Violence Against Women Research Consortium

November 9, 2022

The “Criminal Justice and Victim Services Prevention and Intervention Responses to Domestic Violence Victims with Disability and Deaf Individuals” project was initiated during the July 1 to December 30, 2019 project cycle when grant funding was released July 15, 2019. The first specific aim was to: Examine the current state of criminal justice and victim services prevention and intervention responses to domestic violence against individuals with disabilities and Deaf people throughout the United States. This project was focused on vision impairment, the deaf or hard of hearing, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and physical disabilities in examining criminal justice and victim services responses. The research team completed and submitted their final report to the Consortium in 2021.

The second specific aim was to: Disseminate the findings through a range of avenues to inform practitioners of practices in working with victims with disabilities and deaf victims. The research team worked with the Dissemination Coordinator on dissemination materials. The research team met with the Dissemination Coordinator and created a graphic report highlighting the main points of their paper. This was shared externally and through our networks to allow providers and practitioners to access the details of the research.

November 9, 2022

“The Extending Bystander Intervention Prevention Models from College Campuses to the Workplace” project was initiated in the January 1 to June 30, 2022 project cycle. The specific aims of this project were: (1) Develop and pilot a new measurement tool that can be used to assess bystander intervention in the context of workplaces. The tool will adapt validated tools used on college campuses to the context of workplaces, taking into account unique factors such as power dynamics; (2) Within a workplace sample, assess what types of harassment employees witness in their workplaces, whether they take bystander action, and what barriers are present; and (3) Disseminate findings through a paper that includes discussion about what aspects of bystander intervention measurement and educational models may need to be adapted for workplaces.

Qualtrics Panel Service began data collection in June 2022, and it was completed in July 2022, followed by data analysis.

November 9, 2022

The “Intimate Partner Homicide-Suicide in the United States: A Comparison to Homicide-Only and Suicide-Only Cases” project was initiated during the January 1 to June 30, 202 project cycle. The specific aims of this project were: (1) Describe the demographic and situational characteristics of intimate partner homicide-suicide cases in the sample and explore differences between homicide-suicide cases and suicide-only and homicide-only cases; (2a)  Examine the individual and case-level characteristics associated with intimate partner homicide-suicide compared to suicide-only; (2B) Examine the individual and case-level characteristics associated with intimate partner homicide-suicide compared to homicide-only cases; and (3) Review homicide-suicide narratives to identify noteworthy case characteristics (e.g., opportunities for intervention; crises preceding homicide-suicide) that are not accounted for in the quantitative analysis.

Data for this study came from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). The data was cleaned and analyzed. Several additional variables were requested to strengthen analysis. The qualitative analysis of homicide-suicide narratives was conducted.

November 9, 2022

This project produced an updated guide for conducting campus climate surveys among HBCUs. The original guide was completed in 2019 as part of a larger project that originally included the intention to administer the survey at two HBCU institutions but was paused. Since that time, there have been additional contributions to the science of conducting campus climate surveys that are reflected in the manual. The project included a comprehensive literature review of work produced since 2019 as well as consultation with those with expertise in HBCU climate studies.

The specific areas that were addressed in updating the manual included: 1) best practices related to the science/methodology of conducting campus climate surveys; 2) the impact of COVID on conducting survey; 3) possibilities for adopting more intersectional approaches to campus climate that include other aspects of diversity and inclusion; and 4) information related to customizing campus climate surveys for HBCUs, HSIs, and community colleges. The project produced a manual outlining these updates and providing recommendations for implementation and next steps.

November 9, 2022

The “Patterns of Poly-Victimization Exposure Across Racial and Ethnic Populations in the United States” project was initiated during the January 1 to June 30, 2022 project cycle. The specific aims of this project were: (1) Describe the experiences of poly-victimization exposure including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking, and sub-types (e.g., physical violence, psychological aggression, sexual coercion) in a nationally representative sample of male and female adults; and (2) Identify potential disparities in poly-victimization exposure based on race and ethnicity.

November 9, 2022

The “Implementation of Domestic Violence Firearm Policy in Urban and Rural Communities: Current Procedures and Future Directions” project was initiated during the January 1 to June 30, 2022 project cycle. The specific aims of this project were: (1) Examine implementation of procedures associated with domestic violence firearm laws that prohibit the possession of firearms in urban and rural communities in two states (i.e., Texas and New Jersey); (2) Identify barriers that communities and agencies face when implementing domestic violence firearm laws and policies in urban and rural areas; (3) Highlight strategies that facilitate the adoption of procedures and programs to enforce domestic violence firearm laws—particularly in rural communities—and that effectively limit abusers’ access to firearms; and (4) Investigate the impact COVID-19 has on the implementation of procedures that aim to disarm abusers and protect victims from firearm injury and death.

