A Cross-sectional Study to Find out the Prevalence of Different Types of Domestic Violence in Gwalior City and to Identify the Various Risk and Protective Factors for Domestic Violence

Background:

Violence against women is a universal phenomenon that persists in all communities and in all countries of the world and the perpetrator of that violence is often well-known to the victim. Domestic violence in particular continues to be frighteningly common and well-accepted as “normal” within too many societies.

Objectives:

(1) The primary aim of this study is to find out the extent of different type of domestic violence and to identify various risk factors for domestic violence against married women. (2) The secondary aim is to identify the various protective factors of domestic violence against married women.

Materials and Methods:

The present study was a population based cross-sectional study carried out in the urban area of Gwalior city for a period of one year. Stratified random sampling technique was used for the selection of the samples. The study participants were interviewed using a pretested semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. Proportion, Pearson''s, chi-square test and odds ratio were calculated for the analysis of the study.

Result:

Of the 144 study participants, 68 participants reported some form of domestic violence, which was either physical, sexual or emotional. The most common type of violence reported was physical violence. The most important risk factor for domestic violence was alcoholism followed by literacy status. Majority of the abused women were dependent on their husbands for money, material assets and expenditure.

Conclusion:

The study hereby recommends that to prevent domestic violence government has to take stringent action for making women more self-reliant especially by making the women more literate and more financially independent.     

Intimate partner violence and help-seeking: The role of femicide news

Exploiting high-frequency data from the Italian anti-violence helpline, police reports of domestic abuse and maltreatments, and a unique geolocalized dataset on killings of women, we show that the news coverage of a femicide triggers an increase in help-seeking behavior. The effect is detectable in the period following the news and in the province where the femicide has occurred. Additionally, help-seeking increases more when the general interest and news coverage are higher. These findings are consistent with a model in which femicide news increase expectations about future intimate partner violence in case no action is taken. Our results imply that recurrent information campaigns and public discussion can foster help-seeking from survivors of gender-based violence.     

Associations Between Perceptions and Involvement in Neighborhood Violence and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Urban,African American Men

Violence disproportionately affects African American men and their communities. Research is needed to inform programming efforts to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in violence exposure, involvement, and victimization. The current study examined involvement in and perceptions of neighborhood violence and relation to perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) among a sample of urban, African American men. Participants of this cross-sectional study were sexually active African American men (n = 703) between the ages of 18 and 65 years, recruited from urban community health centers. Age-adjusted logistic regression models were used to assess associations between neighborhood violence variables and perpetration of IPV. In age-adjusted logistic regression models, involvement with street violence in the previous 6 months (Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.0; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.9–4.6), ever being involved with gangs (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.3–3.2), and perceptions/beliefs that violence occurs in one’s neighborhood (ORs = 2.0–3.1) were found to be significantly associated with IPV perpetration. Findings demonstrate that involvement in neighborhood violence as well as perceptions/beliefs that violence occurs in one’s neighborhood are associated with increased likelihood of IPV perpetration among urban, African American men. While socioeconomics and substance use contribute to high rates of these forms of violence, the relation between these forms of violence and perpetration of IPV was significant beyond the influences of these factors. Findings suggest that future violence prevention and treatment efforts will be most successful by addressing multiple forms of violence.     

Vulnerabilities,Stressors, and Adaptations in Situationally Violent Relationships

Very little research has examined the dynamics within couple relationships that may lead to situational couple violence (SCV; M. P. Johnson, 2006a ; K. H. Rosen, S. M. Stith, A. L. Few, K. L. Daly, & D. R. Tritt, 2005 ). To enhance understanding of these dynamics, we conducted a qualitative analysis of interviews with 11 couples previously classified as engaging in SCV using M. P. Johnson and K. J. Ferraro's (2000) typology of violent relationships. In this analysis, sensitizing concepts from the vulnerability‐stress‐adaptation Model ( B. R. Karney & T. N. Bradbury, 1995 ) were used to better understand the experiences of couples who report situational violence in their relationships. Findings demonstrate ways in which vulnerabilities and stressful events combine to create adaptive processes in couples, such as compliance, escalation, or withdrawal, which may lead to violence.     

