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Affiliation
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Southeast Wyoming Mental Health Center, 82070 Laramie, Wyoming; Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, 89154 Las Vegas, Nevada |
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Abstract
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This study compared battered and non-battered women on their sex role types, control needs, and inclusion needs. The subjects included 33 battered, married women matched with 33 unbattered married women on education, employment, status, and age. The instruments used were the Bern Sex Role Inventoy and the FIRO-B. Results indicated a significant relationship between the battered/non-battered status and sex role type and wanted control. Battered subjects were more feminine in sex role type than the non-battered subjects. Battered women were also more tolerant of external control.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The goal of this study by Warren and Lanning was to compare sex role typing, control over environment, and interpersonal inclusion between battered and nonbattered women.
METHODOLOGY:
A quasi-experimental design was employed for this study. An ex-post facto, matched group design was used to compare battered and non-battered women. The group of battered women was composed of 33 married women who had sought help at a shelter or mental health facility. Battered was defined as current verbal or physical abuse from a husband. A 33 woman comparison group was drawn from women who had sought help from a mental health facility for personal adjustment issues but who did not define themselves as battered. Anyone who reported herself as having been previously in a battering relationship was not included. The groups were matched on age, educational level, and employment status. The Bern Sex Role Inventory was used to measure identification with masculine and feminine traits with androgyny being defined as a nonsignificant difference between them as well as having high scores on both masculinity and femininity. Reliability, judged by test-retest, was found to be .90 for both masculinity and femininity scales. Respondents were defined as androgynous if high on both scales, masculine if high on masculinity and low on femininity, feminine if high on femininity and low on masculinity, and undifferentiated if low on both. The Fundamental Interpersonal Relationships Orientation-Behavior Inventory was used to measure the respondent's characteristic behaviors toward others in the areas of control and inclusion. This scale measured behavior, not feelings or beliefs about behavior. Control was defined as the desire to make decisions and take charge or willingness to have others do these. The need to belong and be included with people was the definition of inclusion. A coefficient of reproducibility of .90 was reported. Self-report personal data sheets were used to measure variables of age, educational level, work status, and battered or non-battered status. The questionnaire instruments were administered face to face by mental health facility workers. Chi-square and t-tests were used to analyze the data.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Battered women were found to be significantly more feminine in their sex role type than non-battered women who were either more masculine or androgynous. Battered women and non-battered women were not found to be significantly different in terms of having inclusion, wanting inclusion, or having control. Battered women were found to significantly want more control than non-battered women. An argument was advanced that the preponderance of femininity characteristics among the battered women could make the women less able to protect and care for herself and would cope more by means of passive adaption. The higher wanted control score was said to indicate that battered women are more willing to tolerate control from others, being reactive rather than proactive.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors argued that battered women could profit from the development of masculine instrumental qualities. Examples given of these were independence, assertion, and dominance. The authors advocated training in self-expression and self-efficacy. Additionally, it was argued that battered women could benefit from decreasing their acceptance of others' control in that "toleration of inappropriate behaviors enables abuse to continue" (p.7). Further research was called for in the dynamics of individuals and society in the problem of battering.
EVALUATION:
This study offers a focused look at differentiating factors between women who are abused and women who are not abused. There is not enough known about how some women end up in these abusive relationships while others seem to avoid them. However, the findings of this study must be taken with caution. The numbers of women included in the study were small---a total of 66. Additionally, the control group was nonrandomly selected from mental clinic patients. There could be predisposing factors which could provide some similarity between the groups, particularly in terms of social interaction skills. The best comparison group would have been selected from the population at large and then matched to the battered women. Geographical specificity may also cause problems with generalizability. The focus of this study was on the women's characteristics which leads to suggestions to change the women to better deal with their abuse. However, the ability of the women to do anything about the situation was not considered as was the ordering of the factors. It could be possible that being abused could lead to a preponderance of feminine traits and acceptance of control as there is little that aggressive action can do except intensify efforts of the man to control the woman's behavior and force compliance. This is a study to take with a great deal of caution.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
Abused-Nonabused Comparison
Social Isolation
Gender Roles
Adult Female
Female Victim
Victim Characteristics
Comparative Analysis
Power and Control
Spouse Abuse Victim
Domestic Violence Victim
Adult Victim
Violence Against Women
Partner Violence |