Judy Postmus. Photo courtesy of Rutgers University.

Victims of economic abuse are better able to manage finances after taking a money management curriculum, according to an exploratory study from the Rutgers University School of Social Work’s Center on Violence Against Women and Children.

Abusers often use economic methods, including running up credit card debt and withholding paychecks, to control victims. Victims of domestic abuse can also be reluctant to leave because of money.

The center studied 120 women and one man who completed their “Moving Forward Through Money Management” curriculum. The curriculum gave participants more confidence in handling finances. For instance, 88 percent of participants set financial goals for themselves after taking the course.

The exploratory study highlights a trend that needs more attention, researchers said. “Ask people about abuse and economics abuse is way down on the list,” said Judy Postmus, an assistant professor at the Rutgers social work school, director of the Center on Violence Against Women and Children, and National Association of Social Workers member.

To read a press release on the study click here and to read a myCentralJersey.com article on the study click here.

To learn more about how social workers help domestic violence victims visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Domestic Violence Web page by clicking here.

Coping Skills of Military Families Focus of Research
Baylor University
In a case of students inspiring the professors, two faculty members in Baylor University’s School of Social Work came to their latest area of research partially because of how they witnessed graduate students in the program who are military spouses cope with their challenges.

Parenting Questions
Metro Weekly
As early as 2002, the NASW Delegate Assembly adopted a formal policy supporting ”second-parent adoptions in same-sex households” and stating that ”[l]egislation seeking to restrict foster care and adoption by gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people should be vigorously opposed.”

Jay Noren resigns as Wayne State president
Chicago Tribune
School of Social Work Dean Phyllis Vroom will take over as acting president until an interim president is selected. Noren was hired in August 2008 as Wayne State’s 10th president.

For Domestic Violence Victims, a Little Financial Literacy Goes a Long Way
News from Rutgers
Postmus and her colleague Sara Plummer, an instructor in the School of Social Work, examined the impact of a curriculum, Moving Forward Through Money Management, created by The Allstate Foundation’s Economics Against Abuse Program.

University of Houston’s Meghan Baker named Social Work Student of …
EurekAlert
She personifies the core values in the NASW Code of Ethics, with two values in particular standing out. The first is her dedication to service, volunteering and advocating for three distinct service organizations while undertaking a rigorous full-time dual degree and working part time.

Want to keep your child drug-free? Here are five signs of possible trouble
CNN
“I don’t think most parents go running down the path that you have an emerging addict on your hands anytime they try something,” says Jan Ligon, a member of the National Association of Social Workers.

Kameri Christy-McMullin. Photo courtesy of 4029TV.com

Employees should be aware that domestic violence in their homes or the homes of their co-workers can come into the office with tragic results, social worker Kameri Christy-McMullin said in this interview with Arkansas’ 4029TV.com.

“Oftentimes an abusive partner will call the job a lot either harass the woman while she’s at work or her colleagues and even will show up at work and interfere with her time, will prevent her from going to work,” said Christy-McMullin, DSW, an associate professor at the University of Arkansas School of Social Work.

4029TV interviewed Christy-McMullin after a recent workplace shooting in New Mexico left three people dead and four injured.

Christy-McMullin, who is a National Association of Social Workers member, said more companies have become aware that domestic violence could spill over into their premises and are posting professional security guards.

To learn more about how social workers help end domestic violence visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Web page on the issue by clicking here.

Ironically, Kelly may be a victim of the domestic violence. She was shot to death in her home on base. Her husband, Maj. Detric Kelly, 37, an assistant professor of military science at Tulane and a member of the school’s Army ROTC cadre, is a suspect.

Our sympathies to the Kelly family. To read the full nola.com article on the incident, click here.

And the more these men overestimated how common violence against women is the more likely they were to abuse their partners in the previous 90 days, the study said.

“Men who engage in violent behavior justify it in their mind by thinking it is more common and saying, ‘Most guys slap their women around so it is OK to engage in it.’ Or it could be that misperceptions about violence cause the behavior,” said Clayton Neighbors, lead author of the study.

Neighbors is  a University of Washington affiliate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and a professor of psychology at the University of Houston.

Co-authors of the study include Lyungai Mbilinyi, a research assistant professor of social work at the University of Washington; Joan Zegree, an adjunct assistant professor of social work at the University of Washington; Jeffrey Edleson, a social work professor at the University of Minnesota; and Roger Roffman, University of Washington emeritus social work professor.

To learn more about the study click here. And to find out how social workers help stop domestic violence visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Web section on domestic violence by clicking here.

Amy Coha. Photo courtesy of WCSH-6 TV.

We like  WCSH-6 TV’s coverage of a seminar in Maine that uses a play to teach future health care professionals how to detect signs of domestic violence.