Getting men in the room: perceptions of effective strategies to initiate men’s involvement in gender-based violence prevention in a global sample

Abstract

As engaging men in gender-based violence prevention efforts becomes an increasingly institutionalised component of gender equity work globally, clarity is needed about the strategies that best initiate male-identified individuals’ involvement in these efforts. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived relevance and effectiveness of men’s engagement strategies from the perspective of men around the world who have organised or attended gender-based violence prevention events. Participants responded to an online survey (available in English, French and Spanish) and rated the effectiveness of 15 discrete engagement strategies derived from earlier qualitative work. Participants also provided suggestions regarding strategies in open-ended comments. Listed strategies cut across the social ecological spectrum and represented both venues in which to reach men, and the content of violence prevention messaging. Results suggest that all strategies, on average, were perceived as effective across regions of the world, with strategies that tailor messaging to topics of particular concern to men (such as fatherhood and healthy relationships) rated most highly. Open-ended comments also surfaced tensions, particularly related to the role of a gender analysis in initial men’s engagement efforts. Findings suggest the promise of cross-regional adaptation and information sharing regarding successful approaches to initiating men’s anti-violence involvement.     

Is travel distance a barrier to veterans' use of VA hospitals for medical surgical care?

Lengthy travel distances may explain why relatively few veterans in the United States use VA hospitals for inpatient medical/surgical care. We used two approaches to distinguish the effect of distance on VA use from other factors such as access to alternatives and veterans' characteristics. The first approach describes how disparities in travel distance to the VA are related to other characteristics of geographic areas. The second approach involved a multivariate analysis of VA use in postal zip code areas (ZCAs). We used several sources of data to estimate the number of veterans who had priority access to the VA so that use rates could be estimated. Access to hospitals was characterized by estimated travel distance to inpatient providers that typically serve each ZCA. The results demonstrate that travel distance to the VA is variable, with veterans in rural areas traveling much farther for VA care than veterans in areas of high population density. However, Medicare recipients also travel farther in areas of low population density. In some areas veterans must travel lengthy distances for VA care because VA hospitals which were built over the past few decades are not located close to areas in which veterans reside in the 1990s. The disparities in travel distance suggest inequitable access to the VA. Use of the VA decreases with increases in travel distance only up to about 15 miles, after which use is relatively insensitive to further increases in distance. The multivariate analyses indicate that those over 65 are less sensitive to distance than younger veterans, even though those over 65 are Medicare eligible and therefore have inexpensive access to alternatives. The results suggest that proximity to a VA hospital is only one of many factors determining VA use. Further research is indicated to develop an appropriate response to the needs of the small but apparently dedicated group of VA users who are traveling very long distances to obtain VA care.     

Health Care Expenditures for Urban and Rural Veterans in Veterans Health Administration Care

Objective. To compare Veterans Health Administration (VA) patients, non-VA-using veterans, and nonveterans, separated by urban/rural residence and age group, on their use of major categories of medical care and payment sources.
Data Source. Expenditures for health care–using men in Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys from 1996 through 2004.
Study Design. Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis.
Data Collection/Extraction Methods. Controlling for demographics, health status, and insurance, we compared groups on population-weighted expenditures for inpatient, hospital-based outpatient, office-based, pharmacy, and other care, by major payers (self/family, private insurance, Medicare, other sources, and VA).
Results. VA users received most of their health care outside of the VA system, paid through private insurance or Medicare; self-payments were substantial. VA users under 65 reported worse health if they were rural residents but also lower expenditures overall and less care through private insurance.
Conclusions. VA health care users get most of their medical care from non-VA providers. Working-age VA users have less insurance coverage and rely more on VA care if they live in rural areas.     

Recruiting and retaining dental labor in federal facilities: Harder than pulling teeth?

The U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) is a large publicly financed health system that has long struggled with provider shortages. Shortages may arise at the VA because it offers different compensation than private sector employment options or because of differences in the way that labor is supplied to public versus private employers. In the mid‐2000s, the VA adopted a more generous and flexible pay schedule for its dentists. We exploit this salary schedule change to study the impact of a positive wage shock on dental labor supplied to the VA, within a difference‐in‐differences framework. We find limited effects on VA separation and new hire rates overall—though early career dentists appear more sensitive to the wage change. More generous pay has its clearest effects on employment type for VA dentists, reducing the likelihood of being part‐time by roughly 10%.     

