BATTERED WOMEN - PART 2

• NCJ Number: 53497
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 184 pages
• Corporate Author: New York State
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PROFILES OF THE SERVICES OFFERED TO BATTERED WOMEN ARE PRESENTED, COUNTY BY COUNTY, IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Abstract

COUNTY COMMISSIONS PROVIDED INITIAL LISTS OF SOCIAL SERVICE AND OTHER AGENCIES WHICH OFFERED AID TO BATTERED WOMEN. QUESTIONNAIRES SURVEYING THE SERVICES OFFERED BY THESE AGENCIES WERE SENT TO ALL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE LIST. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO WOMEN'S GROUPS, POLICE AND SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS, HOSPITALS, AND HEALTH-RELATED FACILITIES. FOR EACH COUNTY IN NEW YORK STATE, A PROFILE IS GIVEN SPECIFYING THE INCIDENCE OF BATTERED WOMEN IN THAT COUNTY, AND THE SERVICES OFFERED BY HOSPITALS AND FAMILY COURTS. EXISTENCE OF SHELTERS IS NOTED AND NOTEWORTHY POLICE COMMENTS ARE INCLUDED. DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON EACH COUNTY WAS OBTAINED FROM THE SUMMARY OF TITLE 20 SERVICES PREPARED FOR EACH COUNTY AND FROM THE U.S. BUREAU OF CENSUS STATISTICAL REPORTS. THE FIVE COUNTIES COMPRISING NEW YORK CITY WERE GROUPED TOGETHER AND CALLED THE NEW YORK CITY SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT; I.E., NEW YORK (MANHATTAN), BRONX, KINGS (BROOKLYN), QUEENS, AND STATEN ISLAND. OUT OF THE 190 QUESTIONNAIRES MAILED TO AGENCIES IN NEW YORK CITY, 42 WERE RETURNED. ONLY TWO PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES WERE HEARD FROM. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE NEW YORK CITY WOMEN WHO CAME FOR HELP EITHER HAD BEEN REFERRED OR HAD STARTED WITH A HOTLINE CALL. OF THE MORE THAN 3,000 BATTERED WOMEN WHO SOUGHT HELP IN NEW YORK CITY IN THE PAST YEAR, THE MAJORITY WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 40. MORE THAN 80 PERCENT WERE MARRIED AND MOST HAD CHILDREN. VERY FEW OF THE WOMEN WERE EMPLOYED AND MOST LACKED FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF THEIR OWN. THE SURVEY OF HOSPITALS IN NEW YORK CITY INDICATED THAT VERY FEW WOMEN CAME TO THEM FOR HELP. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOTED THAT RECORDKEEPING WAS INADEQUATE. POLICE DEPARTMENTS NOTED THAT MOST OF THE ASSAULTS ON WOMEN WERE DUE TO EXCESSIVE DRINKING BY EITHER HUSBAND OR BOYFRIEND. NO TABLES OR REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. FOR THE MAIN REPORT, SEE NCJ-53496. (MLC)