Elizabeth P. Cramer

Effects of an Educational Unit About Lesbian Identity Development and Disclosure in a Social Work Methods Course

This article describes an investigation of the effects of a short-term educational intervention on graduate social work students’ attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, their knowledge about lesbian identity development and disclosure, and their anticipated professional behavior with lesbian clients. The author describes the importance of reducing homophobia among social work students and presents a theoretical framework for the educational intervention used in this study. Although knowledge acquisition significantly increased among students in both of the study’s treatment groups relative to the comparison group, and although students from one treatment group showed significant improvement in their attitudes toward gay men relative to the comparison group, neither treatment group significantly improved in their attitudes toward lesbians or their anticipated professional behavior with lesbian clients relative to the comparison group.

Variables That Predict Verdicts in Domestic Violence Cases

Literature on the prosecution of domestic violence cases tends to focus on prosecution strategies or policies, and prosecutorial discretion. There is a dearth of studies concerning factors that are associated with verdicts in domestic violence trials. This study of 140 domestic violence cases appearing before the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Chesterfield County, Virginia, examines the demographic and court process variables that are associated with particular verdicts in domestic violence offenses. A discriminant function analysis determined that five variables can predict verdicts: race of perpetrator, gender of perpetrator, relationship between victim and perpetrator, previous criminal history, and availability of Polaroid pictures of the crime for use as evidence. The typical guilty case was a White male, married to or living with the victim, with a previous criminal history, and whose case file included Polaroid pictures of the crime.

From attitude change to effective practice: Exploring the relationship

This article reports on a study of teaching strategies designed to improve students’ anticipated professional behavior (APB) with gay and lesbian clients. Early in the fall 1995 term, 110 students in social work courses at four schools were asked to respond—on a continuum from preferred to unacceptable responses—to four vignettes concerning gay and lesbian clients. Following different educational interventions, the students again responded to the vignettes. Analysis explored the effects of having gay or lesbian friends, academic major, attitude toward gay men and lesbians, and other factors. The results indicate that students’ APB improved over the semester, though the effects of the four interventions were not significantly different. The authors conclude that the profession should develop standards for practice with gay and lesbian clients, and that educators should focus on changing students’ APB, rather than their attitudes, toward this population.

People of Color with Disabilities: Intersectionality as a Framework for Analyzing Intimate Partner Violence in Social, Historical, and Political Contexts

The authors use the conceptual framework of intersectionality to deconstruct the help-seeking and help-receiving behaviors of abused persons of color with disabilities. Two case examples illuminate the complex interplay of race, gender, accent, immigration status, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status in womens help-seeking decisions. The case examples highlight the womens perceived experiences based on their decisions to seek assistance from formal helping systems. The authors note limitations in some existing models of system response to persons of color with disabilities, as well as describe programs that are more attentive to intersectionality. The article concludes with implications for various stakeholders.

The impact of sentencing options on recidivism among domestic violence offenders: A case study

Past domestic violence research has tended to focus on issues related to law enforcement responses. More recently, the focus has shifted to other components of the criminal justice system, such as prosecution and correctional responses, to determine the best way to reduce domestic violence. This project is a case study of 177 male convicted domestic violence offenders who were sentenced to one of five options: community corrections; jail; a suspended sentence; private counseling, a fine, or restitution; and advisement. The focus of this inquiry is on the likelihood of each sanction reducing future arrests and convictions for domestic violence. The results reveal that no one sanction is more effective than the other options.

Linking the Assessment of Self-Reported Functional Capacity With Abuse Experiences of Women With Disabilities

Women with disabilities are abused at rates similar to or greater than their nondisabled counterparts. Compared with nonabused women, women abused by an intimate partner have a greater risk of being disabled or having an illness that affects their activities of daily living. Although disabled women experience similar forms of abuse to those of nondisabled women, some forms of abuse are unique to disabled women due to the limitations that the disability itself presents. This article presents a conceptual analysis of abuse of disabled women and discusses assessment procedures that can assist in identifying abuse and informing service delivery. We propose a model of abuse assessment for women with disabilities composed of three elements: traditional assessment anchored on the Power and Control Wheel that encompasses the unique forms of abuse that disabled women experience; comprehensive functional assessment through self-reporting and self-rating; and attention to heterogeneity with regard to cultural sensitivity, structure of reporting, and nature of disability.

Redefining Abuse of Women With Disabilities: A Paradox of Limitation and Expansion

The study presented here, which relied on naturalistic design and focus-group methodology, examined the experiences of abused women with disabilities and the womens use of and need for services and resources. The study found that although disabled and nondisabled women face many of the same forms of abuse, disabled women have unique experiences that require specialized services.

Queers and Crips: Parallel Identity Development Processes for Persons with Nonvisible Disabilities and Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Persons

Traditional models of identity development are inadequate when applied to lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons and persons with disabilities. The identity development and life experiences of persons with disabilities and LGB persons are similar in many respects including being raised/socialized by persons who are not a part of that group, and being educated to conform to the standards of behavior and appearance of the dominant culture. This article describes and critiques four models of identity development as applied to LGB persons and persons with nonvisible disabilities: stage/linear, issues/milestone experiences, social constructionist, and interactional. The authors propose an interactional identity development model for persons with disabilities and LGB persons that incorporates the significance of bio-psycho-social-cultural contexts, the influence of multiple identities, the fluidity of identity formation, and the importance of language.

Using Experiential Exercises to Teach about Diversity, Oppression, and Social Justice.

Experiential exercises can be effectively incorporated into social work courses that focus on diversity, oppression, and social justice. This article describes three models of experiential activities, provides examples of exercises within the three models and empirical support for their effectiveness, and identifies criticisms surrounding their use in the classroom. The final section of the article offers general guidelines to instructors to prepare for experiential exercises, to implement them in the classroom, and to evaluate their impact on students.

Women with Disabilities and Experiences of Abuse

Abstract A qualitative study of disabled and non-disabled professionals and survivors of abuse revealed a range of types of abuse endured by disabled women, some of which were unique to that population. Two major themes emerged from data analysis: vulnerable beginnings and complexity of abuse. Three sub-themes are encompassed within complexity of abuse: active abuse, abuse through image, and contextual abuse by social service/legislative systems. The authors present data essential to an informed assessment and analysis of abuse that considers the person-in-environment circumstances of women with disabilities. Implications for future research and the human behavior in the social environment curriculum are discussed.