Gender, Protection Orders, and Intimate Partner Violence in Later Life: A Study of Protective Order Filings in Arizona

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051988468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alesha Durfee ◽  
Leigh Goodmark
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Protective Order ◽  
Protection Orders ◽  
Forms Of Violence ◽  
Protection Order

Most analyses of domestic violence and older adults focus on abuse by children and non-intimate caregivers. However, a significant percentage of elder abuse is perpetrated by an intimate partner. This article addresses a gap in the current literature on elder abuse by addressing how older survivors of intimate partner violence use the legal system as a tool to achieve safety by filing for a civil protection order. We critically examine 607 Arizona protection order filings in 2015, comparing those petitions filed by adults 50 and older ( n = 83) with those younger than 50 ( n = 524). We find significant differences in the forms of violence described in the protection order petition, as well as the types of relationships between the petitioner and respondent, the likelihood that an order will be issued, and the provisions requested and granted. Most importantly, gender is a critical component of our analysis—older petitioners are far more likely to be men than younger petitioners, and both petitions and outcomes are very different for older men than for older women. These results are then discussed in the context of the dynamics of older relationships, current firearm laws, and the barriers older adults face when attempting to use resources intended to help survivors achieve safety.

A Mixed-Method Approach to Understand Themes of Love in Victims’ Dismissals of Civil Protection Orders

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110453
Author(s):  
Anne Groggel
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Romantic Love ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Civil Protection ◽  
Legal Intervention ◽  
Protection Orders ◽  
Protection Order

Domestic violence protective orders are the most widely used intimate partner violence-related legal intervention in the United States, yet many victims later ask to have these orders dismissed. This article uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the conditions that help explain why victims of intimate partner violence dismiss their protection orders. Quantitative findings from 841 civil protection order cases show that victims who need protection the most are the most likely to seek dismissals. Victims who experienced recent or physical abuse were significantly more likely to dismiss their protection orders. Qualitative findings from 200 dismissal requests reveal that victims reference common themes of loving the abuser, that the abuser is a good parent, that the abuser is seeking treatment, or that they desire to save the relationship. Victims draw from broad romantic rationalizations when describing their decision to drop a protection order from the court. Building upon insights from constructs of romantic love, this study highlights how the rationalizations victims invoke in their dismissal requests are also associated with their experiences of abuse. A mixed methodological approach reveals a significant contrast between the language in victims’ petitions and their dismissal requests. Victims voiced fear and violence in their petitions for protection orders, then employed meanings of romantic love, reconciliation, and change when requesting that these temporary protection orders be dropped. This contrast reflects the cyclical nature of abuse and suggests that greater attention must be paid to ensuring court officials have a strong understanding of the complexities of victim attrition.

Men Who Seek Protection Orders Against Female Intimate Partners

Partner Abuse ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Mele ◽  
James C. Roberts ◽  
Loreen Wolfer
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Intimate Partners ◽  
Protection Orders ◽  
Custody Of Children ◽  
Protection Order

Whereas intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by men against women has been studied at length, relatively little attention has been given to violence perpetrated by women against their male intimate partners. This study represents one of relatively few attempts to better understand the experiences of male IPV victims. Specifically, this study explored the characteristics of men who obtain and withdraw a protection order against a female intimate partner, in comparison to those men who obtain and do not withdraw the order. We also looked at the reasons men cite for obtaining and withdrawing a protection order and the types of relief granted by the court. Findings from this study revealed that men who requested protection from abuse (PFA) against female intimate partners experienced a pattern of victimization prior to their requests for protection, including physical, psychological, or emotional abuse. Although, each of these men sought and was granted a “no abuse, stalk, or threaten” order, few of them were able to obtain temporary custody of children they had in common with the defendant, nor were they successful in getting defendants evicted from the home or getting the court to order defendants to relinquish their firearms. A comparison of men who withdrew their PFAs to those who did not withdraw them suggested that men who did not withdraw their PFAs perceived their abusive situations as being more serious. Implications for future research are discussed.

