Brittany E. Hayes

Religion and Sexual Behaviors Understanding the Influence of Islamic Cultures and Religious Affiliation for Explaining Sex Outside of Marriage

Social scientists have long been interested in how cultural and structural characteristics shape individuals’ actions. We investigate this relationship by examining how macro- and micro-level religious effects shape individuals’ reports of premarital and extramarital sex. We look at how identifying with one of the major world religions—Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, or Judaism—and living in a nation with a Muslim culture shape the likelihood of sex outside of marriage. Using hierarchical modeling techniques and cross-national data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, we find that ever married Hindus and Muslims are less likely to report having had premarital sex than are ever married Jews and Christians, and an earlier age at marriage does not appear to explain the relationship. Married Muslims are also less likely than affiliates of all other religions, except Buddhists, to report extramarital sex. The percentage Muslim within a nation decreases the odds of reports of premarital sex and this relationship is not explained by restrictions on women’s mobility. These findings contribute to research on religion, culture, policy, and health, as well as our understanding of the macro-micro relationship.

An Exploratory Study of Honor Crimes in the United States

There is a lack of research on honor crimes within the United States. We used an open source search methodology to identify the victim-offender relationship and motivations for this crime within the United States. Using data collected based on the protocol for the United States Extremist Crime Database (ECDB), we identified a total of 16 honor crimes with 40 victims that occurred between January 1st 1990 and December 31st 2014 in the United States. Based on our findings, the overarching motivations for honor crimes in the United States were the perpetrator’s former partner beginning the process of separation and the westernized behavior of the victim, typically the offender’s daughter or step-daughter. Honor crimes were not limited to current/former intimate partners or daughters, as they also included the death of extended family members (e.g. in-laws, nieces, and cousins). Policy implications and directions for future research on honor crimes are discussed.

Impact of Victim, Offender, and Relationship Characteristics on Frequency and Timing of Intimate Partner Violence using Life History Calendar Data

Objectives: To examine whether victim, offender, and relationship characteristics increase the risk and frequency of intimate partner violence (IPV). The effect of separation length on the risk of IPV is also evaluated. Methods: Using abuse incident data (N = 4,960) from IPV victims (n = 497), who accessed a health-care facility over a one-year period, between-individual differences in the frequency and timing of abuse were assessed. Dependence of event times within respondents was accounted for with conditional risk set “gap time” models, which stratified participants across event number and failure order. Results: Employment of both partners and only the victim decreased the risk and frequency. Employment of only the abuser and length of separation decreased frequency but was not significantly associated with timing of abuse. Separated and non-separated respondents were not significantly different in frequency (incident risk ratio = 1.06, p > .05) and timing of abuse, (exp (b) = 0.95, p > .05). Conclusions: By capturing the timing between abuse incidents, insight into the long-term risk of abuse is provided and accounts for selection effects. Findings call for an improvement in measuring relationship status indicators, including relationship length and time since separation. Future research should examine within-individual changes in separation and IPV risk.

Honor Crimes in the United States and Offenders’ Neutralization Techniques

ABSTRACT Honor crimes are violent acts that are experienced among different religions and ethnicities. This type of offense can be justified, either before or after the crime, by the offender’s perceived need to protect honor-based values. This study used Sykes and Matza’s neutralization theory to explain the offender’s justification of honor crimes. We used data from the United States Extremist Crime Database, which has incident, victim, and perpetrator level indicators for the population of honor crimes in the United States (N = 16). Using open source search files for the cases, neutralizations and justifications provided by the offenders are presented.

Influence of Individual- and National-Level Factors on Attitudes toward Intimate Partner Violence:

The study evaluated if individual- and national-level factors influence intimate partner violence (IPV) attitudes. Using Demographic and Health Surveys’ data, multilevel modeling was used to analyze 506,935 females nested in 41 nations. The results indicated that the respondents in nations with higher levels of gender inequality, measured by the Social Institutions and Gender Index, were more likely to agree a husband is justified to abuse his wife when she argues with him. National-level attitudes toward IPV and decision making at the individual level were significant predictors of IPV attitudes. The presence of another female while the survey was administered and differences across nations in question wording significantly affected IPV attitudes. The results confirm that both individual- and national-level factors shape individual IPV attitudes. National policies and programming should address gender inequality and patriarchal attitudes.

