Abstract: Objective: Child maltreatment is linked with numerous adverse outcomes that can continue throughout the lifespan. However, variability of impairment has been noted following child maltreatment, making it seem that some people are more resilient. Our review includes a brief discussion of how resilience is measured in child maltreatment research; a summary of the evidence for protective factors associated with resilience based on those studies of highest quality; a discussion of how knowledge of protective factors can be applied to promote resilience among people exposed to child maltreatment; and finally, directions for future research. Method: The databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for relevant citations up to July 2010 to identify key studies and evidence syntheses. Results: Although comparability across studies is limited, family-level factors of stable family environment and supportive relationships appear to be consistently linked withresilience across studies. There was also evidence for some individual-level factors, such as personality traits, although proxies of intellect were not as strongly related toresilience following child maltreatment. Conclusions: Findings from resilience research needs to be applied to determine effective strategies and specific interventions to promote resilience and foster well-being among maltreated children.

Giving them shelter: national organizational survey of shelters for battered women and their children.
此篇文章是在討論幾個關於協助弱勢婦女的緊急危機庇護的議題，這些弱勢的婦女是處於經常受暴的情境、醫療傷害、心理傷害、睡眠障礙以及嚴重的威脅當中。作者們建議庇護所管理者與案主們可使用以優勢觀點為基礎的七步驟（seven-stage）危機處遇，以及整合式的焦點解決理論。這研究發現也指出許多庇護所都困擾於資金的不足。也有許多回應者在這研究裡表示相當自傲於他們提供了綜合性的服務方案。

Uncovering Survival Abilities in Children Who Have Been Sexually Abused
作者結合了優勢觀點及復原力在精神病理發展文獻，並將之視為一個指標，檢視發現性虐待兒童的生存優勢。假如實務工作者沒有將他們的保護策略視為是一種優勢的話，這些性虐待孩童的生活能力常會被隱藏在傷痛之下。優勢觀點的要素及復原力文獻呈現了許多創意的方法，讓實務者與受性虐待兒童一同工作。 詳細內容

Strengths and Secondary Trauma in Family Violence Work
優勢觀點幫社會工作者在與個案的關係建立上提供很不一樣的貢獻，本文是一篇融合了優勢觀點研究服務受暴婦女工作者的替代性創傷，為一質性研究。運用優勢的觀點可以讓研究者發現這些工作者本身發展出來的因應策略與資源來預防替代性創傷。這些優勢包括擁有升任因應的能力、維持客觀的動機、解決個人創傷正向的因應角色模式與運用個人的信念，可供實務社會工作者、教育者與往後的研究者參考。 詳細內容

Abstract: Although all minorities experience inequalities, indigenous peoples in the United States tend to experience the most severe violent victimization. Until now, an organizing framework to explain or address the disproportionate rates of violent victimization was absent. Thus, the purpose of this conceptual article is to (a) introduce the concept of historical oppression, expanding the concept of historical trauma to make it inclusive of contemporary oppression; (b) describe the framework of historical oppression, resilience, and transcendence, which draws from distinct but related theoretical frameworks (that is, critical theory and resilience theory); and (c) apply the framework of historical oppression, resilience, and transcendence to the problem of violence against indigenous women. The proposed framework of historical oppression, resilience, and transcendence prioritizes social justice and strengths; it provides a culturally relevant framework, which can be used to explain, predict, and prevent violence. The article concludes with recommendations for future research, implications for practice, and recommended applications to other problems and populations.

Abstract: Violence against Indigenous women tends to be disproportionately high, yet little is known about the historical and community factors that may exacerbate and perpetuate intimate partner violence (IPV). Using a framework of historical oppression, the purpose of this article is to uncover community-level risk factors identified by Indigenous women who have experienced IPV, and the professionals who work with them. As part of a larger critical ethnography, this study focused on data derived from 49 semistructured interviews with Indigenous women who had experienced IPV and the professionals who work with those affected by IPV. Critical thematic analysis identified various themes related to historical oppression, including cultural disruption, IPV imposed and then internalized as a community norm, community divides, and community inequity, which likely exacerbated or perpetuated IPV. Given the causes of IPV have historical and structural roots, interventions and solutions must be designed with these structural determinants in mind.

Abstract: In order to analyze the concept of strengthening and the factors that impair its achievement in the community psychosocial environment, a critical research by means of qualitative content analysis was performed on several types of research material produced by community work in Caracas, Venezuela, from 1999 to 2002. The analysis compared categories taken from the literature on the concept with those arising from the work with communities. Results indicate that external and internal agents disagree within the internal factors, with regards to criteria, basic community concepts and the community work itself Exercise of power and excluding, tends may generate tensions and conflict. The action of external influences is discussed and possible ways of resistance are presented.

Abstract: The impact of secondary traumatic stress on social workers can be profound. The study reported here examined the relationship between psychological empowerment and secondary traumatic stress among social workers who provide services to family violence or sexual assault survivors on a regular basis. The study participants (N =154) were recruited from the National Association of Social Workers in the United States; data were collected through mail surveys. Psychological empowerment was defined as having a sense of competency, impact, self-determination, and meaning in one’s organization as the person performs work. Social workers who demonstrated higher levels of psychological empowerment experienced lower levels of secondary traumatic stress controlling for sociodemographic variables. Among the control variables, experiencing more personal traumatic events predicted higher levels of secondary traumatic stress. The findings imply that social service organizations can help social workers prevent or alleviate secondary traumatic stress symptoms by enhancing their psychological empowerment. Several organizational strategies can be developed to empower social workers who assist the survivors of family violence or sexual assault to prevent secondary traumatic stress or reduce its severity.

