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Faculty Research Clusters

Violence Against Women (VAW)

Cluster Leads:

Associate Professor of Social Work Bethany.Backes@ucf.edu

Interim Cluster Lead; Associate Professor of Sociology Jacqueline.Woerner@ucf.edu

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Violence Against Women Cluster researchers work across the disciplines of education, social work, criminal justice, sociology and medicine to create knowledge to guide policymaking designed to reduce the experience and impact of violence toward women.

About 33 million women will experience violence in their lifetimes. In addition to physical, sexual, emotional injury and even death, the economic costs of violence against women in lost work productivity and healthcare services are as high as $12.6 billion in the United States.

Effectively impacting this social issue can save countless lives and billions of dollars.

To better understand the complexity of violence against women and create innovative responses that transcend any one discipline, the cluster studies it from an interdisciplinary approach that merges health, social welfare and social justice perspectives.

The cluster incorporates all of these fields to better understand violence against women and provide insight into preventing it. To support this vital program, please visit the .

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Colleges Involved with Violence Against Women (VAW) Research:

In The News

Colleges & Campus
Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Research to Help Inform Statewide Efforts to Stop Domestic Violence and Improve Care for Survivors
Interdisciplinary researchers from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Violence Against Women faculty cluster are evaluating the state’s domestic violence resources to help make a safer Florida.
Research
New Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Project Works to Help Keep Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Safe
The goal is to create a screening tool that can be used by student health services and beyond, including in college athletic training settings or…
Community
Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Professor’s Research Helps Inform Policy, Laws Surrounding Intimate Partner Cyber Abuse
Erica Fissel, assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, shares her passion for helping women affected by cyber abuse in honor of Women’s History…

Explore the News Archive

Violence Against Women (VAW) Research

Projects

Older Survivors of Domestic Violence: Understanding Gaps in Systems Responses and Community Services in Texas

Safe Transitions: Longitudinal Examination of Domestic Violence Transitional Housing Models on Survivor Outcomes

Evaluation of the Institute for Coordinated Community Response, The Caruth Foundation and The Moody Foundation, Collaboration with the Conference on Crimes Against Women

Exploring Protective-Factors for Sexual Violence Perpetration Among College-Aged Men. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. The Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the HIV care continuum among communities of color in South Florida: Patient and Provider Perspectives

KOCP: Knowledge of Campus Policies

CVP: Community Violence Prevention

Care on Campus: Screening for Intimate Partner Violence within Student Healthcare Settings

Intimate Partner Violence Pretrial Safety Analysis (IPV-APS)

Patterns of Poly-Victimization Exposure Across Racial and Ethnic Populations in the U.S.

Coronavirus and Domestic Violence Study for Criminal Justice Personnel

Enhancing the Public Health Response to Domestic Violence,

Evaluation of Children's Home Society Enhanced Domestic Violence Services

The Effects of Long COVID on the Mental Health and Cognitive Functioning of Women in Spain

Publications

  • , , Anna Wasim, Ph.D., Matthew Stephenson, Ph.D., Leila Wood, Ph.D., Victims & Offenders 18(6), 1148-1165: Jul, 2022
  • , , Morgan E. PettyJohn, Ph.D., Elizabeth Baumler, Ph.D., Barbie Brashear, Ph.D., Jeff R. Temple, Ph.D., Leila Wood, Ph.D., Journal of Family Violence 1-13: Oct, 2023
  • , , Lisa Growette Bostaph, Ph.D., Bonnie S. Fisher, Ph.D., Arelys Madero Hernandez, Ph.D., Shameika Daye, Ph.D., Journal of Criminal Justice Education: Oct, 2022
  • , , Arelys Madero Hernandez, Ph.D., Lisa Growette Bostaph, Ph.D., Bonnie S. Fisher, Ph.D., Journal of Criminal Justice Education 32(3), 302-322: Aug, 2021
  • , , Bonnie S. Fisher, Ph.D., Pamela Wilcox, Ph.D., Criminal Justice and Behavior 50(9), 1380-1404: Jun, 2023
  • , , Michele Jean-Gilles, Ph.D., Rhonda Rosenberg, Ph.D., Robert L. Cook, Ph.D., Amanda Ichite, Ph.D., Pilar Martin, Ph.D., Jessy G. Dévieux, Ph.D., Journal of Interpersonal Violence: Mar, 2021
  • , , Kathryn J. Spearman, Ph.D., Jennifer L. Ross, Ph.D., Emily Blackburn, Ph.D., Jill T. Messing, Ph.D., Jacquelyn C. Campbell, Ph.D., Millan A. AbiNader, Ph.D., Kevin J. Grimm, Ph.D., Homicide Studies 27(4), 472-492: Jul, 2023
  • , , Sandra R. Levitsky, Ph.D., Elizabeth A. Armstrong, Ph.D., Kamaria B. Porter, Ph.D., Violence Against Women 0(0): Aug, 2023
  • , , Leah C. Butler, Ph.D., Brian Gildea, Ph.D., Bonnie S. Fisher, Ph.D., Victims & Offenders 18(1), 77-100: Jan, 2023
  • , , Jennifer Attonito, Ph.D., Shelley Fontal, Ph.D., American Journal of Public Health 111(3), 359-362: Mar, 2021
  • , , Roselyn Peterson, Ph.D., Robert D. Dvorak, Ph.D., Melissa A. Lewis, Ph.D., Journal of Affective Disorders 283, 363-372: Mar, 2021
  • , , Jennifer Attonito, Ph.D., Michele Jean-Gilles, Ph.D., Rhonda Rosenberg, Ph.D., Mariana Sanchez, Ph.D., & Jessy Devieux, Ph.D., Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 29(7), 788-801: Oct, 2021
  • , , , Lakaysia Smith, Assad Khan, Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 0(0): May, 2023
  • , , Kyle T. Ganson, Ph.D., Shelleta Ladonice, Ph.D., Iris Cardenas, Ph.D., Journal of Interpersonal Violence 38(7-8), 6017-6037: Oct, 2022
  • “Evaluating the Impact of Policy and Programming on Female-Victim Intimate Partner Homicide at the County Level in Florida”, , Julio Montanez, Ph.D., Amy Donley, Ph.D., Violence Against Women 29(2), 253-275: May, 2022
  • , , Kayla Toohy, Ph.D., Ciara Peebles, Ph.D., Jason Ford, Ph.D., Violence Against Women 29(11), 2147-2169: Sep, 2021
  • , , Danielle Chiaramonte, Ph.D., David Angus Clark, Ph.D., Howard Tennen, Ph.D., Tami P Sullivan, Ph.D., Prevention Science 24(7):1327-1339: May, 2023
  • , , Tami P Sullivan, Ph.D., Violence and Victims 34(3), 508-521: Jun, 2021
  • , , Tiffany L. Marcantonio, Ph.D., Karen E. Nielsen, Ph.D., Michelle Haikalis, Ph.D., Ruschelle M. Leone, Ph.D., Elizabeth C. Neilson, Ph.D., Anne Marie Schipani-McLaughlin, Ph.D., The Journal of Sex Research 1-12: Sep, 2023

Violence Against Women (VAW) Degree Programs

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ offers multiple degree programs for students interested in courses related to preventing violence against women. For more programs, search Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ programs below.

Programs

Violence Against Women (VAW) Faculty