1. Social Work Students’ Attitudes, Perceptions and Knowledge Base regarding Perpetrators of Domestic Violence Letnie Rock, Ph.D. UWI Cave Hill Campus UWI Cave Hill Campus Conference on Social Work and Social Development Stockholm, Sweden, July 2012 Stockholm, Sweden, July 2012

2. Domestic Violence Hurts Everyone

4. Background  Barbados is a small Island in the Caribbean  Population of approximately 280,000  Male female ratio in population 1: 3  Increasing concern over the last two decades about domestic violence (DV) in Barbados (perpetrated mainly by males) and the apparent normalcy of the practice in society (Le Franc & Rock, 2003)

5. Background Initiatives aimed at preventing incidents of DV have been put in place. These include:   Public lectures and media campaigns   Community marches against DV   Legislation – The DV Protection (Orders) Act 1992   Family service agency   Counselling centre and hotline   Shelter for battered women   Men’s Support Groups

6. Profile of Domestic Violence in Barbados National study 2008/2009 (CADRES) found that:   21% of homicides results from DV   Females are more likely to report incidences than males   Females mainly victims based on reports   Perpetrators mainly males based on reports   Abusive incidents mostly physical, verbal and psychological. Low incidence of financial abuse based on reports.

7. Statistics on Domestic Violence in Barbados   Abuse occurs in all intimate relationships - marital, common-law and visiting relationships   66% of victims/survivors from the lower socio-econ. group   2000-2007 - 218 homicides in Barbados and 46 due to domestic violence – these 46 were women

8. Face of Domestic Violence in Barbados  QUOTES  “Sometimes you have to make them feel pain for them to stop the foolishness. Women often agree with this approach too..and my wife said that if I hadn’t done that she might not have understood”.

9. Face of Domestic Violence in Barbados  “The women might want to play the leading role in a relationship. She does not ask for or respect the man’s opinion”.  “The image of men is still that they must rule and dominate. They will react to the slightest thing that challenges them”.

10. Status of Research on the Problem  Research on DV in the Caribbean is emerging  Paucity of research in Barbados – to date mainly statistical data reported  Few Caribbean studies conducted: Danns & Parsad (1989), Clarke (1998), Hezekiah (2000), Le Franc & Rock (2001), Holder-Dolly & Sogren (2004), CADRES (2008-2009) & UNICEF (2007)

11. Theoretical Rationale   Socio-cultural perspective – this theory considers the social conditions existing in the family and community in which people live as well as the cultural nuances and their overall impact on the individual.   Studies on domestic violence and child abuse in the Caribbean have found cultural behaviors mores and norms to be factors that influence abusive behaviour

12. Definition of Domestic Violence A pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors including, physical, sexual and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion, that adults use against their intimate partner … to gain and maintain power and control (Dunbar, 1998).

13. Research Objective The research objective - to investigate whether social work students have punitive attitudes (primarily a legal perspective) OR non-punitive attitudes (favour a treatment approach) to perpetrators of DV before they (students) acquire professional training and experience

14. Research Hypotheses 1. Students who have experienced DV will more likely have a punitive attitude to perpetrators of DV than those without such experiences. 2. Younger students would have a punitive attitude to perpetrators of DV while older students would have a non-punitive attitude.

15. Research Hypotheses 3. Entry level students are more likely to have a punitive attitude to perpetrators of DV than final year students. 4. Male students would more likely have a non-punitive attitude to perpetrators of DV while female students would more likely have punitive attitude.

16. Methodology Characteristics of Sample  Exploratory study  Convenience sample  64 undergraduate social work students (Levels 1-3)  Sex: Males (12), Females (49), Not stated (3)  Age groups: 21-39 years; 40 and over  Marital status: Married 17, Single 39, Divorced 5  Degree level: Level 1 (14), Level 2 (29) Level 3 – (21).

17. Methodology Research Instrument Questionnaire [self-administered] contained 6 vignettes/ scenarios. Students were asked to complete each vignette by indicating their responses to the statements on a scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Facts were assumed to be true and first/immediate responses given.

18. Current Study - Methodology What did the 6 scenarios depict? 1. Physical abuse in a common law relationship – female victim 2. Physical abuse, stalking and locking in the house in marital relationships – female victims 3. Physical and verbal abuse in a marital relationship – male victim 4. Physical and sexual abuse/rape in a non-marital relationship. Perpetrator and victim living in two separate households – female victim

19. Method of Data Analysis  Data were analyzed using SPSS  Descriptive Statistics  Independent samples T-tests

20. Findings Hypothesis 1: Students who have experienced DV will more likely have a punitive attitude to perpetrators of DV than students without such experience.   It was found in responses to only one vignette (#6) that those students who experienced DV expressed stronger and more punitive attitudes towards the perpetrator when compared to students who did not have DV experiences (p <.05)   Limited support for this hypothesis

21. Findings  Hypothesis 2 younger students would have a punitive attitude to perpetrators of DV while older students would have a non-punitive attitude.  Younger students generally expressed stronger views that the victims should leave the perpetrator, obtain Protection Orders and deny the perpetrators access to their children. They also had stronger beliefs that perpetrators should be arrested, placed on probation by the court and have court ordered mental health counseling in three of the case vignettes (# 2, 5 & 6); ps <.05).  Modest level of support for this hypothesis.

22. Findings Hypothesis 3: Entry level students are more likely to have a punitive attitude to perpetrators of DV than final year students.  There were no significant differences in attitudes toward perpetrators of DV between entry level students and final year students on five of the six scenarios depicting DV  The results show very limited support for hypothesis 3

23. Findings Hypothesis 4: Male students would more likely have a non-punitive attitude to perpetrators of DV while female students would more likely have a punitive attitude.   In four of the six scenarios, female students generally held more punitive attitudes toward the perpetrators of DV than their male counterparts. In the respective scenarios, female students expressed stronger views that the victims should leave, obtain Protection Order and deny the perpetrators any access to their children (all ps <.05; Vignettes # 3, 4, 5 & 6).   Modest support for hypothesis 4.

24. Findings  Students generally had punitive attitudes to perpetrators of DV but also agreed in their responses that more needs to be done to help both victims and perpetrators of DV.

25. Conclusion   Findings cannot be generalized beyond the population studied. However, in a society where DV is so widespread, social workers need to receive training otherwise their perceptions of and attitudes to perpetrators and victims/survivors will influence their potential work decisions.   The results of the study support the need for a course in DV to be included in the social work undergraduate curriculum to equip students with the relevant knowledge base.

26. Current Study - Conclusions  More research needs to be undertaken to provide greater insights on the problem and also to inform practice and policy decisions on DV not only in Barbados but the wider Caribbean region.

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