Effects of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrator and Victim Race on Protective Order Determinations

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110281
Author(s):  
Alexandria P. Winstead ◽  
Margaret C. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Racial Minority ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Protective Order ◽  
Protective Orders ◽  
Protection Order

The legal granting of temporary and permanent protective orders prohibits a perpetrator from engaging in contact with the victim. Although protective orders reduce risk of re-abuse, very little research has explored factors that predict the likelihood that a victim is granted a protective order. Thus, we conducted an archival analysis on data previously collected from a Protection Order Assistance Office in a midwestern region of the United States, testing the influence of victim and perpetrator race on protective order allocations. Specifically, we coded data gathered from 490 petitioners (i.e., victims) seeking a protective order against a perpetrator of intimate partner violence, stalking, or sexual offending. Analyses revealed that racial minority victims were significantly less likely to receive a temporary protective order compared to White victims – effects that were exacerbated when the perpetrator was White (versus racial minority). These results are in line with existing research and theory regarding aversive racism. Implications for theory, policy, and practice are discussed.

‘Not bullet proof’: The complex choice not to seek a civil protection order for intimate partner violence

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-195
Author(s):  
Jill Theresa Messing ◽  
Meredith E Bagwell-Gray ◽  
Allison Ward-Lasher ◽  
Alesha Durfee
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
System Resource ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Protection Order

Protection orders (POs) are one legal system resource available to survivors of intimate partner violence. Many survivors choose not to obtain a PO, yet prior research has not examined the perspectives of these survivors. This study examined the open-ended survey responses ( n = 308) regarding the choice not to obtain a PO by survivors residing in emergency shelters in the United States. Content analysis indicated that many survivors made deliberate decisions to not seek safety through this venue. Survivors indicated that a PO may increase their partner’s violence, identified substantial barriers, evaluated a PO as unnecessary, preferred alternative strategies, were dealing with complex partner dynamics, and chose to protect their loved ones by not seeking a PO. Women with marginalized identities, in particular, indicated that there are multiple costs to seeking interventions within the legal system. Structural changes are needed within the legal system to facilitate access to justice for survivors.

Criminal Protection Orders Among Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: Women’s Experiences of Court Decisions, Processes, and Their Willingness to Engage With the System in the Future

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110219
Author(s):  
Samantha C. Holmes ◽  
Christopher D. Maxwell ◽  
Lauren B. Cattaneo ◽  
Barbara A. Bellucci ◽  
Tami P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Court Decisions ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Protection Orders ◽  
The Future ◽  
Criminal Protection ◽  
Willingness To Use

Consistent with a therapeutic jurisprudence framework, court decisions and processes can have a therapeutic or antitherapeutic effect on intimate partner violence (IPV) victims. To maximize therapeutic effects, IPV scholars have advocated for survivor-defined practices that emphasize the importance of engaging with victims in a collaborative manner that promotes autonomy, choice, and control. However, limited research exists in the context of criminal protection orders (POs). The current study addressed this gap by assessing whether criminal PO match (whether victims received the level PO they requested [i.e., PO match] or not [i.e., PO mismatch]) and victims’ subjective experiences of the court process were associated with their willingness to use the system in the future to address IPV. In a sample of 187 women whose partners were arrested for IPV, experiencing the court processes as positive (β = .36, p = .001) and court-related fear (β = .41, p < .001) were positively associated with willingness to use the system in the future. Additionally, PO match moderated the association between subjective court experiences and willingness to use the system in the future. Experiencing the court processes as negative ( b = .33, p = .005) and validating ( b = –.36, p = .001) was associated with willingness to use the system in the future only for participants who did not receive the PO level they requested. While experiencing the court as positive ( b = –.40, p ≤ .001) was associated with willingness to use the system regardless of PO match, it was most strongly associated for participants who did not receive the PO level they requested. Results suggest the importance of ascertaining strategies to improve victims’ experiences with the court, especially when victims’ requests are not met, to increase future engagement with the system.

scholarly journals Exploring the experience of intimate partner violence in the LGBT community

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Papadakaki ◽  
F Zioti ◽  
Z N Karadimitriou ◽  
M Papadopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Childhood Victimization ◽  
Psychological Violence ◽  
Violence Victimization ◽  
Lgbt Community ◽  
Forms Of Violence

