NCJ Number
92441
Journal
Victimology Volume: 6 Issue: 1-4 Dated: (1981) Pages: 188-197
Date Published
1983
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This paper presents data collected on marital violence and help seeking patterns of individuals in a non-urban area.
Abstract
Survey forms were distributed in the local newspaper, doctors' offices, social service agencies, and other community agencies. A total of 410 complete responses were received. Of these, 158 women reported being physically abused while 169 women reported no physical abuse. The two groups of women are compared in regard to demographic data. The groups were similar in age and number of children but differed in marital status, history of abuse as a child, and acquaintance with other victims of abuse. Examining the data of the abused women, a profile of abuse was constructed including such variables as rate, severity, and source of abuse. Information was also collected and analyzed on the type of help desired to determine rates of help-seeking and sources of help consulted. It was found that age, marital status, and rate of abuse were related to help-seeking behavior. Rates of help-seeking and help desired were considerably lower than in prior studies, most of which used samples drawn from police records or social service agencies. This study suggests that a large number of rural women do not seek help for physical abuse by their mates and, in many cases, look to natural helping sources for assistance. (Author abstract)