Unintended Consequences of Constructing Criminal Justice as a Dominant Paradigm in Understanding and Intervening in Intimate Partner Violence
建構了解及處遇親蜜伴侶暴力的犯防正義典範上的非預期結果
作者描述解釋及運用親蜜伴侶暴力的主要典範，並對此觀點、理論、模式、技巧作一檢視。最後文章著力審視防犯正義體系的典範運用對於受暴婦女運動已獲致一個初步的成果，但同時也被視為造成一些不在計劃內的結果，例如減低受暴婦女運用其自身權力，在一些案例上是對受暴婦女(暴力下生存者)造成傷害的。

Abstract:This phenomenological study explored the lived experience of male survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) who identified as resilient in their current relationships with female partners. The study was grounded in Relational-Cultural Theory (Jordan, 2004; Miller, 1976) in order to examine the relational movements within participants' relationships with their female partners. The findings identified seven relational movements that corresponded with growth in resilience. Resilient male survivors moved from past abuse to therapeutic processing and from isolation to finding a purpose. Personal and relational challenges to resilience were self-hatred, insecurity, restricted emotionality, masculine identity crisis, and negative coping strategies. Resilient male survivors developed mutual empathy, greater trust, and deeper connections; reprocessed their masculine identity; and developed a positive vision for the future. Implications for future research and practice and study limitations are discussed.

Abstract:Gender violence is a global human rights issue that presents serious risk to women in Pakistan. Multiple factors make leaving violence extremely challenging. This study examines the experiences of women who escaped violence and sought shelter services in Pakistan through an ecological lens within the social, cultural, and legal realities of Pakistan. Nineteen women residing at a private shelter were interviewed. Explored were the processes leading women to take action against violence, barriers encountered, and the consequences of the decision to go to a shelter, with a focus on the women's strengths and resilience.

Abstract: Research Findings: The interview responses of 4 teachers who participated in a community-based intervention for violence prevention were examined to understand the impact of the intervention on teacher development. Transcripts of teacher interviews before and after the intervention were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Themes of empowerment emerged in teachers' discussions of children's peer conflict. Two follow-up chi-square analyses were conducted to establish quantitative support. for changes in teacher empowerment in this community. Changes in teachers' differential use of positive and negative emotion statements and volitional cognitive statements in interviews before and after the intervention were examined. Practice or Policy: Findings supportive of changes in teacher empowerment included teachers' increased use of language suggestive of choice (e.g., want) and decreased use of language suggestive of obligation (e.g., need) and negative emotion (e.g., angry, sad) following the intervention.

Abstract:Objective: A quasi-experimental study tested the effectiveness of the Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model (TREM), a group intervention for women trauma survivors, in comparison to services as usual. Methods: Two hundred fifty-one women with histories of physical and/or sexual abuse and co-occurring serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders completed comprehensive study assessments at baseline and at 6 and 12 months. TREM groups were added to standard services at two community mental health agencies in Washington, DC (n = 153). Comparison group participants received usual services at two agencies in Baltimore, MD (n = 98). Results: TREM participants showed greater reductions in alcohol and drug abuse severity, anxiety symptoms, and current stressful events, and they showed greater increases in perceived personal safety. There were no group differences in change for posttraumatic stress disorder and global mental health symptoms, physical and mental health-related quality of life, and exposure to interpersonal abuse. Changes in trauma recovery skills were associated positively with gains in study outcomes for TREM group participants. Conclusions: Despite design limitations, this study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of the TREM intervention for a heterogeneous population of women trauma survivors with co-occurring disorders when added to usual services.

Abstract:Violence against women is a salient outcome of systemic gender inequality across the globe. In the US, the societal discourse of violence prevention simultaneously frames women in positions of victimhood and of empowerment. This study investigates the ways women draw upon these contradictory constructions in their meaning-making and practices related to violence prevention. Twenty women aged 18-62 discussed their experiences of risk and safety around an urban university campus in an in-depth interview. Women's selective appropriation of victim and empowerment scripts produced multiple and tension-filled constructions of risk, in ways inflected by gender, race,' class, sexuality, and age. Themes included the endorsement of a safety checklist that functioned to construct women's risk as unmanageable and victimhood as inevitable; complex generational differences in women's willingness to identify fears of gendered bodily harm as legitimate and in the ways they did so; and the creation and maintenance of imagined communities of safety and danger, implicitly inflected by race' and class.

Abstract: Over the last 4 decades, domestic violence (DV) programs—both residential and nonresidential—have sprung up in communities across the country with the aim of helping survivors become safe. These programs place strong emphasis on the relationship between the advocate and survivor as critical to becoming safer and healing from the trauma of abuse. Yet little research has demonstrated the extent to which specific aspects of the advocate-survivor alliance are related to specific indicators of survivor well-being, nor shown what factors might mediate that relationship. This study explored in a sample of help-seeking survivors (N = 370) whether the strength of the alliance between survivors and their advocates is related to lower symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and whether this association is mediated by survivors’ sense of empowerment in the domain of safety. The structural equation model we tested also controlled for variables that might influence these relationships, including race/ethnicity, financial strain, and length of stay in the program. As expected, stronger alliance was associated with reduced symptoms of both depression and PTSD, through the mechanism of empowerment in the domain safety. These findings provide direction to programs seeking to establish a theory of change and point the way toward longitudinal research on the nature and function of the alliance as a potential contributor to healing.

