Professionals’ Responses to Aggravated Intimate Partner Violence

The objectives of the study are related to healthcare and social care teachers training needs on the issue of intimate partner violence. The teachers training needs on IPV in Bulgaria...

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Because a substantial proportion of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence is experienced at a young age, primary prevention of these forms of violence must begin early. Prevention efforts should take into consideration that female sexual violence and stalking victimization is perpetrated predominately by men and that a substantial proportion of male sexual violence and stalking victimization (including rape, unwanted sexual contact, noncontact unwanted sexual experiences, and stalking) also is perpetrated by men. CDC seeks to prevent these forms of violence with strategies that address known risk factors for perpetration and by changing social norms and behaviors by using bystander and other prevention strategies. In addition, primary prevention of intimate partner violence is focused on the promotion of healthy relationship behaviors and other protective factors, with the goal of helping adolescents develop these positive behaviors before their first relationships. The early promotion of healthy relationships while behaviors are still relatively modifiable makes it more likely that young persons can avoid violence in their relationships.

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Professional NewsFull AccessFree WPA Curriculum Available on Intimate Partner, Sexual ViolenceMark MoranMark MoranSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:17 Oct 2016https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2016.10b1AbstractThe curriculum is designed for training medical students, psychiatrists in residency programs, and practicing psychiatrists, with increasing levels of competency at each level.A new competency-based curriculum focusing on intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women, issued by the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), seeks to educate medical students, trainees, and practicing psychiatrists about interviewing, assessing, and treating women victims of intimate partner or sexual violence. The WPA’s International Competency-Based Curriculum for Mental Health Care Providers on Intimate Partner Violence/Sexual Violence Against Women, issued in July, is a 55-page document freely accessible on the WPA website. It outlines a wide range of teaching tools—didactic material, PowerPoint slides, case vignettes, and videos. “We owe it to our trainees to help them be up to speed on inter-viewing, assessing, and treating women exposed to intimate partner violence and sexual violence.” —Donna Stewart, M.D.The curriculum was developed by a steering committee of the WPA Section on Women’s Mental Health. Donna Stewart, M.D., co-chair of the committee and University Professor and chair of Women’s Health at the University of Toronto, said that psychiatric educators are welcome to use the resources in whole or in part with attribution.In an interview with Psychiatric News, Stewart said research indicates that few women who experience abuse or violence ever tell a health professional, and few physicians ask about intimate partner or sexual victimization. She said that’s true in mental health settings as well. The major barriers offered by psychiatrists for failing to discuss intimate partner or sexual violence include lack of adequate training about how to ask or respond, lack of knowledge regarding prevalence, skepticism about treatment effectiveness, concern about legal involvement, uncertainty about appropriate referrals, physician discomfort with the issues, time constraints, fear of offending or losing patients, and fear of safety for the women or oneself. “Worldwide the prevalence of intimate partner violence is at least 30 percent,” Stewart continued. “And we know that intimate partner violence and sexual violence dramatically affect mental health.” She added that while it is recognized that men can be victims of intimate partner violence, it is women who are disproportionately on the receiving end of such violence and tend to suffer greater injury.The curriculum is built around observable “competencies”—similar to the core competencies set by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education—that should be mastered in successive stages. The nine competencies described in the curriculum, each of which is divided into subtopics, require learners to be able to do the following: Define physical, psychological, and sexual intimate partner violence. Discuss prevalence.Be aware of myths and preconceptions.Have knowledge of sequelae. Assess for presence in a clinical setting.Provide psychological first aid.Have knowledge of resources.Communicate and document details of assessment.Manage violence-related psychological trauma.The curriculum offers five forms of resources. These include the World Health Organization’s Guidance on Health for Women subjected to intimate partner violence or sexual violence; links and abstracts of key papers, books, manual, and toolkits; a number of PowerPoint slides on intimate partner and sexual violence; case vignettes and teaching points; and video-based learning vignettes accessible on YouTube.One case vignette, for instance, is on “Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After Sexual Violence (or Intimate Partner Violence)”: A family doctor refers a 25-year-old woman who was raped six months ago by an ex-partner to a community psychiatrist for intrusive memories of the assault, distressing dreams, flashbacks, avoidance of being alone, sadness, anxiety, trouble concentrating, hypervigilance, and inability to work. The woman was previously well and has no psychiatric history. The vignette is accompanied by teaching points about diagnosis, the range of treatment options, and documentation. Stewart said that the WPA’s Section on Women’s Mental Health began work on the curriculum three years ago, when the steering committee was selected from international leaders with expertise in intimate partner violence and sexual violence. It was cited as a priority by WPA President Dineesh Buhgra, M.D., Ph.D., of the United Kingdom. The co-chair of the curriculum steering committee is Prabha Chandra, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore, India. Past APA President Michelle Riba, M.D., a member of the WPA Section on Women’s Mental Health and secretary of scientific publications for the WPA, said the curriculum is being disseminated at psychiatric meetings around the world, including APA’s, and a number of universities and training programs have already begun using it. The curriculum is accompanied by the Position Statement on Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Against Women, also issued in July, that declares the WPA’s support for public and professional awareness of violence against women as a critical women’s mental health determinant and for research to develop and evaluate the best treatments for women who have been victimized. “As many as 30 percent of our female patients will have experienced intimate partner violence, so we owe it to our trainees to help them be up to speed on interviewing, assessing, and treating women exposed to intimate partner violence and sexual violence,” Stewart said. “And practicing psychiatrists owe it to themselves and their patients to be current as well.” ■The International Competency-Based Curriculum for Mental Health Care Providers on Intimate Partner Violence/Sexual Violence Against Women can be accessed here. The WPA Position Statement on Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Against Women is available here. ISSUES NewArchived