November 9, 2022

The “Exploring Resilience Portfolios for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence during the COVID Pandemic” project was initiated in the January 1 to June 30, 2022 project cycle. The specific aims of this project were: (1) Develop a conceptual model for economic resilience based on the Resilience Portfolio Model developed by Grych et al.; (2) Construct a measurement tool to examine economic resilience protective factors for IPV survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) Examine which protective factors are most associated with IPV survivor health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There was a literature review conducted to develop a conceptual model for economic resilience. The survey was finalized and submitted to Qualtrics Panel Service for distribution in July 2022. Data collection was completed in July 2022.

November 9, 2022

The “Patterns of Poly-Victimization Exposure Across Racial and Ethnic Populations in the United States” project was initiated during the January 1 to June 30, 2022 project cycle. The specific aims of this project are: (1) Describe the experiences of poly-victimization exposure including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking, and sub-types (e.g., physical violence, psychological aggression, sexual coercion) in a nationally representative sample of male and female adults; and (2) Identify potential disparities in poly-victimization exposure based on race and ethnicity.

April 26, 2019

Understanding context is important to the research community but is also important for law enforcement, who may be tasked with investigating cases of teen dating violence. With funding from the Office on Violence Against Women (Grant No. 2007-TA-AX-K024), Break the Cycle published a guide for law enforcement officers who work with teen victims of dating violence. One of the key points in the guide is, “Do NOT make a dual arrest -- arresting both is ineffective and dangerous. In most cases, one party is using violence, coercion and intimidation while the other is reacting to the violence. Arresting a victim only serves to re-victimize them, causing distrust and alienation, especially among youth who may already be distrustful of adult authorities.” In other words, it is crucial for law enforcement officers to understand the context of the violence: who engaged in the behavior first, what was their motivation for the behavior (e.g., self-defense), and how this incident may fit in with a pattern of power and control in that relationship. Without being aware of context, law enforcement officers may conclude that both parties are using violence. Better measurement and a fuller understanding of dating violence will help law enforcement to ensure safety for those who need it most.

Researchers and practitioners need better options for measurement in the form of accessible and contextual measures of teen dating violence. Due to the widespread and increasing use of digital media among teens, measures must also take into account dating violence that occurs through the use of social media and mobile phones-- a form of dating violence we call “digital dating abuse” (Futures Without Violence, 2009; Reed, Tolman, & Ward, 2016). This project aims to present researchers and practitioners with further evidence of the importance of measuring context in dating violence and provide a novel measure of digital dating abuse that addresses the gendered motivation, experience, and consequences of digital dating abuse behaviors.

ASSOCIATED FACULTY

Lauren Reed Ph.D, Principal Investigator
Dr. Lauren Reed is an assistant professor of Social Work at ASU. She completed her Ph.D. in social work and developmental psychology at the University of Michigan and did her postdoctoral training at the University of California Santa Barbara in the Center for School-Based Youth Development. Dr. Reed has worked with adolescent and adult survivors of dating and domestic violence and has facilitated community-based youth-led programs to empower youth to end relationship violence and promote gender equality in their communities. She is passionate about teaching, mentoring, and the power of youth-led social change.

Rita Seabrook, Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Seabrook's research focuses on intimate partner violence. She is especially interested in masculinity and how the pressure to “be a man” (e.g., by having several sexual partners) contributes to sexual violence against women. Currently, she is working on projects related to fraternity membership and sexual violence perpetration, sexual violence among LGBTQ college students, and opioid misuse and intimate partner violence.

RESOURCES

• Infographic on Teen Dating Abuse
• Teen Dating Abuse Fact Sheet - for Teens
• Teen Dating Abuse Fact Sheet - for Service and Providers

PUBLICATIONS

• “ ‘It was a joke:’ Patterns in girls’ and boys’ self-reported motivations for digital dating abuse behaviors”. by Lauren A. Reed, Siobhan M. Lawler, Jenny McCullough Cosgrove, Richard M. Tolman, L. Monique Ward 
• Under review: “Teen dating abuse is gender-based abuse: A feminist ecological approach for research and practice”. by Lauren Reed, L. & John Costello

February 25, 2019

There is a limited evidence base on prevalence of sexual violence among Latinx students and rates for formal disclosure and reporting to law enforcement among survivors. This lack of information presents a major challenge to prevention and intervention efforts, particularly at institutions with significant Latinx populations, such as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The proposed project aims to address the gap in our understanding of sexual violence rates among Latinx students and their rates of, and experiences with, disclosure and reporting to law enforcement. We will directly address these aims through a comprehensive literature review and secondary data analyses, both with an emphasis on Latinx students and those attending HSIs.