Abstract: The organisation of women domestic workers in Brazil reveals a process of collective empowerment at work in a society where gender, race, and class inequalities intersect, giving rise to complex mosaics. Analysing processes of empowerment in these circumstances calls for abandoning universalising visions of women and recognising differences and inequalities beyond gender in multiracial and multicultural societies. Women domestic workers face class contradictions in establishing harmonious relationships with women bosses, who are also participants as workers in unions and other political spaces. This contradiction creates difficulties in constructing a common agenda for the advancement of domestic workers' labour rights. This article draws on participatory research with women domestic workers in the city of Salvador in north-east Brazil, and aims to analyse some of the consequences of the articulation of gender, race, and class inequalities in their lives, how these inequalities obstruct women's pathways of empowerment and what women domestic workers are doing to seek greater rights, recognition and justice.

Abstract: Power has been fruitfully conceptualized as a relationship between two or more actors or groups (Janeway 1980; Likes 2005). Much of this work has treated power relations in generic terms (e.g., Foucault 1978; Scott 1990), paying little attention to how actors' positions in structures of inequality shape the interactional resources available to them as they devise strategies of control and resistance in interaction with one another. Here, I argue that we can better understand processes of control and resistance by examining how actors leverage their positions in structures of inequality and employ strategies likely to most deeply resonate with their (raced, classed, and gendered) target audiences. I explore these issues by analyzing how power struggles unfolded at a battered women's shelter. Using ethnographic data gathered over a ten-month period, I show how staff developed a gendered structure of control designed to obliquely manage shelter residents, while residents developed strategies of resistance that drew on resources available to them as poor and working-class women, and were directly responsive to the particular actors and structures of control they encountered in this context. The locally valued moral rhetoric of women's "empowerment" functioned as a key resource in this struggle. I aim here to broaden current discussions of control and resistance by highlighting the locally dependent, audience-specific, and profoundly intersectional nature of these interactions.

Abstract: Objective: Given the need to better understand male resilient development, the present study examined the contextual factors that contributed to the resilience of successful, nonviolent adult men who experienced exposure to interparental violence (EPV) as children. Method: Resilience was examined through semistructured interviews with 12 adult men who experienced EPV as children and who were identified as successful, nonviolent adults. Results: Male participants identified factors vital to their resilient development such as having key safe relationships with caring adults and a safe haven outside of the home, using positive coping strategies like extracurricular activities and sports, and gaining professional and personal achievements. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that clinicians and researchers should implement and evaluate interventions that leverage broader social supports, use extracurricular activities, focus on developing safe spaces, and redefine male gender role norms. Researchers also should expand assessment of resilience to include more diverse coping strategies.

Social Work With Older Adults and Their Families: Changing Practice Paradigms
儘管老年人口群經歷深遠的社會、經濟、及人口的變遷，作者提出了未來老年人社會工作方法學及實務取向的變革。作者認為如果老人想要維持老年人的獨立及安康(Well-being)，使用增強復原力的社會工作處遇方法可以有效地促進老年人的生存技能，而這些技能是老人即已使用來因應生活困境者。風險─復原模型具種族議題敏感度，且運用於系統(例如社區)，提升了傳統社工實務模式。在結論中，作者強調優勢觀點在處理老年人口群迫切議題的有效性。

Abstract:The purpose of this article is to present an intersectionality-based model for conceptualizing the risk factors associated with intimate partner abuse (IPA) among African American lesbians. The available literature on prevalence and risk factors associated with IPA suggests that: (a) estimates of prevalence rates for African American lesbian IPA could range from 25 % to 40 %, with the higher end of the range representing the inclusion of nonphysical forms of abuse (i.e., verbal abuse, intimidation, and coercion); and (b) the risk factors most likely to be associated with IPA for this population include poverty, history of trauma and mental health symptoms (including substance abuse), in addition to distress caused by multiple and intersecting forms of oppression (i.e., racialized, classist sexism and heterosexism). The model demonstrates the manner in which all of these risk factors intersect to create disproportionately high risk for this underresearched and underserved population. A psychodynamically based model is also presented that illustrates the cycle of abuse within an African American lesbian relationship. Finally, a model depicting the most likely protective factors segues into a brief concluding discussion about the implications for intervention, prevention, policy, education, and future research.

Abstract: This paper examines recovery from intimate partner violence and mental health problems through the perspective of experiential expertise (EE). The aim is to investigate the formation of EE in the context of empowerment-oriented recovery in non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This triangulated study includes both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative part was acquired through a survey on people with personal experience of mental health problems (N = 133) and the qualitative part was collected from a development project including sixty female victims of intimate partner violence and nine professionals who worked with the women. First, the data were analysed separately through statistical analysis and hermeneutic close reading. Second, a triangulated synthesis was made. There are three types of EE: individual, group and organised. These provide a basis for personal and social empowerment. EE consists of emotional and influential ways of acting, which enable renewed action as well as the reformation of a self-image. Our findings indicate that the relation between EE and recovery is reciprocal and mutually beneficial. We argue that especially group and organised EE should be integrated more firmly into social work practices, preventive social policy and structural social work.

Abstract:The association between mother-reported child adjustment problems and group therapists' ratings of resilience was evaluated in preschool-aged children who reside in homes where intimate partner violence (IPV) is present. Multiple reporters' evaluations of resilience were assessed to determine how young children display resilience at home and in treatment. Reporters were mothers and child therapists who evaluated resilience in 52 preschoolers who lived in households where IPV occurs. Group therapists' ratings of resilience were negatively correlated with children's externalizing behavior problems. Findings indicated poor rater agreement between mothers and group therapists on some aspects of resilience. Evaluations differed based on demographic factors, with the most variability in resilience by child age. Given the lack of research on this topic and the common practice of only one informant supplying most of the data used in studies of child functioning, the current study provides unique information by comparing multiple reports across settings.