One of the people putting on the play is National Association of Social Workers member Amy Coha, MSW, LCSW. Coha is clinical associate professor at the School of Social Work at the University of New England.

“We are still finding that a number of professionals are not taking the time to ask the questions,” Coha said.  “If you don’t ask the question, you will never know how many survivors you are working with.”

To learn more about how social workers help stop domestic violence visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Domestic Violence Web page by clicking here.

Photo of Etta Caver courtesy of University of Cincinnati.

Cheers to the Middletown Record in Ohio for their profile of Etta Caver, a former domestic violence victim who turned her life around and is now helping others.

Caver was beaten by her husband and continued to enter abusive relationships after divorcing him. After a particularly brutal beating at the hands of a boyfriend Caver reassessed her life, left her job at AK Steel and eventually gained a masters in social work from the University of Cincinnati.

She now works for the Butler County Sheriff’s Office offering domestic violence victim assistance at courts and teaching victims’ awareness classes. She is also an ordained minister.

““She is a miracle and she makes sure other people have miracles in their lives,” her sister Kimberly said.

Social workers often help victims of domestic violence. One of the leading experts on this issue is NASW member Katherine van Wormer, MSSW, PhD. To read some of van Wormers articles on this issue click here to visit her page at NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Web site.

Maha Younes. Photo courtesy of Kearneyhub.com

The Nebraska chapter of the National Association of Social Workers named Maha Younes social worker of the year. Younes, an Israeli native, is professor and chair of the University of Nebraska at Kearney department of social work. She has also specialized in working  with survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, eating disorders and relationship dysfunctions.

“I came from very humble backgrounds. I experienced poverty, I experienced oppression,” she said. “I experienced life and its hardships. I think I’ve always had this passion to just make things better for other people.”

To read the full story in the Kearneyhub.com click here.

Photo Courtesy of wildaboutmovies.com

Social Workers Speak! has received more than 100 comments about  ”Precious,” a harrowing film about an abused teen girl. The movie features pop diva Mariah Carey as her social worker, Ms. Weiss.

Comments have been mixed. Some social workers were put off by Carey’s portrayal while others had no problem with it. Some said the movie was exploitative while other social workers said the film put a needed spotlight on some ugly social ills, including domestic violence, illiteracy, and HIV/AIDS.

The comments from social workers reflect how the film is playing in larger public. Here’s a brief list of who is giving ”Precious” a thumbs up, thumbs down, or neutral review:

THUMBS UP: Mark Blankenship of the Huffington Post probably wrote the most sensitive take on the role of Ms. Weiss. Ms. Weiss helped Claireece finally break the cycle of abuse, he said.

“That’s where the system really works. It’s too late for Precious, but because of the system’s support, she takes an action that might free her son from his mother’s miserable fate. She sets him on a path toward self-confidence and love.”

THUMBS DOWN: Juan Williams in this Wall Street Journal column says “Precious” is  just the latest iteration of “ghetto lit” — lurid escapist art for the black middle class.

NEUTRAL: The New York Times story “To Blacks, Precious Is ‘Demeaned’ or ‘Angelic,’” looks at why the movie is dividing the African American community. Some experts said the film demeans blacks while others say it is a powerful story that should be told.

THUMBS UP: Baltimore Sun critic Michael Sragow called the film “cathartic and exhilarating.” He also praised the role of the social worker Ms. Weiss in the story. “…Carey shows the catalytic strength of a social worker who completely honors her profession,” he said.

THUMBS DOWN: Respected New York Press critic Armond White said “Precious” is the most demeaning image of African Americans put on the screen since “Birth of a Nation” almost a century ago. “Shame on Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey for signing on as air-quote executive producers of ‘Precious,”" he wrote.

THUMBS UP:  Boston Globe critic Wesley Morris in his review said the film is sensational but does not exploit or condescend. But is colorism at play? Why are all the good characters, including social worker Ms. Weiss, light skinned?

THUMBS UP: The New York Times’ Richard Bernstein called “Precious” a modern-day Cinderella story. Ms. Weiss and Blu Rain, the teacher who helps Claireece learn to read and escape her horrid surroundings, are fairy godmothers.

Do you want to hold a discussion group about “Precious”? Lionsgate Studio offers this excellent discussion guide that includes statistics on many of the social issues the movie addresses:  Precious Discussion Guide

Photo Courtesy of ABC

Pop Star Rihanna recently appeared in an  interview on ABC’s “20-20″ and ”Good Morning America” to discuss the violence she experienced at the hands of fellow singer and ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. Click here to watch the interview.

Social workers are at the forefront in helping domestic violence victims and educating the public about  the issue.

Question: Do you think Rihanna’ s willingness to speak out will help other domestic violence victims come forward, especially teenagers and young adults? Please leave your comments below.