Intimate Partner Violence Prevention

Many people know about the issue of domestic violence or intimate partner violence. We have all heard of cases where someone, often times a female, is brutally hit by her partner, sometimes fatally. Many of us may personally know someone who has lived through this great ordeal. Some of us may even be that someone. Intimate partner violence, is defined as a term that is inclusive of any crime committed against a former or a current spouse, girlfriend, or boyfriend (Knox, 2016). While we have all heard about these issues, whether in our own lives or the lives of those we care about, or on the news, most of what we hear about it isn’t helping. While there are many programs and support networks available today for people who are victims of intimate partner violence, most of the focus is put on escaping the problem once it has happened. Although this kind of help is definitely needed and very useful, I think that we need to start focusing much more on the prevention of intimate partner violence to begin with. If we can find the root cause or causes of this issue and begin working together to fight these causes at the root.

Below is a video that shows the seriousness and sheer horror of this issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQcWlCdv0Eo

Recently, there has been more and more attention on what we can do as people, families, and communities in order to help combat this problem of intimate partner violence. According to one study by Mancini, Nelson, Bowen, & Martin (2006), the solution to this issue of intimate partner violence and the way in which to prevent it lies primarily in the hands of the community and is best tackled from that perspective. According to this study, just creating stricter legislation against those that commit these acts of violence and aggression against their problems has not been shown to be a sufficient solution to the issue of intimate partner violence. Instead, they suggest a community based approach in which the community stands together to fight this issue together (Mancini, et al., 2006).

Below is a video that discusses more possible solutions to preventing intimate partner violence from occurring:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xMkuz2_qU

Another study that looks at this issue takes on the issue from the perspective of perpetrators who were in prison. The issue with this situation is t that the period of incarceration it will most likely add to the problem (Day, Richardson, Bowen, & Bernardi, 2014). According to this study, the best way to go about solving the issue of intimate partner violence is to start by affectively assess it and then to move on to preventing it. It also calls for continuing to help the inmate and to monitor their progress post-incarceration. Another study that discussed assessment of the situation was an article by Ann L. Coker, Phd. She discussed the importance of having regular, random assessment of men and women in order to discover the issue of intimate partner violence and to provide the help and assistance needed early and to prevent the escalation of the problem (Coker, 2006).

We all know the seriousness of the issue of intimate partner violence and the need for it to stop. There are many different approaches that have been proposed in order to combat and prevent this issue, however, there is still much work to be done. Below is the link to a website that talks about this issue and provides helpful resources for those who are dealing with this issue, whether they are the victim or the perpetrator.

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/

Works Cited:

Coker, A. L. (2006). Preventing Intimate Partner Violence: How We Will Rise to This Challenge. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 30(6), 528-529. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2006.03.002

Day, A., Richardson, T., Bowen, E., & Bernardi, J. (2014). Intimate partner violence in prisoners: Toward effective assessment and intervention. Aggression And Violent Behavior, 19(5), 579-583. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2014.08.002

Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2016). Choices in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family (12th Edition). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Mancini, J. A., Nelson, J. P., Bowen, G. L., & Martin, J. A. (2006). Preventing Intimate Partner Violence: A Community Capacity Approach. Journal Of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 13(3-4), 203-227. doi:10.1300/J146v13n03_08

Effects of Corporal Punishment

The experience of being a parent can be one of the most beautiful experiences in one’s life. While this is true, many parents will also agree that it can be one of the most challenging experiences of one’s life. As a parent, one has to play many roles and fulfill many duties and responsibilities. One of the responsibilities that rests on the shoulders of the parents is that of guiding, teaching, and disciplining their children. Most people can agree that the majority of parents love their children very dearly and want what is best for them. However, parents do not always end up doing what is best for their children. This is an issue we often see regarding how parents discipline their children. While some parents try to use more positive disciplining methods, others often resort to more negative methods such as corporal punishment.

Corporal punishment, defined as “an act carried out with the intention of causing a child to experience physical pain, but not injury, for purposes of correction or control” is one of the most controversial issues regarding parenting today (Straus, M.A., & Paschall, M.J., 2009 p. 459). Despite the warnings by the American Association of Pediatrics against this practice, the United States still allows parents to spank their children. Although information about the effects of corporal punishment on children’s development has become much more accessible, there are still many parents who employ this method of disciplining their children. Recently, many research studies have been done to determine the effects of corporal punishment by the parent on the child’s development. This way of discipline has been repeatedly associated with a slew of negative effects on children through several research studies. Despite this, however, corporal punishment continues to be experienced by many children in the United States today (MacKenzie, Nicklas, Waldfogel, & Brooks-Gunn, 2013). According to MacKenzie, et al. (2013), 57% of mothers and 40% of fathers used spanking to discipline their 3 year old children and 52% of mothers and 33% of fathers used spanking to discipline their 5 year old children. According to Knox and Schacht (2016), children that are raised in a home where they are corporally punished are more likely to have distant relationships with their parents. Based on the current research, it is not recommended that parents use corporal punishment as a discipline method as it has been repeatedly associated with negative effects on behavioral and cognitive development in children including increased externalizing behavior such as aggression and anxiety, as well as decreased receptive vocabulary.

