Chapter 8: Assessing Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Flashcards
What is Intimate Partner Violence?
A pattern of coercive control in which the abusive Partner asserts his power over the victim through the use of verbal threats and physical violence
Has also been described as “instrumental aggression” whereby acts of aggression and violence are intended to control the victim’s behavior and demonstrate dominance
What is a Victim Impact Statement?
Can be a powerful tool for victims to express how their partner’s abuse has affected them personally
It allows the victim to express her opinion on how the defendant should be punished and/or how the case should be resolved
What is a restraining order?
A civil court order that instructs the defendant not to harm or have contact with the victim
May also prohibit the defendant from having contact with the victim’s children or family members
What is the Battered Women’s Defense?
a defense used in court that the person accused of an assault/murder was suffering from battered person syndrome at the material time. Because the defense is most commonly used by women, it is usually characterized in court as battered woman syndrome or battered wife syndrome.
What is the Violence Act Against Women
Requires that every restraining order issued by a state court be given full faith and credit by courts in other states, meaning that the conditions of a restraining order should be enforced regardless of what state the victim is in, as long as the order is valid (hasn’t expired)