Physical, emotional and sexual violence during pregnancy in Malatya, Turkey

BACKGROUND: In Turkey, violence against women was established as a critical area of concern related to women and various prevention strategies have been developed since 1980. There are limited numbers of studies on violence during pregnancy in the country. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of physical, emotional and sexual violence during pregnancy in Malatya province and the associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional interview survey was conducted among pregnant women living in Malatya province between October 2003 and May 2004. Stratified probability-proportional-to-size sampling methodology was used for selecting the study population. A total of 824 pregnant women from 60 clusters were studied. Association between violence prevalences and womens' sociodemographic, fertility and behavioural characteristics were evaluated. RESULTS: During pregnancy 31.7% of women were exposed to any form of violence. Emotional violence was the most frequently reported form (26.7%), followed by sexual (9.7%) and physical violence (8.1%). Regular smoking [odds ratio (OR) 1.6], unwanted pregnancy (OR 1.8), living in urban area (OR 1.5), low education level of husband (OR 1.7), low family income (OR 1.9) and being in second trimester (OR 1.4) were determined to be the main predictors of overall violence during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Violence during pregnancy is a common public health problem in Malatya. Low education level in partners, low family income, husband's unemployment, urban settlement, unwanted pregnancy and smoking should alert health staff towards violence at pregnancy and training of health personnel on the subject is recommended.     

Can we foretell violence? Predictors of being victim and perpetrator of domestic violence involving children and adolescents in a Brazilian metropolis

ABSTRACT

Domestic Violence involving children and adolescents is a complex multi-causal phenomenon. This research aims to determine the predictors’ factors for children and adolescents’ victims and perpetrators of domestic violence in a Brazilian Metropolis. Cross-sectional study (n = 780). The logistic regression model was realized to present predictors. The models obtained good prediction, evaluation, and applicability. The main findings: 1) Model for victims was composed by the previous violence suffered, absence at school, working, using chemical substances and Divorced parents. 2) Model for perpetrators was composed of threats suffered and parents using chemical substances. Finally, it is fundamental to strengthen intersectoral and interdisciplinary public policies.     

Updated U.S. population standard for the Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12)

Purpose  The purpose of this project was to develop an updated U.S. population standard for the Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12). Methods  We used a well-defined and nationally representative sample of the U.S. population from 52,425 responses to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) collected between 2000 and 2002. We applied modified regression estimates to update the non-proprietary 1990 scoring algorithms. We applied the updated standard to the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) to compute the VR-12 physical (PCS_{(MEPS standard)}) and mental (MCS_{(MEPS standard)}) component summaries based on the MEPS. We compared these scores to PCS and MCS based on the 1990 U.S. population standard. Results  Using the updated U.S. population standard, the average VR-12 PCS_{(MEPS standard)} and MCS_{(MEPS standard)} scores in the Medicare HOS were 39.82 (standard deviation [SD] = 12.2) and 50.08 (SD = 11.4), respectively. For the same Medicare HOS, the average PCS and MCS scores based on the 1990 standard were 1.40 points higher and 0.99 points lower in comparison to VR-12 PCS and MCS, respectively. Conclusions  Changes in the U.S. population between 1990 and today make the old standard obsolete for the VR-12, so the updated standard developed here is widely available to serve as such a contemporary standard for future applications for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessments.

Why Family Professionals Can No Longer Ignore Violence Toward Animals*

The issue of violence to animals has been virtually ignored by family scholars and other family professionals. After looking at why animal abuse has not received attention, it is argued that those who study and work with families need to attend to animal abuse for seven reasons: (a) animal abuse is a serious antisocial behavior by children and adolescents; (b) it is a relatively common childhood occurrence; (c) it has potential negative developmental consequences; (d) violence toward animals is related to interpersonal violence; (e) it is connected to and may be a marker of family violence; (f) the well‐being of companion animals is being neglected; and (g) it will help achieve a less violent society. The implications for research, policy, counseling and human services, and family life education are discussed.     

Neighborhood and Individual-Level Violence and Unintended Pregnancy

As many as half of all pregnancies are unintended, and unintended pregnancy has been linked to a variety of adverse pregnancy and infant health outcomes. Our aim was to determine if urban women who experience high levels of neighborhood and/or individual-level violence are at an increased risk of reporting an unintended pregnancy. One thousand five hundred thirty-six pregnant women seeking care in an emergency department in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were recruited in their first or second trimester and completed in-person interviews. Information on demographic characteristics, social support, substance abuse, current experience and history of interpersonal violence, perceptions of current neighborhood-level violence, and the intendedness of their current pregnancy were gathered. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between violence indicators and pregnancy intendedness. Six hundred twenty-seven women (41%) reported an unintended pregnancy. Not feeling safe in one's neighborhood was significantly associated with reporting an unintended pregnancy (odds ratio (OR), 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02–1.61) when demographic, other neighborhood, and individual-level violence indicators were accounted for. Furthermore, history of sexual abuse (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.11–2.04), violence in previous pregnancy (OR = 1.7, 95% CI, 1.15–2.51), and a high index of spousal abuse score (OR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.32–2.04) were also associated with unintended pregnancy in multiple logistic regression models. These findings indicate that neighborhood-level violence and other individual-level violence indicators may be important when examining factors related to unintended pregnancy among young, urban women.     

