Oliver J. Williams

Culturally Focused Batterer Counseling for African American Men

According to clinical observations and research findings in other fields, cultural issues may explain the poor outcomes associated with African American men in conventional batterer counseling. Practitioner-researchers recommend culturally focused batterer counseling as an appropriate response to these issues. Culturally focused counseling includes a curriculum that identifies specific cultural topics, counselors that respond to emergent cultural issues, and racially homogeneous groups that encourage disclosure. The outcome research on culturally sensitive counseling and racially homogeneous counseling in general is, however, very limited and offers only tentative support for culturally focused batterer counseling. Only some very preliminary research has been conducted on culturally focused batterer counseling. Clinical trial evaluations that control for cultural identification are therefore needed to substantiate the effectiveness of culturally focused batterer counseling. Other components, such as specialized case management and community linkages and development, might be necessary to achieve a substantial improvement in counseling outcomes.

Ethnically sensitive practice in enhancing treatment participation of the African American man who batters

Partner violence is as much a problem for the African American community as it is for other racial and ethnic groups. Although the element of race may have an impact on the effectiveness of traditional treatment approaches to African American men who batter, literature on approaches to reduce this problem among African American men is sparse. The author examines how ethnically sensitive approaches combined with traditional methods may influence treatment outcomes in this population.

Substance Abuse and Men Who Batter Issues in Theory and Practice

This article briefly reviews data supporting links between substance abuse and men’s abuse of female partners, as well as several perspectives that might explain these links. Then it examines critical issues of practice with substance-abusing men who batter, including assessment, safety, and sequencing of interventions. Finally, special concerns of working with African American men who batter and abuse drugs are addressed.

The Intersection of Disability, Diversity, and Domestic Violence: Results of National Focus Groups

Using data from two national focus groups of 19 key informants, this article explores the unique issues faced by people with physical and sensory disabilities in accessing help for domestic violence, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of people of color with disabilities. In addition, this study explores the programmatic preferences of people of color with disabilities in seeking help in regards to domestic violence, and assesses the cultural competence, disability awareness, and domestic violence awareness of domestic violence service providers and disability organizations.

Abuse among African-American elderly

This paper presents an overview of recent literature and research on elder abuse among African-Americans. Data about maltreatment of elders in the majority and minority races are presented, but persistent, unanswered questions and other issues also are raised. Characteristics of victims and perpetrators of elder abuse, the history and cultural traditions of Black families, differences between Black informal support networks and others, the phenomenon of violence and African-Americans, and concerns about access and utilization of formal support(s) are discussed. Interim recommendations are proposed.

Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence Stories of Practitioners that Address the Co-Occurrence among Battered Women

In the literature on domestic violence, it is indicated that substance abuse has been present around the domestic violence episode. We know that substance abuse does not cause violence, although it is closely associated with the incident. Much of what has been written focuses on the batterer and substance abuse. Little information is available about battered women. Of the literatures that exists, there is some discussion about how battered women may medicate themselves due to the violence they experience. Other literature describes that neither domestic violence nor substance abuse programs are prepared to address the needs of women who experience the co-occurrence of violence and substance abuse. This article will describe how two different service programs were developed to address the needs of battered women who use. The article will describe a philosophy for this work, how assessments are conducted, how women were identified for the program, and how services were designed.

Critical issues in researching domestic violence among people of color with disabilities

While there are a number of programs emerging providing services to people of color with disabilities who experience domestic violence, there is little research on the needs of this population. Using data collected from two national focus groups of 19 expert informants, this article outlines key areas of research needed for providing better services to people of color who are Deaf or have disabilities and appropriate research methods for collecting data about this population. Respondents indicated that a research agenda should include investigating the scope of the problem, in-depth needs of domestic violence survivors, cost-effectiveness of culturally and disability-specific programs, and development of best practices through in-depth evaluations of existing programs.

Domestic Violence in the African American Community

ABSTRACT The introduction to this special issue provides a brief overview of major trends in domestic violence and domestic homicide among African Americans. The authors acknowledge progress in the field of domestic violence relative to addressing these disturbing trends and encourage efforts that seek to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and situational context in which domestic violence occurs among African Americans. The purpose of this special issue is discussed and brief summaries of each of the articles published in this issue are provided.

Domestic Violence and People of Color with Disabilities: An Overview

The domestic violence field has historically not been inclusive of people with disabilities. The purpose of this special issue of the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma is to examine the intersection of disability and domestic violence with a purposeful attentiveness to the needs and concerns of people of color with disabilities. This introduction provides an overview of the articles in this special issue.

Minority Judges’ Recommendations for Improving Court Services for Battered Women of Color: A Focus Group Report

Battered womens ability and willingness to successfully present their issues to the courts is important to their physical well-being and feelings of empowerment. However, women of color, including immigrant women, often do not feel comfortable using the courts to redress their domestic violence grievances. The current study, a focus group interview with six African American and Latina family court judges, is designed to provide a better understanding of how the courts treat women of color and how that treatment can be improved. These judges argue that providing culturally appropriate services should not be viewed as an “add on” to existing programs, but rather are essential to ensuring equal access to justice and fair treatment for some of the systems most vulnerable users.