Research has largely neglected the issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD; e.g., nonbinary and genderqueer) individuals. However, existing research suggests that TGD individuals are disproportionately affected by IPV. The current study sought to explore if and how rates of IPV vary among subgroups of TGD undergraduate students and contextual factors of IPV among TGD individuals including the co-occurrence of multiple forms of IPV victimization, the type of relationship in which IPV occurred, and the gender identity of the IPV perpetrator. Participants were 280 TGD undergraduate students attending 20 medium- and large-sized residential public universities across the contiguous United States. Of the entire sample of TGD undergraduate students (N = 280), a total of 27.5% endorsed past 6-month IPV victimization (20.0% psychological, 6.1% physical, 8.9% sexual, 11.4% coercive control, and 5.7% LGBTQIA+-specific). Among only the participants who endorsed past 6-month IPV victimization (N = 77), 45.4% reported one form of IPV victimization, 26.0% two forms, 22.1% three forms, and 6.5% four forms. Further, 41.3% of TGD IPV victims were in a casual relationship, 56.0% were in a serious relationship, and 2.7% were in multiple relationship types. Finally, 55.8% of victims reported their perpetrator was a man, 22.1% a woman, and 22.1% a TGD individual. No significant differences in rates of IPV were found between TGD respondents. These data highlight the urgent need for programming efforts on college campuses that are specifically designed to prevent and address IPV among and against TGD students. Future research should evaluate universal- and population-specific risk and protective factors for IPV among TGD individuals to inform prevention and response efforts for this highly vulnerable population.

ObjectivesIn recent years, multiple studies have investigated the issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Korea. However, most of those studies have focused on IPV against women, while overlooking the problem of men IPV victimization. Considering this, the current study identified risk and protective factors for IPV and examined their influence on IPV victimization among Korean men.MethodsWe used a nationally representative sample of 1668 Korean men from the 2013 Korea National Survey on Domestic Violence. The associations between potential IPV risk factors and different types of IPV were investigated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Specifically, separate analyses were conducted of 5 types of IPV (neglect, controlling behaviors, emotional violence, economic violence, and physical violence).ResultsThe prevalence of IPV among Korean men and women showed only marginal gender differences. Controlling behaviors (men, 23.3%; women, 23.9%) and emotional violence (men, 16.5%; women, 18.8%) were the most common types of IPV reported, followed by neglect (men, 11.2%; women, 11.7%). Separate logistic regression analyses for the 5 subtypes of IPV revealed that mutual IPV was a strong predictor of IPV. Men who abused their wives were more likely to experience neglect (odds ratio [OR], 29.24; p<0.01), controlling behaviors (OR, 36.61; p<0.01), emotional violence (OR, 58.07; p<0.01), economic violence (OR, 18.78; p<0.01), and physical violence (OR, 38.09; p<0.01).ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that IPV intervention strategies should particularly focus on couples whose relationship is characterized by patterns of bidirectional violence.

Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue at the global level, with cultural differences in its nature and prevalence. Most of the current evidence related to IPV comes from Western countries; however, there is a lack of evidence of IPV in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. The issue of IPV has been investigated in Saudi Arabia only recently, and data have been inconsistent and inconclusive. Hence, we conducted a systematic review of the extant literature devoted to IPV prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes as well as Saudi women’s help-seeking behaviors. Various databases, such as PubMed, CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, and reference lists of the reviewed studies, were searched to identify relevant studies by using different keywords. The review included 16 studies that met the inclusion criteria, which revealed several findings. There is no national representative prevalence study of IPV in the Saudi context. Various IPV definitions were used with limited evidence for the reliability and validity of the used IPV measures. IPV is a prevalent issue among Saudi women, but rates are comparable to those of other countries. There are various individual, relational, and sociocultural factors that increase women’s vulnerability to IPV victimization. However, limited information is available regarding IPV protective factors. More importantly, IPV experiences negatively affect Saudi women’s physical and mental health status. Saudi women rarely seek formal support for IPV. This review also highlights the lack of IPV data and inconsistencies in defining and measuring IPV. More rigorous research regarding IPV is needed to help develop relevant preventive and intervention programs.

