Domestic violence in women with PTSD and substance abuse.
This study reports rates of domestic violence for women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance dependence. The Conflict Tactics Scale-Revised (CTS2) was used to assess the rates of both physical and psychological aggression, lifetime and current, by self and partner. Results showed substantial rates, both lifetime and current by both partner and self and, for a substantial number in the sample, for multiple events within the past year. Consistent with prior studies, analyses indicated that the correlation between self and partner negative relationship behaviors was high. A significant association was found between past-month substance use and increased self and partner negative relationship behaviors. The complex dynamics of women as both recipients and enactors of negative relationship behaviors are discussed.
In this article, the author shares her experiences as a doctoral student at the Unsettling Feminism(s) conference in Chicago. She argues that this unconference forced her to question how the academy conceives of “academic conferences” as venues of student–professional development. From the perspective of a racialized woman, an immigrant, a scholar, and a person with a disability, such professional gatherings that honor social workers’ and researchers’ multiple identities and offer valued spaces for marginalized stories to be told and heard can be personally and professionally transformative. The author uses the metaphor of an elephant in the room to argue that even though it may be unsettling, the academy must be willing to risk uncomfortable dialogues to advance social work education, practice, and research and to enhance students’ intellectual creativity.