Indirect Abuse Involving Children During the Separation Process

Separation is believed to be an antidote to risk abusers pose to their partners and children and underlines many interventions in family, juvenile, and criminal court proceedings. Countering this belief is the claim that many abusers respond to the felt loss of power and control occasioned by separation by changing or escalating abusive tactics. This study complements research on post-separation by asking whether separation is associated with an increase in threats of indirect abuse, which relies on third parties to manipulate the victim. Children, and threats made against them, can be used as a proxy to control or intimidate the victim. Using data from the Chicago Women Health Risk Study (N = 339), the current study examined whether mothers who were separated were at greater risk of abuse through threats against the children when compared with mothers who were still in a relationship with their abuser. Results indicated that separated mothers were four times more likely to report threats to take and threats to harm the children, Exp(B) = 4.05, p < .05; Exp(B) = 3.93, p < .05, than non-separated mothers. Findings can be used to inform child custody procedures and the design of Family Justice Centers.

Community effects on women’s help-seeking behaviour for intimate partner violence in India: gender disparity, feminist theory, and empowerment

ABSTRACT While prior research has shown empowerment and gender disparity affect risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) in India, little research attention has been given to the effects of gender disparity and empowerment on the likelihood of help seeking for IPV. The present study used the nationally representative population-based 2005–2006 Indian National Family Health Surveys to assess individual/relationship- and community-level factors that influence help-seeking behaviour among a sample of women who reported having been involved in IPV. Results from the multilevel analyses revealed that working status, decision-making in the partner dyad, illiteracy, controlling behaviour, and severe physical or sexual abuse at the individual/relationship level affected the likelihood of help seeking. At the community level, age at marriage for women and the proportion of severe physical or sexual abuse affected help-seeking behaviours. Significant variation remains unexplained at the state level. Implications for programming are discussed.

Risk Factors of Physical and Sexual Abuse for Women in Mali Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample

Mali is a developing country that has marked inequalities between genders. Using the 2012-2013 Mali Demographic and Health Survey, a nationally representative sample of Malian women (N = 2,527), the study examined the effect of controlling behaviors, childhood exposure to and experience of violence, husband’s alcohol use, woman’s use of violence, and sociocultural factors on the likelihood of experiencing physical and sexual abuse. Findings indicated that controlling behavior, childhood exposure to violence, and husband’s use of alcohol were predictors of physical and sexual abuse. Respondent’s use of violence increased risk of physical abuse. Implications for programming in Mali are discussed.

Repeat victimization among intimate partner violence victims the impact of guardianship

Despite progress in the application of routine activity theory to violence against women, much remains unknown about guardianship. The current study examined if presence of a capable adult guardian limited the risk of revictimization by an intimate partner, controlling for social support (N = 497). Analyses tested differential impacts of guardians by examining if the presence of the victim’s friends/family, abuser’s friends/family, and/or bystander during the earliest reported physical abuse incident or threat of abuse affected likelihood of revictimization within a year. Odds of revictimization decreased by 60% when the earliest reported physical abuse incident or threat of abuse occurred in the presence of the respondent’s friends/family. Implications for practices and research suggestions are discussed.

Assessing online strategies aimed at enhancing campus safety

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate technological strategies (i.e. online training and university safety system) used at one southeastern four-year university to enhance campus safety. This paper investigates if an online training influenced rape myth acceptance (RMA) and if participation in the university safety system was associated with perceptions of campus safety. Design/methodology/approach Data from college students were collected via a survey that was distributed through the school’s e-mail system. The survey asked respondents about their perceptions of safety, experiences on campus, attitudes, and utilization of campus resources. In total, 1,583 students participated in the survey. Analyses were limited to 889 respondents not missing data. Findings RMA did not differ between those who completed the online training and those who did not complete the training. Regarding perceptions of campus safety, respondents who opted to receive emergency notifications were not significantly different from those who did not receive the notifications. Respondents who had the safety application felt safer on campus compared to those who did not have the application. Respondents who participated in the training, received notifications, and had the application felt safer on campus. Originality/value This study highlights the potential utility of the safety application as well as the limited effect of the online education program on RMA.