Daniel G. Saunders

Leaving an Abusive Partner: An Empirical Review of Predictors, the Process of Leaving, and Psychological Well-Being

Four facets of leaving an abusive relationship are reviewed: (a) factors related to initially leaving an abusive partner; (b) the process of leaving an abusive relationship; (c) the psychological well-being of survivors after leaving; and (d) the predictors of this well-being. The conceptual and methodological limitations of studies in each of these areas are presented. Consistently found predictors of leaving include both material and psychological factors. Because battered women typically undergo several shifts in their thinking about the abuse before leaving permanently, research on leaving as a process is highlighted. A stress-process framework is used to explain the seemingly paradoxical finding that some women just out of the abusive relationship may have greater psychological difficulties than those who are still in it. For those experiencing the most stress, psychological health can worsen over time. Researchers and practitioners need to pay more attention to the plight of women who have left abusive partners.

The impact of different forms of psychological abuse on battered women.

Battered women receiving either shelter (n = 30) or nonshelter services (n = 30) from a domestic violence agency were interviewed regarding psychological abuse and its aftermath. Four types of abuse were derived from factor analysis: ridiculing of traits, criticizing behavior, ignoring, and jealous control. Sheltered women experienced ridicule and jealous/control more often than nonsheltered women. For the entire sample, ridiculing of traits was rated as the most severe form. Ignoring was the strongest predictor of low self-esteem. Both psychological abuse and physical abuse contributed independently to depression and low self-esteem. However, fear of being abused was uniquely predicted by psychological abuse. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

When Battered Women Use Violence: Husband*Abuse or Self'Defense?

A controversy exists regarding the nature of violence committed by women against their intimate partners. When battered women are violent it is not known if the violence should be labeled mutual combat,” “husband abuse,” or “self-defense.” Following a review of studies comparing the extent of husbands’ and wives’ victimization and some conceptual issues regarding self-defense, data are presented from 52 battered women on their motives for using violence against their partners. The most frequent reason for violence reported by the women was for self-defense. Only one woman reported initiating an attack with severe violence in more than half of her violent acts. Only eight percent of the women reported that nonsevere violence was used to initiate an attack more than half of the time. The concepts of “self-defense” and “fighting back” were significantly and positively correlated; that is, many women saw them as being the same. The women’s self-reports were not contaminated by social desirability response bias. The results are discussed in the context of the need to collect data on relevant explanatory variables in family violence research and the application of a feminist perspective to reduce bias in such research.

Feminist-cognitive-behavioral and process-psychodynamic treatments for men who batter: Interaction of abuser traits and treatment models

At a community-based domestic violence program, 218 men with a history of partner abuse were randomly assigned to either feminist-cognitive-behavioral or process-psychodynamic group treatments. The treatments were not hypothesized to differ in outcome. However, men with particular characteristics were expected to have lower recidivism rates depending on the type of treatment received. Treatment integrity was verified through audio-taped codings of each session. The partners of 79% of the 136 treatment completers gave reports of the men’s behavior an average of 2 years post-treatment. These reports were supplemented with arrest records and self-reports. Rates of violence did not differ significantly between the two types of treatment nor did reports from the women of their fear level, general changes perceived in the men, and conflict resolution methods. However, interaction effects were found between some offender traits and the two treatments. As predicted, men with dependent personalities had better outcomes in the process-psychodynamic groups and those with antisocial traits had better outcomes in the cognitive-behavioral groups. The results suggest that more effective treatment may occur if it is tailored to specific characteristics of offenders.

Posttraumatic stress symptom profiles of battered women: A comparison of survivors in two settings.

This study sought to develop a profile of posttraumatic stress symptoms experienced by battered women and to explore differences among subsamples. Two groups of survivors from five states were compared: 159 who had obtained help at domestic violence programs (DVP) and 33 who had obtained help at other types of programs (NDVP). They completed three self-report measures of posttraumatic stress and a fear questionnaire. Sixty percent of the women in the DVP group and 62% in the NDVP group met criteria for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The most common symptoms were: nightmares intrusive memories of the abuse, avoiding reminders of it, and hyperarousal, and nightmares. DVP women experienced a variety of symptoms more frequently. Group differences in PTSD symptomatology were not present after statistically controlling for severity and frequency of the violence and length of time since the abusive relationship.

Are Physical Assaults by Wives and Girlfriends a Major Social Problem? A Review of the Literature

Research that shows approximately equal rates of dating and domestic violence by men and women has been used to challenge the priority given to services for abused women. This article reviews the scientific evidence for gender equality in rates of lethal and nonlethal intimate partner violence. Among the problems noted in studies showing gender equality are the ways in which questions about violence are framed, exclusion of items about sexual abuse and stalking, and exclusion of separated couples. Studies without these problems show much higher rates of violence by men. Furthermore, the physical and psychological consequences of victimization are consistently more severe for women.

The inventory of beliefs about wife beating: the construction and initial validation of a measure of beliefs and attitudes

Although attitudes and beliefs about wife beating have been regarded as important for understanding the factors that cause and perpetuate woman abuse, researchers have not had adequate instruments to measure these attitudes and beliefs. This article reports on the construction of a scale of attitudes about wife beating and an assessment of the scale’s dimensionality and validity. Data were collected from 675 students, 94 residents of a mid-western city, 71 men who batter, and 70 advocates for battered women. Five reliable subscales were derived, and seven tests of validity were supported. Sympathetic attitudes toward battered women were related, as predicted, with liberal views of women’s roles and sympathetic attitudes toward rape victims. Abusers and advocates were the most dissimilar in their attitudes. Male and female students also differed significantly. Many of the results are analogous to those in studies of attitudes toward rape. Several possible uses of the measure are described.

Attitudes About Woman Abuse Among Police Officers, Victims, and Victim Advocates

Law enforcement agencies are in a position to be of great service to battered women, yet they have recently been criticized for the manner of their response. This survey of police officers, battered women, and advocates for battered women was conducted to shed light on the controversy over the police response. The results show that officers generally viewed marital violence as criminal and unacceptable, yet very few saw arrest as the best solution. In contrast, the majority of victims wanted arrest used, often to force the offender to get help in addition to being punished. Victim-blaming by officers was related to traditional views of womens roles. Somewhat divergent views and negative stereotyping seemed to characterize the police-advocate relationship. Recommendations for improving police-advocate dialogue and police training are given.

The Tendency to Arrest Victims of Domestic Violence A Preliminary Analysis of Officer Characteristics

The arrest of victims of domestic violence occurs at an unexpectedly high rate and is a problem of growing concern. In this study of 111 police officers, it was predicted that those inclined to arrest the victim would have more negative stereotypes and attitudes toward victims and women in general and would tend to justify the violence. Results showed that officers with an inclination to arrest victims in vignette depictions of domestic violence believed that domestic violence is justified in some situations and that women stay in violent relationships for psychological reasons. They also reported less comfort in talking with victims. General sex-role beliefs were unrelated to their responses. Suggestions are made for officer training and further research.

Group interventions for men who batter: A summary of program descriptions and research

This article provides a summary of the latest research on men’s group interventions for men who batter their intimate partners. The major components of current programs are described, along with studies on treatment effectiveness. Evidence for the effectiveness of treatment combined with a coordinated community response is also presented. Several related topics are covered, in particular methods for enhancing treatment motivation and culturally competent practice.