Premium
An advocacy intervention program for women with abusive partners: Initial evaluation
Author(s) -
Sullivan Cris M.,
Tan Cheribeth,
Basta Joanna,
Rumptz Maureen,
Davidson William S.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/bf00937912
Subject(s) - health psychology , state (computer science) , history of psychology , psychology , library science , sociology , community psychology , intervention (counseling) , media studies , psychoanalysis , social psychology , psychiatry , public health , medicine , nursing , algorithm , computer science
Experimentally tested the hypotheses that (1) battered women are in need of numerous community resources upon exit from a domestic violence shelter, (2) working with advocates increases women's effectiveness in obtaining needed resources and social support, and (3) success in obtaining resources and social support increases women's levels of life satisfaction and decreases their risk of further abuse. The initial findings of a short-term intervention project designed to provide postshelter advocacy services to women with abusive partners are presented. One-hundred forty-one battered women were interviewed immediately upon their exit from a domestic violence shelter as well as 10 weeks thereafter. Half the sample was randomly assigned to receive the services of trained advocates who assisted them in accessing needed community resources. Women who worked with advocates reported being more effective in accessing resources and had higher levels of social support and overall quality of life postintervention. Although all women reported some decrease in postshelter abuse, there were no differences between those with and those without advocates, and abuse continued to be a problem for many women.