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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 7424
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 - 09:16 pm: | 
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Understanding Abuse: It's Not So Simple
When it comes to abuse of women, University of Arkansas researchers find that race and ethnicity, economic resources, and age do make a difference.
Jul, 2006
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - "Abuse of women knows no boundaries of social status or race" is a simple message that has become a maxim. But it's a maxim that obscures crucial complexities and could well short-change women of color.
When Kameri Christy-McMullin, assistant professor in the University of Arkansas School of Social Work, analyzed data from the 1999 National Crime Victimization Survey, she found important differences in the factors related to abuse of white, black and Hispanic women. She noted that when women are all grouped together, white, middle-class, heterosexual women become the reference group, and "the unique experiences of women outside this group remain relatively unexamined."
Christy-McMullin, working with former graduate student Amber Snipes, found that employment status and education were the strongest predictors of abuse for both black and white women, yet the picture was markedly different for the two groups.
"The findings for African American women were astounding," Christy-McMullin said.
Research results for black women revealed a complex relationship between income and employment and some surprising findings. Household income, employment in something other than a professional or service job, and homeownership were all very strong predictors of emotional abuse. Black women with a four-year college degree or more were 145 times more likely to experience sexual or other abuse than women with less than a high school education.
Christy-McMullin suggested that the results could support the main premise of backlash theory, the notion that as women take on roles that have traditionally been held by men, men will resort to abuse as a means of keeping women in their traditional roles. She also noted that marital status and age play an important role in understanding the associations between education, marital status, age and sexual or other abuse. This is an area ripe for further analyses.
White women employed in a service industry were more likely to be physically or sexually abused, while white women who lived in households with higher incomes or who had a college degree were less like to be physically abused. White women with some college education and divorced or separated women were more likely to be emotionally abused than professional women.
The study could not report significant findings for Hispanic women. Christy-McMullin pointed to two possible limiting factors, the small sample size available and the limited acquisition of economic resources by the Hispanic women studied. She also noted that the results demonstrate the need for an expanded concept of what are important resources for Hispanic women. She suggested that researchers should consider factors such as legal support and rights, child custody issues, English language skills, acculturation challenges and transportation needs, along with difficulties in transferring educational attainment from their home country to the United States.
The UA study is the first to use a nationally representative database and to perform complex analyses looking at an expanded measure of economic resources and differentiating types of abuse, including physical, emotional and sexual abuse. While the study used traditional measures of economic resources, including income, employment and education, the researchers also considered one economic asset, homeownership. Few researchers have examined the interaction of race and ethnicity with homeownership in relation to the abuse of women, and Christy-McMullin notes, more research is needed to establish whether homeownership has a positive or negative impact.
Christy-McMullin's study suggested at least one commonality among women. She concluded, "Policies regarding divorce and distribution of property may be an important intervention in decreasing the incidence of abuse, regardless of a woman's racial or ethnic heritage." Specifically she observed that policies to address the distribution of income and property during divorce settlements could help women retain the resources necessary to be self-sufficient.
Study findings also indicated that older women across race and ethnicity are less likely to be abused than younger women. Christy-McMullin suggested that programs that assist women in accumulating economic resources at a younger age might serve to decrease abuse of younger women.
An early version of the findings was presented at a conference of the International Consortium for Social Development in Recife, Brazil, in 2005. An article titled "Economic Resources and Woman Abuse: Difference and Similarities Among African American, Hispanic and White Women" will be published in the upcoming issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work.
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Contact:
Kameri Christy-McMullin, assistant professor, School of Social Work
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
(479) 575-4655, kmcmull@uark.edu
Barbara Jaquish, science and research communications officer
University Relations
(479) 575-2683, jaquish@uark.edu
http://dailyheadlines.uark.edu/8923.htm
Interview NPR, 2007
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13744347 |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 10158
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 - 11:51 am: |
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It might be very enlightening to observe the methodology by which they obtained their statistics, particularly how they queried their subjects. Because I can't help wondering to what extent does a woman's age, race and socio-economic background effect whether she think she's even been abuse and/or the likelihood and degree by which she would (or even COULD) report such. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 7179
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008 - 10:53 am: |
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Black women with a four-year college degree or more were 145 times more likely to experience sexual or other abuse than women with less than a high school education.
