Kind Of Abuse Research Articles

Educational attainment, formal employment and contraceptives practices among working women in Lagos State University

Over the years the international attention has been focused on women empowerment and how to improve their socio-economic status by reducing the heavy burden of large family size through the use of contraceptives. Despite this, many women still suffer discriminations, burden of large family size and all kinds of abuses. Most Nigerian educated women are not insulated from this problem thereby predisposing them to abuses in different facets of life. Based on this, the study examines educational attainment, formal employment and contraceptives practices among working women in Lagos State University. Survey design was adopted for the study. Using Stratified and simple random sampling techniques, quantitative data was gathered through the administration of structured questionnaires in the study population. A total of ninety-five structured questionnaires were distributed to the working women aged 25-60 years. Frequency distribution and chi-square techniques were used for data analysis. The result showed that the majority of the educated women prefer small family size due to occupational stress and domestic responsibilities. The findings also revealed that the desire to limit family size is mainly a function of women level of education and formal employment. However, the majority of the respondents attributed women abuses to the age long patriarchy, which remains unabated. Therefore, this study recommends the need to facilitate women education and economic empowerment through reliable social policy in order to provide alternative to women illiteracy and under representation in the labour market. African Journal for Psychological Study of Social Issues Vol. 8(2) 2005: 189-209

Schema modes and childhood abuse in borderline and antisocial personality disorders

Complex personality disorders (PDs) have been hypothesized to be characterized by alternating states of thinking, feeling and behavior, the so-called schema modes (Young, Klosko, & Weishaar (2003). Schema therapy: A practioner's guide. New York: Guilford). The present study tested the applicability of this model to borderline personality disorders (BPD) and antisocial personality disorders (APD), and related it to a presumed common etiological factor, childhood trauma. Sixteen patients with BPD, 16 patients with APD and 16 nonpatient controls (all 50% of both sexes) completed a Schema Mode Questionnaire assessing cognitions, feelings and behaviors characteristic of six schema modes. Participants were interviewed to retrace abusive sexual, physical and emotional events before the age of 18. BPD as well as APD participants were characterized by four maladaptive modes (Detached Protector, Punitive Parent, Abandoned/Abused Child and Angry Child). APD displayed most characteristics of the Bully/Attack mode, though not significantly different from BPD. The Healthy Adult mode was of low presence in BPD and of high presence in APD and the nonpatients. Frequency and severity of the three kinds of abuse were equally high in both PD groups, and significantly higher than in nonpatients.

The Preaching Fox: Festive Subversion in the Plays of the Wakefield Master (review)