Abstract:This article describes the recovery experiences of women who had suffered intimate partner violence in Taiwan. A phenomenological study design using semi-structured interviews was used to obtain data from a purposive sample of eight women. Colaizzi's approach to narrative analysis was applied. Findings indicate that "reconstructing the self" emerged as the essence of the women's recovery experiences. Four themes were identified: Feeling shame, creating mastery, recognizing the imperfect self, and embodying the self by helping others. Understanding the recovery experience is an important step in effectively assisting women to recover from abusive relationships and to reconstruct their lives.

Abstract:Using data from a national survey (N = 6,979) of young people in their last year in Norwegian secondary schools in 2007 (aged 18 and 19), this paper examines the effect of experience of violence including sexual abuse during childhood (before the age of 13) on the later academic achievement of young people. This investigation includes three types of violence: non-physical, physical and sexual, and two types of victimisation: being abused and witness to abuse. First we investigate the relationship between the experience of various violent acts before the age of 13 and young people's later academic achievement. Second, applying the structural equation modelling technique, we take into account the effect of background factors such as parents' educational attainment and gender, and the effect of mediating factors such as social capital and educational motivation on the academic achievement of the young victims. The results show that exposure to violence during childhood not only directly influences young people's educational outcomes but also exerts indirect influences on their achievement through its impact on young victims' social relations and psychological health.

Abstract:Research suggests that many women experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetime and that women who engage in substance abuse often have a higher incidence of past sexual assault than women in the general population. Given the documented rates of sexual assault among women in recovery from substance use, it is important to explore community interventions that promote positive recovery from substance use and sexual assault. One model that promotes successful substance use recovery is the Oxford House-a democratic, self-supported substance use recovery home. Research demonstrated that living in an Oxford House provides sober social support and that this increased social support may promote the use of positive coping strategies to strengthen recovery from substance use, however; the relationship between social support and sexual assault for women is unclear. Thus, the current study examines the Oxford House model for women in recovery from substance use who have experienced sexual assault. A cross-sectional sample of women living in Oxford Houses in the United States was obtained to examine the relationship among disclosure of sexual assault, social support, and self-esteem. Results suggested that many women used Oxford House as a setting in which to disclosure prior sexual assault. Results also indicated that women who disclosed their assault experience reported higher self-esteem and social support than women who had not disclosed. Possible implications include the value of substance abuse recovery homes as a safe, supportive environment for women to address issues related to sexual assault.

Abstract:Collaborative approaches to change are common, and though evidence for their effectiveness is equivocal, there is growing support that councils facilitate desired changes in the systems response to intimate partner violence. Questions remain regarding the specific mechanisms by which this change is facilitated, and recent work has focused on examining the intermediate processes through which councils may produce more distal change. One such mechanism relates to the potential of councils to be empowering contexts for their membership, often comprised of front-line providers and responders. The present study examines what factors are positively related to perceived individual empowerment as an outcome for members, and importantly, considers not only perceived council context, but also the perceived organizational contexts in which each council member is employed. Study findings suggest that both contexts-council and organizational-are important when considering the degree to which members are empowered. Specifically, member participation, council leadership, and supportive council and organizational climates are significantly positively related to the degree to which councils function as empowering contexts. However, the effect of belonging to a council with a supportive climate, characterized in particular by shared power in decision-making, is stronger when members are from high organizational support settings versus low support settings.

Abstract:Social support has been found in many studies to be a protective factor for those exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV), but personal resilience has received far less attention. The present study concerns 136 female IPV victims seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) from a Family Justice Center (FJC). The relationships between IPV victimization, social support, resilience, and psychological distress were examined. Hierarchical regressions found that both perceived social support and self-reported resilience were inversely associated with distress symptoms. Higher social support was associated with lower trauma symptoms, controlling for abuse history, demographics, and resilience. Higher resilience was associated with lower mood symptoms and lower perceived stress, controlling for abuse history, demographics, and social support. No significant associations were recorded for anger symptoms. These findings suggest that fostering resilience can have important health benefits for IPV victims, above and beyond the well-known benefits of social support. Ways that resilience might be cultivated in this population and other implications for practice are discussed.

Abstract: Male survivors of childhood sexual abuse face challenges resolving sexual victimization experiences with the ideals of masculinity, often experiencing intimacy problems, emotional discomfort, alienation, and anger. Little attention has been paid to how male survivors learn to develop long-term connections, disclose emotions in relationship contexts, and negotiate intimacy. The current qualitative study of 16 adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, examined the relational challenges and the processes by which these survivors improved their capacity for seeking and participating in supportive relationships over time. Several mechanisms associated with positive adaptation were identified in their narratives, including engaging in safe relationships; gaining a sense of belonging by locating a community of others with shared experiences; learning healthy ways to manage relationships through setting boundaries, controlling anger, building trust, and developing intimacy; and achieving acceptance. Clinical implications and future directions for research and intervention are presented.

Abstract: Objective: In this cross-sectional study on family violence and resilience in a random sample of 5,149 middle school students with a mean age of 14.5 years from four EU-countries (Austria, Germany, Slovenia, and Spain) we examined the prevalence of exposure to family violence, and we worked from the premise that adolescent can be resilient to family violence. We expanded the definition of resilience to include the absence of both physical aggression and depression symptoms in adolescents who have been exposed to violence in their families and extended our understanding of resilience to include three levels which we describe as: "resilient", "near-resilient" and "non-resilient", thus responding to calls for a more fluid and paths-based understanding of resilience.Methods: Data were collected via self-administered surveys consisting of a number of subscales that investigate depression symptoms and physical aggression. The study was analyzed with a three-stage strategy using logistic regression procedures, in which regression analyses were conducted separately for girls and boys using seven steps for modeling the three resilience levels. Results: More than 30% of our respondents reported experiencing family violence. Contrary to previous research findings, our data showed that structural characteristics like country, gender, socio-economic status and migration status were minimally predictive of violence and depression resilience at any level. Overall, for both sexes, despite some small but significant sex differences, resilience is strongly linked to personal and relational characteristics and the absence of experiences that involved exposure to and direct experiences with violence. Resilience supportive factors confirmed by this study are: higher emotional self-control, talking with parents or friends about violence, seeking help to avoid violence, and not endorsing aggression supportive beliefs. Also key to resilience are irrespective of country, gender, and SES are lower levels of experience with: victimization by boys, engagement in physical altercation with boys, parental abuse, witnessing of physical spousal abuse, exposure to an authoritarian (harsh) parenting style and verbal aggression from teachers.