ASSOCIATED FACULTY

Kevin Swartout, Principal Investigator
Kevin Swartout is an Associate Professor at Georgia State University. His current research program can be broken down into three main areas: social influences on individuals’ aggressive attitudes and behaviors; person-centered approaches to analyze longitudinal data on violence and victimization; and exploring the relation between substance use and violence. .

Rita Seabrook, Co-Principal Investigator
Dr. Seabrook's research focuses on intimate partner violence. She is especially interested in masculinity and how the pressure to “be a man” (e.g., by having several sexual partners) contributes to sexual violence against women. Currently, she is working on projects related to fraternity membership and sexual violence perpetration, sexual violence among LGBTQ college students, and opioid misuse and intimate partner violence.

Elithet Silva-Martinez, Co-Principal Investigator
Elithet (Eli) Silva-Martinez is an Assistant Professor at the University of Puerto Rico. In the last fifteen years, Silva-Martinez has focused her work on understanding the multiple dimensions of violence against women, especially intimate partner violence (IPV), among women from Latin America and the Caribbean. Her experience as a social worker in direct practice with survivors of IPV in the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico has allowed her to learn of the dynamics around IPV. From 2007-2009, Silva-Martinez served as a Project Coordinator at the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, for the Office of Violence Against Women Grant to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program at the University of Iowa. Silva-Martinez has also worked extensively with immigrant communities in the United States and Puerto Rico, which has allowed me to develop knowledge and skills to work directly with vulnerable populations, especially Spanish-speaking women. Among her many skills, Silva-Martinez offers the Consortium a rich background in cultural competency and qualitative interviewing with women from Spanish-speaking backgrounds.

Leila Wood, Consultant
Leila Wood is an Associate Professor at the at the Center for Violence Prevention Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Dr. Wood has three degrees (BSW, MSSW and PhD) in Social Work. Her scholarship areas are intimate and interpersonal violence in the campus context, intimate partner violence and sexual assault service evaluation, and occupational stress related to interpersonal violence work. Wood’s research focuses on survivor-centered approaches and establishing evidence for community and campus-based practices in the intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA) field, including housing programs. 

RESOURCES

• Allow me to Speak

April 26, 2019

This project has implications for practice. Findings have the potential to highlight the traumatic events that may contribute to sexual and gender minority youths’ decisions to engage in survival sex. In addition, the findings may help demonstrate why it is important for mental health practitioners, law enforcement professionals, and community programs to use trauma-informed approaches when interacting with these youths.

ASSOCIATED FACULTY

Edward Alessi, Principal Investigator
Dr. Alessi is an associate professor in the School of Social Work. His research aims to improve understanding of stress and trauma among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations and enhance clinical practice with LGBT and other marginalized populations. In June 2017, he was named Rutgers Chancellor’s Scholar, an award created to support faculty excellence at the Associate Professor level. His research has been published in journals such as Psychological Trauma, Child Abuse & Neglect, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Research, and The Journal of Sex Research. Dr. Alessi’s current projects examine how stress and trauma influence the integration experiences of LGBT immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in the United States, Canada, and Europe. He served as guest editor for the Clinical Social Work Journal’s first special issue on Clinical Practice with LGBTQ Populations. Dr. Alessi has also been recognized for his teaching. He was awarded the Rutgers University Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence in 2017. In addition, he received the Outstanding Professor of the Year Award four years in a row (2013-16). A clinical social worker since 2001, he has worked primarily in outpatient mental health and has been an independent practitioner since 2004.

Meredith Dank, Co-Principal Investigator
Meredith Dank is a Research Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her areas of focus include the commercial sex economy, human trafficking, teen dating violence, LGBTQ issues, victimization, and qualitative methods. She served as principal investigator on several human trafficking studies funded by the Department of Justice, including a study that measured the underground commercial sex economy in the United States, and another that documented the experiences of LGBTQ youth, young men who have sex with men and young women who have sex with women engaged in survival sex and their interactions with the criminal justice system. An expert in human trafficking, Dr. Dank has conducted research in over ten countries and took part in a White House stakeholder meeting on services for survivors. Her work particularly in TDV, working with LGBTQ youth, and research methodologies for accessing difficult-to-reach populations will offer key expertise for the Consortium.