118Comparative Drama Warren Edminster. The Preaching Fox: Festive Subversion in the Plays of the Wakefìeld Master. New York: Routledge, 2005. Pp. xüi + 230. $75.00. Thelatest contributiontothestudyofworks generallyattributedto the fifteenthcentury British playwright known as the Wakefield Master, Professor Warren Edminster's The Preaching Fox offers a new and challenging examination of the many ways in which the famous"play-doctor" transforms the conventional biblical subject matter of his Corpus Christi drama into caustic satires of the corruption plaguing the Church and secular authority in contemporary latemedieval England. This book's eight chapters, followed by a speculative conclusion about the Wakefield Master's ideological leaning (the reader is kept guessing whether Edminster believes the Master was a Lollard until the very last page),convincingly establish the Master's subversive intent by considering each of the Master's plays within the critical context of festive culture. While that context is constructed by a creatively imaginative combination ofinsights from such notable figures as E. K. Chambers, C. L. Barber, and Mikhail Bakhtin, Edminster does not, in his first chapter ("Subversion and the Festive Instinct"), serve the reader old wine in a new bottle. Rather, by demonstrating how the festive functions as the principal means ofsubversion,he provides himselfwith an informative and practical means ofaddressing the particular thematic effect of the "dialogue" between the opposing world views of official and unofficial culture present in each of the Master's plays. To guarantee that consideration of this "dialogue conflict" reveals what is latent and sophisticated in the Master's dramatic art, Edminster clarifies the dialogic or interactive relationship between official and unofficial culture by reviewing in the second chapter ("Typical Festive Elements in the Plays") the "vocabulary" or "principal forms" of festive culture itself (27). This review includes identification and examination of two fundamental kinds of festive elements. The first of these has to do with character. Under this heading, the functions of the Mock King and the Fool are discussed. The second kind of defined festive element turns attention to a variety ofactions. Under this heading , Edminster explains the function ofsuch "forms" as invocation, usurpation of authority, reversal, burlesque, images of feasting, and two kinds of abuse— physical violence, in the form of actual beatings, and verbal violence, in the form of threats, profanity, etc. What is made clear by these discussions is that not all ofthese"forms"are included in each ofthe Master's plays,but the combination of elements of one or more in each helps to develop a dialogue between official and unofficial culture that is unique to that particular work. What is more, these "forms," as Edminster emphasizes, do not erase traditional meaning Reviews119 in the plays. In fact, it is through the interplay generated by their relation to traditional meaning that the subversive ideas the Master intends to convey have their greatest impact (22). In the first of the Master's plays, Mactatio Abel, the subject of the third chapter ("The Overthrow of Religious Obligation"), numerous festive forms are readilydiscernable and carefullyintegrated in the workto achieve the greatest dramatic and thematic effect. Garcio,for example, plays the role offool,turning the world of the play upside down. Cain, too, introduces an important festive element—that of the Lord of Misrule. His physical as well as verbal violence introduces a distinct contrast to Abel, who, through his insistence upon observing obligations and his occupation as a shepherd, functions as a representative of officialdom. The eventual killing of Abel, seen as it is "through the prism of [these and other] festive forms" (71), offers the audience an uncrowning—a usurpation that directs "festive hostility and scorn towards orthodox obligation" while drawing "empathy towards Cain's complaints even if the audience does not fully embrace Cain as Lord of Misrule" (67). While the conventional didactic meaning of the play is "muted" by these and related emphases , a festive reversal that is also included by the Master reveals his true genius as a playwright. Cain's shift from initiator to object ofparody and festive abuse, especially in his final exchanges with Garcio as he assumes the role of officialdom's spokesperson, provides the audience with the opportunity to experience a true...

Kurt Lewin's Heritage: A Possible Breakthrough?

Abstract In our competitive world, dominated by fights for markets and power, it can appear untoward to speak about cooperation and humanitarianism. Such words easily turn into empty phrases. Still, the greatest potential for welfare lies in the transformation of societal cooperation patterns in the direction of cooperation and humanitarianism. Our work in Sweden has shown us that new participative forms of cooperation are not only a moral issue, but a necessity for high productivity, the creation of economic wealth, and quality of life. Kurt Lewin was both a moralist and a scientist. He was deeply concerned about the state of the world. Being a Jew, he had fled to the United States and experienced two world wars and two depressions. As a German, he was bewildered by the antidemocratic processes that had happened in his own country. How could ordinary human beings engage in persecution, terror, and systematic extermination of other human beings? In his new home, the United States, he found a vital democracy, but also the same dark strands as he had experienced in Germany. To Kurt Lewin, the moralist, it was important to take a stand against these destructive forces (Marrow, 1977). As a scientist, however, he could also recognize that the moral position could not be everything. The destructive patterns were not laws of nature—they were created by Man and could be changed by Man. They were mostly self-destructive. Why should people participate in activities that obviously were not in their own interest and that produced suffering for themselves, their relatives, their country, and the survival of mankind? He anticipated that many of these destructive patterns were not caused by a lack of morality, but rather by a lack of knowledge. To him, the destructive processes he recognized were the natural consequences of unrealistic fears, prejudices, and false perceptions (Lewin, 1944; 1948; 1959). We share Lewin's opinion on this point. We think that moral discussions are overemphasized. We think that developing and spreading more knowledge of social processes and better ways to manage day-to-day social life have a much greater potential for societies than even the expansion of information technology. Progress in research that can deliver these skills and knowledge to the public will lead to important changes in the economy and in the functioning of democracy: It will help with the constructive utilization of technology and resources; it will result in new and more efficient management; it probably will reduce the use of violence as a way to resolve conflicts; it will enhance productivity and create more effective work; it will prevent crime and different kinds of abuse; it will result in better ways of improving the environment; and it will raise the quality of human life. In short, it can produce new hope for a better future, something greatly needed now. After we provide this overview of the potential of the heritage of Kurt Lewin, we will try to leave the normative and moral aspect aside and focus solely on scientific reasoning related to how knowledge and knowing can be developed and spread, and how research processes such as the ones Kurt Lewin suggested have the potential to change our lives.