Abstract:Research has reported that not only characteristics of the perpetrator but also characteristics of the victim influence risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). This would suggest that prevention of repeat abuse could benefit from a focus on both perpetrator and victim characteristics. Knowledge on factors that are within victims' sphere of influence is important because a focus on victim characteristics can help victims to take control of their situations and can thereby empower them. Dynamic victim-related factors are most relevant here as these are factors that can be changed or improved, in contrast to unchangeable static factors. Surprisingly, however, little is known about how victim-related factors affect risk for revictimization of IPV. The current study was conducted among a Dutch sample of 156 female, help-seeking IPV victims. The aim was to examine to what extent prior IPV and, in particular, dynamic victim-related factors influence risk for future IPV. In accordance with the models articulated by Foa, Cascardi, Zoellner and Feeny, we studied how the three key factors from their models-partner violence, victims' psychological difficulties, and victims' resilience-related to risk for IPV revictimization. Results provide support for several key factors (partner violence and victims' psychological difficulties) and, moreover, show which victim-related factors contribute to revictimization risk above and beyond the influence of prior violence committed by a partner against the victim (i.e., victims' prior IPV victimizations). Findings are discussed in terms of recommendations for practice and future research.

Accountability for change solution-focused treatment with domestic violence offenders
由於加害人處遇技術和相關方案在家暴防治領域的工作已逐漸開展，且蔚為風潮，因此產生了對於方案之成效評估和服務實施內涵及其理論依據的廣泛討論；本文以焦點解決處遇模式為主題，針對它的成效和主要內容、方案精神做一個介紹，並可以和目前主流的女性主義認知行為取向有所差別。本文除了說明焦點解決處遇模式的內容之外，也對曾經接受過此一模式的加害人做追蹤研究；研究樣本共有90位來自法庭裁定接受強制處遇的加害人，並進行六個月追蹤期的評估，經官方統計超過六年的追蹤結果，顯示成員暴力的再犯率(recidivism rates)為16.7%。而研究也發現，從參與者之配偶或伴侶的評估陳述得知，焦點解決處遇模式能夠改善參與者於親密關係中的人際關係技巧、並由參與者之自評陳述記錄得知此處遇模式能夠增加其自尊。 詳細內容

A strengths approach to ethnically sensitive practice for child protective service workers
家庭維繫的優勢取向原則，用於增強孩童保護服務的個案工作者以及增加他們的多元文化能力。本文章提出一些問題，這些問題與方案計畫、處遇、評估及自我監控及訓練目的有關。三面向的計畫模式之訓練及兒童保護服務之評估已鼓勵工作者演練他們的態度、知識及技巧，而在面對不同種族的文化議題能採取不同的處遇面向。本文企圖尋找：(1)描繪出家庭維繫下的兒童保護實務之準則；(2)定義種族敏感度及優勢取向的兒童保護服務訓練；(3)提出兒童保護服務的種族敏感度問題；(4)討論兒童保護服務的運用。

Abstract: There is a substantial body of literature that explores family adaptation within the context of childhood disability. However, closer analysis indicates that the primary focus of this research is concentrated on two-parent family systems. Despite evidence to suggest that single mothers are more likely to be parenting children with disabilities, their experiences have received minimal attention within social science research. Furthermore, when single mothers do become the focus of study, much of the attention is directed toward identifying the deficits within their family systems. Grounded in an integrated family resilience framework, the intent of this study was to explore the family adaptation of single mothers of children with disabilities within a longitudinal framework and to identify the individual, family, social, and environmental factors that contribute toward resilience within this population. Study participants consisted of 15 single mothers who bad previously participated in the "Family Strengths and Childhood Disability" research project. Mothers were interviewed with the view toward identifying their perceptions of what constitutes risk and protective factors, and exploring these in the context of family adaptation and resilience. Findings revealed a marked contrast between public discourses about single motherhood and childhood disability and the personal narratives of the mothers in this study. Concepts of family resilience were revealed by mothers who challenged definitions of single mothers as inadequate, who disputed the definition of their children as "disabled," and who moved from a position of received to authoritative knowledge. The study demonstrates that in contrast to public perceptions, single mothers of children with disabilities view their experiences as personally transformative and as a means of building confidence that empowers them to further disrupt negative expectations of their families.

Abstract: Objectives: The Trauma Resilience Scale (TRS), assessing protective factors associated with positive adaptation following violence, was tested in three waves of data collection. Empirical and theoretical literature shaped subscale and item formation emphasizing resilience following physical abuse, sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, and/or a serious threat or injury to life. Methods: Content validation experts helped refine items. The three-factor model, including problem solving, relationships, and optimism, was tested (n = 270). A four-factor model adding spirituality was also tested (n = 307). Results: Both models demonstrated strong reliability, validity, and factor analyses results. However, the four-factor model was best supported by the data. Conclusions: Both global scales and individual factor subscales are supported for clinical and research administrations.

