December 2010

December 1st marks World AIDS Day, internationally commemorated to raise awareness about the disease. Internationally, health students, faculty, providers and researchers have worked tirelessly to find a cure for people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to assessing patients for sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS, health care providers should also assess patients for domestic violence as well. In a study conducted in 2000 based on 310 HIV-positive women, 68% experienced physical abuse as adults, 32% experienced sexual abuse as adults, and 45% experienced abuse after being diagnosed with HIV. Let’s do our part in preventing and treating two international phenomena: HIV/AIDS and domestic violence.

As 2010 comes to a close, we thank everyone for their interest in the listserv and participation in October’s domestic violence awareness month activities.  In 2011, challenge yourself and your health care community to attend upcoming events or apply for grants concerning domestic violence. There are different ways you can help bring awareness to domestic violence all year long. Find out what you can do at your school, clinic, and community by reading the features below. Read our online fact sheets to learn more about the issue and take a look at our online catalog of materials to support your campus activities.  Let me know what you’re planning on your campus for December or January and beyond by sending me an email: healthintern1@endabuse.org.

Also, feel free to email me to subscribe to the listserv, ask any questions, or to talk more about campus strategies to help raise awareness of domestic violence.

Thanks,
Michelle Dalida
Family Violence Prevention Fund
Graduate Health Intern
healthintern1@endabuse.org

FEATURED NEWS
Congress to Consider International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) in December
Violence against women and girls is a global epidemic that affects the health and economic stability of women, their families, and their communities. The United Nations reports that one out of every three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. In some countries, rates of violence approach 70 percent. Violence affects every aspect of women’s lives – from their personal health and safety, to the safety of their families, to their ability to earn a living. While domestic violence is a global problem, women in developing countries face particular challenges. Intimate partner violence against women has serious consequences for maternal mortality and child survival in addition to having detrimental effects on a nation’s social and economic growth.

The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA; HR 4594/S 2982) would help end violence against women and girls around the world. It is bi-partisan legislation that would improve the U.S. government’s response when women and girls are victims of sex trafficking and rape during war, and would provide aid to women’s groups on the ground that are helping survivors of domestic and sexual violence. I-VAWA would focus resources on prevention and ensure that U.S foreign assistance dollars are used in the most effective ways possible to help the people who need it most. In some countries, I-VAWA could mean the difference between life and death for women and girls.

The International Violence Against Women Act would, for the first time, apply the force of U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance to preventing gender-based violence. Passage of I-VAWA would bring:

• Increased efforts to prevent violence against women in times of conflict and humanitarian crises, including to countries like Haiti, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo;
• Legal reform and commitment to bringing perpetrators to justice;
• Help for victims and survivors to escape from abuse or heal after violence;
• Fewer women and children dying from HIV/AIDS and fewer maternal deaths during childbirth;
• Expanded economic and educational opportunities that would help women who are abused flee their abusers and reduce their risk for sexual exploitation; and
• New programs to work with men and boys to help them become allies and leaders in ending violence against women and girls.

To read more about I-VAWA and gain insight on this bill from Family Violence Prevention Fund’s Director of Public Policy, Kiersten Stewart, click here.

EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies Hosts Workshop on Preventing Violence against Women and Children
The Institute of Medicine will host a 2-day public workshop on violence against women and children with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. The workshop will be planned and conducted by an ad hoc committee. Invited speakers will present an overview of the issue and explore the epidemiology and burden of violence against women and children in both the US and internationally. They will also review the state of knowledge with respect to successful interventions and future directions in the prevention of such violence. The workshop will focus on what is known about violence against women and children and its prevention. Following the conclusion of the public workshop, an individually authored summary of the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur, in accordance with institutional policy and procedures. The conference will be held on January 27-28, 2011 in Washington, DC. To register and learn more about this event, click here.
[Source: iom.edu]

West LegalEdcenter and the Guthrie Theater Present “Seeking Safety Across Borders: Cases involving domestic violence and The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction”
This course delves into the complex aspects of international child abduction cases in U.S. courts involving allegations of domestic violence. This event will explore the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and potential gender-based bias against mothers who have fled from one country to another to protect themselves and their children. This event will be held on Friday, December 10 from 1:30-4pm. For more information about this event and how to watch it online, click here.
[Source: ncadv.org]

CURRENT NEWS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS
Witte, T.H. et al (2010). “Risk Recognition and Intimate Partner Violence.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25(12): 2199-2216
Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether female victims of physical forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) displayed deficits in risk recognition, or the ability to detect danger, in physically violent dating encounters. A total of 182 women watched a video depicting a psychologically and physically aggressive encounter between heterosexual dating partners and made repeated judgments about the interaction. Results from this study provided evidence for the validation of this methodology and found that history of physical forms of IPV was associated with risk recognition ability, such that victims of IPV were less likely to recognize the danger involved in the video vignette compared to nonvictims. Results showed important implications for IPV prevention programs. Click here to view the article.
[Source: jiv.sagepub.com]

