Violence Against Indian Women, Final Revised Report

• NCJ Number: 198828
• Author(s): Pamela Jumper Thurman Ph.D.; Roe Bubar J.D.; Barbara Plested; Ruth Edwards; Pamela LeMaster; Erica Bystrom; Marisa Hardy; DeWayne Tahe; Martha Burnside; E. R. Oetting
• Date Published: 2003
• Length: 131 pages
• Publication Series: NIJ Research Report
• Grant Number(s): 99-WT-VX-K007
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This study explored the patterns of violence against women in 15 Native American communities and examined the readiness of these communities to develop and implement effective violence-prevention efforts.

Abstract

Both reservation and urban Native American communities were included in the project, so that differences between these two settings could be examined to determine the appropriateness of specific interventions and to ascertain any differences in readiness. The project began with a survey of the communities to determine the extent to which western Native American communities were aware of violence against women as a problem, had access to intervention and prevention programs that targeted violence against women, and had actually used resources. Detailed data were obtained from key community members about how the problem of violence against women was perceived in their community, the nature of the problem, their willingness to be involved in intervention efforts, current efforts and their effectiveness, community and cultural beliefs about the appropriateness of violence against women, and beliefs about appropriate and inappropriate interventions. Additional detailed data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with Native women in selected communities, so as to explore cultural expectations and norms as well as to obtain information about culturally acceptable means for intervention and prevention. Among the 15 communities involved in this study there were no significant differences in level of readiness between the urban and rural/reservation Native groups regarding countering violence against Indian women. Both were equally ready to commit to prevention. The project developed suggestions for materials and culturally appropriate methods for prevention/intervention and explored the potential impact and pitfalls of collaborative partnerships between researchers, practitioners, and the Native community on research projects related to violence. The project concluded that effective and sustainable community mobilization to combat violence against women must be based on the involvement of multiple systems and the use of within-tribal community resources and strengths. The Community Readiness Model developed in the course of this project takes these factors into account and provides a practical tool that communities can use to focus and direct their efforts toward maximizing their resources and minimizing discouraging failures. 91 references and appended study instruments and detailed findings