IntroductionSamvedana Plus is a multilevel intervention working with sex workers, their intimate partners (IPs) and communities to reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) and to increase condom use within intimate relationships...

Background. Intimate partner violence is a global health issue and is associated with a range of health problems for women. Nurses, as the largest health workforce globally, are well positioned to provide care for abused women. Objectives. This nursing-led interdisciplinary project was conducted to understand the current state of knowledge about intimate partner violence in Ethiopia and make recommendations for country-specific activities to improve response to intimate partner violence through practice changes, education, and research. Methods. The project involved two phases: review of relevant literature and an interdisciplinary stakeholder forum and a meeting with nurse educators. Findings. The literature review identified the pervasiveness and complexity of intimate partner violence and its sociocultural determinants in the Ethiopian context. Two significant themes emerged from the forum and the meeting: the value of bringing multiple disciplines together to address the complex issue of intimate partner violence and the need for health care professionals to better understand their roles and responsibilities in actively addressing intimate partner violence. Conclusions. Further research on the topic is needed, including studies of prevention and resilience and “best practices” for education and intervention. Interdisciplinary and international research networks can support local efforts to address and prevent intimate partner violence.

The costs and consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) are well-documented; however, little is known about how experiences of violence are connected to specific economic insecurities including food, healthcare, and housing insecurity among both men and women. This study investigates (1) the prevalence of food, healthcare, and housing insecurity across gender and racial groups exposed to IPV and SV and (2) associations between exposure to past-year IPV and SV and past-year food, healthcare, and housing insecurity controlling for confounding factors. A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. Data from 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) were analyzed in a nationally representative sample of men (N = 8079) and women (N = 9970). Logistic regressions were used to model associations between past-year intimate partner and sexual violence and dependent variables of food, healthcare, and housing insecurity. Analyses were stratified by gender and included control variables of age, income, education, and race/ethnicity. Higher rates of food, housing, and healthcare insecurity were found among men and women of color exposed to violence, particularly among respondents who identified as Black/African American, Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Native, and other racial/ethnic minority groups. For men, IPV and SV was associated with higher odds for experiencing food (AOR = 2.40, p <.001), housing (AOR = 2.06, p <.001), and healthcare insecurity (AOR = 2.39, p <.001). For women, IPV and SV was also associated with higher odds for experiencing food (AOR = 2.16, p <.001), housing (AOR = 1.94, p <.001), and healthcare insecurity (AOR = 2.38, p <.001). Findings identify specific economic needs among survivors and suggest that the burdens of IPV and SV are not equitably shared across racial/ethnic populations. Findings can inform policy that aims to reduce inequalities in food, housing, and healthcare associated with IPV and SV.

This paper addresses the issue of intimate partner violence against women and its related immigration stressors in Pakistani immigrant families in Germany. Drawing on 32 in-depth interviews with Pakistani women in three cities in Germany, we found that psychological violence was the commonly reported violence among the study participants. The data showed that the process of immigration exacerbated tensions between spouses because of various immigration stressors such as threats to cultural identity, children’s socialization, and social isolation. In order to cope with the stressful spousal relations, women applied various indigenous strategies, but avoided seeking help from the host country’s formal care-providing institutions. This study also debunks some stereotypes and popular media clichés about the “victimhood of women from conservative developing countries” and provides an understanding of the issue of intimate partner violence within an immigration context. Further research with a larger sample will be helpful to understand immigration-induced stress and intimate partner violence in immigrant families.

To learn about U.S. medical students' attitudes, experiences, and practices regarding intimate partner violence (IPV). In a sample reflective of all U.S. medical schools, we surveyed the class of 2003 in 16 U.S. medical schools at three different times in their training. A total of 2316 medical students responded, for a response rate of 80%. By senior year, although 91% of medical students reported receiving at least some training in discussing IPV, only one fifth reported extensive training. Although 73% of students entering wards thought IPV was highly important for physicians to discuss with patients, only 55% of students entering wards, decreasing to 35% of seniors, thought IPV would be highly relevant to their own practice. Only 55% of seniors reported talking with general medicine patients at least sometimes about IPV. Greater frequency of discussing IPV for seniors was associated with being a woman (60% vs. 50% for men, p = 0.006), self-designating as politically moderate or liberal (p = 0.0008), and thinking (on entering wards) that it was highly important for physicians to talk to patients about IPV (p = 0.0002). Perceived relevance of discussing domestic violence to intended practice was substantially higher among women, underrepresented minorities, those having a personal or family history of domestic violence, and those categorizing themselves as politically liberal or very liberal. Among seniors, the prevalence of reporting a personal history of IPV was 3% for women and 1% for men; 12% of women and 7% of men reported a family or personal IPV history. Despite national interest in IPV issues, efforts in U.S. medical schools to increase IPV screening and prevention have not achieved saturation. These gaps in IPV instruction in medical schools are a concern because studies have reported that physicians who receive IPV education training are significantly more likely to screen for it.