Survey on interpersonal violence: An economic impact of note and childhood exposure to domestic violence in continuing the cycle

Study objectives: Domestic violence is a significant pathology. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the annual cost of domestic violence above $5.8 billion. Studies correlate exposure to domestic violence in youth as a factor in adult domestic violence. The rate in the general populations of exposure to domestic violence as a child witness is between 7% and 13%, and child abuse is 12.3 per 1,000 children (US Health and Human Services 2001). We examine the economic impact of leaving the abusive environment on household income and measure the rate of exposure to domestic violence in childhood in those in a domestic violence program. Methods: This was an observational study conducted though the 19 domestic violence agencies that provide transitional housing services in Pennsylvania. The study population was individuals successfully leaving the abusive environment, as evidenced by completing a shelter stay and subsequent participation in transitional housing as arranged by the domestic violence agency. Results: One hundred forty-one surveys were returned; 60 participants completed income data. An average annual reduction of household income from $21,431.72 to $11,787.25 was seen (Table). Of individuals in domestic violence transitional housing, 64.5% (n=89) witnessed domestic violence as children (odds ratio 4.96). Of 66 respondents specifying the types of abuse, 73% (n=48) witnessed more than 1 kind of abuse. Furthermore, 47% (n=65) indicated that they were victims of abuse. Of those specifying type of abuse (n=50), 62% (n=31) experienced more than 1 kind of abuse. Conclusion: Escaping the domestic violence environment may contribute to these families slipping below the poverty level. When compared with epidemiologic data on childhood abuse, a higher-than-expected rate of childhood exposure to domestic violence is found in populations experiencing domestic violence.Table, abstract 307.StatusHousehold SizeAnnual Household Income, $Poverty Level, $, HSS 2003Before leaving3.7121,43118,400After leaving2.7111,78715,260 HHS 2003, US Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines 2003.

Are sociodemographic and regional and sample factors associated with prevalence of abuse?

The aims of the present study were: 1) to estimate the prevalence of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and abuse in the health care system, and 2) to study the associations between prevalence of abuse and sociodemographic and sample variables. This cross-sectional study used a validated postal questionnaire in four Swedish samples; patients at three gynecologic clinics with different character and in different regions (n = 2439) and women in one randomized population sample (n = 1168). Any lifetime emotional abuse was reported by 16.8-21.4% of the women; physical abuse by 32.1-37.5%; sexual abuse by 15.9-17.0%; and abuse in the health care system by 14.0-19.7%. For 7-8% abuse had included life threats and 9-20% of all women in the study currently suffered from their experiences of abuse. Most women had not disclosed their background of abuse to the gynecologist. There were differences in sociodemographic variables between the four samples. Generally, in the multivariate analyses we found associations between prevalence of abuse and age, educational level, civil status and occupation, but no consistent association between prevalence of abuse and sample variables. Lifetime prevalence rates of the four kinds of abuse were high in all samples as measured by the NorVold Abuse Questionnaire (NorAQ), and 1/10-1/5 women in the study suffered currently from abusive experiences. In multivariate analyses prevalence of abuse was consistently associated with sociodemographic but not to sample variables.

Are sociodemographic and regional and sample factors associated with prevalence of abuse?

