Hope is like a path on the mountainside. At first there is nothing. But as people walk this way again and again, a path appears.

Transcription

1 The Relationship between Empowerment and Hope for Safety Among Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence Ricky T. Munoz, JD, MSW, Vanessa Brown, BSW, Shane Brady, PhD Hope is like a path on the mountainside. At first there is nothing. But as people walk this way again and again, a path appears. Lu Xun

2 Laying the Groundwork Why hope? Why locus of control? Why empowerment? Why survivors of IPV? Follow us on Twitter: 1.) Find us 2.) Ask questions relevant to the topic for answers in real time

3 Hope Theory Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. -Thich Nhat HanhBuddhist Scholar Why will tomorrow be better? Because I will get some of the things I want. People are happier when they get the things they want out of life (their goals) (Carver, Scheier, & Segrstorm, 2010). Thus, goal attainment is central to well-being. Hope is a cognitive set that centers of subjective perceptions of one s ability to meet his/her goals.

4 Hope Theory We judge a man's wisdom by his hope. Ralph Waldo Emerson C.R. Snyder (Snyder, et al., 1991) defined hope as a cognitive set that is based on an iteratively derived sense of successful willpower (agency), and waypower (pathways) toward a goal. Dennis Saleebey, (2000) a pioneer in developing the strength based perspective of social work, noted hope is the cognitive set that underlies resilient behavior.

5 Hope Theory Emotion is an outcome of hope High hope people have greater positive affect. Low hope people have greater negative affect. Hope is associated positive behaviors Parental care-giving. Offender behavior. Academic performance. Hope is associated with psychological wellbeing Optimism, Locus of Control, Problem Solving, Self-Esteem. Settings: education, psychotherapy, the work-place, health care. Hope is associated with physical well-being Prevention seeking behaviors. Coping with illness (cancer, HIV+, spinal cord, diabetes, brain injury). Treatment compliance.

6 Hope Theory Hope is a way of viewing the world Yet where an equal poise of hope and fear Does arbitrate the even, my nature is That I incline to hope, rather than fear, And gladly banish squint suspicion. Milton, Camus (1637)

7 Empowerment Roots Early Marx coins term false consciousness Paulo Freire and conscientizacao Judith Lee, Barbara Solomon Kieffer, Rappaport, and Community Psychology Gutierrez s contributions (intrapersonal, interpersonal, and political dimensions) Zimmerman s psychological empowerment (personal, inter-actionary, behavioral) Sources: Lee, 2001

8 Empowerment Theory Dimensions of Empowerment Intrapersonal Self-Esteem, Empowerment Self-efficacy, agency, Internal locus of control Intrapersonal Interpersonal E Political Interpersonal Collective efficacy, interconnectedness, external locus of control Sources: Gutierrez, 1990 Political Social change

9 Major Concepts and Tenets Empowerment consists of both internal and external processes Three intersecting and interrelated dimensions Cognitions, Feelings, and Behaviors Self efficacy, locus of control, agency, collective efficacy, interconnectedness, critical consciousness, advocacy, etc. Sources: Rappaport & Hess, 1984,

10 Empowerment In Practice The personal is the political Dialectical Diluted and oversimplified in social work and society Empowerment as both a process and outcome of practice Challenges to implementing in practice Sources: Solomon, 1976,

11 Empowerment & Hope Hope and empowerment go hand in hand ILOC and ELOC are relevant dimensions of empowerment, as seen in the slide before. Can LOC predict how hopeful survivors of IPV are that they can achieve safety through a well understood pathway? Sources: Zimmerman & Rappaport, 1988

12 Empowerment & IPV DV programs often include empowerment goals and theory in their mission. Best practice for overcoming marginalization and powerlessness. Consciousness raising, self-determination, advocacy as important values, goals, and activities. Sources: Cramer, Brady, & McLeod, 2013

13 Our Study Research Question Posed: Do perceptions of locus of control predict hope for safety? Tool/Scale Included: Participants (N=69) IPV Shelter Residents (100% Female) Mean age of sample was 36.8 yrs. (SD=9.7) Ethnic make up= 9 items for LOC (based on Levenson s Multi-Dimensional LOC Inventory) 6 items for Hope for Safety (based on Snyder s State Hope Scale) 58% Caucasian 24% African American 10% American Indian/Alaskan Native 3% Hispanic 4% Other Sources:: (Snyder, et al., 1991; Levenson, 1973).

