Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Spain. A Quantitative Analysis

A growing number of authors have been suggesting the necessary incorporation of children in the analysis of gender violence and, specifically, in the analysis of intimate partner violence against women (IPV). Such incorporation would be relevant not only for reducing children's invisibility and vulnerability, but also for achieving a better understanding of the characteristics and dynamics of IPV. Based on these considerations, we present in this paper the results of a secondary analysis applied to the data obtained in the last Spanish Survey on Violence Against Women. The available information allows us to analyze: 1) the presence of children exposed to IPV, 2) the relationship between this presence and the probability of reporting the violence, and 3) women's perception about the parental role of the aggressors.

Barriers and facilitators to effective coverage of Intimate Partner Violence services for immigrant women in Spain

Objective: To explore service providers’ perceptions in order to identify barriers and facilitators to effective coverage of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) services for immigrant women in Spain, according to the different categories proposed in Tanahashi's model of effective coverage. Methods: A qualitative study based on 29 in-depth personal interviews and four group interviews with a total of 43 professionals working in public services (social and health-care services, women's refuges, the police force, the judiciary) and NGOs in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Alicante (Spain) in 2011. Findings: Current IPV services in Spain partially fail in their coverage of abused immigrant women due to barriers of (i) availability, such as the inexistence of culturally appropriate services; (ii) accessibility, as having a residence permit is a prerequisite for women's access to different services and rights; (iii) acceptability, such as women's lack of confidence in the effectiveness of services; and (iv) effectiveness, for example, lack of specific training among professionals on the issues of IPV and immigration. However, interviewees also identified facilitators, such as the enabling environment promoted by the Spanish Law on Gender-Based Violence (1/2004), and the impetus it has provided for the development of other specific legislative tools to address IPV in immigrant populations in Spain (availability, accessibility and effectiveness). Conclusion: Whilst not dismissing cultural barriers, aspects related to service structure are identified by providers as the main barriers and facilitators to immigrant women use of IPV services. Despite noteworthy achievements, improvements are still required in terms of mainstreaming assistance tailored to immigrant women's needs in IPV policies and services.

Los niños de la calle, paradigma de exclusión, pobreza y violencia estructural

Según estimaciones de la Organización de Naciones Unidas (ONU) más de cien millones de niños tienen en la calle su único hogar y medio de vida. En este artículo se pretende realizar una aproximación a esta situación que viene siendo, desde hace décadas, objeto prioritario de interés por parte de la teoría social. Tomando como ejemplo más que significativo el caso de los gamines colombianos, se hace un análisis de los distintos enfoques teóricos, tanto de los centrados en el entorno del individuo como en el entorno social, que se han aproximado al estudio de este preocupante fenómeno, paradigma, sin duda, de exclusión, pobreza y violencia estructural. A modo de conclusión, se aboga por una perspectiva integradora que supere los límites y deficiencias de las aproximaciones teóricas expuestas.

La Violencia en la Mirada: conflicto, infancia y televisión

Miquel Rodrigo-Alsina destaca en el prólogo la importancia y alcance de este libro interdisciplinar: el análisis de la violencia infantil en televisión y la necesidad de definirlo. Destaca también el prologuista la capacidad de síntesis de los autores: sociólogos, psicólogos, pedagogos-comunicólogos, filólogos, comunicólogos y criminólogos; humanistas, a fin de cuentas, con una gran capacidad de síntesis para marcar un “plano del territorio para que podamos orientarnos” (p.8). Humanistas con la amplitud de miras necesaria para abordar un estudio de tal calado, que recoge la visión más actual de un tema que debería ser prioritario en una sociedad avanzada; una visión que culminará con la metodología de estudio y los resultados del proyecto INVIOTEL, la Red de Investigación Infancia, Violencia y Televisión.

How Does Intimate Partner Violence Differ Depending on Level of Rurality of Residential Area in Spain?

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized as a worldwide public health problem. Most theories ascribe IPV to individual, family, or cultural factors. Authors analyzed different residential areas in Spain in terms of IPV frequency as well as its impact on health and the use of services. A standardized self-administered cross-sectional survey was administered to ever-partnered adult women ages 18 to 70 years receiving care at primary health care centers (N = 10,322). Logistic regression analyzed the association between the level of rurality and health indicators, IPV, and use of services. The lowest frequency of IPV among women is reflected in higher rurality. Women of medium and low rurality presented a poorer self-perceived health and more physical health problems. Women from medium and low rurality areas declared seeking health services more frequently. These results show the importance of the environment in health and indicate the need for research on urban–rural differences in health problems to develop specific public health programs for each country.

Factors Associated with the Cessation of Intimate Partner Violence in Women Attending Primary Care in Spain

This study aimed to identify factors associated with the likelihood of IPV cessation among women attending Spanish primary healthcare. Of the 2465 women who reported lifetime IPV, 36.1 % stated that violence had ceased. Those women not currently abused had higher levels of education and social support, were workers or students, and had no dependent children. When IPV duration was less than 5 years, the likelihood of cessation was two times higher than when IPV continued beyond 5 years. For women who have experienced physical IPV, the probability of ending the violent relationship was 10 times higher than for those suffering from psychological IPV. The implications of the findings regarding clinical significance and future research are discussed.

Applying the WHO recommendations on health-sector response to violence against women to assess the Spanish health system. A mixed methods approach

This methodological note describes the development and application of a mixed-methods protocol to assess the responsiveness of Spanish health systems to violence against women in Spain, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Five areas for exploration were identified based on the WHO recommendations: policy environment, protocols, training, accountability/monitoring, and prevention/promotion. Two data collection instruments were developed to assess the situation of 17 Spanish regional health systems (RHS) with respect to these areas: 1) a set of indicators to guide a systematic review of secondary sources, and 2) an interview guide to be used with 26 key informants at the regional and national levels. We found differences between RHSs in the five areas assessed. The progress of RHSs on the WHO recommendations was notable at the level of policies, moderate in terms of health service delivery, and very limited in terms of preventive actions. Using a mixed-methods approach was useful for triangulation and complementarity during instrument design, data collection and interpretation.