What Accounts for Demographic Differences in Trajectories of Adolescent Dating Violence? An Examination of Intrapersonal and Contextual Mediators

PURPOSE: To identify intrapersonal and contextual factors that mediate associations between demographic variables (minority status, socioeconomic status, family structure, gender, and neighborhood disadvantage) and trajectories of moderate and severe physical dating violence perpetration from ages 13-19 years. METHODS: Multi-wave data from 959 adolescents were analyzed using formal mediation analysis in a multilevel analytical framework. RESULTS: Gender and neighborhood disadvantage were not associated with trajectories of dating violence, and therefore mediation was not examined for those variables. At all ages, minority adolescents reported perpetrating significantly more moderate and severe physical dating violence than non-minority adolescents. Destructive communication skills, acceptance of dating abuse, gender stereotyping, and exposure to family violence significantly mediated those associations. Parental education was significantly negatively associated with moderate physical dating violence. Acceptance of dating abuse, gender stereotyping, and exposure to family violence significantly mediated that association. At all ages, adolescents from single-parent households perpetrated significantly more severe physical dating violence than adolescents from two-parent households, but no variables mediated that association. CONCLUSIONS: Each of the identified mediating variables is amenable to change through interventions targeted at high-risk subgroups of adolescents identified by these demographic characteristics.     

‘There is fear but there is no other work’: a preliminary qualitative exploration of the experience of sex workers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Two decades of conflict and insecurity have had a devastating impact on many in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including marginalised groups such as sex workers. In the province of North Kivu, many residents face desperate conditions that render them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. As a result, many turn to the sex trade in what can often be described as ‘survival sex’. This small-scale qualitative study explores the experience of urban sex workers in the eastern region of the DRC. Sex workers were recruited at their place of business and asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. Eight participants were recruited, including seven women and one man. Our analysis identified several themes: (1) economic hardship as a catalyst for joining the sex trade, (2) significant work-related violence and (3) a paucity of available resources or assistance. Responses to specific prompts indicated that sex workers do not trust law enforcement and there are significant barriers to both medical care and local resources. Further studies of this vulnerable population and its needs are encouraged in order to develop programmes that provide the means to manage the hazards of their work and obtain an alternative source of income.     

The Resolve to Stop the Violence Project: transforming an in-house culture of violence through a jail-based programme

BACKGROUND: The usual modes of incarceration have not been found to curb violence significantly, even while in custody. A jail-based programme called the Resolve to Stop the Violence Project (RSVP) was created with the hypothesis that immersing men with a history of serious, recent and often multiple violent crimes in an intensive, multi-modal in-house 'culture' would serve as a possible first step to preventing further violence. METHODS: Two years of incident reports were reviewed for the programme dorm and a regular dorm, both typically serving an average of 56 male inmates of similar composition, for historic and between-dorm comparisons. RESULTS: During the year before RSVP began, there were 24 violent incidents serious enough to have constituted felonies had they occurred in the community (roughly three per month) in the 62-bed dorm. During the first month RSVP was in effect there was one such incident; and for the following 12 months, there were none. During that same year, the control dorm that still followed traditional jail practices had 28 violent incidents. CONCLUSIONS: Correctional efforts may improve with the transformation of subcultures into therapeutic communities that facilitate the practice of prosocial skills over attitudes and mores that engender violence.     

Victim Help Seeking: Differences Between Intimate Terrorism and Situational Couple Violence

Abstract: Research indicates that two major forms of partner violence exist, intimate terrorism (IT) and situational couple violence (SCV). The current study (N= 389) used a subgroup of women who responded to the Chicago Women’s Health Risk Study to examine whether type of violence experienced is differentially related to formal (e.g., police, medical agencies, counseling) and informal (e.g., family, friends/neighbors) help seeking. IT victims were more likely to seek each type of formal help but were equally or less likely to seek informal help. Findings can inform both family violence research and the development and implementation of social service programs.