Mburia-Mwalili, A . et al (2010). “Intimate Partner Violence and Depression in A Population-Based Sample of Women: Can Social Support Help?” Journal of Interpersonal Violence , 25(12): 2258-2278
Abstract: Data from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in Nevada was analyzed to determine whether social support is independently associated with depression in a population-based sample of women with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). More than a quarter (27%) of the women who were randomly chosen to participate in the survey reported lifetime IPV (n = 472). Twenty-four percent of abused women were categorized as currently depressed according to the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). Abused women who reported low social support, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.95, 95% CI (1.69-14.49), or moderate social support, AOR = 2.71, 95% CI (1.00-7.33), were more likely to be depressed than women who reported high levels of social support. Other independent risk factors for depression included younger age, AOR = 5.36, 95% CI (1.36-25.39); low education (less than high school), AOR = 12.55, 95% CI (2.78-56.72); fair or poor perceived health status, AOR = 3.72, 95% CI (1.39-9.87); being overweight or obese, AOR = 3.21, 95% CI (1.26-8.19); having experienced sexual IPV, AOR = 4.95, 95% CI (1.08-22.74); and having experienced both physical and sexual IPV, AOR = 4.54, 95% CI (2.07-9.99). There is an urgent need for routine screening for IPV and depression in clinic and community settings. Interventions that target younger women who experience IPV and aim to decrease depression in this vulnerable population are likely to be most effective if they promote social support, increase education opportunities, and support healthy weight loss behaviors.Click here to view the article.[Source: jiv.sagepub.com]

Humphreys, J. et al (2010). “Differences in Depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Lifetime Trauma Exposure in Formerly Abused Women with Mild Versus Moderate to Severe Chronic Pain.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25(12):2316-2338
Abstract: Although associations between intimate partner violence, chronic pain, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and lifetime trauma exposure are well known, previous studies are limited by their recruitment of women from shelters. These relationships were explored with a community-based sample of formerly abused women (N = 84). Seventy-seven percent of women reported pain of >3 months duration, and 75% had moderate to severe pain. Based on logistic regression analysis, women with moderate to severe chronic pain were significantly less likely to be employed, had more depressive symptoms, and were in the abusive relationship longer than women in mild chronic pain. Both pain severity groups had equally high levels of depressive and PTSD symptoms and multiple trauma exposures. Findings document the persistence of significant symptomatology in formerly abused women. Click here to read the article.
[Source: jiv.sagepub.com]

Fang, X.M. et al (2010). “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Young Adult Intimate Partner Violence.” Archives of General Psychiatry , 67(11): 1179-1186
Abstract: Context: Studies based on clinical samples suggest a connection between childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and later intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Objective: To examine the association between retrospectively reported childhood ADHD and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms and the perpetration of physical IPV in a population-based sample of young adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: The study population consisted of 11 238 participants (mean [SD] age, 22.0 [1.7] years) in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Multinomial logistic regressions and propensity score matching were used to analyze the relationships of IPV with symptoms of ADHD domains (hyperactive/impulsive and inattentive) and symptoms of CD as well as with ADHD and CD dichotomized on the basis of symptom criteria. Main Outcome Measures: Respondents' answers to the 2 questions in the wave III survey reflecting perpetration of physical violence toward a partner were used to define IPV perpetration. Intimate partner violence perpetration resulting in injury or not was assessed with a follow-up question. Results: Conduct disorder significantly predicted IPV perpetration both with and without injury. Controlling for CD and hyperactivity/impulsivity, inattention independently predicted young adult IPV perpetration without injury. Controlling for inattention and CD, no significant relationship between hyperactivity/impulsivity and IPV perpetration without injury was found. Results were different regarding IPV perpetration resulting in injury. Hyperactivity/impulsivity, but not inattention, independently predicted IPV perpetration resulting in injury. In categorical analyses, CD predicted both types of IPV, and ADHD significantly predicted IPV perpetration resulting in injury but did not significantly predict IPV perpetration without injury. Conclusions: Conduct disorder is consistently associated with violence in intimate relationships. Controlling for CD, there is also an association between ADHD and IPV. Results suggest the need for services and treatment strategies that specifically address the risks for violence and promote healthy intimate relationships for youths with CD and ADHD. Click here to view the article.
[Source: archpsyc.ama-assn.org]

