Source Summary Prewriting
Theme: Family
Topic: Domestic violence
Title: Counselors’ attitudes toward domestic violence in same-sex versus opposite-sex relationships.
The title does not give any insight into what point of view is held by the authors. It looks as though Banks and Fedewa (2012) aim at comparing the attitudes of counselors dealing with domestic violence in same-sex and opposite-sex couples. However, it is not possible to discern from the title what opinion about the mentioned divergence in attitudes the authors hold.
Intended Audience: The intended audience is primarily professionals dealing with the issues of domestic violence, particularly, counselors. These are specialists most closely involved in the problem of violence at home (Parachin, 2013). Besides these professionals, the article may also be useful for people who experience domestic violence and would like to understand how others perceive their problem.
Writers’ Background: Banks is a doctor of philosophy specializing in counseling and psychological services. Fedewa is an expert in school psychology, health psychology, and educational psychology.
Writers’ Angle: Domestic violence is usually considered a problem of heterosexual couples. However, in homosexual couples, this problem is rather frequent, too. Research results demonstrate that counselors have different attitudes towards same-sex and different-sex relationships. Such treatment is unacceptable, and it is necessary to investigate this matter thoroughly.
Summary
The One-Sentence Summary
In their article, Banks, and Fedewa (2012) raise the question of unequal treatment of domestic violence by counselors in homosexual and heterosexual relationships and emphasize the need for a more comprehensive investigation of same-sex domestic violence.
The One-Paragraph Summary
In their research, Banks, and Fedewa (2012) investigate a rather crucial issue of domestic violence. The authors point out that counselors seem to treat cases of domestic assault in various types of relationships differently. Banks and Fedewa (2012) emphasize that such inequality should not occur. To decrease the number of cases when counselors disregard the seriousness of domestic violence in homosexual relationships, the authors suggest an overview of research papers discussing this issue. The key supporting points in the article are the identification of the types of abuse, description of the characteristics of abusers and their victims, and discussion of the attitudes towards domestic violence in homosexual couples.
The Multiple-Paragraph Summary
Banks and Fedewa (2012) raise a rather critical issue in their study. The main point of the article is that counselors’ attitudes towards domestic violence in homosexual couples should change. In order to achieve such an alteration, the authors analyze many studies and summarize the key findings. Moreover, to make their point clearer, Banks and Fedewa (2012) arrange the article in a comprehensible way by dividing it into parts with distinct subheadings.
The major points of the article are as follows: an unexpectedly high rate of domestic violence in homosexual relationships, typology of harm, typical features of abusers and victims, and treatment of homosexual domestic violence by society. The authors mention that there is a considerable difference in people’s treatment of same-sex domestic violence. Moreover, Banks and Fedewa (2012) remark that society regards such type of harm “in an unsympathetic manner” (p. 199). Such a sad conclusion urges for some serious action. Thus, the authors emphasize that counselors should cooperate with victims of domestic violence belonging to different types of families equally.
My Reaction
Banks and Fedewa (2012) make a good point about the inequality of treatment of domestic violence in heterosexual and homosexual relationships. The article is well-structured and suggests persuasive arguments. The authors are trustworthy as they are professionals in the field of psychology.
The problem of cruelty at home is a rather serious one, and there cannot be any prejudices regarding this issue. In all cases of violence, specialists should apply equally sympathetic approaches. Notwithstanding in what kind of a couple a victim is being abused, such an individual deserves help and support. The authors’ research should help counselors notice the gaps in their treatment of domestic violence in various relationships, which will lead to positive outcomes for the victims.
References
Banks, J. R., & Fedewa, A. L. (2012). Counselors’ attitudes toward domestic violence in same-sex versus opposite-sex relationships. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 40(4), 194-205.
Parachin, V. M. (2013). Terrorism in the home: Eleven myths and facts about domestic violence. Priest, 69(1), 13-16.