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SOC 5870 VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY Dr. M. C. Sengstock

SOC 5870 VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY Dr. M. C. Sengstock. A Brief Introduction To Research on Violence in the Family Web site: http://users.wowway.com/~marycay910. SOURCES OF DATA ON FAMILY VIOLENCE. QUANTITATIVE: Official Records of Cases Reported

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SOC 5870 VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILY Dr. M. C. Sengstock

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  1. SOC 5870VIOLENCE IN THE FAMILYDr. M. C. Sengstock A Brief Introduction To Research on Violence in the Family Web site: http://users.wowway.com/~marycay910

  2. SOURCES OF DATA ON FAMILY VIOLENCE QUANTITATIVE: • Official Records of Cases Reported • Police Reports – Mandatory Reporting Records • Victimization Surveys QUALITATIVE: • Small Studies of Victims • Some Small Surveys

  3. ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF EACH TYPE • QUANTITATIVE • Provides Actual Data on the Number of Cases • Gives Estimate of the Size of the Problem • Often Hard to Tell Whether the Data Were Accurately Gathered • Often Very Expensive! • QUALITATIVE • Provides Insight into the Reasons for the Behavior • Difficult to Generalize to Broader Population

  4. EARLIEST STUDIES • Began in the 1970s • With Several Small, Qualitative Studies of Violent Families or of Victims • Kempe (a Physician) Studied Children Who Were Admitted to His Hospital or Clinic with Injuries Likely Involving Abuse • Problem: May Risk Making Generalizations on the Basis of Small, Biased Samples • EX: Kempe Assumed Only the Poor Were Abusive

  5. SAMPLE STUDY: RICHARD GELLESTHE VIOLENT HOME • One of the Earliest Studies That Attempted Fairly Good Methodology • Qualitative in Character • Offers Good Background on the Patterns of Behavior the Violence Represents • We Will Discuss in Detail

  6. GELLES’ STUDY SAMPLE • 80 Families from 2 Towns in New Hampshire • Manchester (Middle Class) • Portsmouth (Working Class) • Referrals: 20 by Police – 20 by Social Agencies • “Control” Families: Police & Agency Neighbors • Attempt to Have Half Husbands, Half Wives • Actual Sample: 66 Wives; 14 Husbands • Why? Consequences?

  7. CRITIQUE OF GELLES’ SAMPLE • BIASES: • Very Small Sample Size (80 Families) • “Purposively Selected” (i.e., to Make Sure He Found Some Violent Families • How “Representative” – & of What? • ADVANTAGES: • Small Enough to Have In-Depth Interviews • Can Probe for Behavioral Patterns, Motivations

  8. GELLES’ RESEARCH APPROACH • Unstructured Interview : “Funnel Technique” • Broad, General Questions  Specific Ones • Why Use this Approach? • Attempt to Hold “Joint” Interviews • Proved Dangerous! (Why?) • Consequences for Study • Ability to “Probe” • Greater Understanding of Behavior, Motives

  9. GELLES’ RESULTS • Analyzed Amount of “Conjugal” (Marital) Violence • Analyzed Types/Direction of Marital Violence • Analyzed Amount of Parent-to-Child Violence • Where & When Does Violence Occur? • Search for “Meanings” of Violent Behavior: • What Were the Reasons Behind the Violent Acts? • Developed a “Typology of Violence”

  10. SPOUSAL VIOLENCE BY SOURCE OF RESPONDENT… All tables have been simplified by deleting some categories.* “Seldom” = 2-5 times in marriage** “Regular Low” = 2x/yr to every other month*** “Regular High” = once/month to dailyWhat Did You Expect?

  11. MARITAL VIOLENCE:WHO IS VIOLENT & TO WHOM?

  12. HUSBANDS & WIVES:WHO DOES WHAT TO WHOM(Indicates Method “Ever Used”)(1 Wife used a knife; 1 Husband threatened wife with knife; 3 Husbands threatened with a gun)

  13. PARENTAL VIOLENCE by SOURCE & %Note Different Code: ** “Seldom” = < 6/yr*** “Regular Low” = once/month to once/week**** “Regular High” = daily to several times/day

  14. WHICH PARENT IS MORE VIOLENT (%)?Note Code: ** “Seldom” = < 6/yr*** “Regular Low” = once/month to once/week**** “Regular High” = daily to several times/day

