A model design proposal of a supportive web site for women experiencing IPV. Catering for needs at different phases of the coping process
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14779960710837605 |
| Date | 19 October 2007 |
| Published date | 19 October 2007 |
| Pages | 116-139 |
| Author | Dan Bouhnik |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
A model design proposal
of a supportive web site for
women experiencing IPV
Catering for needs at different phases
of the coping process
Dan Bouhnik
Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
Abstract
Purpose – This paper attempts to recognize the informational needs of women who suffer
from intimate partner violence (IPV). It then presents a model of a web site that may answer to these
needs.
Design/methodology/approach – First, the paper defines the phases women suffering from IPV
go through. This is done by surveying the literature that describes the stages these women experience.
In order to clarify the proposed model, the paper then describe our own set of phases based on the
above literature. Once the phases mentioned above are understood, the needs of these women become
evident, thus allowing us to define and specify them. The model of the web site is then described and
the paper shows how it relates to the various aforementioned needs.
Findings – The web site would offer a variety of information, such as: names of organizations that
offer support, chats, and forums that provide emotional support and advice from women who
experienced abuse in the past as well as from professionals.
Research limitations/implications – Security issues of this model need to be researched before
applying it to use, as they are beyond the scope of this paper. Such issues should include techniques for
erasing the user’s traces and for keeping out “unwelcome visitors.”
Originality/value – This model, if applied, may greatly aid women suffering from IPV, as it would
provide them with the emotional support and technical information they need in order to make
important decisions regarding their situation. Information, if utilized, may give these women the
ability to control their fate and actively improve their quality of life.
Keywords Modelling, Onlineoperations, Women, Assault, Violentcrime, Social care
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The phenomenon of violence against women in intimate relationships, such as in
marriage, has been known for many years, however, only in the 1970s it was identified
as a social problem that needs to be dealt with. Until then, beatings and verbal abuse
were considered a man’s right and even his duty in putting the woman “in her place.”
Therefore, the study of violence against women is a relatively new field, which is
bound by methodological restraints. One limitation is a result of the character of the act
itself, which occurs behind closed doors, and whose victims do not hurry to complain.
Exact data, about the extent of the phenomenon of violence against women in Israel
and the world at large, does not exist, and there is a discrepancy between the data
collected by the authorities and that of the organizations, which handle such matters.
The assumption is that the number of women hurt by violence is much higher than
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JICES
5,2/3
116
Journal of Information,
Communication & Ethics in Society
Vol. 5 No. 2/3, 2007
pp. 116-139
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/14779960710837605
reported to the police, because most women hesitate to press charges. In a 2005 survey,
carried out for the Israeli ministry of social affairs and social services, it was found that
only 27.3 percent of victimized women involve the police authorities.
Understanding of the phenomenon is based on dry data such as arrest rates, court
records, and personal interviews of woman who agreed to be exposed. These sources
cannot mirror the true extent of the phenomenon. However, the information is enough
to understand the various needs of these women, enough to create programs that treat
violent men and enough to convince the authorities of the importance of legislation that
deals with these matters. Thus, the concept that certain matters should remain within
the family and not involve the state is shattered (Brown and Hendricks, 1998).
In this paper, we propose a model for a supportive web site for women experiencing
intimate partner violence (IPV). Indeed, this problem is not limited to women but also
affects men. However, since IPV affects mostly women we find the importance for
developing this supportive tool for women more pressing. Many of the proposed
solutions may fit, or can easily be adapted as a support tool for male victims of IPV, but
this is outside the scope of this paper.
In addition, one may argue that a support web site is of limited use as many of the
IPV victims have limited access to the internet. While this argument may apply in
some cases, in others it does not and therefore the proposed web site offers an
additional tool for IPV victims providing them another venue to improve their life and
rehabilitate.
Another concern remains – that of security. Some techniques for erasing the user’s
traces are mentioned in the paper. However, these may not be enough. Also, some kind
of system must be set up to keep out “unwelcome visitors.” These issues need to be
further researched before applying this model to use so as not to bring upon the users
further harm.
Methodology
(1) Identification of the stages that the woman who has experienced violence from
her partner, has gone through until the changing of her situation (rehabilitati on
or ending of the relationship) according to theoretical models of behavior
changing.
(2) Review of the research literature on the subject of violence towards women.
(3) Identification of the information needs at the various stages.
(4) Identification of the obstacles on the way to obtaining information and
improving the woman’s situation.
(5) Review of the contents the internet provides in regard to the battered woman’s
needs.
(6) Characterization and presentation of a model for an internet site, which is aimed
at providing the answers to the identified needs.
Social information science
This paper lies in the core of the discipline of social information science (SIS) developed
by Baruchson-Arbib. SIS theorizes that in order to function well within society, people
need the aid of the right information at the right time, as well as emotional
encouragement and support. SIS looks at the heritage of human knowledge and
Proposal of a
supportive web
site for women
117
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