Abstract
This article reports findings from a qualitative follow-up investigation of a mandated parenting and safety program for system-involved female IPV survivors. Participants were contacted 12 months or more after program completion and invited to participate in individual interviews. The interviews focused on the longer-term life changes survivors attributed to the program. Data were collected from 38 survivors. Qualitative analysis determined 4 key themes: relationship changes (e.g., most women were no longer with abusive partners), parenting changes (e.g., improved communication and discipline strategies), personal life changes (e.g., improved help-seeking and self-esteem), and new or ongoing challenges (e.g., financial stress). Overall, findings suggest that tailored, mandated programming — when positive and empowering — may lead to some longer-term beneficial outcomes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Black, M. C., Basile, K. C., Breiding, M. J., Smith, S. G., Walters, M. L., Merrick, M. T., … Stevens, M. R. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS): 2010 summary report. GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/NISVS_Report2010-a.pdf
Carney, M. M., & Buttell, F. P. (2004). A multidimensional evaluation of a treatment program for female batterers: A pilot study. Research on Social Work Practice, 14, 249–258. doi:10.1177/1049731503262223.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence widespread in the US [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p1214_sexual_violence.html
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2013). Child witnesses to domestic violence. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/witnessdv.pdf
Dasgupta, S. D. (2002). A framework for understanding women’s use of violence in intimate heterosexual relationships. Violence Against Women, 8, 1364–1389. doi:10.1177/107780102237408.
DeLeon-Granados, W., Wells, W., & Binsbacher, R. (2006). Arresting developments: Trends in female arrests for domestic violence and proposed explanations. Violence Against Women, 12, 355–371. doi:10.1177/1077801206287315.
Edleson, J. L., Gassman-Pines, J., & Hill, M. B. (2006). Defining child exposure to domestic violence as neglect: Minnesota's difficult experience. Social Work, 51, 167–174. doi:10.1093/sw/51.2.167.
Ermentrout, D. M., Rizo, C. F., & Macy, R. J. (2014). “this is about me”: Feasibility findings from the children's component of an IPV intervention for justice-involved families. Violence Against Women, 20, 653–676. doi:10.1177/1077801214539856.
Evans, S. E., Davies, C., & DiLillo, D. (2008). Exposure to domestic violence: A meta-analysis of child and adolescent outcomes. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 13, 131–140. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2008.02.005.
Finkelhor, D., Turner, H. A., Shattuck, A., & Hamby, S. L. (2013). Violence, crime, and abuse exposure in a national sample of children and youth: An update. JAMA Pediatrics, 167, 614–621. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.42.
Gewirtz, A. H., DeGarmo, D. S., & Medhanie, A. (2011). Effects of mother’s parenting practices on child internalizing trajectories following partner violence. Journal of Family Psychology, 25, 29–38. doi:10.1037/a0022195.
Hamberger, L. K., & Guse, C. E. (2002). Men’s and women’s use of intimate partner violence in clinical samples. Violence Against Women, 8, 1301–1331. doi:10.1177/107780102762478028.
Hamberger, L. K., & Potente, T. (1994). Counseling heterosexual women arrested for domestic violence: Implications for theory and practice. Violence and Victims, 9, 125–137. Retrieved from http://www.springerpub.com/product/08866708
Hamby, S., Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., & Ormrod, R. (2010). The overlap of witnessing partner violence with child maltreatment and other victimizations in a nationally representative survey of youth. Child Abuse & Neglect, 34, 734–741. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.03.001.
Hardesty, J. L., & Ganong, L. H. (2006). How women make custody decisions and manage co-parenting with abusive former husbands. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 23, 543–563. doi:10.1177/0265407506065983.
Hazen, A. L., Connelly, D. D., Kelleher, K., Landsverk, J., & Barth, R. (2004). Intimate partner violence among female caregivers of children reported for child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28, 301–319. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.09.016.
Hirschel, D., & Buzawa, E. (2002). Understanding the context of dual arrest with directions for future research. Violence Against Women, 8, 1449–1473. doi:10.1177/107780102237965.
Howell, K. H. (2011). Resilience and psychopathology in children exposed to family violence. Aggression and Violence Behavior, 16, 562–569. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2011.09.001.
Insetta, E. R., Akers, A. Y., Miller, E., Yonas, M. A., Burke, J. G., Hintz, L., Chang, J. C. (2015). Intimate partner violence victims as mothers: Their messages and strategies for communicating with children to break the cycle of violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 30, 703–724. doi:10.1177/0886260514535264.
Kernsmith, P., & Kernsmith, R. (2009). Treating female perpetrators: State standards for batterer intervention services. Social Work, 54, 341–349. doi:10.1093/sw/54.4.341.
Kitzmann, K. M., Gaylord, N. K., Holt, A. R., & Kenny, E. D. (2003). Child witnesses to domestic violence: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 339–352. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.71.2.339.
Kohl, P. L., Barth, R. P., Hazen, A. L., & Landsverk, J. A. (2005). Child welfare as a gateway to domestic violence services. Children and Youth Services Review, 27, 1203–1221. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.04.005.
Kubany, E. S., & Watson, S. B. (2002). Cognitive trauma therapy for formerly battered women with PTSD: Conceptual bases and treatment outlines. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 9, 111–127. doi:10.1016/S1077-7229(02)80005-0.
Kuijpers, K. F., van der Knaap, L. M., & Lodewijks, I. A. J. (2011). Victims’ influence on intimate partner violence revictimization: A systematic review of prospective evidence. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 12, 198–219. doi:10.1177/1524838011416378.