Strength-Based Treatment for Juvenile Sexual Offenders
很多人相信未成年的性罪犯多數缺乏慾望與能力預防自己再犯的價值觀，這樣悲觀的觀點讓許多學者與大眾不斷的以強制性和懲罰性的干預方法來做處遇，本文描述Starr Commonwealth這個機構運用的另一種模式作為未成年性罪犯的干預方法，這個方法立基於優勢觀點，已經證實可以讓未成年性罪犯發展出正向的與成人、同儕之間的人際互動關係。 詳細內容

Abstract:The aim of this paper was to review research investigating resilient outcomes for people with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and implications for practice, as well as to consider issues for clearer definitions. Fifty English language peer-reviewed studies (1991-2010) met the inclusion criteria. The reviewed papers identified a number of factors that were repeatedly associated with individuals showing resilient outcomes to CSA. These included inner resources (e.g. coping skills, interpretation of experiences and self-esteem), family relationships, friendships, community resources (e.g. church or school), as well as some abuse-related factors (e.g. older age at onset). A large number of methodological concerns within these studies were also noted, including the way in which resilience, CSA and protective factors were defined. However, despite this, many papers identified similar factors that could be utilised to develop both effective prevention programmes and resilience interventions for the survivors of CSA. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 'Fifty English language peer-reviewed studies (1991-2010) met the inclusion criteria' Key Practitioner Messages There is a wealth of research investigating resilience in people who have experienced CSA. Many papers presented similar findings. Interpersonal features were repeatedly identified; but importantly so were familial support and stability, peer friendships, appropriately timed social support, academic success, spirituality and a sense of community. It seems likely that health promotion initiatives and social policies and programmes can improve resilient outcomes for people with a history of CSA, using both individual and systemic interventions. 'Many papers presented similar findings'

Abstract: Individual and family characteristics that predict resilience among children exposed to domestic violence (DV) were examined. Mother-child dyads (n = 190) were assessed when the children were 2, 3, and 4 years of age. DV-exposed children were 3.7 times more likely than nonexposed children to develop internalizing or externalizing problems. However, 54% of DV-exposed children maintained positive adaptation and were characterized by easy temperament (odds ratio [OR] = .39, d = .52) and nondepressed mothers (OR = 1.14, d = .07), as compared to their nonresilient counterparts. Chronic DV was associated with maternal depression, difficult child temperament, and internalizing or externalizing symptoms. Results underscore heterogeneous outcomes among DV-exposed children and the influence of individual and family characteristics on children's adaptation.

Abstract: Children with a history of child maltreatment often have limited social interactions with other children and adults. This study examined the effects of a Peer Engagement Program, consisting of peer mentoring and social skills training with positive reinforcement, in three children with low levels of oral and social interaction. A multiple baseline, single-subject research design was used to test whether introduction of the intervention was associated with increased, directly observed oral interaction and engagement in social activities with peers and adults. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS) were administered before and after intervention. All children showed increased levels of oral and social interaction and improved scores on the SSRS and the CBCL.

Abstract:Strengths-based solution-focused approaches are gaining ground in statutory child protection work, but few studies have asked front line practitioners how they navigate the complex worker–client relationships such approaches require. This paper describes one component of a mixed-methods study in a large Canadian statutory child protection agency in which 225 workers described how they applied the ideas of strengths-based practice in their daily work. Interviews with twenty-four practitioners were analysed using an interpretive description approach. Only four interviewees appeared to successfully enact a version of strengths-based practice that closely mirrored those described by key strengths-based child protection theorists and was fully congruent with their mandated role. They described navigating a shifting balance of collaboration and authority in worker–client relationships based on transparency, impartial judgement, attentiveness to the worker–client interaction and the value that clients were fellow human beings. Their accounts extend current conceptualisations of the worker–client relationship in strengths-based child protection work and are congruent with current understandings of effective mandated relationships. They provide what may be a useful model to help workers understand and navigate relationships in which they must reconcile their own authority and expertise with genuine support for the authority and expertise of their clients.

Abstract:The recent application of strengths-based practice in child protection settings has been accompanied by evidence of inconsistent implementation and concerns that the approach is incompatible with statutory work. Few studies have moved beyond asking whether child protection workers are implementing strengths-based practice to explore why the approach is enacted as it is. This article describes a mixed methods study using an online survey and interviews to elicit from 225 statutory child protection workers in a large Canadian agency how they applied strengths-based ideas and why they did what they did. The authors found that although strengths-based practice was popular, 70 percent of participants believed that it was not always applicable to child protection work. Participants described five distinct versions of the approach, only one of which was fully congruent with their mandated role. The study suggests that the common conflation of strengths-based and solution-focused approaches ignores important differences in the conceptualization of practitioner authority and leaves practitioners attempting to implement versions of strengths-based practice that do not fit statutory child protection work. Only when practitioners choose solution-focused models that support their use of mandated authority is consistent implementation a reasonable expectation.

Abstract: This case study presents the results of a counselling intervention with a rape survivor. The woman was twenty-nine years old at the time of the violation. The objective of this study was to explore the dynamics which the woman engaged in coping with the experience of the rape and the resources accessed as part of the healing process. A four leg trauma counselling model is discussed as a short term Integrated therapeutic approach. Data was collected and analyzed using a qualitative approach employing a case study method (Terreblanche and Durrheim, 1999), to provide a rich description of the context in which the rape sufferer's symptoms were embedded. The results of this study Indicate that re-tellings of the trauma narrative may assist post-trauma recovery. The model was experienced as useful in dealing with this rape survivor because of its clear structure which is comprehensive enough to address most of the needs and concerns of trauma survivors.