(Proof that this story is utter bullshit.
You have to face it--there are lots of women out here who have been abused by a man in their life--a daddy, a brother, a husband, a boyfriend--to the point where they got it out for all men.
I have been in fights with women, but I have not knowingly abused a woman since gaining maturity and knowing it is beneath me.
I will not bear the weight for what somebody else did. I will not.
These people ought to go out and get the man who dogged them out.
But often they won't DO that. Often some guy is dogging them out right then and they won't comment on that because they LOVE him and LOVE the dogging.
People like to play their little games, men as well as women. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 12459
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008 - 11:15 am: |
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Same ol same ol. Same dialogue, different circumstances.
Men are from Mars, women from Venus. The dynamics and conflict between the sexes is as old as water. In order for men and women to see eye-to-eye, they both have to become legally blind. Their differences will never be completely resolved and - making up is so much fun. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 7182
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008 - 11:38 am: |
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Understanding Abuse: It's Not So Simple
(It is very simple. If a man is kicking your ass, you need to put a stop to it before it gets out of hand and somebody gets killed.
There is no way in the world to stop SOMEBODY ELSE'S MAN from abusing them.
Education won't do it. Counseling won't do it.
Men know it's wrong to kick their woman's ass. And its useless too.
There are those who abuse their women because they want to abuse somebody. These guys want to find something weaker than them and pick on it.
They need to be alone.
There are those who get into verbal fights with the woman, and, when they are losing resort to their fists.
They are losing their tempers, drunk, high or doing it cuz they got a problem and want to take it out on them.
Lots of DOMESTIC abuse (kids and women) take place in the homes of lower class people because they feel powerless to take it out on the folks who are really dogging them out--their bosses, etc.
Then there are those who dig it.
As much as femnists try to deny it, there are those people who want to be in an abusive relationship. These are the women who jump on the police when they come and try to stop their man kicking their ass.
They like to play their little games.
I remember a woman was working with battered and abused women and her husband was doing it to her.
How the hell could she |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 3312
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008 - 12:39 pm: |
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And there ya have it............... |
Carey
Veteran Poster
Username: Carey
Post Number: 928
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008 - 01:29 pm: |
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I usually try to stay out of these threads but I feel compelled to ride with Chris on this one. Counseling does little if anything when addressing human behavior. It only serves to fatten the pockets of others. Marriage counselors, drug conselors etc,for the most part play on the innocence and ignorance of those in dire need, sick people.
Show me two individuals going to a marriage counselor and I show you the same two going to divorce court.
Show me a drunk going to a drug counselor and I'll show the same person standing in line at a liquor store or dope house. Sad, but for-the-most part VERY VERY VERY true! These statements may be rejected by some or come as a surprise but I think the "true" numbers tell the truth. But therein lays the problem. Who's reporting the failure of these championed remedies? Surely not those they have failed. What would be the onus, the money, the reward of doing so. Money gets money, advocacy of change is generally motivated by MONEY. Do you think slavery was abolished (in it's obvious form) because it was wrong? If you do, my post will not reach you, it's not for you.
Chris hit it, change starts within and some do not see a problem with what they do, and others do not understand, how could they, it's not about THEM!? |
Carey
Veteran Poster
Username: Carey
Post Number: 929
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 18, 2008 - 01:49 pm: |
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Hello Again
I had not read all the posts before I replied, yet after doing so, I have another comment. It didn't appear as if ABM was taking sides. I believe he was merely questioning the methods of those that gathered "their" information.
Look, when I see that 10-20% error thang, I think "GAME ON". It's an escape, a trap to lead you to believe that there "may" to a little error but it's true. If I took a poll or survey for a cause I wanted to move on, do you think I might come out with one that supports my claim or tear it down? Motive is a B**CH and it might be wise to recognize. |
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