Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-28T10:40:14.180Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Post-secondary Education Responses to Forced Marriage and Gendered Abuse Against Students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2013

Renate Klein*
Affiliation:
London Metropolitan UniversityEngland
*
address for correspondence: Renate Klein, 98 Lindsey Road, Newburgh ME, 04444USA Email: renate.klein@londonmet.ac.uk

Abstract

This article examines post-secondary education responses to intimate partner violence and forced marriage. Harmful practices that disproportionately affect women and girls, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, and forced marriage, are particularly prevalent for women aged 16 to 25. This is also the age bracket during which attendance at college or university peaks. Post-secondary education therefore constitutes a potentially significant institutional context for intervention. To what extent universities are prepared or willing to take on this responsibility is a topic that is receiving increasing international attention. This article reports on recent findings from the UK and discusses them in an international and cultural framework. Cultural stereotyping in relation to gendered violence has rightly been criticised. However, as this article will argue, there are aspects of culture that are often glossed over in research and policy, yet are important for an understanding of how people and institutions think about and react to gendered abuse. The case of university responses to intimate partner violence and forced marriage illuminates these issues.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abu-Lughod, L. (1993). Writing Women's Worlds: Bedouin stories. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Ahrens, C.E., Campbell, R.M., Ternier-Thames, N.K., Wasco, S.M., & Sefl, T. (2007). Deciding whom to tell: Expectations and outcomes or rape survivors’ first disclosures. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 3849.Google Scholar
Anderson, S., & Brownlie, J. (2011). Build it and they will come? Understanding public views of ‘emotions talk’ and the talking therapies. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 39 (1), 5366.Google Scholar
Chantler, K., Gangoli, G., & Hester, M. (2009). Forced marriage in the UK: Religious, cultural, economic or state violence? Critical Social Policy, 29 (4), 587612.Google Scholar
Cohen, L., & Swift, S. (1999). The spectrum of prevention: Developing a comprehensive approach to injury prevention. Injury Prevention, 5, 203207. Also available through http://www.preventioninstitute.org/index.php?option=com_jlibrary&view=article&id=105&Itemid=127.Google Scholar
Corrigan, R. (2013). Up Against a Wall: Rape reform and the failure of success. New York: New York University Press.Google Scholar
Coy, M., Kelly, L., & Foord, J. (2007). Map of gaps: The postcode lottery of violence against women support services in Britain. End Violence against Women Coalition/Equality & Human Right Commission, UK.Google Scholar
Csordas, T. J. (2002). Body/Meaning/Healing. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Dasgupta, S. D. (2007, ed.). Body Evidence: Intimate violence against South Asian women in America. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University.Google Scholar
Deer, S. (2004). Toward an indigenous jurisprudence of rape. Kansas Journal of Law and Public Policy, 14, 121154.Google Scholar
Dwyer, C. (2000). Negotiating diasporic identities: Young British South Asian Muslim women. Women's Studies International Forum, 23 (4), 475486.Google Scholar
Edleson, J. L., Mbilinyi, L. F., Beeman, S. K., & Hagemeister, A. K. (2003). How children are involved in adult domestic violence: Results from a four-city telephone survey. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 1832.Google Scholar
Feltes, T., Balloni, A., Czapska, J., Bodelon, E., & Stenning, P. (2012). Gender-based violence, stalking and fear of crime. Final report to European Commission, Directorate General Justice, Freedom and Security, Project JLS/2007/ISEC/415.Google Scholar
Fisher, B. S., Cullen, F. T., & Turner, M.G. (2000). The sexual victimization of college women. Research report. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.Google Scholar
Fisher, B. S., Daigle, L. E., Cullen, F. T., & Turner, M. G. (2003). Reporting sexual victimization to the police and others: Results from a national-level study of college women. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 30, 638.Google Scholar
Forced Marriage Unit (2010). The Right to Choose: Multi-agency statutory guidance for dealing with forced marriage (2nd edn.). Forced Marriage Unit, HM Government.Google Scholar
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2007). Dealing with Cases of Forced Marriage: Practice guidance for health professionals (2007). Foreign & Commonwealth Office London, Home Office, National Health Service.Google Scholar
Freeman, M., & Klein, R. C. A. (2012). University responses to forced marriage and violence against women in the UK: Report on a pilot study. International Family Law, September 2012, 285299.Google Scholar
Freeman, M., Klein, R., & Mburu, J. (2013). Powerpoint on interim findings on university responses to forced marriage and violence against women project, 2013, funded by The Forced Marriage Unit. Available from the author.Google Scholar
Gill, A., & Anitha, S. (2011). Forced Marriage: Introducing a social justice and human rights perspective. London: Zed Books.Google Scholar