Abstract Background The study aimed at measuring the prevalence and identifying the risk factors of intimate partner violence in individuals from the LGBT community. Methods A total of 180 individuals participated in the study, both male and female, aged 18-60 years, living in the broader area of Athens, Greece. Snowball sampling was applied to identify eligible individuals and social media were employed to recruit them. The questionnaire explored the violence victimization and perpetration in their relationships, the preferred reaction to various forms of violence and the role of childhood victimization in adulthood experiences of violence. Results 72.8% were homosexual, 26.7% bisexual, 81.7 % were women with a mean age of 25.2 years (6.0 standard deviation). A total of 67.2% were subjected to verbal abuse before the age of 16, 49.4% to physical violence, 6.7% to sexual violence and 46.7% were neglected. The prevalence of violence victimization was higher than the prevalence of violence perpetration (mean 9.81 and 5.92 respectively). Psychological violence was the most common among other forms of violence, both in victimization (psychological 7.34, physical 1.66, sexual 0.81) and perpetration (psychological 4.48, physical 1.26, sexual 0.18). In hypothetical scenarios of psychological violence, the majority of participants preferred separation and discussion about boundaries as strategies to deal with the situation (56.1 and 45.0 respectively), in scenarios of physical violence they primarily preferred separation and secondarily asking a professional advice (73.3 and 20.6, respectively) and in sexual violence they primarily preferred a discussion about boundaries and secondarily separation (69.4% and 31.7% respectively). Experiences of childhood victimization (p=.006), and female gender (p=.002), were found to be associated at a statistically significant level with violent victimization in adulthood. Conclusions Further research is necessary to identify groups at risk of victimization. Key messages Preventive efforts need to take into account individual sociodemographic and attitudinal characteristics that increase the risk of victimization. Experiences of victimization during childhood are highly associated with victimization in adulthood.

Intimate Partner Violence

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane S. Sillman
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Violent Behavior ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Violence Risk ◽  
Gay Couples

Intimate-partner violence describes relationships characterized by intentional controlling or violent behavior by someone who is in an intimate relationship with the victim. The abuser’s controlling behavior may take many forms, including psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, economic control, and social isolation. Abuse may ultimately lead to the death of the victim from homicide or suicide. Typically, an abusive relationship goes through cycles of violence. There are periods of calm, followed by increasing tension in the abuser, outbursts of violence, and return to periods of calm. These cycles often spiral toward increasing violence over time. The victims of intimate-partner violence are usually women, but intimate-partner violence is also a significant problem for gay couples and for the disabled and elderly of both sexes. This review discusses the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, and prevention of intimate-partner violence. Risk factors for experiencing violence, risk factors for perpetrating violence, and consequences of abuse are also analyzed. This review contains 5 figures, 14 tables, and 30 references. Keywords: Domestic abuse, intimate-partner violence, elder abuse, child abuse, batterer, sexual abuse, physical abuse

What Is Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG)?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqui True
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Forms Of Violence

What do we mean by VAWG? “Violence against women and girls” (VAWG) is a catch-all phrase. It includes a wide range of forms of violence. Often when people talk about VAWG in Western societies, they are referring to intimate partner violence or domestic violence...

Judges in the Protection Orders and Family Law Systems

2021 ◽  
pp. 184-214
Author(s):  
Heather Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Child Custody ◽  
Family Law ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Family Courts ◽  
Protection Orders ◽  
The Family

This chapter explores women’s interactions with judges when they appeared before them in relation to protection orders and child custody orders after experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Commonly women identified that judges prioritized physical violence and minimized other forms of abuse and that they seemed to align with abusers, discounting the women’s experiences of abuse. Women identified that judges often lacked preparation for hearings, rubber-stamped witness subpoenas, and failed to stop irrelevant witness examination. They explained how these approaches facilitated their partner’s misuse of the legal system as a tactic of abuse. Women also discussed how judges, especially in the family courts, prioritized fathers’ rights to contact with children over safety. However, women’s stories also demonstrated resistance to their abuser’s control over them through the courts, and their efforts to ensure the safety of their children regardless of court orders.

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