Browsing by Subject "Mexican American women--Abuse of"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Battered women in shelters: a comparative analysis of the expectations and experiences of African American, Mexican American and non-Hispanic white women(2001-12) Aureala, Willow; DiNitto, Diana M.Abstract: This qualitative dissertation focuses on the perceptions of three groups of women living in two battered women’s shelters -- Mexican American, African American, and non-Hispanic White. Several research questions were addressed including the women’s perceptions and thoughts about living in a shelter, issues of self-labeling, women’s needs and expectations of battered women’s shelters, educating the public about domestic violence, alternatives to battered women’s shelters, and their knowledge of relevant policies. Responses were examined by ethnicity, presence of children, support from significant others, economic resources, and other factors. The purposive sample consists of 38 women (12 are Mexican American, 12 African American, and 14 Non-Hispanic White) who had resided in a battered women’s shelter for at least seven days, and were abused by an intimate male partner. Each woman participated in a semi-structured interview. Findings indicated that more women would identify with terms such as “survivor,” “victim,” or “abused” rather than “battered.” Mexican American and White women report that safety/security is their most important need, while more African American women said they needed sheltering (e.g., services and structure). As a whole, the women reported that shelter staff could better meet their needs by providing greater access to resources such as housing, employment, and transportation. However, this was more so for the African American and White women. The Mexican American women suggested that re-evaluating rules/chores of the shelter would be a way to better meet their needs. The majority of participants recommended educating others about domestic violence by utilizing media and advertisements. The most frequent alternative to battered women’s shelters suggested by each of the three groups was safe housing available in the women’s communities. Most of the women have received some form of public assistance; however, they lacked knowledge of policies such as the Family Violence Option, which may exempt victims from certain requirements to receive benefits. Implications for policy and practice include increased outreach and education to ethnic minority groups, and suggestions for future research are explored. As integral members of those working to end domestic violence, social workers can utilize the study findings to improve services to domestic violence victims.Item Exploring battered Mexican-origin women's help-seeking within their socio-cultural contexts(2006) Brabeck, Kalina Marie; Gilbert, Lucia Albino; Guzmán, Michele R.Women’s responses to abuse reflect their particular socio-cultural contexts, available resources, and perceived options. In the present study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 75 battered women of Mexican-origin. The study aimed first, to document how these women act to survive abuse, and second, to explore whether socio-cultural variables were associated with help-seeking. Help-seeking was defined as use of formal (i.e., shelter) and informal (i.e., family) sources, as well as the personal strategies (i.e., lock one’s self in a room) that women use to survive abuse. Socio-cultural variables included two cultural variables: machismo (belief in traditional gender roles, male dominance, and female passivity) and familismo (valuing family obligation, cohesion, and reciprocity), and four socio-structural variables: income, education, English proficiency, and immigrant status. Results indicated that, consistent with a survivor theory perspective, participants sought help more than once from several formal and informal help sources; some (i.e., shelter and family) were perceived as more effective than others (i.e., lawyer and partner’s family). Findings further demonstrated that participants engaged in several personal strategies to survive abuse; some (i.e., maintaining a relationship with God) were rated more effective than others (i.e., placating the batterer). Analyses showed women with higher levels of familismo sought informal help more frequently than those with lower levels. Results also indicated that women with only grade school education, no English language skills, and undocumented status sought formal help less frequently than women who were not constrained by these barriers. Contrary to expected results, income and machismo were not found to be related to formal or informal help-seeking. Participants’ responses to four open-ended questions provide context to empirical findings; responses suggest why particular help sources and strategies were or were not effective and provide suggestions for improving services for this population. This study provides socio-culturally relevant information for professionals designing interventions for battered women of Mexican-origin. Findings illuminate battered Mexican-origin women’s strengths, as well as barriers that impede their efforts to survive abuse. The study contributes to existing research because it focused on a specific subset of battered Latinas; gathered information on the frequency and perceived effectiveness of participants’ use of a wide array of help sources and strategies; included a large sample and empirical analyses; and tested whether sociocultural variables related to participants’ help-seeking.