                                                                  

Below is a video about the negative effects of corporal punishment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESBCX7nIMV0

Although it has been shown that that immediate compliance with the parent’s request is often associated with corporal punishment, this is the only desirable outcome that is associated with it (Lansford, et al., 2014). While many parents may engage in this disciplining behavior to achieve immediate compliance, this is not recommended by professionals as there are many negative effects associated with it as previously noted. At every age, children go through a unique developmental stage that has its own needs and challenges. It is recommended that parents understand what the child is going through developmentally as well as how they should go about disciplining them from a child development perspective. This way, children can be provided with the guidance they need in a way that is developmentally appropriate for them.  Although many parents may assume that corporal punishment is the only way to discipline children and get them to comply with what they want, there are in fact various other ways to discipline children that are more effective as well as supportive to the children’s development. One of these methods is called positive discipline. Positive discipline is a disciplinary approach that adopts a “cooperative relationship orientation” and encourages parents to teach children how to be responsible and respectful through positive means rather than through punishment (Holden, 2015). One example of this is allowing the child to experience the natural and logical consequences to their actions within reason. This allows the child to learn from the experience and understand why the action is not acceptable (Telep, 2009).

Below is a video as well as a helpful website about using positive discipline to discipline your children;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tBbL7VcNh0

https://www.positivediscipline.com/

Works Cited

Holden, G. W. (2015). Parenting: A dynamic perspective (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2016). Choices in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family (12th Edition). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Lansford, J. E., Sharma, C., Malone, P. S., Woodlief, D., Dodge, K. A., Oburu, P., & ... Di Giunta, L. (2014). Corporal punishment, maternal warmth, and child adjustment: A longitudinal study in eight countries. Journal Of Clinical Child And Adolescent Psychology, 43(4), 670-685. doi:10.1080/15374416.2014.893518

MacKenzie, M. J., Nicklas, E., Waldfogel, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). Spanking and child development across the first decade of life. Pediatrics, 132(5), e1118-e1125. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-1227

Straus, M. A., & Paschall, M. J. (2009). Corporal punishment by mothers and development of children's cognitive ability: A longitudinal study of two nationally representative age cohorts. Journal Of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 18(5), 459-483. doi:10.1080/10926770903035168

Successful Marriage

What exactly is a successful marriage and how can it be achieved, you may be wondering. This is precisely what this blogpost will be discussing. To start off, it is good to define the terms at hand. What exactly is a marriage? According to Knox & Schacht (2016), marriage is “a legal relationship that binds a couple together for the reproduction, physical care, and socialization of children.” Although marriage is defined, at the very basic level, as primarily a legal relationship, it is a highly regarded institution in our society and is often a path chosen by couples who love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together. So what is it that makes this relationship successful? Is it simply maintaining it? Is it always being happy with the relationship? Is it gaining more than you lose by being in the relationship?

According to our textbook, marital success is defined as, “the quality of the marriage relationship measured in terms of stability and happiness” (Knox & Schacht, 2016). This “stability and happiness” can manifest itself in a variety of forms such as satisfaction with the marriage, a lack of distress, integration, quality of the relationship and level of adjustment (Knox & Schacht, 2016). Researchers have found that there are some characteristics often found within these types of successful marriages. These characteristics include: intimacy and partner attachment, communication and humor between the spouses, common interests, positive self-concepts, not being materialistic, having positive role models, similar level of religiosity, trust between the spouses, personal and emotional commitment to stay married, sexual satisfaction, equitable relationships, marriage/connection rituals, minimal or no negative statements and attributions between the spouses, forgiveness, economic security, physical and psychological health of individuals in the family, and flexibility. While some of these characteristics are inherent in the spouses, some must be intentionally put into practice in order for their relationship to thrive.

Below is a video made by a couple that gives couples advice for having a happy marriage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6qqLIsCFiY

One study by Fields (1983) discussed several factors that are associated with happier and more successful marriages. These factors included sexual satisfaction by both partners, congruence in each of the spouses’ views of each other and their views of themselves, positive view of parents’ relationship, as well as the ability to empathize with one’s spouse and understand what they are going through and how they feel. Another important, and more recent, study by Gau (2011) found that the process of differentiation between the spouses was a crucial factor in the success of a marriage. The process of differentiation in marriage involves a three step process. First, you must come to terms with the fact that you and your spouse are two different people with different interests, likes, dislikes, etc. No matter how compatible you are, you must realize that, at the end of the day, you are each your own individual. The second step is self-differentiation in which each spouse sees themselves as their own person with their own thoughts, feelings, ideas, etc. Lastly, the couple must learn to differentiate from each other so as to become separate beings while still being involved together in their relationship (Baer, 2015). Gau (2011) suggests that we use differentiation as a means to transform and reform marriage in order to meet the needs of today’s society.

