Date of Award
5-10-1996
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Department
Social Work
Abstract
This exploratory study examined the relationship between battered women's legal advocacy and empowerment. It was hypothesized that women who received battered women's legal advocacy would be more empowered during their experiences with the criminal court process than women who did not receive legal advocacy. The sample consisted of 73 women in the intervention group and 60 women in the comparison group whose partners had been arrested on fifth degree domestic assault charges. The sample was drawn from 1995 police records, Nine participants completed a self-administered survey. Using measures of central tendency and bi-variate analysis it was found that women with legal advocacy had a higher level of understanding of the criminal court system than women without legal advocacy. Women with legal advocacy service felt emotionally supported, comfortable , and knowledgeable during the court process. Further research is needed to assess the empowerment effects of battered women's legal advocacy.
Identifier
SC 11.MSW.1996.Jones.EM
Recommended Citation
Jones, Elizabeth M., "The Empowerment Effects of Criminal Court Legal Advocacy on Battered Women: An Exploratory Study" (1996). Theses and Graduate Projects. 454.
https://idun.augsburg.edu/etd/454