Background. The aims of the present study were: 1) to estimate the prevalence of emotional, physical and sexual abuse and abuse in the health care system, and 2) to study the associations between prevalence of abuse and sociodemographic and sample variables. Methods. This cross-sectional study used a validated postal questionnaire in four Swedish samples; patients at three gynecologic clinics with different character and in different regions (n = 2439) and women in one randomized population sample (n = 1168). Results. Any lifetime emotional abuse was reported by 16.8–21.4% of the women; physical abuse by 32.1–37.5%; sexual abuse by 15.9–17.0%; and abuse in the health care system by 14.0–19.7%. For 7–8% abuse had included life threats and 9–20% of all women in the study currently suffered from their experiences of abuse. Most women had not disclosed their background of abuse to the gynecologist. There were differences in sociodemographic variables between the four samples. Generally, in the multivariate analyses we found associations between prevalence of abuse and age, educational level, civil status and occupation, but no consistent association between prevalence of abuse and sample variables. Conclusion. Lifetime prevalence rates of the four kinds of abuse were high in all samples as measured by the NorVold Abuse Questionnaire (NorAQ), and 1/10–1/5 women in the study suffered currently from abusive experiences. In multivariate analyses prevalence of abuse was consistently associated with sociodemographic but not to sample variables.

The Inevitability of Enron and the Impossibility of 'Auditor Independence' Under the Current Audit System

The most surprising thing about the spectacular collapse of Enron may be that this kind of colossal public audit failure did not happen sooner. The kind of ploys that Enron executives seem to have been involved in are not new: indeed, versions of them formed part of the original impetus for the U.S. securities laws. The public company disclosure and audit procedures created by the securities laws established a watchdog in the form of accounting firms to certify the books and financial statements of public companies to curb just these kinds of abuses. Accordingly, the accounting firms are supposed to be independent of the audit client and act on behalf of shareholders and the public, not the audit client's management. The problem is that, however well this system worked at its inception, it is fundamentally flawed now such that as a practical matter it is impossible for auditors to be independent of their audit clients. The current audit system sets up a fundamental tension for the auditor because the parties to whom he technically owes allegiance are not the party who hires him and pays for his services. Accordingly, auditors' objectivity and independence are potentially compromised simply by accepting the audit engagement: accountants, like other service providers, rely on repeat business from their customers and they may well consider the prospects of being retained for next year's audit even as they perform this year's audit. The provision of non-audit services by auditors to their audit clients has exacerbated this fundamental tension, but I argue that a changing business environment and culture for accountants - based on the commodification of professional services generally - has taken what may have been a manageable problem and rendered it unworkable as a practical matter. Thus, even a full prohibition on non-audit services will not remedy the current issues underlying the debate over auditor This paper is primarily intended to be a resource for those interested in auditor independence issues by analyzing the development of the accounting and audit profession, the background of the Securities Laws, the current state of private and public regulation of accountants who provide statutory audits, the dramatic changes in the business environment for professional services over the past few decades, and throughout it all, the evolution of the concept of independence. Its secondary purpose is to suggest some alternative frameworks for performance and regulation of the statutory audit which map onto the important background political spectrum of ideologies ranging from a free market deregulation approach to a protective government agency regulation model.

The Relationship Between Parents' Violence Against Daughters and Violence by Other Perpetrators

This article examines the links between violence perpetrated by parents and subsequent victimization in a sample of 510 Italian women attending different health and social services, using both quantitative and qualitative data. Almost one quarter of the respondents reported some kind of abuse by one or both parents, fathers' violence being more common than mothers'; 9.6% had suffered subsequent sexual violence, and 18.2% had experienced partner violence. Violence by one or both parents during childhood—especially mothers' violence—was associated with an increased risk of suffering from sexual violence and from partner violence.

