Many resources exist for women who are in a violent relationship, one of which is the clergy. Clergypeople can be confidential and reliable providers of spiritual guidance for their communities of faith. Understanding the attitudes and behaviors of clergy regarding intimate partner violence can lead to more effective education and training programs for the clergy to help battered women in their community of faith and the greater community. Although some studies have investigated how clergy responded to intimate partner violence, few systematic studies have been conducted that specifically assess the clergy's response to intimate partner violence. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand how clergy respond to intimate partner violence situations and what motivates a clergyperson to suggest a particular solution. Nineteen randomly selected ministers from the metro-Atlanta area were selected and in-depth interviews were conducted. Research questions based on the Theory of Reasoned Action were: 1) What actions do clergypeople take when they are approached by someone from their community stating they are being abused by their significant other? 2) What are the attitudes of clergypeople toward intervening or recommending different solutions in an intimate partner violence situation? 3) What are the subjective norms of clergypeople associated with intervening with or recommending solutions to intimate partner violence? Results of the analysis and implications for public health partnerships, clergy training, and future studies will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: By attending this session, participatns will gain a better understanding of what attitudes clergypeople have regarding intimate partner violence (IPV), how they have responded or would respond to an IPV situation, and obtain insight on how clergy view their role in dealing with or preventing IPV. Participants will be able to develop ideas for IVP prevention and training programs that target clergypeople and identify ways in which clergy can partner with public health professionals. At the conclusion of the session, the participants will be able to 1) discuss the ways in which clergy respond to IPV; 2) identify factors that influence the attitudes and actions of clergy regarding IPV; 3) construct ideas for future clergy training regarding IPV; 4) construct ideas for future partnering with clergy to mitigate the effects of and prevent IPV
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Faith Community
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.