Campus Access Only
All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of University of the Pacific. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.
Date of Award
1995
Document Type
Dissertation - Pacific Access Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Department
Counseling Psychology
First Advisor
Judith Hoorn
First Committee Member
Elmer Clawson
Second Committee Member
Mari Irvin
Third Committee Member
Hugh McBride
Fourth Committee Member
Ismael Dieppa
Abstract
This study addressed the lack of culture-specific empirical data related to Mexican-American battered women. In California this is of great concern because the population of Mexican-Americans is large and increasing. There is a need for programs to be designed and providers trained on the basis of more specific, differentiated data. The study addresses the following question: What are the characteristics regarding age, social isolation, substance abuse, social class, and characteristics of the battered woman's relationship with her partner? General demographic information was also analyzed. The sample included 424 Mexican-American battered women who sought emergency shelter services at one shelter during the period 1979-1994. Data were obtained from shelter records. The findings from this study pointed to a general profile of this population. The typical woman was a relatively young, poor, socially-isolated woman with low educational attainment, with two to three children, who was subjected to a variety of emotional and physical abuse from a male partner who cohabited with her. Most of the partners were substance users with a jail or prison record. The average relationship was seven years in length, with violence starting after approximately one and one half years. Most of the women experienced abuse during pregnancy. The data analysis further revealed that 121 of the 424 women left the batterer after one incident of abuse. Implications for service providers who intend to attract and serve Mexican-American battered women include the provision of support groups within the shelter and the location and referral to support groups outside of the shelter. Support groups would serve the dual function of validating the battered woman's experiences and of empowering her to maximize her individual potential. It is recommended that future researchers compare characteristics of women who left their batterer after one incident of abuse to women who stayed and endured abuse for an average of 5.5 years.
Pages
130
Recommended Citation
Valencia, Albert. (1995). An examination of selected characteristics of Mexican-American battered women and implications for service providers. University of the Pacific, Dissertation - Pacific Access Restricted. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2447
To access this thesis/dissertation you must have a valid pacific.edu email address and log-in to Scholarly Commons.
Find in PacificSearch Find in ProQuestIf you are the author and would like to grant permission to make your work openly accessible, please email
Rights Statement
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).