What Is Intimate Partner Violence?
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE BREAKING THE CYCLE: A CULTURALLY SENSITIVE EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION GROUP FOR ADOLESCENT LATINA GIRLS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15-17 WHO HAVE WITNESSED INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN THEIR FAMILY OF ORIGIN A graduate project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Science in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy By Marilyn Tatiana Martinez December 2015 The graduate project of Marilyn Tatiana Martinez is approved: _______________________________________ __________________ Shari Tarver-Behring, Ph. D Date _______________________________________ __________________ Bruce C. Burnam, Ph. D Date _______________________________________ __________________ Cyndee Bellamy, LMFT Date _______________________________________ __________________ Stan Charnofsky, Ed. D, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii DEDICATION This graduate project is dedicated to the two most important individuals in my life, my parents. Both instilled within me a love for learning at an early age and have welcomed the idea of my pursuit of a graduate degree with open arms. Mom and dad, your trust and belief in me has enabled me to get to where I am today. What you mean to me is beyond letters, adjectives, syntax, and elaborate description. You have been my compass, protective factors, and most truest friends of all. I am extremely grateful and privileged to have you as my parents. You’re living angels here on earth and I am forever indebted to you, I love you. To the two individuals I share my most fondest memories with, Mario and Alexis, your unconditional love and support has been my driving force. Thank you for always seeing the good in me and believing in me even when I lost belief in myself. Thank you for all that you are and all that you have been. I am blessed to be your sister, I love you. To my extended family and friends, thank you for your support throughout this journey. I love you all deeply. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation to my committee members for their guidance and support, without which I would not have been able to complete this project. To Dr. Charnofsky, thank you for kindly accepting the invitation to chair my graduate project. Our exchanges throughout my graduate tenure have been nothing short from positive and inspiring. I have learned a lot from you, thank you. To my clinical supervisor, Cyndee Bellamy, thank you for your guidance and support throughout the development of this project but most importantly, my development as an MFT Trainee. You have helped foster a profound sense of empathy, ethics, and professionalism within me. I will take what you have taught me everywhere that I go. Thank you for your light and wisdom. To Dr. Burnam, thank you for always making yourself available to your students. Without your time and dedication, I would not have been able to close this monumental chapter in my life – thanks a million. Lastly, I would like to extend my utmost appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Hanson and my cohort. Dr. Hanson, meeting you early on in the program was life altering and inspirational. Thank you for your time, patience, listening ear, and for being a friend. To my cohort, thank you all for being the individuals you are and being a part of my life. Graduate school would not have been the same without you and I could not have shared this experience with a better group of individuals. iv Table of Contents Signature Page .................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................. vii Chapter I: Introduction .........................................................................................................1 Statement of Need ............................................................................................................1 Statement of Problem .......................................................................................................4 Purpose of Project ...........................................................................................................4 Statement of Significance ................................................................................................5 Terminology .....................................................................................................................6 Layout of Project ..............................................................................................................9 Chapter II: Literature Review ............................................................................................10 Intimate Partner Violence ..............................................................................................10 IPV Among the Latino Population ................................................................................12 Ecology of the Latino Culture ........................................................................................14 Children of Women Victims of IPV ..............................................................................18 IPV and Adolescents ......................................................................................................21 Development of Adolescent Girls ..................................................................................23 Applicable Theories .......................................................................................................24 Group Therapy for Adolescents .....................................................................................27 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................28 v Chapter III: Project Audience and Implementation Factors ..............................................30 Development of Project .................................................................................................31 Intended Audience .........................................................................................................33 Personal Qualifications ..................................................................................................33 Environment and Equipment .........................................................................................34 Project Outline ...............................................................................................................34 Chapter IV: Conclusion .....................................................................................................37 Summary of Project .......................................................................................................37 Recommendations for Implementation ..........................................................................39 Recommendations for Future Research .........................................................................39 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................40 References ..........................................................................................................................42 Appendix A: Group Guide .................................................................................................48 vi ABSTRACT BREAKING THE CYCLE: A CULTURALLY SENSITIVE EARLY INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION GROUP FOR ADOLESCENT LATINA GIRLS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 15-17 WHO HAVE WITNESSED INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN THEIR FAMILY OF ORIGIN By Marilyn Tatiana Martinez Master of Science in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy The current understanding of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the Latino population as a whole is relatively limited and even less is known about IPV among adolescent Latinos as they are not well represented in adolescent dating violence research. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2013), the Latino population has increased by more than 50% since 1990 and is currently the largest racial or ethnic minority group in the United States. Thus, the well-being of Latinos is of great importance to the general health of the United States. Given that dolescent females are less likely to seek refuge from their male partners beating if they have had witnessed their mothers as victims of abuse, this project aims to provide early intervention and prevention services to adolescent Latina youth that are currently not readily available for adolescents, specifically in mental health agencies that only provide IPV services to mother victims of IPV. This project is an equally balanced program for adolescent Latina youth who identify deeply with the Latino community and also the American culture they too grew up in as a result of their parents immigration from their country of origin to the vii land of opportunity. It is a unique group that offers necessary services with a preventative approach to Latina youth during adolescence, an important window of opportunity to thwart the perpetuation of violence and abuse. Most importantly, it takes into account cultural factors unique to her experiences in a culture that due to a lack of IPV understanding,