RESOURCES

• Sexual and Gender Minority Homeless Youth

PUBLICATIONS

• “Victimization and Resilience Among Sexual and Gender Minority Homeless Youth Engaging in Survival Sex”. by Edward J. Alessi, Brett Greenfield, Dean Manning, and Meredith Dank.

February 25, 2019

Coordinated community responses to violence against women have been implemented since the 1970s, yet evaluations on the effectiveness of these programs have been limited. It is important that coordinated community responses be examined more thoroughly, as they are a popular form of intervention in the field of violence against women, particularly for survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence. Thus, the project examined the current state of coordinated community responses to violence against women throughout the United States and identified current gaps in research. The project conducted a comprehensive and systematic review of coordinated community responses for domestic violence, sexual violence, teen dating violence, and stalking. Researchers also identified the best practices associated with coordinated community responses to violence against women and brought together experts in the field to host a topical meeting and further explore the next steps in closing this gap in understanding.

ASSOCIATED FACULTY

Laura Johnson, PhD, Rutgers University, Principal Investigator
Laura Johnson Laura Johnson is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Temple University. She holds a PhD and MSW in social work from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Prior to joining Temple, she worked at the Center on Violence Against Women and Children at the Rutgers School of Social Work for over eight years, where she served on the senior leadership team and conducted research and evaluation related to the prevention and intervention of violence against women.

The goal of Laura’s research is to support the mental and physical health of survivors of interpersonal violence, as well as their safety and empowerment, through the development and adaptation of measures and interventions. She is also interested in community-based evaluations, and research focused on intervention implementation and strengthening interagency collaborations.

Amanda Stylianou, PhD, Safe Horizon, Co-Principal Investigator 
Amanda M. Stylianou, is a social worker who focuses her career on improving services at the intersection of trauma, mental health and poverty. Her current research focuses on understanding the needs of victims/survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking and on understanding and evaluating practices in the field. In addition to her work at Safe Horizon, Dr. Stylianou teaches in the MSW program at Rutgers University and offers several CEU trainings throughout New Jersey with Rutgers University's Institute for Families. Dr. Stylianou has published in a variety of journals including Social Work, the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Violence against Women, Violence and Victims, Affilia and Children and Youth Services Review. 

PUBLICATIONS

• “Coordinated community responses to domestic violence: A systematic review of the literature.” by Dr. Laura Johnson and Dr. Amanda M Stylianou.

February 25, 2019

In the last two decades, the use of opioids, both prescription and non-prescription, has increased rapidly, leading to a public health crisis with a series of consequences and concerns for individuals, families, communities and formal care and criminal justice systems. The impact of the “opioid epidemic” has been explored in the criminal justice and public health context , but little research has been done to understand the intersection of the use of opioids and violence against women. While previous literature has addressed the co-occurrence of drug use and abuse and intimate partner and sexual violence, in particular from a self-medication perspective, current work has not explored the unique factors associated with the opioid epidemic and violence against women. For this project, we propose drafting a comprehensive literature review on the existing literature on violence against women and drug use and abuse from peer-reviewed journals, government reports and white papers. Following the review of literature, we will identify national experts, and invite them to a topical meeting to chart a course for future research on this topic. Through these efforts, we will aim to bridge the gap between burgeoning practice wisdom and evidence needed to improve system response to the opioid epidemic and violence against women.

ASSOCIATED FACULTY

Dr. Meredith Dank, Principal Investigator
Meredith Dank is a Research Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her areas of focus include the commercial sex economy, human trafficking, teen dating violence, LGBTQ issues, victimization, and qualitative methods. She served as principal investigator on several human trafficking studies funded by the Department of Justice, including a study that measured the underground commercial sex economy in the United States, and another that documented the experiences of LGBTQ youth, young men who have sex with men and young women who have sex with women engaged in survival sex and their interactions with the criminal justice system. An expert in human trafficking, Dr. Dank has conducted research in over ten countries and took part in a White House stakeholder meeting on services for survivors. Her work particularly in TDV, working with LGBTQ youth, and research methodologies for accessing difficult-to-reach populations will offer key expertise for the Consortium.

Leila Wood, PhD, LMSW, Co-Principal Investigator
Leila Wood is an Associate Professor at the at the Center for Violence Prevention Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). Dr. Wood has three degrees (BSW, MSSW and PhD) in Social Work. Her scholarship areas are intimate and interpersonal violence in the campus context, intimate partner violence and sexual assault service evaluation, and occupational stress related to interpersonal violence work. Wood’s research focuses on survivor-centered approaches and establishing evidence for community and campus-based practices in the intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault (SA) field, including housing programs. 

