Esperanza Bosch-Fiol

Batterer Intervention Programs in Spain: An Analysis of Their Effectiveness.

Intimate partner violence against women is a social and women’s health concern. Much effort has gone into providing services and support for victims of this violence. By contrast, intervention programs focusing on the batterers themselves have received far less attention. The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic review of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs (BIPs) implemented in Spain as provided by research published in peer-reviewed journals and scientific reports. The results obtained show that assessment focuses mainly on evaluating whether there is an improvement in the psychological variables of abusers. In cases where the rate of success or failure is analyzed, it is important to note the high drop-out rates observed, and the wide variability in success and improvement rates obtained. In summary, the results obtained in this revision allow to corroborate the assumption that associated with BIP is a lot of controversy, since its construction, its implementation, its assessment, and its effectiveness.

The measure of the masculinity–femininity construct today: Some reflections on the case of the Bem Sex Role Inventory / La medida del constructo masculinidad–feminidad en la actualidad: algunas reflexiones sobre el caso del Bem Sex Role Inventory

Abstract The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) is a questionnaire widely used for the measurement of the masculinity–femininity construct as well as for other uses. The objective of this study is to analyze its suitability as a scale of measurement of the gender variable.The full, 60-item version of this instrument was administered twice to a sample of 99 college students, the first to determine the sex typing of the male and female participants and the second to determine the extent to which they consider the BSRI items as characteristic of men and women.The results obtained show that, regardless of gender and sex typing, most people considered that only some of the items of the BSRI describe men or women characteristically, while the rest could apply equally to both. These results suggest the need to seek alternative instruments to measure the gender variable more adequately and precisely.

Bibliometric analysis of interventions with batterers in Spain

This study analyse the evolution and characteristics of scientific production on intervention programmes with gender violence perpetrators performed in Spain. The standard bibliometric indicators were applied to 148 studies identified. The greatest productivity is focused between 2008 and 2010 and the largest number of records corresponds to articles in specialised scientific journals. As far as authorship is concerned, an analysis of the number of studies per person indicates that the results obtained are only initially consistent with Lotka’s Law, that is, there are a majority of not very productive authors and a minority who publish frequently, but the data do not fit this law. An analysis of collaboration between authors enables us to determine the existence of one “Social Circle” or “Invisible College”, at least. Most of the records analysed focus on the description of one or several intervention programmes with men who abuse their partner. Results show that there are progressively more evidence based studies on batterers and their treatment.

The perception of sexual harassment at university / La percepción del acoso sexual en el ámbito universitario

Abstract The subjective perception of harassment victims is one of the key criteria when defining what sexual harassment is. In this context, the aim of this paper is to analyse the differences between men and women’s judgments of what behaviours constitute sexual harassment and how they are classified at university. To accomplish this, we administered a 38-item questionnaire to a sample of 1,693 people (1,521 students and 172 members of teaching staff, administration and services) at a Spanish university. The results indicate that there is a distinction associated with both the severity of the behaviours perceived and classified as sexual harassment (more severe and milder) and their content (coercion or sexual blackmail vs. environmental harassment). Within this perception, there is a clear combined effect of the variables of gender and position within the university community such that women, particularly female university staff members, classified more behaviours as mild sexual harassment.

Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: An Exploratory Study

There is consistent evidence that attitudes are important in understanding how people react and behave toward victims and perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women. Researchers have typically measured these attitudes through self-reports. However, explicit measures are prone to socially desirable responding. The overall objective of our research is to provide multimethod measures of public attitudes (explicit and implicit) toward intimate partner violence against women. An opportunity sample of 190 Psychology undergraduates (32 men and 158 women) took part in this study and completed two self-reports: the Inventory of Distorted Thoughts about Women and Violence, and the Inventory of Beliefs about Wife Beating. In addition, they completed a personalized Implicit Association Test, the Gender Violence Implicit Association Test. This study provides evidence of the best way to apply the Gender Violence Implicit Association Test (with feedback) and the best procedure for estimating the Implicit Association Test effect (built-in error penalty). The findings are also consistent with previous research and exhibit a significant disparity between explicit and implicit measures of attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women. These findings, although still preliminary, provide interesting information that affirms the need to incorporate implicit measures of attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women into research on this social problem.

Distorsiones Cognitivas en los Programas de Intervención con Maltratadores Aplicados en España

espanolDesde 1994 se aplican en Espana programas de intervencion para maltratadores en casos de violencia contra las mujeres en la pareja, inicialmente de modo puntual y de forma cada vez mas generalizada. Este trabajo analiza los efectos de estos programas sobre las distorsiones cognitivas, medidas con el Inventario de Pensamientos Distorsionados sobre la Mujer y la Violencia (IPDMV). Para ello se realizo una revision sistematica de la literatura cientifica sobre el tema, identificando un total de 182 registros, correspondientes a trabajos realizados en Espana y hechos publicos entre 1994 y enero de 2014. De ellos, se incluyeron en el estudio meta - analitico 7 registros, que informan sobre 10 intervenciones. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que estos programas obt ienen resultados no concluyentes , e, incluso, contradictorios en cuanto a sus efectos sobre las distorsiones cognitivas. Se analizan estos resultados , asi como su alcance y limitaciones, particularmente en lo relativo al instrumento de medida aplicado. EnglishSince 1994 batterer intervention programs are implemented in Spain in cases of intimate partner violence against women, initially of a puntual mode and increasingly in a widespread form. The aim of this paper is to analyze the effects that the intervention programs implemented in Spain with batterers in cases of intimate partner violence have on cognitive distortions, measured by the Inventory of Distorted Thoughts on Women and Violence (IPDMV). A systematic review of the scientific literature identified a total of 182 records, corresponding to studies realized in Spain and published between 1994 and January 2014. Of these, 7 records, reporting from 10 interventions, were included in the meta - analytic study. The results show that these programs get results i nconclusive, and even contradictory in their effects on cognitive distortions. These results as well as its scope and limitations are discussed, particularly in relation to the measuring instrument applied.

Masculinities and Batterer Intervention Programs in Gender Violence in Spain

espanolLa violencia contra las mujeres en la pareja (denominada violencia de genero en el marco juridico espanol) es un fenomeno complejo y poliedrico que hasido explicado desde diferentes puntos de vista teoricos. En este trabajo, se toma como punto de partida para analizar esta violencia un modelo multicausal, denominado modelo piramidal, que entiende la masculinidad tradicional y sus condicionantes como una clave explicativa importante para la violencia contra las mujeres. En este contexto, se aportan datos sobre la escasa presencia de la nocion de masculinidad en los programas de intervencion para la rehabilitacion de los maltratadores que se han venido aplicando en Espana y se reflexiona sobre la necesidad de incrementar el protagonismo de este elemento. EnglishIntimate partner violence against women (called gender violence in the Spanish legal framework) is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that has been explained from different theoretical viewpoints. In this paper, we take as a starting point to analyze this violence a multi-causal model, called pyramidal model, which understands traditional masculinity and their conditionants as an important explanatory key for violence against women. In this context, data on the low presence of the notion of masculinity in the intervention programs for the rehabilitation of perpetrators that have been applied in Spain are presented, and suggestions on the need to increase the role of this element are provided.