Female Victims Of Violence Research Articles

Aspectos éticos y legales de la violencia sobre la mujer

Caring for female victims of violence presents health professionals with situations that require careful consideration due to the conflicts raised between the fundamental principles of bioethics. During this process, intermediate courses of action should be adopted in which none of the affected principles is totally compromised, yet always take into account due compliance with legal and deontological regulations.Within these conflicts, the possible impact on the autonomy of the victim must be taken into consideration, conditioned by the relationship of dominance with respect to their aggressor, a fundamental characteristic of gender violence. However, the fact that there is a legal obligation to issue an injury report or to communicate a well-founded suspicion of abuse is not enough to ignore the fact that the person, in this case the victim, must be a participant in the process. As such, the doctor has the obligation to inform his or her patient about this legal requirement, dedicating all the time and attention necessary to ensure that the victim understands the purpose and benefits of complying with this.In any case, and beyond the appropriate adaptation of the professional's conduct to current precepts, the ethical principle of care must be adhered to, by which the best thing the professional can do is to provide the victim with the means to avoid the repetition of new attacks, implementing prevention measures that have their origin in the accurate diagnosis of the situation of violence and in the communication of this to the authorities.

Effectiveness of Therapist-Assisted Couple Therapy on Psychological Well-being, Negotiation Increase, and Aggression Reduction in Women Victims of Partner Violence

Objective: The current study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of therapist-assisted couple therapy on psychological well-being, negotiation increase, and aggression reduction in women victims of partner violence. Methods and Materials: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The study population included couples visiting counseling and psychotherapy centers in Qom city during the second half of the year 2021, among whom 30 couples were randomly assigned to two groups after controlling for entry criteria: the therapist-assisted intervention (15 couples) and the control group (15 couples). Research instruments included the Conflict Tactics Scale by Straus et al. (1979) and the Psychological Well-being Scale by Ryff (1989), administered to the female victims of violence in three stages: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. The intervention group received an educational package by Aghayousefi et al. (2020) over eight sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Findings: Results indicated that therapist-assisted couple therapy was effective in reducing aggression, increasing negotiation, and enhancing the psychological well-being of women victims of violence (P<0.05), with these effects being stable at the follow-up stage. Conclusion: The findings suggest that therapist-assisted couple therapy is an appropriate method for resolving conflicts and improving psychological well-being.

Domestic Violence Against Women- Its Causes, Effects and Remedies

Violence against women, of late, has become a global problem. Women of all races, ethnic groups, classes and nationalities are affected by it. It has recently emerged as a life-threatening problem for individual women and as a grievous problem for societies. Violence impacts the lives of millions of women globally in all socio-economic and educational classes. It cuts across cultural and religious barriers and hinders women’s right to fully engage in society. Violence against women takes a discouraging variety of forms, from domestic offense to rape, to childhood marriages and to practices like female circumcision. All these deny the most fundamental human rights. Crime against women is not a recent phenomenon in Assam. In Assamese society, as per available written records of social organization and family, women have been subjected to ill-treatment, humiliation, torture, and exploitation. These records exhibit repetition of incidents of rape, abduction, torture and murder of women. Yet, sadly enough, literature on social problems or on criminal violence have not given much importance on female victims of violence. There are not much attempts made to explain why both the public and the academicians alike have ignored for so long the hard fact that women have continuously been ruthlessly exploited in our society. The aim of this article is to find out the types,causes,effects and remedies of domestic violence against women and its remedies.

Female Homicides in Brazil and Its Major Regions (1980-2019): An Analysis of Age, Period, and Cohort Effects.

The objective was to analyze the temporal effects of age, period, and cohort on mortality from all female homicides, and from female homicides and by firearms, in Brazil from 1980 to 2019. Data were accessed from Brazilian health records. There was an increase in the risk of death in the 2000s in the North and Northeast regions and a decrease in the Southeast, South, and Midwest. Younger women had a higher risk of death than women born between 1950 and 1954. The findings may be correlated with the inefficiency of the Brazilian state in protecting female victims of violence.

History repeats itself: Impact of mental illness on violent reinjury and hospital reencounters among female victims of interpersonal violence.

