Battered women: understanding, identification, and assessment. A psychosociocultural perspective, Part 1

Woman Abuse, Assimilation, and Self-Concept in a Rural Mexican American Community

This study proposed to describe the effect of assimilation on self-concept and abuse in a rural, minority population of Mexican American women. Ethnic language translations were developed to enable investigation with a rural, Spanish-speaking, Mexican American population. Reassessment of reliability and validity of both English and Spanish translations of instrumentation for a rural population was performed. Data were collected through convenience sampling from both rural battered women's shelters and rural community service centers. Significant differences were found between groups of abused (n = 85) versus non-abused (n = 84) women on dimensions of self-concept. Assimilation variables found to be significantly correlated with self-concept for abused and non-abused Mexican American women included language, attitudes toward traditionalfamily structure, and values. Significant differences werefound between abused and non-abused Mexican American women in attitudes toward traditional family structure and sex-role identification.

Workplace violence against nurses in Chinese hospitals: a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of workplace violence that Chinese nurses have encountered, identify risk factors and provide a basis for future targeted interventions.

SETTING

Heilongjiang, a province in northeast China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 588 nurses provided data. There were also in-depth interviews with 12 nurses, 7 hospital administrators and 6 health officials.

RESULTS

A total of 7.8% of the nurses reported physically violent experiences and 71.9% reported non-physically violent experiences in the preceding year. Perpetrators were patients or their relatives (93.5% and 82%, respectively), and 24% of nurses experienced non-physical violence that involved Yi Nao (gangs specifically targeting hospitals). Inexperienced nurses were more likely to report physical (13.2%) or non-physical (89.5%) violence compared with experienced nurses. Graduate-level nurses were more likely to perceive and report non-physical violence (84.6%). Nurses who worked rotating shifts were 3.668 times (95% CI 1.275 to 10.554) more likely to experience physical violence, and 1.771 times (95% CI 1.123 to 2.792) more likely to experience non-physical violence compared with nurses who worked fixed day shifts. Higher anxiety levels about workplace violence and work types were associated with violence. Interviewees perceived financial burdens, unsatisfactory treatment outcomes and miscommunications as influencing factors for workplace violence.

CONCLUSIONS

Preplacement education should focus on high-risk groups to reduce workplace violence. Increased awareness from the public and policymakers is necessary to develop effective control strategies at individual, hospital and national levels.

Emergency nurses' experience with violence: does it affect nursing care of battered women?

OBJECTIVE

To determine what effect nurses' experience of interpersonal violence had on proposed nursing care of battered women ED patients.

METHODS

One hundred ninety-five emergency nurses completed surveys on their personal experiences with violence involving patients or intimate partners and on their proposed nursing care of battered women given 2 vignettes.

RESULTS

Seventy percent of participants experienced violence perpetrated by a patient; 40% of the nurses reported violence perpetrated by their intimate partners; and 19% had used force on their partners. Prior assault of a nurse by a patient or partner did not affect the proposed nursing care that would be provided by that nurse to battered women ed patients. Female nurses who committed violence against their intimate partners proposed less nursing care than did those who did not commit violence against their intimate partners for the vignette describing a woman who had received minor injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

This study documents the vulnerability of nurses to assault by patients and intimate partners. This vulnerability does not affect their proposed nursing care of battered women. An exception is nurses who themselves commit violence against intimate partners. Findings point to the need to increase safety for nurses in the workplace and provide employee assistance to help nurses confront violence at home.

Experiences of violence in HIV-seropositive women in the south-eastern United States of America

Women represent one of the fastest growing groups being diagnosed with HIV infection. Because of the circumstances under which they live, women at the highest risk for HIV infection may also be at risk for verbal, physical and sexual violence. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency and type of violence experienced by women infected with HIV, and describe associations between reported violence, self-esteem and sense of competence. The study used a descriptive design and was conducted in the south-eastern United States. The sample consisted of 194 women infected with HIV. Women were primarily single, African-Americans residing in urban areas with an annual household income of less than $10,000 per year. Participants completed face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire which included a frequency of violence scale, Rosenberg's self-esteem scale, and Pearlin and Schooler's mastery scale. Approximately 15% of women reported at least one event of physical abuse and 55% at least one event of verbal abuse in the past 6 months. Verbal abuse experienced by women was the strongest net negative predictor of self-esteem and competence. These findings indicate that HIV-infected women are at risk for experiencing physical abuse and verbal abuse, and the experience of violence is associated with lower self-esteem and competence.

Counteracting abuse and breaking free: the process of leaving revealed through women's voices

In a feminist, grounded-theory study, we interviewed rural survivors of abusive relationships to discover a substantive theory to explain the process of leaving. The central process for survivors was reclaiming self. In this article, we discuss the initial stages of reclaiming self: counteracting abuse and breaking free. Our findings reveal that the abused women were not passive victims. From the beginning, they counteracted abuse by relinquishing parts of self, minimizing abuse, and fortifying their defenses. The work of counteracting abuse prepared the survivor for testing the exits in the process of breaking free. These findings support the view of abused women as survivors and clearly demonstrate the societal infrastructure required to support women's efforts to counteract abuse until they have acquired the strength and resources to leave. In addition, questions are raised about the roles of lay and professional helpers in facilitating and inhibiting the process of reclaiming self.

Battered women: intervention and prevention. A psychosociocultural perspective, Part 2

Building on the foundation of understanding and comprehensive assessment of battered women, this article addresses service planning and intervention. Strategies are approached within the framework of a Crisis Paradigm developed from field research with battered women and their families. They include mechanisms such as support groups which link crisis service to the long-term needs of battered women, and systematic approaches to removing the obstacles which keep women victimized. An Assessment and Service Planning Guide (ASPG) is proposed for inclusion in routine health care of abused women. The article concludes with strategies for preventing violence at interpersonal and societal levels.