ALA, Library Research Round Table July 2009

Silent Crises:Understanding the Information Landscape in anOnline Community ofIndividuals in Crisis ALA, Library Research Round Table July 2009

For more information… • Lynn Westbrook, School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin; lynnwest@ischool.utexas.edu • Maria E. Gonzalez, School of Library and Information Science, Wayne State University; eb9414@wayne.edu • See also other work on this area at: [http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~lynnwest/cris/]

Long-term Research Agenda • Structured, holistic examination of the information experiences of survivors of intimate partner violence • Using Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS) models, develop a theoretical framework for placing the individual in the context of complex, progressive situations • Applicable to parallel crisis situations experienced by victims of natural disasters, abrupt life changes

Published to Date [Lynn Westbrook] • Information Myths and Intimate Partner Violence: Sources, Contexts, and Consequences. Journal of the American Society of Information Science and Technology. 60 (4): 826-836. 2009. • Crisis Information Concerns: Information Needs of Domestic Violence Survivors. Information Processing and Management. 45 (1): 98-114. 2009. • Understanding Crisis Information Needs in Context: The Case of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors. Library Quarterly. 78 (3): 237-261. 2008. [Winner of 2008 Jesse Shera Research Award] • E-Government Access to Social Service Information: State Web Resources for Domestic Violence Survivors. Dee Dee Davenport, Jennifer Richey, and Lynn Westbrook. Journal of the American Society of Information Science and Technology. 59 (6): 903-915. 2008. • E-Government Support for People in Crisis: An Evaluation of Police Department Web Site Support for Domestic Violence Survivors Using “Person-in-Situation” Information Need Analysis. Library and Information Science Research. 30: 22-38. 2008. • Digital Information Support for Domestic Violence Victims. Journal of the American Society of Information Science and Technology. 58 (3): 420-432. 2007. • Surviving Domestic Violence: Seeking Support in Cyber-Space. In Proceedings of the Information Resources Management Association International Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 22, 2007. MehdiKhosrow-Pour, editor. Information Resources Management Association, Hershey, PA: 1294-1296. 2007.

Present Research Problem • Within an online community, what are the information needs, barriers and resources of survivors of intimate partner violence? • Within an online community, how do those information needs, barriers, and resources correlate with the three large-scale stages of an IPV relationship (i.e., in, leaving, or left a relationship)?

Objective for practical application • Inform the design and development of formal information structures and services, such as library Web pages and virtual reference • Shape evolution of information networks with meaningful categories drawn from IPV survivors’ expression of situations and needs not just practice or theory

Definition of IPV • Intimate partner violence – pattern of abusive behaviors carried out in an intimate relationship to maintain power and control • Abuse cycle including “honeymoon period” • Abuse can be verbal, physical, financial, emotional, sexual, and/or social • Abuse almost always escalates

Incidence and Prevalence • 5.3 million intimate partner victimizations per year in the United States1 • 2 million injuries per year2 • 1,252 deaths in 1995 or 33% of all women murdered3 • 1.5 - 2 % of women over 18 affected each year4 • 25 – 30% affected over lifetime5 • Higher rates among some U.S. minorities6 • Under-reported crime7

Annual Costs in U.S. • $67 billion total as estimated in 19961 • $4.1 billion - Medical and mental health2 • $1. 8 billion - Lost earnings and productivity3 • Approx. $ 8 billion - Police, court and legal costs…4 • $13,800 per victimization5 • 33% of costs are borne by the victim6 • 67% of costs by insurers, public systems

Background • More complex demands with fewer resources for services for survivors of IPV and their children • Available resources require effective targeting • Societal demands for greater self-reliance, self-efficacy of all citizens • Clinical and academic alternative solutions to coping with aftermath of violent or abusive relationships • Overlapping problems require tiered information and help-seeking