Violence-related reinjury impacts both patients and health care systems. Mental illness (MI) is prevalent among violently injured individuals. The relationship between preexisting MI and violent reinjury among women has not been fully characterized. Our objective was to determine if risk of hospital reencounter-violent reinjury and all-cause-was associated with preexisting MI at time of index injury among female victims of violence. All females (15-100 + years) presenting to a level I trauma center with violent injury (2002-2019) surviving to discharge were included (N = 1,056). Exposure was presence of preexisting MI. The primary outcome was hospital reencounters for violent reinjury and all-cause within one year (through 2020). The secondary outcome was the development of a new MI within one year of index injury. Odds of reencounter and development of new MI for those with and without preexisting MI were compared with multivariable logistic regression, stratified for interaction when appropriate. There were 404 women (38%) with preexisting MI at time of index injury. Approximately 11% of patients with preexisting MI experienced violent reinjury compared to 5% of those without within 1 year ( p < 0.001). Specifically, those with MI in the absence of concomitant substance use had more than three times the odds of violent reinjury (adjusted Odds Ratio, 3.52 (1.57, 7.93); p = 0.002). Of those with preexisting MI, 64% had at least one reencounter for any reason compared to 46% of those without ( p < 0.001 ) . Odds of all-cause reencounter for those with preexisting MI were nearly twice of those without (adjusted Odds Ratio, 1.81 [1.36, 2.42]; p < 0.0001). Among female victims of violence, preexisting MI is associated with a significantly increased risk of hospital reencounter and violent reinjury within the first year after index injury. Recognition of this vulnerable population and improved efforts at addressing MI in trauma patients is critical to ongoing prevention efforts to reduce violent reinjury. Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level IV.

Analysis of the descriptive characteristics of female victims of violence applying to the domestic violence office of a court of law

Introduction and PurposeIntimate partner violence is a worldwide problem violating fundamental human rights. The aim of this study was to analyse the sociodemographic characteristics of women who have experienced intimate partner violence, the type and prevalence of violence, the mechanisms of injury as determined by forensic reports, the characteristics of the perpetrator, and the women's statements. Materials and methodsThis was a single-site descriptive study conducted at the Office of Domestic Violence and Violence Against Women of a Court of Law located in the city of Izmir in western Turkey. The researchers reviewed forensic medicine case reports and prosecutorial writs in this office's files for women over 18 who had experienced violence over the period 2016–2019. The study sample consisted of the judicial application files of women who had experienced intimate partner violence and met the inclusion criteria (n = 350). The data in the files were entered into a standard form prepared by the researchers according to the file content. Written permission was obtained from the Ministry of Justice and Ege University Ethics Committee, and the verbal consent of the Prosecuting Officer was also obtained for the research. ResultsThe ages of the women ranged from 19 to 80 years (mean age 35, SD 9.6), with 43.1% ranging from 30 to 39 years old. Of the women, 46.6% had a maximum primary school education, and 65.4% were homemakers. Incidents of intimate partner violence mainly occurred at home for 89.1% of women. A combination of verbal and physical violence was the most frequent form of violence affecting 303 women (83.4% of cases). The facial area was predominantly the target of attack for 59 (16.9%) victims, only the upper extremity for 55 (15.7%) and the face and upper extremity for 36 (10.2%) women. The statements of the victims of violence who described their experience were evaluated, and it was determined that the reasons for the emergence of violence were frequently alcohol and substance use, financial problems, jealousy, sexual problems, communication problems, and cheating. Conclusion and SuggestionsMost of the women in the study who had applied to law enforcement due to intimate partner violence were victims of physical violence. The descriptive information obtained from these files constitutes essential data for health professionals in their efforts to deliver primary healthcare to women who are victims of intimate partner violence. Health professionals can provide immediate protection by identifying women at high risk of violence, monitoring them more frequently, and activating the support mechanisms they need.

The Impact of Reproductive Health on Female Victims of Violence by Partners

One of three women has experienced violence, including that perpetrated by their partners. Violence against women is a violation of rights and has terrible impacts on health and reproduction. This research aims to understand the reproductive health impacts of women who have experienced violence. This study uses qualitative research methods and narrative stories from survivors of partner violence. Informants were obtained in a manner directly by researchers and also through the Women Crisis Center. A study was held for three months in the district of Jombang, East Java. Violence against women impacts reproductive health problems such as unwanted pregnancy, an effort to abort, treatment violence during pregnancy, no existing support, and rape committed by a partner. We need comprehensive care in assessing women's reproductive health, including vigilance against existing treatment violence experienced by women from partners.

