Experiences of intimate partner violence: The role of psychological, economic, physical and sexual violence

Abstract

This article investigates women's experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) in relation to psychological, economic, physical and sexual violence. It does so based on qualitative findings from 63 semi-structured interviews with women victim/survivors of IPV from across Northern Ireland. The article presents key findings from these interviews and compares them with the quantitative findings from a recent pan-European Union (EU) study on violence against women (VAW). The findings reveal the myriad experiences of psychological, economic, physical and sexual violence endured by women in IPV relationships many of which have been overlooked in existing research and by the pan-EU study. The implications of these findings for research and policy are then discussed.