Trends • 1993 – 2005 decrease in the prevalence of IPV along with decreases across all violent crimes1 • Increase in absolute numbers as population increases2 • Less assistance as resources curtailed3 • Expansion of coordinated efforts of criminal justice and social service agencies4 • Encouragement by funders for integrative research prevention programs5 • Therapeutic approaches utilizing narrative and story telling for attaining individual integration of abuse experience instead of total recovery from abuse6

Role of libraries • Historical role as hub for community information and referral services • Professional ability to conduct tiered reference interviews with the focus on problem-solution rather than on information-distribution • Institutional responsibility for supporting and serving all members of population with a particular emphasis on those who have few options for information • Helps survivors = help children

Data analyzed • Active, established, protected bulletin board • Permission of moderator; no interaction • Ten months of online discussions • 659 threads • Between 1 and 31 posts per thread, avg. 5.5 • 733, 272 words • Approximately 150 unique posters during period analyzed

Methodology • Constant comparison content analysis • A priori codes derived from previous studies • Development of code book and rules • HyperResearch to mark text & produce reports • Identified all mentions of barriers, needs, preferences, and resources • Examined individual posts for evidence of Stage • One original coder with check-coder after 4 iterations of code book development

Stages • Stage, In Relationship: may be thinking of leaving but has made no concrete, externally-visible step towards doing so • Stage, Leaving: may still be in contact but has taken concrete, externally-visible steps towards leaving including limiting contact and moving out • Stage, Left Relationship: the only regular contact is that which is required by law, imposed by childcare demands, or forced by the abuser

Barriers • Internal factors (e.g., confusion, embarrassment, fear, PTSD) or external factors (e.g., bias, safety disregard, service capacity) prevent, limit, or inhibit a survivor from seeking or using a resource. • Does not include the abuser physically impeding the use.

Needs • Poster recognizes s/he has an information need and asks others to fill it. • Information needs include asking for advice, requesting judgments, identifying abuse boundaries, confirming that an experience or analysis is accurate/valid, identifying techniques for dealing with abuse or abuser.

Resources • Any positive mention of, full posting on, or recommendation of a system, professional person, book, web site, music, reading, movie, article, or self-contained document. • Includes a resource mentioned by any poster. • If the poster does not like or agree with the result but continues to use the item then it is still coded as a resource.

Coding process • Two researchers identified parameters of the 6 codes including initial definitions • Through 4 rounds of code development the definitions, examples, exclusions, and referrals were tested, refined, and applied by both researchers to samples of 10-30 threads • Final code book rules were completed • Coding was completed by Westbrook and reviewed by Gonzalez; the 9 differences were resolved in discussion • Final reports were generated from the data’s coding

Basic numbers • Stages (606 total codes on stages) • In relationship: 181 (30%) • Leaving relationship: 135 (22%) • Left relationship: 290 (48%) • Information elements (2232 total codes on IE) • Barriers: 487 (22%) • Needs: 434 (19%) • Resources: 1311 (59%) [many repetitions]

Correlation numbers1 • Barriers • 22% from those in a relationship; 16% from those leaving; 62% from those who have left • Needs • 40% from those in a relationship; 24% from those leaving; 36% from those who have left • Resources • 21% from those in a relationship; 23% from those leaving; 56% from those who have left

Information Elements Correlated to Stage

What are the barriers for “in”? • Internal • Confusion (choice to leave, how to leave) • Fear (of abuser, of failure, etc.) • Police attitude (skepticism, judgment) • Attitude to abuse (only severe injury counts) • External • Family (lack of support, actual pressure) • Essentials (job, housing, etc.) • Criminal justice system in the short term (e.g., judge refuse PO) • System capacity (e.g., long wait for shelter)

Examples of barriers, “in” • Internal • Confusion: “gosh inside my head I feel like its very much confused, spinning in cyrcle"s, decided on what to do” • Fear: “i am in fear constantly and am in desperate need to find what to do” • External • Family: “My father thinks I should just accept my ex the way he is and go back to him on his terms. He thinks that I caused the relationship problems.” • Practical: “I went back to my abuser. Cause I couldn't get a job or place to live.”

