In the United States, the judicial system response to violence between intimate partners, or intimate partner violence (IPV), typically mandates that adjudicated perpetrators complete a batterer intervention program (BIP). The social science data has found that these programs, on the whole, are only minimally effective in reducing rates of IPV. The authors examined the social science literature on the characteristics and efficacy of BIPs. More than 400 studies were considered, including a sweeping, recently conducted survey of BIP directors across the United States and Canada. Results of this review indicate that the limitations of BIPs are due, in large part, to the limitations of current state standards regulating these programs and, furthermore, that these standards are not grounded in the body of empirical research evidence or best practices. The authors, all of whom have considerable expertise in the area of domestic violence perpetrator treatment, conducted an exhaustive investigation of the following key intervention areas: overall effectiveness of BIPs; length of treatment/length of group sessions; number of group participants and number of facilitators; group format and curriculum; assessment protocol and instruments; victim contact; modality of treatment; differential treatment; working with female perpetrators; working with perpetrators in racial and ethnic minority groups; working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) perpetrators; perpetrator treatment and practitioner–client relationships; and required practitioner education and training. Recommendations for evidence-based national BIP standards were made based on findings from this review.
Understanding the dynamics of mental health of recently resettled refugees is an essential component of any comprehensive resettlement program, yet establishing the components of a successful and acceptable mental health intervention is an elusive task. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 resettled refugees from five countries who had received treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, or anxiety. Themes generated from the interviews emphasized the need for strong group-based social support as well as a focus on practical needs such as acquiring and maintaining employment, language and literacy training, and access to care.
This systematic review examines programs designed to reduce school violence. The review indicates the lack of definitive results of previous reviews, addresses the gaps in the existing literature, and supports the need for social workers to play an active role in organizing, promoting, and coordinating violence reduction processes. In addition, the review attempts to clarify the effects of violence reduction processes as they relate to school culture change.Results indicate that programs identified in this systematic review could help to create positive social environments that reduce incidences of violence creating and atmosphere more favorable to learning. Further, identified programs are shown to reduce office referrals, in school suspensions, and out of school suspensions. While these results are notable, it is likely the identified programs are one component of a holistic strategy for changing school culture. Adding other processes could help to sustain a positive social environment over time and reduce incidence of violence, office referrals, and suspensions. Further study is needed to substantiate this hypothesis as this is beyond this study.
Legislative underrepresentation of the Hispanic population is a serious social problem in Texas. Hispanics in the Texas legislature comprise approximately 21% of the total legislative body, yet the Hispanic population is approximately 35% of the total population in Texas. Acculturation and Power Elite theories can enhance our understanding, providing a useful framework for explaining the underrepresentation phenomenon and identifying implications for further research. Acculturation refers to the internal processes of change that immigrants experience when they come into direct contact with members of the host culture, in this case Hispanics. Power elite theory is a concept of how the balance of power is maintained within the societal structure, in this case Texas. Together, these theories can account for underrepresentation and can help to form a strategy for Hispanics to overcome the underrepresentation phenomenon in Texas.
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