Battered Women and Their Children: A Public Policy Response

Abstract

Domestic violence has long been acknowledged as an issue in intimate relationships but treated as a private, rather than a public, problem. As fewer federal funds are made available and more fiscal responsibility is shifted to state governments, the states' policies will become more and more critical. This article assesses New York State's domestic violence policy and presents a framework of a three-tier continuum of services: shelter and short-term assistance, transitional services, and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems.

Addressing the Problem of Domestic Violence: How Far Have We Come?

“…Another concern is that few articles have addressed the unique needs of battered women with disabilities, particularly those who are coping with mental health and/or substance abuse issues. This finding is contrary to what is heard from local, state, and national battered women's programsthat the needs of victims of domestic violence who simultaneously present with disabilities such as mental health or substance abuse issues are of major and pressing concern to battered women's advocates (Owens-Manley, 1999).…”

Juvenile Domestic and Family Violence: The Effects of Court-Based Intervention Programs on Recidivism

“…According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 1997 almost one-third (29 percent) of all female homicide victims were killed by their husbands or boyfriends, a rate that has remained relatively constant since 1976 (Owens-Manley, 1999).…”

Battered Women, Children, and the End of Abusive Relationships

“…Welfare reform efforts over the past 15 years, which often require particular kinds of work to be obtained within specific ranges of time, have only complicated battered women's efforts to attain financial stability (Goodwin et al, 2003;Meisel, Chandler, & Rienze, 2003). Thus, poverty is all too often a consequence of having been battered and having left the situation (Baker, Cook, & Moe / Abusive Relationships 245 Norris, 2003;Browne & Bassuk, 1997;Owens-Manley, 1999;Zorza, 1991). Approximately one homeless woman in four is in the predicament mainly because of her experiences with violence, and a woman's risk of homelessness increases with the number of dependent children under her care (Jasinski, Wesely, Mustaine, & Wright, 2005).…”