NCJ Number
198415
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 17 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2002 Pages: 623-636
Date Published
October 2002
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Since previous studies have indicated that abused women apparently do not make full use of the formal counseling services available in many communities, this study sought to identify factors related to service use by abused women.
Abstract
A total of 1,746 women who had been assaulted by a male intimate partner were selected from a larger pool of women interviewed by Pretrial Services following the arrest of their spouse/partner on domestic abuse charges. All of the women reported prior physical assaults by the same spouse/partner listed in the instant offense. In addition to being asked to describe previous physical assaults and psychological abuse by their current spouse/partner, the women were also asked whether they had ever sought "formal counseling/supportive services" to help them deal with the abuse. Consistent with previous relevant studies, a minority of the victims reported the prior use of such services (14.9 percent). African-American women, younger women, women in dating relationships, and women from block groups of lower socioeconomic status were less likely to use formal counseling/supportive services. Caucasian victims were three times more likely to seek help than African-American victims. The severity of prior abuse was also found to be significantly predictive of the use of services; and women with young children and women who reported that their children had witnessed domestic violence were more likely than their respective counterparts to seek counseling/supportive services. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed. 4 tables and 41 references