Violence Against Women

The association between domestic violence and physical health in middle-aged Australian women is investigated via a cross-sectional survey of 14,100 women (45 to 50 years old) who responded to the first Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health survey. After adjustment for demographic and health behavior characteristics and menopause status in multivariate analyses, various physical conditions (allergies or breathing problems, pain or fatigue, bowel problems, vaginal discharge, eyesight and hearing problems, low iron, asthma, bronchitis or emphysema, cervical cancer) were associated with domestic violence. The results highlight the link between health and domestic violence in middle-aged women and underscore the need for health professionals to take a full social history from women presenting with physical symptoms.

The present study investigated the prevalence of both current and lifetime physical partner abuse among Vietnamese males who reside in Vietnam. Participants (N = 315) were randomly selected to participate in the study. Participants completed the Vietnamese version of the Conflict Tactics Scale–2. A total of 47% (n = 148) of the sampled participants were identified as current physical abusers and 68% (n = 214) as past abusers. Four of the most common abusive tactics abusers exhibited toward their partner were (a) throwing something at their wife (80%), (b) pushing or shoving their partner (78%), (c) beating up their partner (54%), and (d) twisting their partner's arm or hair (60%).

This study examines the types of, availability of, use of, and satisfaction with informal and formal social supports among Afro-Trinidadian women who have experienced intimate partner violence. A total of 17 women participated in a 2-hour, face-to-face interview. The findings suggest that despite male dominance and control, women were able to maintain some contact with family and friends. Although some women felt they had family and friends to turn to, many were dissatisfied with the support. Women also expressed dissatisfaction with legal and social services.

The goal of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) is to provide a forum for sharing information and taking actions to reduce harm to high-risk domestic violence victims. Interviews with participants and victims, observations, and police data reveal how the MARACs work in practice and also what they can accomplish. Results showed MARACs to be invaluable: Agencies assisted victims more efficiently, primarily through enhanced information sharing. MARACs improve victims' safety because both police and victim data revealed that 6 in 10 victims had not been revictimized. These positive results demonstrate the benefits of a coordinated community response.

The role of hostile sexism in accounting for rape proclivity among men was investigated using a sample of Zimbabwean students. Participants were presented with either an acquaintance rape or a stranger rape scenario and asked to respond to five questions about the scenario designed to assess rape proclivity. As expected, a significant relationship between hostile sexism and rape proclivity was obtained in the acquaintance rape but not the stranger rape condition. These results replicate previous research and suggest that hostile sexists are more likely to express their hostility toward women in situations where such behavior might be perceived as acceptable.