NCJ Number
228428
Date Published
July 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Using data collected in June and July 2007 in telephone interviews, this study examined the nature and prevalence of intimate partner abuse of women in a Central Queensland mining region (the Bowen Basin).
Abstract
Of the 532 women surveyed, 11.5 percent had experienced physical abuse and 31.4 percent had experienced nonphysical forms of abuse. A number of victim characteristics were significantly associated with abuse; for example, depression was significantly linked to sexual assault, and both depression and severe psychological symptoms significantly correlated with all other forms of abuse; however, contrary to concerns of human service providers, the findings indicate that women in mining subcultures do not experience greater levels of abuse than women in other types of communities. Although women whose partners worked in the mining industry were significantly more likely to experience socio-psychological abuse, this association was relatively weak and must be viewed in relation to more significant influences. Other more significant influences than the partner's working in mining were the de facto relationship status, women's age, male partners' education, regular consumption of cannabis, and patterns of alcohol consumption. A set of 10 questions from the revised Conflict Tactics Scale measured women's experience of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and threats of physical abuse. Another set of 10 questions was drawn from the General Social Survey on Victimization in measuring nonphysical abuse. Physical and mental health status were measured with the SF-12 Health Survey. The survey also asked about sociodemographic characteristics of the women and their male partners, relational characteristics, and the consumption of alcohol and drugs. 3 tables and 21 references