A Violent Event Perspective on Women's Involvement in Incidents of Severe Partner Violence.

Abstract

There is a shortage of research that examines experiences of partner violence (PV) among high-risk, incarcerated women using a situational perspective. This study uses a "violent event perspective" and data from the Canadian-Based Women's Experiences of Violence study to examine the sequential actions of intimate partners in a violent event. It also identifies the types of violent events based on women's involvement in the incidents of severe PV. A total of 135 incarcerated women reported 295 incidents of severe violence with a partner. Findings suggest that PV experiences of women in this clinical sample are highly heterogeneous but mostly represent extreme forms of both victimization and perpetration. This study also identifies the heterogeneity of the types of PV events by providing insight into novel forms of violent dynamics.