What are barriers for “leaving”? • Internal • Fear of and confusion about criminal justice system • Emotional response to abuser’s “remorse” • Fear for children’s safety, emotional security, etc. • External • Criminal justice system equity in the long term • Going off the grid • Civil court system re keeping children • Balancing requirements, e.g., DV counseling and work

Examples of barriers, “leaving” • Internal • Fear of system: “It was part of his plea to have no contact with me. I know he is violating it himself, but can he use it against me, like as an accessory to a crime” • Emotional response: “I made the mistake of being nice. Letting him hang out a couple nights so he could tuck the kids in.” • External • Going off grid: “do not use any banking or credit cards so he had to have found me that way. i have tried to contact the social security admin but they were no help.”

What are the barriers for “left” • Internal • Reluctance to use support network, e.g., shame • PTSD • Emotional exhaustion • Embarrassed to to get follow-up help • External • Criminal justice system, follow-up support • Attitudes of support network members • Access to support • Counselors who do not understand IPV

Examples of barriers for “left” • Internal • Reluctance to use support network: “I cant tell my parents everything... its almost embarassing in a way.” • PTSD: “I hadn't thought about this relationship for years but last week .. I have been having flashbacks.” • External • Criminal justice system: “my ex is still stalking me, my ro modifications were denied, and today is cino de mayo, which means it's his latest excuse to just bump into me out in public.” • Access to support: “What my husband did to me was so long ago. Is it too late for help?”

What are the needs for “in” • In relationship • Understand and define abuse • Find a way to leave, emotionally and practically • Find a way to care for children, emotionally & practically • Leaving relationship • Build self-esteem • Understand “honeymoon” stage of abuse • Finding a counselor • Left relationship • Manage information re courts, life essentials, etc. • Identify abuse signals in new relationship

Examples of needs • “When I state the facts, I start to think,WHY am I talking to this man, still????” • “I so much want out how do I in the world get the courage to” • “What about my son? I don't want him to grow up in a divorced home, but I KNOW that growing up in an abusive home would be worse. But, what will H do to son when I'm not around?” • “I think my inner relationship self esteem must be so low that on some level if P wants to see me, then I feel like I have some worth.”

What are the resources? • Books • “why does he do that? inside the minds of angry and controlling men. by lundy buncroft. this'll really shed light on things!” • Internet • “learning everything i could about patterns/characteristics/ effects/types of abuse & how to recover. There are a lot of great websites” • People • “Today I met with our County Court's Victim's Advocate, for about an hour, and I was able to give my "Victim's Impact" statement” • Systems • “DV agencies also help with safety planning/support for women who are choosing to stay, it can help keep you safer & more prepared.”

Implications for libraries • “Took me 5 months from the time i found this site to leave my abuser.” • Help people find the online communities that provide support, encouragement, and information • “I got out of there when I got individual counseling that helped me re-connect to my self worth.” • Help people find community resources of all types • “I used every search engine out there I could think of - Google, Live Search, Ask, Yahoo, etc.I tried different variations of phrasing” • Help people use the Internet effectively

Implications for information studies • Refine understanding of IPV • Needs • Services • Resources • Develop greater understanding of other individual crises • Job loss • Pension loss • Home loss • Illness

Questions remaining • What are the information needs best met within the library, e.g., books collected and services offered? • What are the information needs best met by developing relationships with community experts, e.g., teaching shelter staff to use the Internet effectively to further their support of survivors? • What policy, staff training, and marketing developments could help libraries support patrons who are facing personal crises?

Suggestions? Input? Queries? • What should be examined next? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of your own community’s resources in the area of personal crisis management? • What research results would be of most use to you in developing your library’s support of people in crisis?

ALA, Library Research Round Table July 2009