Most studies in the United States documenting immigrant women's experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) have not included the perspectives of abused immigrant African women. This study utilized a phenomenological approach to explore help-seeking barriers and factors impacting decisions to leave an abusive relationship among 15 immigrant African women. Results from the qualitative analysis indicated that the culture of gender inequality and acceptance of gender violence were primary barriers. Selfblame, loyalty, concern for children, and lack of knowledge regarding abuse, services, and legal rights were additional barriers, along with structural factors such as finances, underemployment, and housing. Muslim African women also feared the additional stigma of being in polygamous relationships. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Social workers provide services to populations with mental health issues, including suicidal ideations and are thus at risk of experiencing a client suicide at some point during their career. Limited research using quantitative methods has explored the effect of client suicide on social workers, but little is known about their reactions from a qualitative standpoint-a method of study that is essential for fully understanding a social science phenomenon. This study addresses the gap in the literature by providing findings from an in-depth qualitative study of 25 mental health social workers who shared their experiences and reactions in the aftermath of a client suicide. Major themes were identified, including both professional and personal reactions of denial, anger, grief, and acceptance. Avoidance and intrusion, as well as additional themes of professional incompetence, responsibility, isolation, and justification were indicated and discussed in the conceptual framework of grief and secondary traumatic stress. The implications for practitioners, administrators, and educators are discussed.
The efficacy of psychosocial interventions for perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) has been increasingly challenged in recent years, largely in response to reviews of research showing limited program effects. This article addresses the state of the art in research on IPV perpetrator interventions. After considering previous quantitative reviews of research in this area, new trends and innovations are addressed, including culturally focused interventions, case management and comprehensive services, supportive efforts to enhance program attendance, and interventions focused on motivation to change. Recent research has failed to provide clear evidence that race-specific groups or culturally focused content enhances the efficacy of standard IPV interventions. Similarly, research exploring case management for IPV perpetrators revealed important problems in implementation of the intervention and no clear evidence of improved outcomes. However, some evidence indicates that the integration of substance use interventions may enhance violence reduction. Supportive interventions designed to enhance program attendance and motivation to change have yielded consistently encouraging results, including significant effects on program attendance, compliance with IPV intervention tasks, and increased personal change and help-seeking efforts. These interventions have shown favorable initial effects in reducing abusive behavior relative to treatment-as-usual controls, and they are highlighted as a potentially fruitful avenue for continued research.
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