FUNDING LINKS-SCHOLARSHIPS-RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
Call for Papers: Special Issue on Violence Against Women on “Contemporary Perspectives on Battered Women’s Use of Non-Fatal Force in Intimate Heterosexual Relationships: A Contextual Approach”
Violence Against Women is seeking manuscripts for a special issue on contemporary perspectives regarding battered women’s use of non-fatal force in their intimate heterosexual relationships. Submissions from a variety of disciplines are encouraged including, but not limited to: social work, psychology, philosophy, cultural studies, sociology, law, anthropology, and criminology. Submissions may be empirically based (but do not need to be), and themes may include (but are not limited to): domestic violence, women in prison, criminalization of women’s behavior, probation experiences, legal system strategies, and/or historical as well as cross-cultural analyses. Manuscripts that include innovative strategies in work with women from communities of color and other marginalized groups are of particular interest. The submission deadline is January 7, 2011. For more information on the manuscript and the application process, click here.
[Source: ncdsv.org]

Funding Opportunity: FY 2011 State Victim Assistance Academy Initiative
It is a goal of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to assist states in developing effective strategies for establishing State Victim Assistance Academies (SVAA) and to help create a network of SVAAs that can meet the educational and training needs of victim service providers and allied professionals in each state in the Nation. The purpose of the SVAA is to provide comprehensive, academically based, fundamental education and training for victim assistance providers, victim advocates, criminal justice personnel, and allied professionals who routinely deal with crime victims. OVC intends to make $35,000 available for the planning year. The deadline for applying for funding is 8pm EST on December 21, 2010. Click here to view application PDF.[Source: ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/]

Call for Proposals: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships- Peaceful Pathways: Reducing Exposure to Violence
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships is a matching grants program that connects the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with local grant makers to fund new, community-based projects to improve health and health care for vulnerable populations. This special solicitation seeks nominations from diversity-focused funders for projects to reduce violence in traditionally underserved communities that are defined by race, ethnicity, tribe, gender, sexual identity or rural/frontier location. The proposal deadline is January 5, 2011. Click here to apply.[Source: rwjf.org]

Call for Workshop Proposals: National Center for Victims of Crime: 2011 National Conference
The National Center for Victims of Crime is seeking presenters for its National Conference. Conference workshops address a wide range of topics organized into separate conference tracks. Workshops are 90 minutes in length, unless otherwise specified in the proposal. The conference will emphasize a multi-disciplinary approach to sharing promising practices, current research, and effective programs and policies that are victim-centered, practice-based, and research-informed. This conference is a forum for law enforcement, victim service professionals, allied practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to share current developments and build new collaborations. The submission deadline is December 6, 2010. For more information and to apply, click here.
[Source: ncvc.org]

Fellowship Opportunity: William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fellowship for Minority Students
The Aspen Institute Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation (PSI) in Washington, DC, offers the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fellowship three times annually.  The fellowship, which is based on academic excellence and need, is open to both undergraduate and graduate students of color. The Hearst Fellow serves as an intern with PSI.  Through this fellowship, PSI seeks to introduce a diverse group of students to issues and challenges affecting philanthropy, social enterprise, nonprofit organizations, and other actors in the social sector.  Recipients may arrange with their colleges or universities to receive academic credit for this experience. The application deadline is December 15, 2010. For more information and to apply, click here.
[Source: aspeninstitute.org]

JOB AND INTERSHIP LISTINGS
Abuse/Domestic Violence Specialist-Anne Arundel Medical Center-Annapolis, MD
Responsibilities for this position include providing crisis intervention services to victims of child abuse, vulnerable adult abuse, sexual assault and/or domestic violence. To learn more about this job opportunity, click here.
[Source: indeed.org]

Counselor I: Domestic Violence Empowerment Initiatives & Rape Crisis- CAMBA- Brooklyn, NY
The person filling this position is expected, under general supervision, to provide individual and/or group counseling services to assist participants and their families to achieve healthy relationships, emotional stability, personal development and/or adjustment; and counsel participants regarding issues such as: abusive behavior, family dynamics, healthy personal choices, substance abuse, mental and physical health/trauma related issues. For more details, click here.
[Source: idealist.org]

Coordinator of the Domestic Violence Program-New York City Anti-Violence Project- New York, NY
The Coordinator of the Domestic Violence Program oversees the Domestic Violence Program in the Client Services Department to ensure quality service provision to AVP individual clients by providing direct clinical and administrative supervision of Domestic Violence Program staff; program planning, development, implementation, and evaluation; data management and information tracking for internal (quality assurance and program evaluation, internal tracking and analysis, performance management analysis with staff, , reports to the Board, etc) and external reporting (media, grant contract reporting, requests for proposals NCAVP DV report, etc). The Coordinator of the Domestic Violence Program is an integral part of the Client Services leadership team, and actively contributes to the development and implementation of departmental strategic goals that support the agency’s strategic plan. For more information, click here.
[Source: idealist.org]