Violence Against Women: A Study In Mukta Centre

Introduction: Women and children are a vulnerable subset of the population who are more prone to violence.The Mukta project, a pilot project, initiated by the Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT)and National Health Mission (NHM) aimed to identify female victims of violence at an early stage and to providethem with support and referral services.Methodology: A retrospective study was conducted among the people coming to the Mukta Centre in theEmergency Medicine Department at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital from January 2022 to June 2022.Results: A total of 102 cases were studied in the 6-month duration. The violence suffered was not limited to justphysical but also sexual violence, emotional damage, psychological violence and financial violence too. Often,the victim would be suffering from multiple types of violence.Conclusion: Support from the MUKTA Centre gives battered women a choice whether to remain in a relationshipwith someone who has perpetrated domestic violence, and access to aid in the form of health care, childcare andshelter if not anything else.

A Comparative Study of the Work of Professional Caregivers of Battered Women

The care service for women victims of violence constitutes a risk space for the manifestation of burnout syndrome and secondary post-traumatic stress disorder caused by listening to traumatic experiences. Therefore, this article aims to present a comparative picture of cross-cultural research carried out in Brazil and Spain with 32 subjects. The objectives are: to describe the work conditions, investigate the experience of attending to female victims of violence, and observe the self-care practices the professional group carried out at the personal, professional, collective, and institutional levels. The analysis of data from the Brazilian context was performed with Iramuteq through the descending hierarchical classification, which resulted in five classes, namely: assistance to women victims of violence; conflicts, violence, and professional activity; authors of harassment practices and working conditions; self-care personnel; managing obstacles in the work environment. The results collected from the Spanish professionals were also subjected to the same data analysis, resulting in five classes: trajectory, professional performance and working conditions; assistance to women victims of violence and forms of self-care; complaints about conflict and violence; personal self-care; forms of harassment and conflict. The elaboration that confronted the categories of the two surveys identified similarities regarding the subjective experience and distancing in the self-care characteristics undertaken by Brazilian and Spanish professionals. This study proposes to reflect on the institutional dynamics of these environments.

Effect of Pilates exercise on cognitive distortion, stress coping and psychological endurance of women victim of violence.

The lack of studies proving the effect of Pilates exercises on mood of female victims of violence staying in women's shelters is the reason to conduct this study. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of 8-week Pilates exercises on stress coping styles, cognitive distortions, and psychological endurance of female victims of violence staying in women's shelters. The purpose of the study was explained to the female victims of violence staying in women's shelters. The Cognitive Distortions Scale, the Stress Coping Styles Scale and the Psychological Endurance Scale were administered as pretests to 22 women voluntarily participating in the study. 1.5-hour Pilates exercises were performed two days a week in a gym. The study started with 22 women and ended with the administration of the post-tests to 15 women remaining at the end of 8 weeks due to separations from women's shelters. Pilates exercises were found to be significantly effective in terms of the preoccupation with danger, hopelessness, self-blame, and sense of self sub-scales of the psychological endurance and cognitive distortions scales and in terms of the submissive approach, optimistic approach and helpless approach sub-scales of the stress coping styles scale. It was seen that application of Pilates exercises enabled female victims of violence to cope with stress, eliminated cognitive distortions, which are the basis of many psychological problems, and increased psychological endurance. It is suggested that Pilates exercises should be applied in Women's shelters to cope with stress and to increase psychological endurance.

As if living in a concentration camp: The experience of intimate partner violence as seen through the eyes of female victims

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the understanding of partner violence from the perspective of female victims. This study addresses intimate partner violence from a qualitative paradigm and a social constructivist approach. Data was collected from interviews with 15 female victims of violence, which was used as the basis for thematic analysis. In the contents of the subjects? narratives, four core themes and eight sub-themes stood out. The core themes were: incident-based violence, life in the world of the perpetrator, causes of the violent behavior and justification for it, and victims taking responsibility for the violence. The results of the analysis showed that the violence experienced by these victims could not be reduced to isolated incidents. Still, it was a process that included situations and behaviors that were not subject to punishment, which kept the victim in constant fear, controlled her behavior, and made her a subordinate perpetrator. In contrast, most explanations given (by the victims) for the violent behavior had the function of justifying the perpetrators? behavior and attributing responsibility to other agents ? alcohol, mental illness, problems in the family of origin, or an external source of frustration. In certain cases, the women felt that they could be responsible for their own victimization as victims of violence. The results of the research indicate that intimate partner violence should be considered as a crime against identity and freedom, and that persons working with victims of violence should aim to deconstruct the beliefs that lead victims to find excuses for violent partner behavior, as well as to deconstruct beliefs that lead them to feel responsible for their victimization.