  15. METHODS OF VIOLENCE USEDBY MOTHERS & FATHERS (%)…VIOLENT ACT FATHER MOTHER

  16. SPACIAL LOCATIONS OF VIOLENCE (%)

  17. WHEN DOES VIOLENCE OCCUR?% WITH MOST INCIDENTS

  18. WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE? • Violence Is Hidden (Controls ~ Experimental) • Both Husbands & Wives – Husbands More Severe • Violence to Children MUCH Worse • Different Scale • Each Offender Emphasizes Strengths • Husbands Beat, Choke; Wives Slap, Throw Things • Mothers Choke Kids • Violence Occurs When Everyone Is Present • Kitchen – End of Day – Tired, Crabby!

  19. GELLES’ TYPOLOGY OF VIOLENCE • Developed from the Comments Provided by the Respondents • Advantage of a “Qualitative Study” • With a Small Sample • Using Interviews & “Funnel Techniques” • As Opposed to Pre-Determined Questionnaires • Because of Possibility of In-Depth & “Probing” Responses

  20. 8 CATEGORIES OF VIOLENCE • 1. “NORMATIVE” (NORMAL) • OK – Acceptable – Everybody Does It – Have to Teach Kids Somehow • 2. “SECONDARY VIOLENCE” • Unacceptable Child Abuse  Spouse Violence • 3. “THREATS” to Do Violence • 4. “VOLCANIC” • Eruption – “End of Rope” – Usually the Worst

  21. 8 CATEGORIES OF VIOLENCE (ctd) • 5. “ALCOHOL-RELATED” • Nearly Always by Males – Cause or Effect? • 6. “PROTECTIVE REACTION” VIOLENCE • Anticipate Partner’s Attack – Usually Females • 7. “ONE-WAY” VIOLENCE • Some Partners Never Hit Back (Usually Women) • 8. “SEX-RELATED” VIOLENCE • Accompanies/Retaliates for Cheating Accusations

  22. GELLES’ OTHER TYPOLOGY • 3 DIMENSIONS OF VIOLENT MOTIVATION • VICTIM-PRECIPITATED – OR NOT • LEGITIMATE – OR ILLEGITIMATE • INSTRUMENTAL – VS. EXPRESSIVE • Who Decides If Violence Is Justified? • … Acceptable? • The Victim? The Offender? Other Family Members? Community Agents?

  23. HYPOTHESIZED RELATIONS AMONG THE 3 DIMENSIONS VP   Legitimacy Probably Easier to Predict Role of Expressive   Instrumental Less Clear – Interesting Hypothesis

  24. 2 NATIONAL SURVEYS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE

  25. NATIONAL SURVEYS METHOD:“CONFLICT TACTICS SCALE” • Measure Pre-Defined Levels of Violence 1 – Once 2 – Twice 3 – 3-5 Times 4 – 6-10 times 5 – 11-20 Times 6 – >20 Times 0 – Never • 15 Response Levels: a. Discussed calmly … c. Brought in someone … d. Insulted or Swore … k. Threw Something … • Slapped … n. Kicked … p. Beat up … q. Choked … r. Threat knife, gun … s. Use weapon

  26. NATIONAL SURVEY CRITIQUE • ADVANTAGES: • Allows More Precise Statistical Analysis • MUCH More Representative of Population • DISADANTAGES: • Little Opportunity to “Probe” Deeper Meanings • Cannot Study EXTREMELY Violent Families: • Few Will Appear in a Random Population Sample • Often Leaves Unanswered Questions: • What Are the “Really Violent” People Like? • Abused Elders? – Single Parent Families (1975)

  27. STRAUS, STEINMETZ, & GELLESBEHIND CLOSED DOORS • More Statistically Valid Studies • Larger, More Scientifically Random Sample • Development & Use of Behavioral Indices for Violence • Able to Make Generalizations to the Broader Population • Worthy of a Thorough Analysis

  28. National Family Violence Survey% of Violent Acts (Ever/Previous Yr) Q: Why Are the Rates Lower Than in Gelles’ Study?

  29. Which Spouse Does What? Husbands Slightly More Violent Than Wives. Each Maximizes Individual Strengths. All Are Estimates Because Numbers Are So Small.