Candies in hell: women’s experiences of violence in Nicaragua

The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of domestic violence against women in León, Nicaragua. A survey was carried out among a representative sample of 488 women between the ages of 15–49. The physical aggression sub-scale of the Conflict Tactics Scale was used to identify women suffering abuse. In-depth interviews with formerly battered women were performed and narratives from these interviews were analysed and compared with the survey data. Among ever-married women 52% reported having experienced physical partner abuse at some point in their lives. Median duration of abuse was 5 years. A considerable overlap was found between physical, emotional and sexual violence, with 21% of ever-married women reporting all three kinds of abuse. Thirty-one percent of abused women suffered physical violence during pregnancy. The latency period between the initiation of marriage or cohabitation and violence was short, with over 50% of the battered women reporting that the first act of violence act took place within the first 2 years of marriage. Significant, positive associations were found between partner abuse and problems among children, including physical abuse. Both the survey data and the narrative analysis pointed to extreme jealousy and control as constant features of the abusive relationship. Further, the data indicate that battered women frequently experience feelings of shame, isolation and entrapment which, together with a lack of family and community support, often contribute to women’s difficulty in recognizing and disengaging from a violent relationship. These findings are consistent with theoretical conceptualisations of domestic violence developed in other countries, suggesting that, to a large degree, women’s experiences of violence transcend specific cultural contexts.

Children who sexually abuse other children

This article provides a condensed description of a small, qualitative research project on six children who were referred to NSPCC projects in the North of England because they were sexually abusing other children. The children were aged under 12 and the researchers studied their histories, their offences and the treatment they received The research indicates that it is unhelpful to children to ignore sexually abusive behaviours and that all the children had suffered some kind of abuse and had angry feelings which had not been addressed It is concluded that the most effective treatment combines cognitive behavioural work with creative psychotherapy for children, with educative support for carers.

Sexual Abuse in Latina Girls: Their Functioning and a Comparison with White and African American Girls

This study was designed to help address the lack of research on sexual abuse in Latinas. This study evaluated symptoms of depression, anxiety, and self-concept in a racially mixed sample of sexually abused girls. Latinas had elevated levels of depression and anxiety and lower levels of self-concept than children in standardization samples. Their symptom levels did not differfrom the sexually abused White and African American girls in the study. They were also very similar to the othersubjects in relationship to the identity of the perpetrator, the age when the abuse began, and the kind of abuse. The only racial/ethnic differencefound in the study was in duration of the abuse, with White girls experiencing longer abuse than the Latina orAfrican American subjects. Some possible explanations for thefindings are discusssed.

The worst combinations of child abuse and neglect

We have studied the impact of various kinds of abuse and neglect on the child's perception of himself and his future. We found, when considering physical abuse, physical neglect, verbal abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse, that less than 5% of these mistreatments occurred in isolation. Since the vast majority of mistreated children are subject to more than one kind of abuse or neglect, it was important to delineate which combinations have the greatest effect. We found that a combination of physical neglect, physical abuse, and verbal abuse had the greatest impact on children, affecting such things as their enjoyment of living and hopes for the future. An early age of onset for verbal abuse and emotional neglect was significantly associated with greater severity and frequency of mistreatment. Neglect appears to be a precursor to abuse in many cases.

Evaluation of Risk Factors in Childhood Sexual Abuse

This study evaluated whether the level of distress in sexually abused girls was predicted by the relationship of the perpetrator to the victim, the kind of abuse, the use of force, removal from the home, and race or ethnicity. Seventy-five girls, recently reported as having been sexually abused, completed measures on depression, anxiety, and self-worth, which were then trichotomized into distress levels. Penetration predicted higher levels of distress on depression and self-worth measures. Force predicted higher levels of distress on those measures when the perpetrator was not a father figure and lower levels of distress when the abuser was a father figure. These differential effects may be related to issues of self-blame and responsibility that vary with the relationship of the perpetrator and may be useful in developing interventions.

Abuse of Elderly People in the Domestic Setting: A UK Perspective

Interest in, and concern about, the abuse of elderly people is growing rapidly. A study of the literature shows little research in the UK, but valuable indicators about risk factors and interventions from North America. One of the major problems has been definition and this paper distinguishes between different kinds of abuse. Conclusions are drawn about future research, and about the importance of records, assessment and multidisciplinary working, as well as the prevention of abuse.

Patterns of abuse of the elderly in their own homes as reported by district nurses.

This study aimed at describing patterns of abuse of elderly persons living in their homes as experienced by district nurses in a county of Sweden. 12% of the district nurses (n = 153) reported 30 cases. Those abused were 78.7 years old (mean) and half of them had disturbed memory and mental state and were mostly isolated. The abuser was a relative of the abused person and 64.2 years old (mean). Psychological abuse was the most frequently reported kind of abuse. Along with the abuse the abusers' behaviour was commonly experienced as unpleasant and aggressive and/or combined with family conflicts. The results indicated that abuse is very much a family affair. To guide district nurses in a family-oriented approach is justified by the results. It also seems important further to investigate the pattern of how the different types of abuse occur.