Handling Compassion Fatigue in Complaint and Referral Unit Volunteers: Case Study of Komnas Perempuan

The spiking exposure of traumatic events faced by workers and volunteers in handling violence against women has the potential to lead to compassion fatigue. This research sought to describe the experience and protective factors of compassion fatigue in Complaint and Referral Unit volunteers who provide services to female victims of violence in Komnas Perempuan. A total of 3 respondents participated in this study through online interview. Thematic analysis is performed to analyze the data. The result suggested that the participants had compassion fatigue symptoms, which included burnout and secondary traumatic stress symptoms. The experience of burnout included physical and emotional exhaustion as well as guilt and helplessness. Whereas secondary traumatic stress was expressed in preoccupation of thoughts about victim’s violence case and projection in personal relationships. Nevertheless, these symptoms had been resolved due to protective factors such as personal characteristics (educational background and self-care) and social support (personal and professional support from the organization). This study added to our knowledge on how to create supportive system for volunters who provide services for victims of violence against women.

Female violence victims` anxiety and styles of communication

The article presents an analysis of the types of anxiety specific to women victims of violence. To highlight the peculiarities of anxiety, a statistical comparison is made with the results obtained by another group of women, who were not subjected to violence. Likewise, the communication skills characteristic of victimized women and their specific communication styles are presented.

Fear to Retaliation: The Most Frequent Reason for Not Helping Victims of Gender Violence

When faced with situations of gender-based violence, one becomes exposed to risk in giving support to the victim (van Reemst, Fischer, &amp; WC Zwirs, 2015, Hamby, Weber, Grych, &amp; Banyard, 2016; Liebst, Heinskou &amp; Ejbye-Ernst, 2018). This form of violence, second order of sexual harassment (SOSH), occurs when people who support victims of gender-based violence experience violence themselves because of this positioning (Vidu et al., 2017; Flecha, 2021). There is little research on the subject. Through a quantitative study carried out with 1541 Spaniards over 18 years of age, we provide, for the first time, quantitative evidence of the incidence of SOSH in the responses of people who have been aware of a situation of gender-based violence. Our results show that SOSH is an important obstacle; 40% of people who did not offer help in the case of gender-based violence did not do so for reasons that correspond to SOSH.We concluded that the fear of suffering SOSH can condition people’s reactions in the environment, thereby limiting the possibility of female victims of violence receiving help.

Gender Differences in Violent Penetrating Injuries and Long-Term Adverse Outcomes

Violent injury is known to be a chronic, recurrent issue, with high rates of recidivism in the 5 years following initial injury. Much of the strategy behind violence intervention programs, who are tasked with reducing recidivism, is directed toward young men, while there has been little research into the unique risk factors or long-term outcomes for female victims of violence. The aim of this study was to examine the risk of violent injury and long-term adverse outcomes by gender. This retrospective study was performed using a cohort of 4337 patients presenting to the Boston Medical Center emergency department for a violent penetrating injury between 2006 and 2016. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the risk of all-cause mortality and violent reinjury at 1 and 3 years after surviving a penetrating injury. There were 88 deaths (2.1%) and 568 violent reinjuries (13.2%) within 3 years after surviving the initial penetrating injury. At initial injury presentation, women were more likely to have a preexisting mental health diagnosis and to have been injured as a result of domestic violence. While men had greater than six times the risk of 3-year mortality compared to women (HR = 6.36, 95% CI = 1.56–25.83), both genders were equally at risk for violent reinjury (HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.95–1.59). Men were more likely to have a stab wound (HR = 2.68, 95% CI = 1.41–5.10) or gunshot wound (HR = 7.96, 95% CI = 2.95–21.48) reinjury, while women were more likely to have an assault (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.13–2.04) or domestic violence (HR = 2.96, 95% CI = 1.43–6.12) reinjury. Compared to men, the risk of violent reinjury was significantly increased for women with a history of substance use disorders (p-interaction = 0.009). These results suggest a unique trifecta of risks for women—substance use, mental illness, and domestic violence—and underscore the critical role of violence intervention programs in addressing these risks to mitigate violent injury recidivism.