  30. What Do Couples Fight About Most? • Open-Ended Question • 5 Issues They Categorized (Alphabetically): Children Housekeeping Money Sex Social Issues * * Not Clearly Defined – Presume Issues Like Contacts with Relatives, Friends)

  31. What Do Couples Fight About Most?

  32. How Acceptable Is It?% Rating “Slapping Each Other” as “Somewhat Necessary, Good, Normal”

  33. Rate of Violence Against Children (Age 3-17) These Kids Are Target of A LOT of Violence! More Than Their Parents!

  34. Violence to Siblings% Violent to a Sibling in Past Year Question: Who Is the Most Violent In the Family? Why Do You Think This Is?

  35. Sibling Abuse By Mix of Children What Is Happening? Who Is Violent – Boys or Girls? At What Ages? Why Do You Think This is Occurring?

  36. Abusive* Family Violence in 1975Some Interesting Findings • NOTE: ALL Differences Are Small • Midwest Appears More Violent; South Least • Urban More Violent; Suburbs Less Wife Abuse • Rural & Urban = in Wife & Sibling Abuse • “Other” Race – Highest Sibling Violence • Spouse Abuse – Higher for Blacks *Abusive= Extreme: Kick, Bite, Punch, Hit w/ Obj, Threat/Use of Knife/Gun Excludes Push , Grab, Spank, Slap, Throw Something All Differences Small

  37. Changes Marital Violence 1975–1985 (Rates per 1000 Couples)(Straus & Gelles, 1990) 1975 N=2,143 1985 N=3,520 * Indicates Level of Statistical Significance

  38. Abusive* Family Violence in 1975Some Interesting Findings (ctd) • No Religion – More Spouse Abuse • No Effect on Child Abuse • Minority Religion – More Violence (Why?) • Jewish Women Abuse Husbands More • Mixed Marriages More Violent • Young Couples More Violent • Stress of Early Marriage? Or Violent Couples End? *Abusive= Extreme: Kick, Bite, Punch, Hit w/ Obj, Threat/Use of Knife/Gun Excludes Push , Grab, Spank, Slap, Throw Something All Differences Small.

  39. Abusive* Family Violence in 1975Some Interesting Findings (ctd) • Mid-Level Education (H.S.) Most Violent • College & Grad School Least Violent (Why?) • Violence in Lower Income > Higher Income • Especially Spouse Abuse (Why?) • Occupations: Blue Collar Highest Violence • Un/Underemployed Males – More Violence: • Wife, Husband, Sibling, Child -- & Most Severe *Abusive= Extreme: Kick, Bite, Punch, Hit w/ Obj, Threat/Use of Knife/Gun Excludes Push , Grab, Spank, Slap, Throw Something All Differences Small.

  40. Changes Marital Violence 1975–1985 (Comparing Specific Acts)(Rate per 1000 Couples; Straus & Gelles, 1990) 1975 N=2,143 1985 N=3,520 * Indicates Level of Statistical Significance

  41. Changes Parent-Child Violence1975–1985 (Rates per 1000 Children 3-17)(Straus & Gelles, 1990) * Indicates Level of Statistical Significance

  42. Annual Incidence & Estimated Rates(Based on 1985 Survey)Husband – Wife Violence

  43. Annual Incidence & Estimated Rates(Based on 1985 Survey)Parent Violence (Child 0-17)

  44. Annual Incidence & Estimated Rates(Based on 1985 Survey)Parent Violence (Child 15-17)

  45. Annual Incidence & Estimated Rates(Based on 1975 Survey)Violence By Children (Child 3-17)

  46. Annual Incidence & Estimated Rates(Based on 1975 Survey)Violence By Children (Child 15-17)

  47. Impact of Spousal Violence: Women vs. MenDays in Bed Due to Violence By Violence Level(Straus & Gelles, 1990) 23 15.3 14.5 12.5 12.9 7.7

  48. Impact of Spousal Violence: Women vs. Men% Reporting High Psychosomatic Symptoms(Straus & Gelles, 1990) 43.9 33.2 26.8 25.9 22.4 15.9

  49. Impact of Spousal Violence: Women vs. Men% Reporting High Level of Depression(Straus & Gelles, 1990) 58.3 33.4 29.5 20.9 29.8 13,7

  50. Impact of Spousal Violence: Women vs. Men% Reporting High Level of Stress(Straus & Gelles, 1990) 61.1 38.2 25.5 33.9 30.5 15.2

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