N. Andrew Peterson, PhD, Co-Principal Investigator
N. Andrew Peterson, Ph.D. is a Professor with the School of Social Work at Rutgers University. He earned his Ph.D. in Community Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1998. His research examines the mechanisms through which community organizations promote empowerment and community change. His work also focuses on preventing community-level problems (e.g., tobacco outlet density, alcohol outlet density, density of vacant and abandoned housing, etc.) that contribute to social and health disparities. He currently serves as Principal Investigator of a study funded by the New Jersey Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services to evaluate the implementation of a new statewide prevention infrastructure that identifies communities based on epidemiological analyses and implements evidence-based and culturally-competent prevention strategies.

RESOURCES

• The Socio -Ecological Intersections of the Opioid Epidemic and Violence Against Women: A Scoping Review

February 25, 2019

Very few studies have examined the criminal justice systems’ response to stalking, particularly officer and prosecutorial decision-making. Research to date has shown that officers have a limited understanding of stalking within the context of domestic violence. Even more, few cases are referred to prosecutors and even fewer result in convictions for stalking. Thus, more research is needed to isolate predictors of charging decisions and prosecutions of stalking that differ from factors related to these decisions in non-stalking-related domestic violence cases. Understanding decision-making processes provides salient implications for training needs, as well as investigative and prosecutorial responses to stalking and domestic violence.

As such, the first specific aim of this study was to: To understand correlates of prosecutorial decision-making, particularly the decision to file charges. The second specific aim was to: Identify factors associated with police officers’ decision to charge DV offenders with stalking.

ASSOCIATED FACULTY

Patrick Q. Brady, Ph.D. Principal Investigator
Patrick Brady received a PhD in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University in 2017.  In 2010, he graduated from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah with a Bachelor of Art’s degree in Forensic Science, and a minor in Sociology.  He continued on an academic adventure to Boise State University, where he received a Master of Art’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2012.  Patrick has spent the majority of his professional career working with youth in state-run treatment centers and therapeutic boarding schools. After obtaining his Master’s degree, he worked with a statewide domestic and sexual violence coalition to implement adolescent relationship abuse and sexual violence prevention programming in middle and high schools throughout Idaho. Patrick’s primary research interests focus on reducing burnout among police officers and improving university and justice system response to intimate partner stalking

Bradford Reyns, Ph.D. Co-PI
Brad Reyns is a criminologist specializing in issues surrounding criminal victimization. He received his Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati in 2010 and has been at Weber State University since 2011. His research spans the field of victimology, but has mostly focused on theories of victimization, victim decision making, and the relationship between technology use and victimization.

Rebecca Dreke
Rebecca Dreke is currently the Director of Training & Technical Assistance at the Stalking Resource Center (SRC) at the National Center for Victims of Crime. Dreke is a trainer on crime victim rights, technical assistance provider and manager of a nationally recognized program on stalking. She has over 15 years of experience working on stalking, intimate partner violence and sexual assault advocacy. As a director at the SRC, Dreke oversees a nationally recognized program on stalking, develops original curriculum and provides training for law enforcement, prosecutors, victim service providers and criminal and civil justice professionals as well as other specialists on all aspects of stalking, including the use of technology to stalk, campus stalking and stalking and sexual assault. Dreke also has authored publications for the field on stalking support groups, model campus policies to address stalking, methodology of stalking measurement, and guides for advocates. Dreke’s extensive background in the field of stalking provide an invaluable asset to the Consortium team, as well as her perspective as a practitioner and access to networks involved in the field of stalking.

RESOURCES

• Law Enforcement and Stalking
• Stalking: What does it take for prosecutors to hold stalking offenders accountable?
• Videos on Stalking

PUBLICATIONS

• “A Focal Concerns Perspective on Prosecutorial Decision Making in Cases of Intimate Partner Stalking” by Patrick Q. Brady and Bradford W. Reyns
• “A Sign of the Crimes: Examining Officers’ Identification of, and Arrest for, Stalking in Domestic Violence Complaints” by Patrick Q. Brady, Bradford W. Reyns, and Rebecca Dreke

November 9, 2022

The “Patterns of Poly-Victimization Exposure Across Racial and Ethnic Populations in the United States” project was initiated during the January 1 to June 30, 2022 project cycle. The specific aims of this project were: (1) Describe the experiences of poly-victimization exposure including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking, and sub-types (e.g., physical violence, psychological aggression, sexual coercion) in a nationally representative sample of male and female adults; and (2) Identify potential disparities in poly-victimization exposure based on race and ethnicity.