Abstract
BackgroundThere is limited information about what influences help-seeking following experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). This study investigated determinants of formal and informal help-seeking by those who had experienced lifetime physical, sexual or psychological IPV.MethodsA cross-sectional population-based New Zealand study conducted from 2017 to 2019 recruited 2,887 participants (1,464 women and 1,423 men) aged 16 years and older. Face-to-face interviews were conducted. Of these, 1,373 participants experienced physical, sexual or psychological IPV. Two series of logistic regressions were conducted: 1) comparing those who sought help with those who did not, and 2) comparing those who had not sought help with those who sought informal help only, or with those who also sought formal help.ResultsOf the 1,373 participants who reported experience of physical, sexual or psychological IPV 835 participants (71.3% of women and 49.0% of men) sought some form of help. In both genders self-reported physical and mental health or work-related IPV impacts were significantly associated with help-seeking. Experiencing only one form of IPV was associated with lower odds of seeking formal help by women (Adjusted odds ratio = 0.38; 95%CI = 0.15, 0.92 for physical/sexual only and AOR = 0.37, 95%CI = 0.22, 0.64 for psychological only) compared to those experiencing concurrent types of IPV.Conclusion and implicationsAlthough there were gender differences in help-seeking, for both women and men the experience of greater impacts associated with IPV exposure increased the likelihood of help-seeking. Agencies providing services for people who are experiencing IPV need to be equipped to identify and respond to multiple forms of IPV, and prepared to address the suite of impacts experienced.
Highlights
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is recognized as the most prevalent form of violence experienced by women [1], and, less prevalent, is experienced by men [2,3]
Experiencing only one form of IPV was associated with lower odds of seeking formal help by women (Adjusted odds ratio = 0.38; 95%CI = 0.15, 0.92 for physical/sexual only and AOR = 0.37, 95%CI = 0.22, 0.64 for psychological only) compared to those experiencing concurrent types of IPV
There were gender differences in help-seeking, for both women and men the experience of greater impacts associated with IPV exposure increased the likelihood of help
Summary
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is recognized as the most prevalent form of violence experienced by women [1], and, less prevalent, is experienced by men [2,3]. Since the 1970s, countries have developed efforts to support help-seeking by those who have experienced intimate partner violence This has included the development of shelters, policies to encourage proactive responses from the police and the criminal justice sector, and efforts to engage the health sector in early IPV identification and response [6,7,8,9,10]. Many of these supports, require the person who has experienced IPV to self-identify as needing help and to seek it themselves, which can be difficult for those in crisis and those with limited resources. This study investigated determinants of formal and informal help-seeking by those who had experienced lifetime physical, sexual or psychological IPV
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