부산대학교 도서관

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between community needs for information about wife assault and the information response offered through social service networks in six communities of varying sizes. In the first phase of the research, 543 randomly selected women were interviewed during household surveys to assess their knowledge of different kinds of information resources that would be helpful in a hypothetical situation involving wife assault. In the second phase, 179 interviews were conducted with agencies and professionals identified as likely sources of help during the household interviews. Analyses of both surveys provided a map of the degree to which the information delivery system's response overlaps with the public's need for information. Consistent with previous studies of information-seeking patterns, the results indicated that many residents expected types of help that these agencies did not, in fact, provide. Agencies and professionals themselves were not always aware of appropriate sources of help, and did not routinely assess the severity of the presenting situation or the kind of help wanted. The implications for the design of community information delivery systems, including information and referral (I & R) centers, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]