NCJ Number
58680
Journal
Social Casework Volume: 60 Issue: 6 Dated: (JUNE 1979) Pages: 338-342
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
INTERVIEWS WITH 21 COUNSELORS AT NINE SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES SERVING AN ESTIMATED 500,000 RESIDENTS IN A NORTHEAST STATE, SHOWS THAT SOCIAL AGENCIES FAIL TO INFORM ABUSED WIVES OF SERVICES AIMED AT THEIR NEEDS.
Abstract
RESEARCHERS, SUCH AS PAGELOW (1977) AND NICHOLS (1976), HAVE ARGUED THAT THE RESPONSE WHICH SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES MAKE TO ABUSED WOMEN IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING THE DECISION OF THESE WOMAN TO LEAVE THEIR ABUSIVE SPOUSES. IN FORMULATING THIS STUDY, IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT AGENCIES VIEW WIFE ABUSE AS A SYMPTOM OF OTHER FAMILY PROBLEMS AND NOT AS A PROBLEM OF IMPORTANCE IN AND OF ITSELF. THIS IN TURN KEEPS AGENCIES FROM BEING AWARE OF THE SERVICES AND FACILITIES THAT EXIST TO DEAL EXCLUSIVELY WITH THE PROBLEM OF WIFE ABUSE. IN THIS STUDY, A PURPOSIVE SAMPLE WAS USED, INTERVIEWING APPROXIMATELY 20 PERCENT OF THE COUNSELING STAFF IN EACH OF THE AGENCIES. TWO OF THE NINE AGENCIES DEAL SPECIFICALLY WITH WIFE ABUSE. HOWEVER, THE STUDY FINDINGS INDICATE THAT PROFESSIONAL SERVICE WORKERS IN THE OTHER AGENCIES ARE LARGELY UNAWARE OF THESE PROGRAMS. ONLY NINE OF THE 21 PROFESSIONALS HAD ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SERVICES OFFERED BY ONE OF THE AGENCIES AND ONLY 5 HAD ACCURATE INFORMATION ON THE OTHER PROGRAM. THESE COUNSELORS ATTEMPT TO DEAL WITH ABUSED WIVES THE SAME WAY IN WHICH THEY DEAL WITH OTHER FAMILY PROBLEMS; THEREFORE, THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO INFORM ABUSED WOMEN OF THE SPECIAL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO THEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEMS CREATED BY WIFE ABUSE CAN ONLY BE MET BY CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN SPECIAL PROGRAMS AIMED AT ABUSED WIVES AND OTHER FAMILY COUNSELING PROGRAMS. REFERENCES AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (KCP)