NEWS
Study finds women at risk are oblivious
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Caley Meals:
Related Stories:
- Professor finds little psychological difference between genders (September 26, 2005)
- Merck unveils new vaccine (October 7, 2005)
- Smallpox vaccine may prevent AIDS, but with adverse effects (October 9, 2003)
- Women underrepresented in national university research facilities (January 22, 2004)
- UW researchers tackle smoking (February 4, 2003)
Share This:
by Caley Meals
Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Nearly one half of women who are about to experience a threat to their lives at the hands of a boyfriend or husband may not realize they are in danger, according to new research. The findings are the result of a nationwide study conducted by researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland in an attempt to curtail domestic abuse.
According to the report, a look back at warning signs for 30 women who survived an attempted homicide by an intimate partner revealed that 14 did not know their lives were at risk and said they were “completely surprised” by the attack. Also notable is the fact that most attacks occurred around the time women tried to end the relationship. And while nearly all women had experienced previous episodes of abuse and violence from their partners, not all instances had been severe.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Christina Nicolaidis of OHSU, said that these findings suggest that, in some cases, the warning signs that a woman’s life is in danger may be difficult to read.
“If I had talked to some of these women before the attack, I would have counseled them about the domestic violence, but I would not have necessarily felt that their lives were in danger,” Nicolaidis said. “Now I am more careful to warn any woman who has experienced intimate partner violence about the risk to her life, especially around the time that the relationship is ending.”
According to the Madison Police Department, women who plan on leaving an abusive or troubling relationship should consider safety planning their top concern. The department’s website states: “If you are choosing to take legal action, please remember to take careful steps to keep yourself and your children safe. A legal protective order is helpful, but it is not always enough to keep you safe.”
The MPD also stated that women should always tell at least one other person of any abuse or unhealthy behavior prior to leaving, as well as keep a journal of any or all incidents of abuse including time, dates, events and threats made, if possible.
In the OHSU study, Nicolaidis and her colleagues noted that homicide is the leading cause of death among African-American women between the ages of 15 and 34, and up to half of all women who are murdered are killed by an intimate partner.
The study was conducted through interviews of 30 women between the ages of 17 and 54 who had survived an attempted homicide by their current or former boyfriends or husbands.
All but two of the women had experienced episodes of violence or controlling behavior, such as stalking or preventing them from going anywhere alone, from the man who tried to kill them.
And while 22 of the homicide attempts occurred while the women were trying to end their relationships, most women said they were breaking up for reasons other than violence.
According to Josh Cutler, a senior at the University of Wisconsin and former women’s self-defense instructor, the main thing to keep in mind when under attack is to remain calm.
“If you can retain your composure, then you’re at an advantage,” he said. “What we try to teach in self-defense classes is that most women are going to be overpowered by their attacker, so they need to concentrate on creating space, time and an escape path.”
Common areas of target include the eyes, throat and groin of an attacker, Cutler said, and as a second-best option, go after the fingers and wrists because they are easily accessible.
According to Nicolaidis, classic risk factors for an attempted homicide by an intimate partner include escalating episodes or severity of violence, threats with or use of weapons, alcohol or drug use, and violence toward children. While every woman included in the report experienced at least one of these standard signs, they were clearly not all “classic” cases, she added.
Local resources for women at risk include Dane County Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, whose Crisis Line can be reached at 251-4445; Briarpatch Counseling Center’s crisis line, 251-1126; and the Dane County District Attorney’s Office Domestic Violence Unit, 284-6880.
