Understanding Crisis Information Needs in Context: The Case of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

Abstract

The pervasive, personal crisis of intimate partner violence (IPV) demands community information resources in workforce, health care, mental health, public housing, criminal justice, and social service arenas. Although generally underutilized, public libraries have a pivotal role to play as the only public institution specifically structured to support community information access. In order to provide effective service, however, librarians must understand the information complexities of the IPV context. This study triangulates two populations and two data-gathering techniques in an effort to provide a deeper understanding of survivors' information needs. The first segment analyzes the information issues of IPV survivors in an active bulletin board (BB) community; the second segment utilizes in-depth interviews with 57 individuals (safe-house staff, survivors, and police officers) in ten Texas cities. The information experiences were analyzed in the context of public library service and in light of Everyday Life Information Seeking theory. This paper first examines the information-related experiences of IPV survivors, and then examines the potential of public library support for this vulnerable population. Based on triangulated data from one study of online exchanges and a second study of survivors, shelter staff, and police, this paper helps map the complex information arena of IPV survivors in light of public library support opportunities. Context of Intimate Partner Violence Demographics. Almost 5.3 million victimizations by intimate partners occur every year among U.S. women age 18 and older [1]. This violence crosses all social, economic, educational, racial, and cultural boundaries; however certain groups suffer most. Severe 4 4 IPV attacks are four to six times as common among Black and Hispanic couples as their White counterparts [2, p. 1039], and women who live below the poverty line and young women are more likely to be abused [3, 4]. IPV has a disproportionate impact on those lacking financial independence, the means to sustain themselves day-today. Nor do they have access to legal resources, which materially affects their ability to prevail in both civil and criminal courts [5]. Many lack financial self-sufficiency after years of being prevented from gaining an education and/or job; many also have primary financial and parenting responsibilities for young children [6]. Health. Women with a history of domestic violence victimization have significantly more physical and mental health problems than do other women [7]. Survivors frequently suffer the effects of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder [8] and they have 50% to 70% more problems with their physical health [7, p. 1157] than their counterparts. Trying to leave. Simply reporting the abuse, much less leaving the abuser, can be extremely difficult for many survivors [9; 10, p. 1089; 11]. Judgmental responses from police and social service agencies to survivors' help-seeking efforts can actually undermine healing [12] and leave survivors feeli...

Use of Online Safety Decision Aid by Abused Women

“…19 Therefore, the SDA was adapted to be deployed via a secure study website. The ongoing randomized controlled trial, referred to as IRIS (Internet Resource for Intervention and Safety), is testing the effectiveness of the SDA compared with usual safety planning (i.e., IPV information typically available online) on abused women’s health and safety.…”

Hospital Dissemination of Information Resources on Intimate Partner Violence: Statewide Analysis of Texas Emergency Room Staff

“…Patient and medical personnel education programs are well established (44)(45)(46)(47), but a focus on IPV survivor care in the ED setting is essential. The information needs of these abuse survivors have uncommon nuances, unexpected parameters, and potentially lethal consequences (48,49). Further research is needed on three primary issues: evaluating IPV dissemination by ED personnel, understanding IPV survivors' information needs in the ED setting, and identifying the most effective role of medical librarians in managing IPV information dissemination in ED settings.…”

Guidelines for mandated documents

“…Content questions referenced elements identified as important, even critical, to survivors (Westbrook, 2008a;Postus et al, 2009). Respondents were invited to select as many items as they deemed appropriate.…”