Corinne Warrener

Exploring the Challenges Faced by Latinas Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

This article explores the help-seeking challenges faced by a community sample of 25 Latina intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors. We include the experiences of Latinas who sought help from IPV services and those who did not. Additionally, we utilize an ecological framework to highlight the barriers that are present at multiple levels for Latinas who seek assistance, and we include their recommendations for increasing access. The information provided by these Latina survivors afford social workers the opportunity to address the barriers experienced by them as well as the opportunity to take a proactive stance in further enhancing services available in the community.

Economic Self-Sufficiency Among Divorced Women: Impact of Depression, Abuse, and Efficacy

Understanding how to promote economic self-sufficiency, or the ability to sustain oneself financially, has important implications for programs that help support divorced and separated women and for government agencies hoping to reduce reliance on government aid. The following analysis focuses specifically on divorced and separated women utilizing services from agencies geared toward helping people with financial, career, and other forms of assistance. This study identifies factors that promote or hinder economic self-sufficiency among divorced women. Regression analysis indicates that age, economic self-efficacy, abuse, and difficulty living on income are important indicators of economic self-sufficiency.

Professional Efficacy and Working With Victims of Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault

Violence against women is a pervasive and widespread problem, but the understanding of how to prepare social workers best for working with survivors is inadequate. One area of focus is professional efficacy, which stems from the literature on self-efficacy. This article focuses on the confidence and comfort that social work students have in working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and identifies the factors that affect professional efficacy among these students. The results indicate that age, professional experience, master of social work education, and training have a positive impact on professional efficacy.

An empirical assessment of writing and research proficiency in HBCU social work students

ABSTRACT Lack of proficiency in writing and research among social work students has increasingly concerned social work educators and practitioners. Given the significance of written communication with clients and emphasis on evidence-based practice in the field of social work, it is critical to assess students’ competence in both writing and research. However, deficit-based approaches to assessing writing and research competence have disadvantaged students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This pilot study aims to assess writing and research proficiency of HBCU master’s of social work (MSW) students through empirical analysis of their capstone papers and surveys from educators to provide implications for developing a writing and research manual for social work programs at HBCUs. Ten capstone papers were randomly selected and qualitatively analyzed; nine faculty and one field supervisor completed the survey, and their respondents were analyzed using cross-case analysis. Analyses of the capstone papers identified two themes for writing and research domains, respectively: (1) weakness in developing statements and lack of knowledge of writing style and (2) plagiarism and lack of understanding of research structure. Moreover, analyses of the surveys revealed four themes regarding assessment of writing and research skills among students struggling with basic writing mechanics, indicating that HBCU MSW students may have potential and capacity for learning, as evidenced by their ideas and critical thinking skills. These findings suggest both teaching- and research-oriented programs could employ the proposed writing and research assessment manual, as well as a writing and research lab/center for improving writing and research skills among their students.

The Complex Nature of Serving Divorced and Separated Women: A Qualitative Analysis of Needs and Service Provision:

The existing literature indicates a long history of evidence that women experience greater economic hardship than men following divorce. Women struggle financially, exacerbated by issues of education and employment, impacting their own well-being and that of their children. This article reviews the perspectives of divorced and separated women who are utilizing services as well as the perspectives of the service providers in terms of economic and employment difficulties, unique needs of the population, and service provision. Recommendations are provided for programs and public policies to improve services to women and children.

A Statewide Exploration of Bystander and Gender-Role Attitudes in New Jersey

The state of New Jersey has recommended the widespread adoption of bystander intervention education as a way to engage communities in the prevention of sexual violence. The study reported here gathered baseline data from a random sample of New Jersey residents about their attitudes as bystanders, gender roles, and sexual violence. The analysis of the data revealed that the women reported less support for rigid gender roles and a greater willingness to become active bystanders than did the men. Age and race were also significant in some of the scales. Implications for the development of programs to prevent sexual violence are discussed.