MORE THAN A HOUSE: A GENDER ANALYSIS OF LAHSA’S THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT (VAWA) HOUSING POLICY

Homelessness is a chronic problem worldwide, including in the United States. The country’s biggest homeless population occupies major cities like New York and Los Angeles. The fight against homelessness in L.A. has been going on for years, with the homeless population flooding places like Venice Beach, Echo Park, Hollywood, and its most famous homeless encampment, Skid Row. One of the groups constantly vulnerable to the threat of homelessness are women, and the intersection between women's homelessness and domestic violence remains to be a challenging subject. Enriching previous scholarship, this paper critically analyzes housing programs targeting female domestic violence survivors in Los Angeles. In order to get an in-depth examination, the focus is directed to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Housing Policy managed by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). The paper employs gender theory to examine the program’s shortcomings. Using Jeff Hearn’s conception of the ‘public men,’ this paper proposes that the program’s limitations stem from the prevailing patriarchy, which cultivates from home and extends to public policy through the domination of men. Furthermore, the policy is insufficient in combatting women's homelessness due to the absence of programs such as trauma centers, financial security & education program, and childcare unit that are vital to address the unique experience of domestic violence survivors. Thus, evaluation of the housing policy is immediately needed to overcome the problem of homelessness due to domestic violence.

Understanding the complexity of domestic violence service delivery through the lived experiences of domestic violence advocates

This qualitative research explored the lived experiences of domestic violence advocates to better understand the elements involved in domestic violence service delivery in the United States, focusing on positive and challenging aspects of their work. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 advocates who assisted domestic violence survivors. Advocates’ persistent engagement in reflective practice and advocacy for the survivors against a victim-blaming culture were identified as important elements in delivering multi-faceted domestic violence services. Implications for social work and domestic violence practice in improving domestic violence service delivery for the survivors are discussed.

Understanding Women Who Try to Kill Their Abusers: Print Media Coverage of R. v. Ryan

Background: The news coverage of domestic violence survivors who lethally defend themselves is often negative and promotes misconceptions. The trials of Nicole Doucet, who tried to hire a hitman to kill her abusive husband, provides an opportunity to assess if tone of the coverage changed over time. Analysis: News coverage of the Ryan case started neutral or favourable to Doucet and included feminist legal analysis. Interjections by Michael Ryan and the RCMP shifted the coverage to use more men’s rights arguments and negatively portray Doucet. Conclusion and implications: Canadian newspapers demonstrated, in equal measure, a better grasp of women’s defensive violence and a susceptibility to be swayed by men’s rights arguments.Contexte : La couverture médiatique des survivantes de la violence domestique qui se défendent mortellement est souvent négative et fait avancer des idees fausses. Les procès de Nicole Doucet, qui a tenté d’embaucher un tueur à gages pour tuer son mari violent, offre l’occasion d’évaluer si le ton de la couverture changé au fil du temps. Analyse : La couverture des journaux a débuté neutre ou positive et comprenait des analyses juridiques féministes. Les interjections de Michael Ryan et de la GRC ont modifié la couverture pour incluier plus d’arguments en faveur relatifs aux des droits des hommes et pour dépeindre Doucet de manière négative. Conclusion et implications : Les journaux canadiens ont démontré une meilleure compréhensionde la violence défensive des femmes et leur susceptibilité à être influencés par les arguments des droits des hommes

Brief Note: Exploratory Examination of How Race and Criminal Record Relate to Housing Instability Among Domestic Violence Survivors

Housing instability is a critical concern in the United States, and domestic violence (DV) survivors are a group at high risk for experiencing housing instability or of becoming unhoused. Prior research has also identified having a criminal record (CR) as being a major barrier to obtaining stable housing, and this is truer for Black and Latinx people compared to their White counterparts. No study has examined whether comparable trends exist among survivors of DV, a group also at elevated risk of having a CR, sometimes related to their experience of abuse. The current exploratory study included 305 unhoused or unstably housed female DV survivors who had sought out DV support services. Multivariate regressions explored if survivor race and CR were separately linked to greater housing instability. CR was then explored as a potential moderator in the relation between race and housing instability. Results revealed that DV survivors with a CR faced greater housing instability than those without a CR, Black and Latina survivors experienced greater housing stability than did White survivors, and CR did not moderate the relation between race and housing instability. The racial differences were unexpected and are discussed in light of methodological limitations. This is the first study to date to explore the role of CR possession on housing instability for DV survivors.

Reimagining access to justice through the eyes of rural domestic violence survivors

Access to justice is a theoretical construct and applied principle within the US legal system, centering equity in access to legal services and representation. However, access to justice extends beyond the legal sphere and into the daily lives of vulnerable people. This article contributes to long-standing efforts to reimagine and repurpose the access to justice framework through an ethnographic examination of rural domestic violence. In doing so, there exists significant promise to transform access to justice in a way that comprehensively sees and addresses inequity and injustice. Access to justice can be used in a multitude of ways to make sense of vulnerability at the intersection of rurality, domestic violence, resource accessibility, and activism, expanding the theoretical framework beyond its original scope toward social justice.