Victim Researcher Profile

BIO

Intimate partner violence: Drawing upon unique data available from the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study (CWHRS), in this research I collaborated with a Chicago Criminal Justice practitioner and a PhD Nurse at Johns Hopkins to analyze both quantitative and qualitative data to learn about abused women's decisions to contact the police and their experiences when they do. We found that women who have police contact are more likely to experience controlling behavior from the abuser, as well as stalking and harassment. Further, the women who have had police contact are more likely to report that their lives are in danger, that their partner has threatened to kill himself, that he is violent against others outside of the house, and that he abuses alcohol. When women turn to the criminal justice system, they are in desperate need of help. Those who come to the system are most often severely abused, are being stalked and harassed, and are as a rule, trying to leave their abuser. They are realistically fearful of their abusers. 2007 “Seeking Help from the Police: Battered Women’s Decisions and Experiences” with C. Becky Block and Jackie Campbell Criminal Justice Studies a Critical Journal of Crime, Law and Society. 20(1):31-57. Violence prevention: International public health organizations are increasingly aware of the tie between traditional gender norms and beliefs, violence, and sexual and reproductive health issues. Research suggests that stronger adherence to traditional conceptualizations of both masculinity and femininity influences health-related behaviors in gendered ways as well. Governmental organizations involved in preventing HIV/AIDS are increasingly requiring those that they partner with and/or fund to target traditional gender beliefs in their programming. One of the leading experts on gender transformative programming worldwide is the Brazil-based Promundo organization, which originated in 1997 to study, implement programming, and achieve policy change in the areas of gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health. In this study, my coauthor’s and I partnered with a local Rape Crisis Center and a public school to adapt Promundo’s Program H to focus on gender socialization, gender beliefs, and emotional expression in order to implement it with a younger age group of lower SES African American youth. In our first year (as published), we found one significant change over time: boys were more likely to agree it was okay to feel angry. There were a number of mixed effects regarding emotional expression, gender equality, and fighting and violence, though all were statistically insignificant. Many of these insignificant effects were, however, in a positive direction in line with program goals. 2015 “Engaging Boys In Eradicating Gender-Based Violence: A Pilot Study Of A Promundo-Adapted Program” with Allison Foley and Todd Powell-Williams. Masculinities and Social Change, 4(1), 26-43.

VICTIMIZATION FOCUS

Domestic and Family Violence, Gun Violence, Hate and Bias Crimes, Homicide Survivors/Co-victims

SPECIAL POPULATIONS

LGBTQ victims, Men and boys of color

RESEARCH EXPERTISE

Data collection, Descriptive studies, Ethnography, Needs assessment, Program evaluation, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies

VICTIM RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Data collection, Descriptive studies, Program evaluation, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies