Examining Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence is an often overlooked and misunderstood issue in contemporary society. Contrary to what some may believe, intimate partner violence is more than just abuse that results in a physical injury. There are several other subcategories under the umbrella term ‘violence,’ such as physical non-injury, emotional harm, financial harm, verbal abuse, and sexual violence. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men experience sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime. Additionally, according to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, about half of all men and women (48.8% and 48.4%, respectively) have experienced some form of psychological aggression by an intimate partner. As this is such a prevalent issue, I conducted an in-depth literature review to examine the different aspects of intimate partner violence. Using the ecological perspective as a framework for the piece, I examined the definition of intimate partner violence, common risk factors, barriers to leaving, and experiences of intimate partner violence by different cultural groups. This literature review will serve as the basis for my dissertation when I enter graduate school

I am Not Your Victim: Anatomy of Domestic Violence - Analysis of the Beth Sipe Autobiography

This paper is an analysis that defines and describes the patterns of recognized intimate partner violence, and looks at the physical, social, psychological, and economic aspects of abuse. It correlates these aspects to the personal experiences of Beth Sipe according to her autobiographical account in I Am Not Your Victim, which serves as a model example of a domestic abuse relationship. This analysis also discusses the societal implications of abuse, which encouraged changes like the Violence Against Women Act, and how that made resources and shelters available to women in similar situations

Intimate partner violence during pregnancy and time to return to sexual activity after childbirth: analysis of the BRISA prenatal cohort

Abstract: This study aimed to analyze whether there is an association between intimate partner violence during pregnancy and time to return to sexual activity after childbirth in the BRISA cohort in São Luís, Maranhão State, Brazil, between 2010 and 2013. This is a longitudinal study conducted with 665 women. Intimate partner violence during pregnancy was measured using an instrument created and validated by the World Health Organization to measure violence against women. Time to return to sexual activity after childbirth was investigated using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to analyze whether there is an association between intimate partner violence during pregnancy and time to return to sexual activity after childbirth. The prevalence of violence by an intimate partner during pregnancy was 24.06%. The prevalence of women who returned to sexual activity within 3 months after childbirth was 67.96%. When analyzing the association between exposure and outcome, no association was found in the crude model (OR = 0.88; 95%CI: 0.60-1.30), nor in the adjusted model (OR = 1.00; 95%CI: 0.61-1.63). The study results highlight the importance of providing comprehensive care to women, considering both physical and psychological aspects, since violence has a significant impact on several aspects of women’s lives

Coping with Intimate Partners\u27 Substance Use and Gambling Problems: The Role of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

Intimate partners of the estimated 30.6 million United States residents with substance and/or gambling problems (SGP) experience significant stress, such as disrupted family life, financial trouble, and increased risk for related problems such as intimate partner violence (IPV). This results in considerable distress and physical/mental health problems. Though SGP are often chronic, the treatment rate is low, and there is little help available for intimate partners of those with untreated SGP. Before we can create effective assistance and empowerment programs for intimate partners of people with SGP, we must understand the function of coping and social support in the task of dealing with a partner\u27s SGP, as well as the role of IPV in that process. To this end, 222 female intimate partners of people with SGP were recruited from the community to complete an online survey. IPV was common, with over half of participants reporting experiencing violence/abuse and/or coercive control perpetrated by their partners. Aim 1 analyses investigated relationships between burden of SGP, IPV, coping, social support, psychological distress, and quality of life. Burden of SGP was associated with high psychological distress and low quality of life. For Aim 2, mediation analyses were used to determine how use of coping strategies and receipt of social support function in the relationship of burden of SGP to psychological distress and quality of life. Specific coping strategies (engaged, tolerant, withdrawal) and types of social support (informal, positive, negative) functioned in different ways, predicting both lessened and increased psychological distress and quality of life. For Aim 3, moderated mediation analyses investigated the function of IPV to the relationship of burden of SGP to psychological distress and quality of life. Here, the two aspects of IPV (violence/abuse and coercive control) had different effects on mediated paths through coping and social support. Implications of results for social work research, practice and policy are discussed

A questionnaire for the assessment of violent behaviors in young couples. The Italian version of dating violence questionnaire (DVQ)

In the last years, intimate partner violence (IPV) became a relevant problem for community and for social life, particularly in young people. Its correct assessment and evaluation in the population is mandatory. Our objectives were: Confirm factor structure of Dating Violence Questionnaire (DVQ) and investigate its convergent and divergent validity. The DVQ along with other personality measures were filled by a sample of 418 university students (Females = 310) of average age of 23 y.o. (SD = 4.71). A subsample of participants (223 students) consented in being involved also in retest and filled also the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (short form) and a brief scale for describing the behavior of the (past) partner after the breaking of the relationship (BRS). The 8-factor structure, with respect to the two other competing models, reported better fit indexes and showed significant correlations with other personality measures. Personality traits, both Neuroticism and Psychoticism, correlated with Sexual Violence, while Detachment correlated only with Neuroticism and Coercion, Humiliation and Physical Violence correlated with only Psychoticism. Extraversion did not report significant relationships with any of the 8 DVQ factors. Also the predictive validity of DVQ was satisfactory with the partner violent reaction to the break of relationship predicted positively predicted by Coercion (b = 0.22) and by Humiliation (b = 0.20) and negatively by Emotional Punishment (b = -0.18). The present results indicate a good factor structure of the questionnaire, and interesting correlations with personality traits, allowing to identify psychological aspects with a predisposing role for anti-social aggressive behaviors. Further studies will be aimed at ascertaining other possible determinants of intimate partner violence and the weight of cultural aspects

Interpersonal violence: an important risk factor for disease and injury in South Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Burden of disease estimates for South Africa have highlighted the particularly high rates of injuries related to interpersonal violence compared with other regions of the world, but these figures tell only part of the story. In addition to direct physical injury, violence survivors are at an increased risk of a wide range of psychological and behavioral problems. This study aimed to comprehensively quantify the excess disease burden attributable to exposure to interpersonal violence as a risk factor for disease and injury in South Africa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The World Health Organization framework of interpersonal violence was adapted. Physical injury mortality and disability were categorically attributed to interpersonal violence. In addition, exposure to child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence, subcategories of interpersonal violence, were treated as risk factors for disease and injury using counterfactual estimation and comparative risk assessment methods. Adjustments were made to account for the combined exposure state of having experienced both child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 17 risk factors included in the South African Comparative Risk Assessment study, interpersonal violence was the second leading cause of healthy years of life lost, after unsafe sex, accounting for 1.7 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) or 10.5% of all DALYs (95% uncertainty interval: 8.5%-12.5%) in 2000. In women, intimate partner violence accounted for 50% and child sexual abuse for 32% of the total attributable DALYs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The implications of our findings are that estimates that include only the direct injury burden seriously underrepresent the full health impact of interpersonal violence. Violence is an important direct and indirect cause of health loss and should be recognized as a priority health problem as well as a human rights and social issue. This study highlights the difficulties in measuring the disease burden from interpersonal violence as a risk factor and the need to improve the epidemiological data on the prevalence and risks for the different forms of interpersonal violence to complete the picture. Given the extent of the burden, it is essential that innovative research be supported to identify social policy and other interventions that address both the individual and societal aspects of violence.</p

Micro-Sociological Implications of Domestic Violence on Adolescents in a School Setting

Adolescent victimization and exposure to domestic violence has the ability to yield negative psychological, social, behavioral, developmental, and cognitive outcomes. Unfortunately, violence within the home is becoming increasingly prevalent. In 2007 alone, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that roughly 794,000 adolescents were either abused or neglected within their household (Sousa et al. 2011:112). Another form of violence that is becoming recognized as a widespread public-health concern is intimate partner violence. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, intimate partner violence is present when the juvenile is not directly involved and acts more as a witness to domestic violence between his/her caregivers. Within many households where this occurs, adolescents may witness the physical and emotional pain inflicted on adult victims, or they may not actually observe the altercations but are well aware of their existence. It is conservatively estimated that over 200,000 cases of intimate partner violence occur in the United States annually (Sousa et al. 2011:112). Within this Literature Review, the overall purpose is to examine how the side effects of domestic violence impact an adolescent’s school performance. This paper will analyze several characteristics that come with the results of domestic violence separately, such as developmental, psychological, cognitive, social, and behavioral outcomes in order to sufficiently explain how this public-health problem impacts adolescents within a school setting. This paper will mainly focus on the negative outcomes associated with this phenomenon in heterosexual relationships, as they are the most commonly reported

Childhood sexual abuse associated with dating partner violence and suicidal ideation in a representative household sample in Hong Kong

This study investigated the prevalence and impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on future intimate partner violence (IPV) in dating relationship in Hong Kong, China. A total of 1,154 Chinese adult respondents engaged in dating relationships were interviewed face-to-face about their CSA histories, childhood witnessing of parental violence, adult sexual victimization (ASV) by others and IPV victimization with their current dating partner. Self-reports also measured levels of suicidal ideation, self-esteem, and demographic details. Overall, 1.7% reported some form of CSA with a higher percentage being women. No gender differences were found in the prevalence of either ASV or IPV. Results showed that CSA had an independent effect on physical IPV and suicidal ideation. The odds of IPV were increased by behavioral and psychological factors of victims such as alcohol and drug abuse, sex with partner, and low self-esteem. The odds of suicidal ideation were also increased by drug abuse, childhood witnessing of parental psychological aggression, and low self-esteem. Clinical implications of results included screening for CSA victims and suicidal victims when treating IPV patients, tailoring treatment according to individual IPV victim's problems, correcting behaviors that are associated with risks of IPV, such as engagement in casual sex and substance abuse, and focusing not only on tangible services but also on the social and psychological aspects that are placing the victims at risk for IPV. © The Author(s) 2011.postprin

Incidência e fatores de risco para violência por parceiro íntimo no período pós-parto

OBJETIVO Estimar a incidência e identificar fatores de risco para violência por parceiro íntimo no pós-parto.MÉTODOS Realizamos estudo de coorte prospectivo com mulheres de 18 a 49 anos, cadastradas na Estratégia Saúde da Família da cidade de Recife, Nordeste do Brasil, entre 2005 e 2006. Das 1.057 mulheres entrevistadas durante a gestação e no puerpério, foram avaliadas 539 sem relatos de violência antes e durante a gestação. Foi construído um modelo teórico-conceitual com três blocos de fatores, hierarquicamente ordenados: características sociodemográficas, comportamentais da mulher e do parceiro e dinâmica da relação. A incidência e fatores de risco de violência por parceiro íntimo foram estimados pela Regressão de Poisson.RESULTADOS A incidência de violência no pós-parto foi 9,3% (IC95% 7,0;12,0). Violência psicológica isolada foi mais frequente (4,3%; IC95% 2,8;6,4). A sobreposição de violência psicológica com a física ocorreu em 3,3% (IC95% 2,0;5,3) e com a física ou sexual ou ambas, em quase 2,0% (IC95% 0,8;3,0) dos casos. O risco de violência por parceiro íntimo no pós-parto foi maior para mulheres: com baixa escolaridade (RR = 2,6; IC95% 1,3;5,4), sem renda própria (RR = 1,7; IC95% 1,0;2,9) e que agrediam fisicamente o parceiro sem estarem sendo agredidas (RR = 2,0; IC95% 1,2;3,4), tinham um parceiro muito controlador (RR = 2,5; IC95% 1,1;5,8) e brigavam frequentemente com seus parceiros (RR = 1,7; IC95% 1,0;2,9).CONCLUSÕES A elevada incidência de violência por parceiro íntimo no pós-parto e sua associação com aspectos da qualidade da relação entre o casal, revela a necessidade de políticas públicas que promovam a mediação de conflitos, busquem equidade social e de gênero e possibilitem formas de empoderamento das mulheres para o enfrentamento do ciclo violento.OBJECTIVE To estimate the incidence and identify risk factors for intimate partner violence during postpartum.METHODS This prospective cohort study was conducted with women, aged between 18-49 years, enrolled in the Brazilian Family Health Strategy in Recife, Northeastern Brazil, between 2005 and 2006. Of the 1.057 women interviewed during pregnancy and postpartum, 539 women, who did not report violence before or during pregnancy, were evaluated. A theoretical-conceptual framework was built with three levels of factors hierarchically ordered: women’s and partners’ sociodemografic and behavioral characteristics, and relationship dynamics. Incidence and risk factors of intimate partner violence were estimated by Poisson Regression.RESULTS The incidence of violence during postpartum was 9.3% (95%CI 7.0;12.0). Isolated psychological violence was the most common (4.3%; 95%CI 2.8;6.4). The overlapping of psychological with physical violence occurred at 3.3% (95%CI 2.0;5.3) and with physical and/or sexual in almost 2.0% (95%CI 0.8;3.0) of cases. The risk of partner violence during postpartum was increased for women with a low level of education (RR = 2.6; 95%CI 1.3;5.4), without own income (RR = 1.7; 95%CI 1.0;2.9) and those who perpetrated physical violence against their partner without being assaulted first (RR = 2.0; 95%CI 1.2;3.4), had a very controlling partner (RR = 2.5; 95%CI 1.1;5.8), and had frequent fights with their partner (RR = 1.7; 95%CI 1.0;2.9).CONCLUSIONS The high incidence of intimate partner violence during postpartum and its association with aspects of the relationship’s quality between the couple, demonstrated the need for public policies that promote conflict mediation and enable forms of empowerment for women to address the cycle of violence

The Moderating Effect of Impression Management on Dating Couples’ Reporting Concordance of Intimate Partner Violence

Researchers examining intimate partner violence (IPV) typically collect only one member’s report of both perpetration and victimization of violence. The research that has included both members’ reports of IPV has consistently indicated low levels of agreement between partners on the presence of specific acts of violence. Impression management, which is a respondent’s intentional attempt at projecting a positive self-image through minimization of negative aspects of oneself, may be one factor that is contributing to the low level of agreement between partners on the presence of violence. In the current study, both dyad members’ reports of IPV were used to examine the overall level of agreement on reports of psychological and physical IPV and examined whether impression management moderated the level of agreement. Participants included 100 heterosexual dating couples (N = 200). Multilevel modeling demonstrated that the sample of dating college student couples typically agreed about the amount of physical and psychological aggression that occurred in their relationship, and that perpetrator impression management was negatively related to couple’s mean level aggression. Overall, impression management was not related to couple concordance. Implications for future research and treatment are discussed