Research to Practice:

Women of Color and Victimization -

Implications for Services

COVA Conference
October 19, 2009
Marti Kovener & Ana
Soler
female victimization rates

BJS Special Report

Violent Victimization
and Race, 1993-98,
March 2001, NCJ
176354, www.ncjrs.gov
reporting of crime
what does culture mean to us?
acculturation

Interpersonal
Victimization and
Latina immigrants had a lower Help-Seeking in a
National Sample of
rate of interpersonal Latino Women: Initial
Results from the
victimization SALAS Study, Chiara
Sabina , Penn State
Harrisburg and Carlos
Cuevas, Northeastern
University, 2009
The higher the score of Anglo
acculturation, the higher the
rate for all types of victimization
(DV, SA, stalking)
help seeking behaviors

Interpersonal
Victimization and
Help-Seeking in a
National Sample of
Latino Women: Initial
Results from the
SALAS Study, Chiara
Sabina , Penn State
Harrisburg and Carlos
Cuevas, Northeastern
University, 2009
 sources of formal and informal help

Interpersonal
Victimization and
Help-Seeking in a
formal informal National Sample of
Latino Women: Initial
Results from the
Medical – 35% Parents – 27% SALAS Study, Chiara
Sabina , Penn State
Harrisburg and Carlos
Law Enforcement – 17% Friend – 21% Cuevas, Northeastern
University, 2009

R.O. – 11% Sibling – 14%

Criminal Charges – 11% Clergy – 6%

Agency – 10%
systemic barriers

Campbell, R.
Perpetrators of sexual assault Adolescent Victims of
against White victims are still more SA and Reporting
(preliminary findings
likely to be convicted presented to NIJ June
2009)

67% of low-income, welfare Honeycutt, Marshall,

dependent & Weston (2001)
Violence Against
Black women had experienced a Women, Vol. 7.
previous
sexual assault Wyatt, GE (1992)
Journal of Social
Issues, Vol. 48.
76% of African American survivors
attributed their rape to the riskiness Brunson, R (2007)
Criminology and
of their living situations (e.g., “I was Public Policy, Vol .6.
living in a bad neighborhood.”)

Distrust of police and formal

“helpers” is more widespread in
culturally based services

Contextualizing Rape:
Reviewing sequelae
African Americans who participated in and
culturally specific intervention programs proposing a culturally
inclusive ecological
found the information to be more model of sexual
personally relevant to them and were assault recovery.
Neville, H. A., &
more motivated to hear the message. Heppner, M. J. (1999).
Applied & Preventive
Psychology, 8, 41-62.
inclusivity in domestic violence shelters

Meeting Survivors’
•Study conducted in 8 states - CT, Needs: A Multi-State
Study of Domestic
FL, IL, MI, NM, OK, TN, WA) Violence Shelter
•215 programs surveyed, 3410 Experiences,
2008
residents Eleanor Lyon,
Shannon Lane, and
Anne Menard,
•36 languages spoken by shelter National Institute of
staff Justice (October 2008)
http://new.vawnet.org//catego
•82% had staff who spoke a
language other then English
•72% had at least one Spanish-
speaking staff member
•77% of residents surveyed agreed
that “It seemed like a place for
people like me.”
•76% of residents felt their racial
background was respected
community engagement

Casa de Esperanza
What are your hopes and dreams?

What barriers do you face to get there?

Who do you talk to when you need help?

community-based social marketing
awareness test
application
contact

Ana Soler:
ana.soler@ef-den.org

Marti Kovener:
marti.kovener@capacity360.org

For copies of presentation

materials:

www.capacity360.com/stuff