Below are various resources that give helpful tips on creating and maintaining a successful marriage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cif4ZgAo2Ms

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/daily-living/keeping-romance-alive/ten-secrets-to-a-successful-marriage

Works Cited:

Baer, D. (2015). Psychologists say you need these 3 compatibility factors to have a successful marriage. Retrieved March 20, 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/what-makes-a-marriage-successful-2015-3

Fields, N. S. (1983). Satisfaction in long-term marriages. Social Work, 28(1), 37-41.

Gau, J. V. (2011). Successful marriage. Pastoral Psychology, 60(5), 651-658.

Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2016). Choices in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family (12th Edition). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Temple, M. (2009). Ten Secrets to a Successful Marriage. Retrieved March 20, 2016, from http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/daily-living/keeping-romance-alive/ten-secrets-to-a-successful-marriage

Cohabitation

According to Knox & Schacht (2016), cohabitation is defined as, “two adults, unrelated by blood or law, involved in an emotional and sexual relationship, who sleep in the same residence at least four nights a week for three months.” Cohabitation is currently a growing trend in the United States. According to npr.org, there are currently eight million couples cohabitating. Additionally, about 65% of first marriages today start out as a cohabitating relationship, 55% more than the number 50 years ago. Despite this, there is still much controversy over whether or not the cohabitation experience is worth having or whether it causes more harm than good. 

Many people, especially young millennials (born during or after the 1980’s) feel that they cannot commit to marrying someone unless they have lived with them first in order to make sure that they are compatible first. They see many benefits to cohabitating such as getting to know each other for who they really are, saving money, and simply enjoying each other’s company more. While these benefits may indeed come with cohabitation, it also comes with a variety of potential issues as well. 

One recent study found that cohabitation before marriage may lead to relationship instability (Woods & Emery, 2002). It also found that marriages that started as cohabitating relationships have a higher chance of ending in a divorce (Woods & Emery, 2016). This issue is known as the “cohabitation effect”. According to Knox & Schacht (2016), the cohabitation effect refers to the fact that “those who have multiple cohabitation experiences prior to marriage are more likely to end up in marriages characterized by violence, lower levels of happiness, lower levels of positive communication, and higher levels of depression.” There are many theories as to why this is the case. One study by Steuber, Priem, Scharp, & Thomas (2014) concluded that one of the main reasons why this happens in cohabitating relationships is because of couples who are cohabitating do not usually have the same visions or goals for their relationship. This means that while one partner may want to move in with the other for convenience, saving money, or to try out the relationship, the other may be looking for a long term relationship or marriage. Because the goals for the relationship may not always be clear, commitment issues begin to arise. Another issue that is mentioned in this study is the fact that couples who cohabitate often deal with a combination of some of the issues dealt with in dating relationships, marriages, as well as challenges that are unique to cohabitators (Steuber, et al., 2014).

Below is a video that compares cohabitation to marriage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGBZfmtcQQM

Here is a website that talks about cohabitation as a means to marriage and how you can bypass the issues related to cohabitation by being more aware of these potential issues from the start: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/preparing-for-marriage/test-driving-marriage/cohabitation-as-a-means-of-marriage.

Although the majority of current research concludes that there is, indeed, a clear association between cohabitation before marriage and lesser quality relationships as well as increased risk of divorce, there seems to still be some difference of opinion on the matter. According to Knox & Schacht (2016), there are nine types of cohabitating relationships. The fact that there is such variation in the kinds of cohabitating relationships as well as reasons for cohabitating makes it difficult to make any conclusive statements about its effects.

Below is another video which argues that cohabitation is not actually all that bad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca4J5F3M35M

Works Cited:

Donevan, Connor. (2014). Millennials Navigate the Ups and Downs of Cohabitation. NPR, November, 1. http://www.npr.org/2014/11/01/358876955/millennials-navigate-the-ups-and-downs-of-cohabitation

Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2016). Choices in Relationships: An Introduction to Marriage and the Family (12th Edition). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Steuber, K. R., Priem, J. S., Scharp, K. M., & Thomas, L. (2014). The content of relational uncertainty in non-engaged cohabiting relationships. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 42(1), 107-123.

Tracy, A. (2008). Cohabitation as a Means to Marriage. March 19, 2016. http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/preparing-for-marriage/test-driving-marriage/cohabitation-as-a-means-of-marriage

Woods, L. N., & Emery, R. E. (2002). The cohabitation effects on divorce: Causation or selection?. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 37(3-4), 101-119.