Gill, A. K., & Mitra-Kahn, T. (2009). Moving toward a ‘multiculturalism without culture’: Constructing a victim-friendly human rights approach to forced marriage in the UK. In Thiara, R. K. (Editor). Violence Against Women in South Asian Communities: Issues for policy and practice (pp. 128155). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Google Scholar
Gillum, T. L. (2009). Improving services to African American survivors of IPV: From the voices of recipients of culturally specific services. Violence Against Women, 15, 5780.Google Scholar
Karjane, H. M., Fisher, B. S., & Cullen, F. T. (2006). Sexual assault on campus: What colleges and universities are doing about it. Office of Justice Programs. U.S. Department of Justice.Google Scholar
Kaukinen, C., & DeMaris, A. (2009). Sexual assault and current mental health: The role of help-seeking and police response. Violence Against Women, 15, 13311357.Google Scholar
Kazimirski, A., Keogh, P., & Kumari, V. et al. (2009). Forced marriage: Prevalence and service response. National Centre for Social Research.Google Scholar
Kelly, L., Lovett, J., & Regan, L. (2005). A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases. Home Office Research Study 293. Home Office, United Kingdom.Google Scholar
Khanum, N. (2008). Forced Marriage, Family Cohesion and Community Engagement. London: Equality in Diversity.Google Scholar
Klein, R. (2012). Responding to Intimate Violence Against Women: The role of informal networks. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Klein, R. (2013). Language for institutional change: Notes from US higher education. In Klein, R. (ed.), Framing Sexual and Domestic Violence Through Language (pp. 163178). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Koss, M. P., Gidycz, C. A., & Wisniewski, N. (1987). The scope or rape: Incidence and prevalence of sexual aggression and victimization in a national sample of higher education students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 162170.Google Scholar
Lovett, J., & Kelly, L. (2009). Different systems, similar outcomes? Tracking attrition in reported rape cases in eleven European countries. European briefing. Daphne-Programme, European Commission.Google Scholar
McCabe, G. (2008). Mind, body, emotions and spirit: Reaching to the ancestors for healing. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 21 (2), 143152.Google Scholar
Mishra, S., & Shirazi, F. (2010). Hybrid identities: American Muslim women speak. Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography, 17 (2), 191209.Google Scholar
Mogensen, B. (2013). Dangerous words – How euphemisms may imperil women's lives. In Klein, R. (ed.), Framing Sexual and Domestic Violence Through Language (pp. 135161). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Moynihan, M. M., Banyard, V. L., Arnold, J. S., Eckstein, R. P., & Stapleton, J. G. (2011). Sisterhood may be powerful for reducing sexual and intimate partner violence: An evaluation of the Bringing in the Bystander in-person program with sorority members. Violence Against Women, 17 (6), 703719.Google Scholar
Mullender, A., Hague, G., Imam, U., Kelly, L., Malos, E., & Regan, L. (2002). Children's Perspectives on Domestic Violence. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Narayan, U. (1997). Dislocating Cultures: Identities, traditions, and third world feminism. New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
National Union of Students (2010). Hidden Marks: A study of women students’ experiences of harassment, stalking, violence and sexual assault. National Union of Students.Google Scholar
Phipps, A. & Smith, G. (2012). Violence against women students in the UK: Time to take action. Gender and Education, 24 (2), 117.Google Scholar
Phipps, A., & Young, I. (2012). That's what she said: Women students’ experience of ‘lad culture’ in higher education. Report to the National Union of Students, UK.Google Scholar
Sanday, P. R. (1990). Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, brotherhood, and privilege on campus. New York: New York University Press.Google Scholar
Sen, P. (2005). ‘Crimes of honour’, value and meaning. In L. Welchman, & S. Hossain (Eds.), ‘Honour’: Crimes, paradigms, and violence against women (pp. 42–63). London: Zed Books.Google Scholar
Simmons, F., & Burn, J. (2013). Without consent: Forced marriage in Australia. Melbourne University Law Review, 36, 9701008.Google Scholar
Sloane, C., & Fitzpatrick, K. (2011). Talk About it Survey. National Union of Students (Australia).Google Scholar
Smith, K., Coleman, K., Eder, S., & Hall, P. (2011). Homicides, firearm offences, and intimate violence 2009/10-Supplementary volume 2 to Crime in England and Wales. Home Office Statistical Bulletin, 01/2011.Google Scholar
Stenning, P., Mitra-Kahn, T., & Dunby, C. (2012). Gender-based violence, stalking and fear of crime. Country report United Kingdom. European Commission, EU-Project 2009–2011 JLS/2007/ISEC/415.Google Scholar
Ullman, S. E. (2010). Talking About Sexual Assault: Society's response to survivors. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Wilcox, P. (2006). Surviving Domestic Violence: Gender, poverty and agency. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave-Macmillan.Google Scholar
Wright, C., & Hearn, J. (2013). Neutralising gendered violence: Subsuming men's violence against women into gender-neutral language. In Klein, R. (ed.), Framing Sexual and Domestic Violence Through Language (pp. 2140). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar