Researchers center the experiences of Black women in counseling

Black women who face increased risk of death at the hands of intimate partners struggle to access counseling services, according to researchers at Penn State and the University of Connecticut. Their new research proposes a paradigm shift in intimate partner violence (IPV) counseling that considers how the use of trauma-informed and culturally relevant counseling can help counselors provide more informed services. Their work is rooted in Black feminist thought, a field of knowledge that is focused on the perspectives and experiences of Black women.

“For counselors in training and early career counselors, Black feminist thought provides the tools and the framework to determine how to be most useful and most helpful as a clinician from the standpoint of the person you are working with,” said Javier Casado Pérez, assistant professor of education in the Penn State College of Education.

Latoya Haynes-Thoby, an assistant professor of counselor education at the University of Connecticut, is lead author and Casado Pérez a co-author on a recent paper in the Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy that fosters insights from the experiences of six Black women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Julia Bryan, professor of education (counselor education) in the Penn State College of Education, is another co-author.

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Education professor analyzes South Korean educational reforms

As a Penn State education researcher with a specific interest in comparative and international education, and a native of South Korea, Soo-yong Byun has extensive knowledge about the South Korean educational system and how it compares to the American model.

Byun, professor of education (educational theory and policy), demography and Asian studies, co-authored a chapter of a recently published book, “International Handbook on Education Development in Asia-Pacific,” which “delves into a spectrum of critical, contemporary topics in Asian and Pacific contexts and socio-cultural perspectives.”

“There are two contrasting views,” Byun said. “How can we provide a balanced view of the Korean educational system by highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses and how the strengths and weaknesses correlate with each other?”

“Between Light and Shadow: The Contrasting Landscape and Contemporary Development of South Korea’s School System” delves into the “bright sides” of the country’s school system and unveils the “flip sides” of the system, corresponding to the system’s strengths. The authors explore longstanding issues such as academic excellence amid inequality, high educational attainment but low academic confidence and well-being, and the coexistence of a well-established school system with an expansive shadow education market — which refers to private supplementary tutoring.

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Bimodal intervention shows promise for intimate partner violence survivors

Black women involved in the legal system disproportionately experience intimate partner violence (IPV) but currently have few options for tailored interventions that consider intersectionality, according to a researcher in the Penn State College of Education.

Brandy Henry, assistant professor of education (rehabilitation and human services), co-authored a study that found that Black women who are survivors of IPV, particularly those with co-occurring substance use disorders and who are also involved in the criminal legal system, could benefit from a culturally sensitive intervention.

“The goal is to tailor an intervention that would address the stresses Black women face that create barriers to accessing services for substance use and interpersonal violence,” Henry said.

In their paper published in Women’s Health Reports, the researchers conducted a subgroup analysis of Black women using data from a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of two IPV screening and prevention programs for women who use drugs or engage in binge drinking and were under community supervision in New York City.

“It’s already known we need more services, particularly services that address intersectional problems for marginalized communities,” said Henry. “The remaining question was, given that (IPV victims) are disproportionately women of color, are there differential effects of intervention by race? We wanted to know, was the goal of culturally tailoring services effective?”

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