Violence and victims
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Violence and victims · Jan 1996
Childhood abuse as a precursor to homelessness for homeless women with severe mental illness.
Previous studies of childhood abuse levels among homeless women have typically focused either on single homeless women or female heads of families; almost none have focused specifically on homeless women with severe mental illness. This study explores rates of childhood physical and sexual abuse among 120 homeless women with severe mental illness. ⋯ The experience of childhood abuse was related to increased suicidality, and resulted in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder for some women. Women who had suffered abuse were also much more likely to become homeless during childhood and it is suggested that this is an important precursor to homelessness for many homeless women with chronic and severe mental illness.
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Violence and victims · Jan 1996
The applicability of the theory of planned behavior to abusive men's cessation of violent behavior.
This study examined the ability of Ajzen's (1988; 1991) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to explain men's cessation of violent behavior. TPB suggests that a man's intention to abuse his female partner, and therefore his subsequent abusive behavior will be determined by: (1) his evaluation of possible outcomes of abusive behavior (attitudes toward behavior); (2) his perception of the expectations of others around him concerning violence and (3) the degree to which he believes he can control his abusive behavior. Pretest self-report measures from men and follow-up recidivism data based on partner report were available for 176 cases drawn from a previous study conducted by Harrell (1991). ⋯ Regression analyses testing the TPB model provided modest support for prediction of intention to reabuse and subsequent abusive behavior. Of the TPB variables, perceived control appeared to be most important in understanding batterers' intentions to abuse and their subsequent abusive behavior. Refinement in measurements and the need for additional modifications to the model are discussed.
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Violence and victims · Jan 1995
Comparative StudyThe role of shame and guilt in the intergenerational transmission of abusiveness.
Shame-proneness has been found to be related to anger arousal and a tendency to externalize attributions for one's own behavior, both common features of men who assault their wives. The present study examined a potential origin of a shame-prone style by analysing reports of shaming experiences by ones' parents as reported by a population of assaultive males. ⋯ These shaming actions were largely comprised of recollections of parental punishment that were public, random, or global. The role of shame experiences in disturbances of self-identity and rage is discussed.
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Violence and victims · Jan 1995
Exposure to serious family violence among incarcerated boys: its association with violent offending and potential mediating variables.
A sample of 213 delinquent male adolescents (mean age = 16.1) were compared on interview-based measures concerning exposure to interadult family violence and physical abuse, attitudes toward aggression, self-reported competence, and coping strategies. Using juvenile arrest data and self-reports of violence behaviors, the sample was divided into four groups: "Violent Offenders," "Violent Deniers," and "Controls." Results indicated that violent offenders and undetected violent offenders had higher rates of exposure to serious physical abuse, and weapons violence between adults, than controls and deniers. ⋯ Logistics regression analyses were also consistent with the hypothesis that the effects of exposure to family violence on serious violent offending are mediated by beliefs supporting aggression and by the tendency to cope through aggressive control-seeking. Implications of these results for future research concerning exposure to family violence as a risk factor for serious violent offending are discussed.
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Violence and victims · Jan 1995
Interpersonal conflict which includes mistreatment in a university workplace.
In order to provide detailed documentation of faculty and staff experiences of perceived mistreatment, this article reports the findings of an institutional survey of mistreatment. From a random sample of 1,585 (11%) of one university's workforce, 810 (51%) responses were received. Of the total responses, 187 (23%) met criteria used to define cases of perceived workplace mistreatment. ⋯ The highest proportion of reported mistreatment was 38% for professional staff (at-will employees), followed in order by 25% for classified staff (covered by civil service protection), and 11% for faculty. These findings indicate that mistreatment occurs at all levels in institutions of higher education. The negative consequences of mistreatment for individuals in the workplace, as well as for the institution as a whole, are substantial.