Abstract: This article explores how women empowerment affects Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Bangladesh using a cross-sectional investigation of currently married women (n = 4,181) sampled via the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS), 2007. About one-fourth (24%) of currently married Bangladeshi women experienced both physical and/or sexual IPV in the past year. Prevalence of physical and sexual violence was 19.4% and 10.5%, respectively. Younger generation (age 15-24), illiterate, rural, and the poorest household wealth categorized women were much victimized. Current employment status predicted intimate partner violence. Household decision-making pattern also emerged as a predictor of IPV. Likelihood of all forms of IPV increases with increase of number of participation in household decision-making. Promoting women empowerment in the household without men's support may put women at more risk of IPV.

Abstract: Background Few studies have explored protective factors in the assessment of risk, despite acknowledgement that protective factors may play an important role. Aim To examine the significance of protective factors in assessment of risk using the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY). Method The SAVRY was completed on 135 male adolescents in custody in the UK. Data on previous offending and childhood psychopathology were collected. Participants were prospectively followed up at 12 months using data from the Home Office Police National Computer (HOPNC). Results Participants with protective factors were older when first arrested, were less prolific offenders and had fewer psychopathological problems. The number of protective factors present was significantly higher for participants who did not re-offend during the follow-up. The total number of SAVRY protective factors significantly predicted desistance at follow-up and resilient personality traits constituted the only significant individual Protective factor. Conclusions and implications Protective factors might buffer the effects of risk factors and a resilient personality may be crucial. Recognition of protective factors should be an essential part of the risk management process and for interventions with high-risk adolescents to reduce re-offending.

Abstract: Background Although considerable research has documented the widespread prevalence of spousal violence in India, little is known about specific risk or protective factors. This study examines the relationships between factors that are often considered to be social and economic resources for women and recent occurrence of domestic violence.
Methods Data were collected from 744 young married women in slum areas of Bangalore, India. Unadjusted and adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with having been hit, kicked or beaten by ones husband in the past 6 months.
Results Over half (56) of the study participants reported having ever experienced physical domestic violence; about a quarter (27) reported violence in the past 6 months. In a full multivariable model, women in love marriages (OR 1.7, 95 CI 1.12.5) and those whose families were asked for additional dowry after marriage (OR 2.3, 95 CI 1.53.4) were more likely to report domestic violence. Women who participated in social groups (OR 1.6, 95 CI 1.02.4) and vocational training (OR 3.1, 95 CI 1.75.8) were also at higher risk.
Conclusions Efforts to help women empower themselves through vocational training, employment opportunities and social groups need to consider the potential unintended consequences for these women, such as an increased risk of domestic violence. The study findings suggest that the effectiveness of anti-dowry laws may be limited without additional strategies that mobilize women, families and communities to challenge the widespread acceptance of dowry and to promote gender equity. Longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the complex causal relationships between love marriages and domestic violence.

Abstract:Research on domestic violence on women extensively documents the harm caused by such violence as a result it is a fact that battered women experience increased levels of stress, trauma Repression and lower self esteem added with higher levels of psychological distress when compared to non battered women. The present study tries to highlight on the psychological, emotional, social and physical effects of domestic violence on Indian women and the impact of resilience and recovery from the trauma caused by it. InRepth interviews were conducted with 12 women belonging to the city of Kolkata, subjected to domestic violence for a period of 3-15 years. The results highlighted on the condition of women living with domestic violence and how they directed themselves towards the use of resilience and recovery, to put an end to the trauma caused by it. Future implications of the study highlight on the intervention programs and generation of resources to incentivize these traumatized women to face the hardships and adversity in the Indian context.

Abstract: The need to make meaning of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is common and often persists long after the abuse ends. Although believed to be essential for healthy recovery, there is a paucity of research on how youth process their CSA experiences. The current study identified individual differences in the ways youth process their CSA and examined associations with psychosocial adjustment. A sample of 108 youth with confirmed abuse histories enrolled in the study within 8 weeks of abuse discovery, when they were between 8 and 15 years old. Six years later, they participated in interviews about their CSA experiences, reactions, and perceived effects. Using a coding system developed for this study, youths' CSA narratives were reliably classified with one of three processing strategies: Constructive (13.9%), Absorbed (50%), or Avoidant (36.1%). Absorbed youth reported the highest levels of psychopathological symptoms, sexual problems, and abuse-specific stigmatization, whereas Constructive youth tended to report the fewest problems. Avoidant youth showed significantly more problems than Constructive youth in some but not all areas. Interventions that build healthy processing skills may promote positive recovery by providing tools for constructing adaptive meanings of the abuse, both in its immediate aftermath and over time.

Abstract: The purpose of this article is twofold. First, it is a narrative of the healing process and long-term effects of a sexual assault. But tied in with that is another aspect which I feel would be robbing my readers of a full understanding of my experience were I to exclude it. This involves these effects on an interpersonal level: an account of how the reactions of others shaped my healing process, and how the experience has shaped my worldview in regard to how I choose to interact with and respond to others. Similarly, the impact upon my loved ones will be explored. As many readers of this article are already aware, sexual assault has a lifelong impact. As we are social creatures, I feel it is impossible to detach my experiences from the social sphere: Neither myself nor my past exist in a bubble, and these interplay with the people in my life in varied and fascinating ways. The goal of this article is to engage in a candid discussion of the impact rape has had on myself and those around me.

Abstract:Empowerment has been treated as an intervening goal in many areas of social work practices to strengthen clients so they could break through the status of disadvantage and, in turn, increase social functioning and quality of life. Due to the importance of empowerment in social work practice, the purposes of this study were to examine the extent of utilisation of empowerment strategies and to explore its correlates. A survey was conducted on social workers in the field of partner violence and resulted in 243 valid samples. The findings showed that social workers used the individual level ( at the psychological level) of strategies more than the interpersonal or social political levels. After taking other variables into account, the significant correlates of the utilisation of empowerment strategies were: life satisfaction, the control tendency of the perpetrator, level of service provision, and percentage of two to three contacts per month. The findings imply that empowerment is a mutually beneficial process between social workers and clients; empowerment is still based on needs of clients; and more services and more frequent contacts made by social workers increase the possibility of enacting empowerment strategies.

