state in Canada are the backdrop to contested ideas on the identity of the newly establishing female-dominated profession. As a woman in senior administration in early public social services, Touzel was a feminist pioneer with a vision of equal rights within a framework of universal rights. A closer look at her career illuminates not only the obstacles and challenges she faced as she strove to defend her personal social work values but also highlights the debates, which the profession struggled to reconcile.