Adverse perinatal outcomes of intimate partner violence during pregnancy

Purpose This study aims to conduct to determine the adverse perinatal outcomes of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy in Kurdistan, Iran. Design/methodology/approach In a prospective cohort study, 1,080 pregnant women were categorized into 433 and 647 women, respectively, exposed and unexposed to IPV followed by 48 h post-delivery. The values of incidence rate, relative risk and corresponding 95% confidence interval were calculated for interesting outcomes. Findings There was a statistically significant association between IPV exposure during pregnancy and perinatal mortality, pre-term birth (PTB), intra uterine growth restriction (IUGR), premature rupture of membranes (PROM), placental abruption and low birth weight (LBW). Social implications Iran is a developing country with a mosaic of different ethnicities and cultures. It seems that the less developed regions of Iran, such as Kurdistan, are also culturally different from most other regions of Iran. Based on a systematic review study, the prevalence of domestic violence is estimated to be 66% (CI 95%: 55–77) in the general population of Iran. This value was 75% (CI 95%: 56–94) in western Iran, the geographic area of the study, and higher than other parts of the country. IPV during pregnancy can result in many adverse outcomes for mothers and children. Originality/value According to the results of this study, the occurrence of prenatal mortality, PTB, IUGR, PROM, placental abruption and LBW was significantly higher in pregnant women exposed to IPV during pregnancy compared with unexposed women. Strategies such as training the skills needed for health system staff to identify female victims of violence, counseling, treatment and referral to related specialized centers are suggested.

Implementation of Law No. 23 of 2004 Concerning Elimination of Domestic Violence (PDKDRT) in Upholding of Women's Rights (Case Study: In the City of Makassar)

This study aims to determine the implementation of the Law on the Elimination of Domestic Violence in Upholding Women's Rights, as well as supporting factors and inhibiting factors in Makassar City. This research is a qualitative research with data collection techniques using observation, in-depth interviews, document studies, and descriptive data analysis techniques. The research informants were 11 female victims of violence in the Makassar City area P2TP2A consultants, P2TP2A officers, citizen shelters, and female activists who provide assistance against Cases of Domestic Violence. The results of the data analysis show that the informants experienced complex problems due to the violence they experienced, there was a misunderstanding from the informants regarding the concept of domestic violence, informants were reluctant to use the PKDRT Law in handling their cases because of the assumption that the domestic violence problem was in the Domestic area and became taboo to bring to court.

Can Sense of Coherence Indicate Resilience and Mitigate the Cycle of Violence in Parenting?

Background: Harsh parenting practices during childhood have long-term negative effects on children’s mental health. A focus of nursing care on women’s resilience should be implemented because mothers who have experienced violence tend to be harsh parents. Aim: This study investigated the association between mothers’ violent experiences and harsh parenting (HP) and examined the effects of a sense of coherence (SOC) on this association, assuming that SOC can be an indicator of resilience. Method: In this prospective cohort study of 487 mothers, data were collected on SOC and history of intimate partner violence (IPV) at 1 year after childbirth and HP of their child at 18 months after childbirth. Results: In the 277 responses analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis, a strong SOC moderating the effect on HP was observed for current IPV and witnessing IPV in childhood, but not for experiencing childhood corporal punishment. Discussion: SOC is a useful indicator of resilience in female victims of violence and is effective in regulating stress spillover. However, its effects are weakened by the learned acquisition aspect of violence. Conclusion: In nursing, providing support to alleviate stress and relearn parenting based on an assessment of the mother’s history of violence and SOC as the resilience indicator is important in curbing HP.

Petition for a Comprehensive Law against Gender-Based Violence in Cuba

Petition for a Comprehensive Law against Gender-Based Violence in Cuba

Violence victimization and negative health correlates of youth in post-earthquake Haiti: Findings from the cross-sectional violence against children survey

BackgroundWe examined the prevalence of and relationships between violence victimization and negative health correlates of Haitian youth exposed to the 2010 earthquake. MethodsParticipants were randomly selected 13–24 year-old youth (1457 females; 1459 males) living in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. Data collected via Haiti's 2012 Violence against Children Survey (VACS) were analyzed. ResultsParticipants reported violence victimization in the past 12 months (females: 49.93%; males: 41.68%), moderate-to-severe mental distress (females: 76.56%; males: 66.41%), and suicidal ideation (females: 26.79%; males: 8.05%). Compared to participants without experiences of violence, victims of violence had significantly higher mean number of sexual partners (females: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.81–2.16, p = .02; males: 4.33, 95% CI: 3.50–5.16, p = .03), mental distress (females: 80.39%, p = .01; males: 72.95%, p = .002), and suicidal ideation (females: 36.09%, p < .0001; males: 12.02%, p < .0001). Male victims of violence were more likely to have sex without a condom (26.02%, p = .01) and female victims of violence were more likely to report histories of STIs (28.04%, p = .01), when compared to participants without history of violence. LimitationsData were collected via self-report. Disaster exposure experiences were not assessed. Analysis was correlational and did not control for potential confounding variables. ConclusionsDisaster-exposed youth endorsed high levels of violence victimization and negative health correlates. Earthquake survivors who experienced violence were more likely to report negative health correlates. Greater attention to downstream sequelae of natural disasters is needed.