14 Snyder s Hope Theory & Our Study Dimensions of Hope Study Hope Scale Questions At the present time, I am energetically Agency pursuing my goals of being safe from domestic violence. can see many ways to get out. HOPE I can think of many ways to reach my Pathways current goals of being safe from domestic violence. Sources: Saleebey, 2000; Synder, 1994

15 Locus of Control & Our Study Dimensions of LOC Study s LOC Scale Questions (I) My safety from domestic violence is determined by my own actions. Internal LOC (PO) Being safe from IPV requires that I please someone else. External (C) I have often found that what is going to happen with my safety from domestic violence will happen. Locus of Control (LOC) is often connected to empowerment. Source: Zimmerman & Rappaport, 1988

16 Factor Analysis of LOC Items Table 1: Factor Loadings from an Exploratory Factor Analysis using Principal Axis Factoring with Varimax Rotation of Locus of Control for Safety Items (N = 69) (PO) = powerful others items; (I) = internal control items; (C) = chance items. Factor Item I II III Being safe from domestic violence requires that I please someone else. (PO) Although I might have the ability to be safe from domestic violence, I will not be safe from domestic violence without pleasing someone else. (PO) When I am safe from domestic violence, it is usually because I am lucky. (C) My safety from domestic violence is chiefly controlled by someone else. (PO) My safety from domestic violence is determined by my own actions. (I) I am usually able to protect my safety from domestic violence. (I) Whether or not I am safe from domestic violence depends mostly on my ability. (I) I have often found that what is going to happen with my safety from domestic violence will happen. (C) It s not always wise for me to plan ahead for safety from domestic violence, because it often turns out to be a matter of good or bad fortune. (C) Percentage of variance explained

17 Study Results Internal Locus of + Control - HOPE + Power Others Locus of Control

18 Discussion Con. What does empowerment and hope look like for a recent survivor of IPV? If Powerful Others is the biggest predictor of hope for safety, who constitutes these powerful others?

19 Resilience is Important For Survivors of IPV Lack of independent housing & financial means often must be overcome to escape IPV Psychological perceptions of fear, hopelessness, and powerlessness to change their situation Sources: Cramer, E. P., & Plummer, S. B. (2010). Social work practice with abused persons with disabilities. In L. L. Lockhart, & F. S. Danis (Eds.), Domestic Violence: Intersectionality and Culturally Competent Practice (pp ). New York: Columbia University Press.

20 Beginning Implications For Practice Improved training for practitioners working with survivors of IPV. Hope theory being integrated more into agencies and programs as a guiding theory. Advocates and practitioners play critical roles in how hopeful survivors of IPV are about overcoming the cycle of power and control.

21 Practical Applications Using hope theory in the context of building social support among survivors of IPV in activities such as consciousness raising groups. Practitioners and advocates using increased awareness about the role of social support to better conduct safety planning with survivors. More work with survivors on building self-esteem and self-efficacy in order to avoid potential pitfall of survivors becoming too dependent upon program staff in decision making. Including modules and simulations in program staff/volunteer training around promoting empowerment and hope among survivors of IPV.

22 Other Considerations Moving Forward Incorporating measures for assessing and evaluating hope levels among survivors of IPV. Finding ways to reduce number of questions in current instruments to be more agency/advocate/survivor friendly. Including qualitative mechanisms for understanding survivors empowerment and hope processes.

23 References Cramer, E. P., & Plummer, S. B. (2010). Social work practice with abused persons with disabilities. In L. L. Lockhart, & F. S. Danis (Eds.), Domestic Violence: Intersectionality and Culturally Competent Practice (pp ). New York: Columbia University Press. Cramer, E. P., Brady, S. R., & McLeod, D. A. (2013). Building capacity to address abuse of persons with disabilities. Journal of Community Practice, 21 (1-2), Gutierrez, L. M. (1990). Working with women of color: An empowerment perspective. Social Work, 35 (2), Kieffer, C. H. (1984). Citizen empowerment: A developmental pespective. In J. Rappaport, & R. Hess (Eds.), Studies in empowerment: Steps toward understanding and action (pp. 9-36). New York: Hawthorne Press. Lee, J. A. (2001). The empowerment approach to social work practice: Building the beloved community (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press. Levenson, H. (1973). Multidimensioinal locus of control in psychiatric patients, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 41(30) Saleebey, D. (2000). Power in the people: Strength and hope. Advances in Social Work, 1(2), Snyder, C. R. (1994). The psychology of hope. New York: The Free Press. Snyder C.R., Sympson S.C., Ybasco, F.C., Borders, T.F., Babyak, M.A., Higgins R.L. (1996). Development and validation of the State Hope Scale. J Pers Soc Psychol 70(2): Solomon, B. (1976). Black empowerment: Social work in oppressed communities. New York: Columbia University Press. Rappaport, J., & Hess, R. (Eds.). (1984). Studies in empowerment: Steps toward understanding and action. New York: Hawthorne Press. Zimmerman, M.A., & Rappaport, J. (1988). Citizen participation, perceived control, and psychological empowerment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 16 (5), doi: /bf

24 The End Thanks for coming