Abstract:This study applied, and examined the effectiveness of, the strengths perspective on women who experienced partner abuse in Taiwan. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were utilised. The findings from quantitative analysis show that the subjects experienced a significant decrease in depression were positively empowered and had better life satisfaction. The results of the qualitative analysis further denote the functional components of recovery as the growth of sense of self, affirmation and action, or realisation of self. These results suggest that the strengths perspective could be a useful approach for case managers working with this population in helping the women to rediscover their own sense of self and reconstruct a productive life.

Abstract: More and more funders of non-profit organizations are mandating that grantees engage in outcome evaluation. Given that this mandate is rarely accompanied by additional funding to devote to such efforts, as well as the limited skills many staff have in conducting outcome evaluation, this has been a significant hardship for human service programs. Domestic violence victim service programs have additional barriers to evaluating service effectiveness, including: (1) each survivor (1) comes to the program with different needs and life circumstances; (2) there is debate about which 'outcomes' are appropriate for these programs to accomplish; (3) many service clients are anonymous or engage in very short-term services; and (4) surveying survivors can compromise their safety or comfort. Some programs, therefore, resist evaluating their services (which can compromise their funding) while others engage in evaluations that can compromise their integrity or values. Others, however, see outcome evaluation as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Evidence is provided that, if done appropriately and sensitively, outcome evaluation can be incorporated into ongoing staff activities, can provide evidence for program effectiveness, and can improve services for survivors of intimate partner abuse.

Abstract: Key Practitioner MessagesThe effect of pet loss for survivors of child sexual abuse is under-explored.Perpetrators may threaten pets to silence their victims.The loss of a companion animal may affect the healing process of child sexual abuse survivors.There is a need for more research to inform interventions to assist the recovery of survivors and education to enhance mental health professionals' understanding of the ongoing effects of pet loss in relation to recovery.Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

What is an empowerment approach to working with sexual assault survivors
這個探索性研究在於更深入瞭解什麼構成了性侵害危機倡導者和性侵害被害人一起工作的所使用的充權取向。在大都市區域的性侵害危機中心工作之性侵害受害倡導者進行一個紮根理論、質化的、半結構的訪談研究。描述幾個與倖存者一起工作之充權取向和方法，有一些特別描述為「女性主義」充權取向。有關研究和實務的意涵在本研究也被提出討論。

Abstract: Resolution of domestic violence disputes in Indonesia illustrates the contradictions between two international development trends - the increasing recognition of women's rights as human rights, and the emergence of empowerment approaches to community development. Despite the focus of legal empowerment programmes on increasing women's autonomy and finding creative solutions to legal problems, there is increasing pressure on women victims of violence to use the state criminal justice system to resolve domestic violence justified by international human rights principles. This pressure impedes empowerment programmes and fails to appreciate the capacity of local communities to apply and adapt international principles to their local context.

Abstract: The authors review the literature on resilience following childhood maltreatment and describe how variation in the measurement of outcomes at various developmental stages affects research findings, practice implications, and policy recommendations. Although the 21 studies reviewed considered competent functioning in similar domains as evidence of resilience following maltreatment, few provided prevalence estimates for specific indicators or across domains of functioning. Using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), the authors explored different ways of operationalizing resilience. The number of children demonstrating competence following maltreatment varied greatly by the indicators used; furthermore, competence in one domain (behavioral, emotional, or educational) did not guarantee competence in another. About one in five children were functioning poorly in all three domains. Because findings vary according to the operational definition of resilience, researchers must use caution in conceptualizing their analytic variables and interpreting findings. Furthermore, given the lack of cross-domain competence, services to maltreated children and their families should be comprehensive.

Abstract: Drawing on the concept of intersectionality developed by Crenshaw, this article analyses the erasure of racial minority women in rape cases, and assesses the ways in which English adversarialism compounds this erasure. It outlines the contours of a transformativc procedure for rape trials that includes racial minority women's experiences of intersectional oppression. Based on a comparative analysis of German and Swedish law, it contends that the introduction of auxiliary prosecutors or victims' lawyers in the U.K. would contribute to the generation of a space for the inclusion of such experiences within adversarial trials. It invokes recent jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as Council of Europe provisions, to argue that auxiliary prosecutors or victims' lawyers would not infringe defendants' right to a fair trial, and concludes that objections to their introduction in the U.K. are not persuasive.

Working with male batterers: A resptorative-strengths perspective
Duluth Model是基於女性主義治療模式，以被害婦女的需求為主要的思考中心，發展出教育加害人將不當的權力與控制行為反應輪改變成為平等輪的行為模式。此外，此模式也特別強調社區整合模式的處遇，認為唯有網絡連結緊密的司法、警政、受虐婦女服務單位，才能真正保護婦女的安全。 Duluth Model的治療加害人課程共計為二十六週，分為八個主題，每一段課程前先放錄影帶，內容多為男性不當的控制與權力行為反應，先討論其不當行為背後的信念與思考以及其不當的影響；接下來再討論較好的行為反應模式，其目標是建立健康的兩性互動。「Duluth加害人處遇模式」對受害人／倖存者的觀點乃源自女性批判理論典範而來。然而，男性加害人對此模式可能存有諸多抗拒。在團體進行的過程以及進行評價時，運用「回歸-優勢觀點」是能夠降低抗拒、否認、再犯的可能性，也可降低團體成員中途退出的機率。再者，將回歸原則運用於社區中，同樣可促使行為符合社會規範的標準。 詳細內容