Are There Really Any Constructive Alternatives to Causal Modeling?

While I find myself in close agreement with much of what Freedman has to say about much of the empirical research using regression-type analyses, I find his comments contain nothing really new in comparison to the numerous cautionary warnings and detailed discussions of pitfalls and required assumptions that have appeared in the sociological literature as far back as the 1950s. Much the same applies to relatively recent critiques by Lieberson (1985) and by Marini and Singer (1988) cited by Freedman. Many of us have long been concerned about the same kinds of abuses by empirical investigators, and I always welcome such notes of caution. However, the basic problem has been with us for a very long time, and there have been extensive discussions that, apparently, have not come to Freedman's attention. And by the same token, neither have empirically inclined sociologists paid serious attention to the methodological literature, and I regard this as a much more serious problem that continually deserves our attention. Let me begin by stressing the major points made by Freedman, and many others before him, with which I am in basic agreement. Certainly, statistical models cannot stand alone and must be supplemented by a series of assumptions, many of which cannot be tested with the data that one has in hand. Technical fixes alone, therefore, cannot be relied on to resolve one's theoretical problems,

Prevalence of benzodiazepine abuse and dependence in psychiatric in-patients with different nosology. An assessment of hospital-based drug surveillance data.

Frequencies of abuse and dependence assessed continuously within a drug surveillance system were analysed as a contribution to risk-benefit evaluations of benzodiazepines (BZDs). In 4.7% of 15,296 patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals between 1980 and 1985, BZDs had been involved in some kind of abuse or dependence. Primary BZD dependence, defined as physical dependence on BZDs in patients who had not been dependent before, was observed in about 1% of admitted patients. Linking these data with psychiatric diagnoses revealed a high risk of primary BZD dependence for in-patients (11.8%) with anxiety neurosis (ICD-9, 300.0), and a lower risk for neurotic (300.4) and for endogenous depressives (296.1) (risk 3.7% and 2.7% respectively). Older age was also related to primary BZD dependence. For depressive in-patients, the risk was twice as high in females as in males. Anecdotal observations advocate more systematic investigation of the emotional effects of long-term therapy with BZDs.

L'accaparement des terres au Viêt Nam pendant la période coloniale

During the colonial period of Vietnamese history, the French administration had made great efforts to develop the country's agriculture. Very good results were recorded, particularly in the reinforcement of dikes in the North, the irrigation of unsufficiently water-supplied areas in the North and in the Center, in the drainage works in Cochinchina, and to certain extent by the development of new cultivations and the improvement of cultivation techniques. The rural mass, however, could not get much profit from these beneficial works. Right in the first years of the French présence in Cochinchina, lands were seriously monopolized by European colonizers and Vietnamese collaborators to the French. Many poor and real peasants had to work as tenant-farmers for new landowners, sometimes on their former own properties when they came back to their native villages after the years of troubles. These monopolizations continued to happen during all the colonial period and throughout the country from the North to the South with the usurpation of communal ricefields and lands (by Vietnamese village notables and mandarins, by French colonizers and powerful confessional organizations), usury and all kinds of abuses. These monopolizations of lands and ricefields have been considered by the author as the first and most essential of true conditions of the Vietnamese peasantry behind the good appearance of the country's economy during the French period.

Familial Correlates of Selected Types of Child Abuse and Neglect

The study, based on 489 cases of child abuse and neglect, was designed to determine specific patterns offamily circumstance which tended to be present in families in which (a) abandonment, (b) physical abuse, (c) emotional abuse, (d) neglect, or (e) sexual abuse had been substantiated. Although previous studies have tended to treat child abuse and neglect as a unidimensional dependent variable, the findings of this investigation indicate that different kinds of abuse are related to different antecedent variables and suggest that the patterns are complex.