Issue 8 Archive

From the Editor

The peer-reviewed articles in this second fall issue of Family Violence Prevention and Health Practice Ejournal address a broad spectrum of family violence issues. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a health disparities issue that affects families from every ethnicity and cultural background. There is, however, a dearth of research on the interface between IPV, ethnicity, culture, and health. A qualitative study by Dr. Sloane Burke and colleagues provides invaluable insight into Latina women’s experiences with victimization by an intimate partner. A case study by Dr. Christine Murray and colleagues describes how community-based participatory research can provide leadership opportunities for women who create resistance strategies that are culturally and socially responsive to their communities.

Latina Women’s Experiences with Intimate Partner Violence: A Grounded Theory Approach

Sloane C. Burke, Ph.D.; Jody S. Oomen-Early, Ph.D.; Robin C. Rager, Ph.D.

Only a few studies focusing on intimate partner abuse against Latina women have been conducted. Fifteen Latina women above the age of 18, who by self-report were survivors of intimate partner abuse, participated in this qualitative research study. The findings provide useful information for the provision of culturally appropriate programs and services aimed at domestic violence prevention and intervention for this at-risk population.

Women’s Leadership Network

Christine E. Murray; Paige Hall Smith; T. Sharee Fowler; Jacquelyn W. White; Marie Stamey

The Women’s Leadership Network for Safe and Healthy Relationships is an innovative community-based approach to domestic violence resistance. Its goal is to enhance the capacity of women to create domestic violence resistance strategies tailored to the unique cultural and social needs of their communities. This approach is grounded in best practices in family violence prevention programming, community organizing, and community-based participatory research. This article describes the implementation of the program in a lower income, predominantly African-American neighborhood in the southeastern United States.

News and Announcements

April 24-25, 2009, Minneapolis, MN: Sowing Seeds of Academic Change, Nurturing New Paradigms

Silence Speaks Survivor Digital Story DVD Now Available!

Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Display Distinct Patterns of Facial Injury

Integrating Motivational Interviewing into Home-Based Child Maltreatment Prevention and Family Preservation Services

Jane Silovsky, Ph.D.; Thad R. Leffingwell, Ph.D.; Debra B. Hecht, Ph.D.

Family’s resistance to change problematic behaviors is a common problem facing home-based family service providers. This article describes the use of Motivational Interviewing as a tool for dealing with this resistance. Basic principles, opportunities for application, and ethics are discussed.

Commentary – Motivational Interviewing (MI), Child Maltreatment (CM), and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV): Challenges and Opportunities

Lonna Davis, Family Violence Prevention Fund

The significant connection between IPV and child abuse has been widely documented. In a review of studies examining the overlap of IPV and CM, it is estimated that the median occurrence for both problems to exist in the child protection caseload is approximately 40% (Appel & Holden, 1998). Given this overlap, all strategies for the reduction of child abuse must first inquire about the possibility for IPV or these strategies run the risk of being ineffective, causing unintended consequences, or even resulting in further harm.

From Childhood Exposure to Domestic Violence Victimization: Female Intergenerational Transmission of Domestic Violence

Sally Black, RN, PhD; Alice Hausman, MPH, PhD; Sandra H. Dempsey, MSS, MLSP; Martha B. Davis, MSS; Susan Robbins M.D., M.P.H.

This study documented women’s experiences, perceptions, and attitudes toward domestic violence (DV) and concerns about discussing DV with healthcare providers. Results show intergenerational trends of female victimization and identify the need for a systematic approach to helping families suffering from DV.