Judy L. Postmus

Understanding Economic Abuse in the Lives of Survivors

Intimate partner violence (IPV) often includes economic abuse as one tactic commonly used by an abuser; unfortunately, there is a lack of empirical understanding of economic abuse. Additionally, research is limited on the predictors of economic self-sufficiency in the lives of women experiencing IPV. This paper furthers our knowledge about economic abuse and its relationship with economic self-sufficiency by presenting the results from an exploratory study with IPV survivors participating in a financial literacy program. Of the 120 individuals who participated in the first wave, 94% experienced some form of economic abuse, which also correlated highly with other forms of IPV. Seventy-nine percent experienced some form of economic control, 79% experienced economic exploitative behaviors, and 78% experienced employment sabotage. MANOVA results also indicated that economic control differed significantly based on education with those with a high school education experiencing higher rates than those with less than high school education or those with some college. Finally, results from the OLS regressions indicated that experiencing any form of economic abuse as well as economic control significantly predicted a decrease in economic self sufficiency. Implications suggest that advocates should assess for economic abuse when working with survivors and should be prepared to offer financial tools to increase survivors’ economic self-sufficiency. Policymakers should understand the ramifications of economic abuse and create policies that support survivors and prohibit economic abuse. Finally, more research is needed to fully understand economic abuse and its impact on survivors and their economic self-sufficiency.

Women's Experiences of Violence and Seeking Help

Every day, women survive physical or sexual violence. Some survive as a result of services they receive in the aftermath of the abuse. The study presented here explored womens experiences of victimization and their use of and perceptions about the services they received. It is learned that what providers usually prioritize and what the women in this study used—namely emotional, psychological, and legal support—are not what these women identified as the most helpful. Instead, tangible supports, such as food, housing, and financial assistance, were viewed as the most helpful, along with religious or spiritual counseling.

Measuring Bystander Attitudes and Behavior to Prevent Sexual Violence

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study is to further investigate the factor structure and strength of the Bystander Attitude Scale—Revised and Bystander Behavior Scale—Revised (BAS-R and BBS-R). Participants: First-year students (N = 4,054) at a large public university in the Northeast completed a survey in 2010 as part of a larger longitudinal study of a sexual violence bystander education intervention program on campus. Methods: Exploratory structural equation modeling was used to analyze survey responses to the BAS-R and BBS-R. Results: For BAS-R, the best fit was a 4-factor model: (1) high-risk situations, (2) postassault support for victims, (3) postassault reporting of perpetrators, and (4) proactive opportunities. BBS-R was a 2-factor model: (1) intervention opportunities before, during, or after an assault, and (2) proactive opportunities. Conclusion: The BAS-R and BBS-R provide reliable tools that can be utilized to evaluate sexual violence bystander programs.

Measuring Abusive Behaviors Is Economic Abuse a Unique Form of Abuse

Recent attention has been given by researchers to exploring economic abuse strategies used by abusers. However, little research has been conducted to understanding how to conceptualize economic abuse in relation to other forms of abuse. This article examines the factor structure of abusive items from the Scale of Economic Abuse–12 and the Abusive Behavior Inventory through confirmatory factor analyses using data collected with 457 female survivors of abuse. The findings provide evidence for conceptualizing economic abuse as a unique form of abuse moderately correlated with psychological, physical, and sexual forms of abuse.

Analysis of the Family Violence Option: A Strengths Perspective

The Family Violence Option (FVO) provides exemptions from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families requirements to victims of domestic violence. This article examines the link between domestic violence and welfare and analyzes the FVO using the strengths perspective. This perspective identifies womens strengths and needs and the barriers they must overcome to become self-sufficient.

Economic Empowerment of Impoverished IPV Survivors A Review of Best Practice Literature and Implications for Policy

Best practices in advocating for economic empowerment of impoverished intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors require the comprehensive and holistic organization of program and service delivery systems. This article outlines the best practices literature that addresses IPV in the lives of impoverished women, as well as the literature that specifically examines the interventions to economically empower IPV survivors—whether impoverished or not. This article concludes with suggestions for policy makers on how to incorporate these best practices into the Violence Against Women Act and for practitioners to ensure a comprehensive approach to interventions for impoverished IPV survivors.

The Collaboration Between Welfare and Advocacy Organizations: Learning From the Experiences of Domestic Violence Survivors

The intertwined relationship between poverty and violence, especially in the lives of women on welfare, has been receiving critical attention since welfare reform. The Family Violence Option (FVO), an amendment to the Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996, gives states the flexibility to offer more time for battered women to seek safety. Kansas created the Orientation, Assessment, Referral, and Safety (OARS) program, in which the states welfare system contracts services with advocacy organizations that provide on-site services for women who qualify to participate under the FVO. This study explored the interagency collaboration model used in Kansas by talking directly with domestic violence survivors about their experiences. The results from this study challenge practitioners to think differently about collaboration to meet the needs of domestic violence survivors on welfare.

The Function of Shelters for Women: Assistance or Social Control?

Emergency shelter is an important resource for women experiencing a housing crisis. However, the outcomes are uncertain for women served within programs intended to provide relief and safety in times of crises. Are shelters more a function of social control or a function of assisting women to secure housing and employment? This article presents the findings from a study of sheltering programs in Ohio. These shelters appear to reproduce and reinforce womens place in society by requiring compliance with rules and social services that strengthen the social control of women and restrict their choices and mobility for positive housing and employment.

Comparing the policy response to violence against women in the USA and South Korea

English Violence against women is a major public health and human rights crisis affecting women from all countries. This article presents a comparative policy analysis of the Violence Against Women Act (USA) and the Protection Act (South Korea), providing social work and research implications. French La violence faite aux femmes est un fléau affectant les femmes de tous les pays, qui constitue un important problème de santé publique tout en allant à l’encontre des droits humains. Cette étude présente une analyse comparée de deux lois, la Violence Against Women Act (É .-U.) et la Protection Act (Corée du Sud), et tire des conclusions utiles pour le travail social et la recherche dans ce domaine. Spanish La violencia contra las mujeres supone un importante problema de salud pública y derechos humanos que afecta a las mujeres de todos los países. Este trabajo presenta un análisis comparativo de las políticas Acción de Violencia contra las Mujeres (EUA) y Acción de Protección (Corea del Sur) en el que se implica al trabajo social y a la investigación.

Measuring Economic Abuse in the Lives of Survivors Revising the Scale of Economic Abuse

Recent attention has been given by researchers to understanding how abusers use economic abuse strategies. Unfortunately, limited measures are available to accurately understand the prevalence of economic abuse in the lives of survivors. Recently, researchers created the 28-item Scale of Economic Abuse (SEA) but further validation is needed. This article describes the psychometric evaluation of the SEA through confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses using data collected with 120 survivors of abuse. The findings provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the SEA-12 as a shorter instrument to measure economic abuse as a distinct form of abuse.