annotated bibliography of new zealand research into family violence

abuse, WomenAbstract: This study investigated the experiences of 25 women victims of intimate partnerabuse, and connects Erving Goffman’s ideas of the total institution and mortification of theself to these experiences. A qualitative methodology was employed, using face-to-faceinterviews with the participants. The author investigated how women often feel they are toblame for the abuse that they suffered. Many of the participants revealed they struggled tocome to terms with how they had ‘allowed’ the abuse to happen to them. The author relatesGoffman’s idea of total institutions restricting a person’s autonomy to the experiences ofdomestic violence victims, specifically the loss of sense of self. This article suggests thatGoffman’s ideas are useful in understanding the experiences of domestic violence victims.Kawa, I. (2001). Sex offending against children in New Zealand: A model for predicting the risk of reconvictions.Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NewZealand.See: www.nzfvc.org.nz/13258.pubTopic Areas: Child abuse and neglect, Sexual abuse, Sexual assault/rape, Incest, Children,Perpetrators/offenders, Justice, Prevention/intervention/treatment, Demographics/statisticsAbstract: The main aims of the present study were to identify variables that predict futuresex re-convictions among child sex offenders, and to develop a statistical model for predictingsexual re-convictions. The data was provided by the New Zealand Department of Corrections,and consisted of two cohorts of extrafamilial child sex offenders. The first cohort, theestimation sample, comprised criminal histories of 741 male sex offenders who wereconvicted between 1988 and 1997 of sexual offences against children. The second cohort, thevalidation sample, comprised criminal histories of 156 male sex offenders, who wereconvicted between 1983 and 1988 of sexual offences against children. The variables weregrouped into three categories: offender’s age and race, offence history, and victim’scharacteristics. The predicting power of each variable was tested against re-conviction data inthe estimation sample using Cox regression. Next, Cox regression and logistic regressionprediction models were constructed utilising those variables that predicted re-conviction. Thepredicting power of both models was then tested and adjusted against the validation sample.Based on Cox regressions and logistic regression analysis, five significant covariate predictorvariables were identified (in order of magnitude): preference for a male victim(s), diversity ofoffending based on criterion convictions, presence of a female victim under the age of 12,race, and age at first sexual conviction. However, both presence of a female victim under theage of 12 and diversity of offending did not show a similar relationship with re-convictions inthe validation sample and thus were not included in the final prediction models. The finaladjusted prediction models included three predictor variables (in order of magnitude): sexpreference for male victim, race, and age at first sex conviction. The above models indicatedthat those offenders who were convicted for offences against males only, who were white,and who were younger at first sex conviction were most likely to be re-convicted in thefuture. The results of this study demonstrate that, for some samples of child sex offenders, anumber of variables significantly correlate with future re-convictions and thus can be used topredict likelihood of sexual recidivism.Source: Author’s abstractKeenan, D. (2000). ‘Hine’s once were warriors hell’ - the reporting and racialising of child abuse.Social Work Review, 12(4), 5-8.See: www.nzfvc.org.nz/13023.pub95