Leisenring, A. (2011). “whoa! They could’ve arrested me!”: Unsuccessful identity claims of women during police response to intimate partner violence. Qualitative Sociology, 34, 353–370. doi:10.1007/s11133-011-9190-4.
MacMillan, H. L., Wathen, C. N., & Varcoe, C. M. (2013). Intimate partner violence in the family: Considerations for children’s safety. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37, 1186–1191. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.05.005.
Macy, R. J., Ermentrout, D. M., & Rizo, C. F. (2012). An innovative program for justice-involved partner violence victims: “no man is worth me getting locked up.”. Journal of Family Violence, 27, 453–464. doi:10.1007/s10896-012-9436-2.
Macy, R. J., Rizo, C. F., & Ermentrout, D. M. (2013a). Characteristics, needs, and help seeking of partner violence victims mandated to community services by courts and child protective services. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 83, 588–599. doi:10.1111/ajop.12049.
Macy, R. J., Rizo, C. F., Guo, S., & Ermentrout, D. M. (2013b). Changes in intimate partner violence among women mandated to community services. Research on Social Work Practice, 23, 624–638. doi:10.1177/1049731513490810.
McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., Caetano, R., & Green, C. E. (2006). Estimating the number of American children living in partner-violence families. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 137–142. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.20.1.137.
Miller, S. L. (2001). The paradox of women arrested for domestic violence: Criminal justice professionals and service providers respond. Violence Against Women, 7, 1339–1376. doi:10.1177/10778010122183900.
Miller, S. L., Gregory, C., & Iovanni, L. (2005). One size fits all? A gender-neutral approach to a gender-specific problem: Contrasting batterer treatment programs for male and female offenders. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 16, 336–359. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.05.005.
Nixon, K. L., Tutty, L. M., Weaver-Dunlop, G., & Walsh, C. A. (2007). Do good intentions beget good policy? A review of child protection policies to address intimate partner violence. Children and Youth Services Review, 29, 1469–1486. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.09.007.
Padgett, D. K. (2008). Qualitative methods in social work research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Rajan, M., & McCloskey, K. A. (2007). Victims of intimate partner violence: Arrest rates across recent studies. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 15(3/4), 27–52. doi:10.1080/10926770802097186.
Rizo, C. F., Macy, R. J., Ermentrout, D. M., & Johns, N. B. (2011). A review of family interventions for intimate partner violence with a child focus or child component. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 16, 144–166. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2011.02.004.
Rizo, C. F., Macy, R. J., Ermentrout, D. M., O’Brien, J., Pollock, M. D., & Dababnah, S. (2015). Research with children exposed to partner violence: Perspectives of service-mandated. CPS- and court-involved survivors on research with their children. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0886260515596534.
Sandelowski, M. (2010). What’s in a name? Qualitative description revisited. Research in Nursing & Health, 33, 77–84. doi:10.1002/nur.20362.
Sherman, L. W., & Berk, R. A. (1984). The specific deterrent effects of arrest for domestic violence assault. American Sociological Review, 49, 261–272. doi:10.2307/2095575.
Simmons, C. A., Lehmann, P., & Collier-Tenison, S. (2008). From victim to offender: The effects of male initiated violence on women arrested for using intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Violence, 23, 463–472. doi:10.1007/s10896-008-9173-8.
Simmons, C. A., Lehmann, P., & Dia, D. A. (2010). Parenting and women arrested for intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25, 1429–1448. doi:10.1177/0886260509346064.
Stephens, D. L. (1999). Battered women’s views of their children. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14, 731–746. doi:10.1177/088626099014007004.
Stuart, G. L., Moore, T. M., Hellmuth, J. C., Ramsey, S. E., & Kahler, C. W. (2006). Reasons for intimate partner violence perpetration among arrested women. Violence Against Women, 12, 609–621. doi:10.1177/1077801206290173.
Swan, S. C., & Snow, D. L. (2002). A typology of women’s use of violence in intimate relationships. Violence Against Women, 8, 286–319.
Tower, L. E. (2007). Group work with a new population: Women in domestic relationships responding to violence with violence. Women & Therapy, 30, 35–60. doi:10.1300/J015v30n01_03.
Tower, L. E., Schiller, D., & Fernandez, M. E. (2008). Women court-ordered for domestic violence: Improvements in depression. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, 16, 40–54. doi:10.1080/10926770801920651.
Turner, S., Gilbert, A., Hendricks, A., & Demaree, J. (Eds.) (2006a). Growing beyond conflict: The Path To Building Safer Families—Parent group curriculum. CA: Chadwick Center for Children & Families, Children’s Hospital and Health Center.
Turner, S., Weitz, D., Peterson, L., & Demaree, J. (Eds.) (2006b). Growing beyond conflict: The Path to Building Safer Families–Children’s group curriculum. CA: Chadwick Center for Children & Families, Children’s Hospital and Health Center.
Weiss, R. S. (1994). Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative interviewing. NY: Free Press.
Zolotor, A. J., Theodore, A. D., Coyne-Beasley, T., & Runyan, D. K. (2007). Intimate partner violence and child maltreatment: Overlapping risk. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 7, 305–321. doi:10.1093/brief-treatment/mhm021.
Acknowledgments
Funding for this research was provided by The Duke Endowment. We acknowledge the staff of InterAct and SAFEchild for their collaboration and help with this research. We acknowledge Sarah Dababnah for her help with this research. We also acknowledge Diane Wyant for her comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rizo, C.F., Reynolds, A., Macy, R.J. et al. Parenting and Safety Program for System-Involved Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Follow-up Study. J Fam Viol 31, 833–848 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-016-9833-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-016-9833-z