Status Compatibility, Decision-Making, and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Among Nigerian Couples

One-in-four women in Nigeria has experienced some type of spousal violence in her life. The present study uses relative occupational positions of women as a proxy for bargaining power and examines it as a potential risk (or protective) factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nigeria, a perspective unexplored by the existing literature. Using the nationally representative 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey NDHS and a multinomial logit regression model, the study examines the association between occupations and IPV. It finds that women in less prestigious occupations have greater odds for experiencing violence. Additionally, women have greater odds of abuse if partners are engaged in more prestigious occupations. The paper extends the analysis by assessing the association between relative spousal occupational prestige and IPV. Findings indicate that women in similar and more prestigious occupations than their male partners have greater odds of experiencing violence. Policy recommendations follow from the results. HIGHLIGHTS Status inconsistencies and women’s resource possession provoke intimate partner violence. Any move toward status equality is a risk factor for women’s experience of abuse. Policies that promote counseling for women working in less prestigious occupations may provide a support system. An increase in legislation that criminalizes domestic violence in Nigeria is needed.

Severe mental illness, substance use, and intimate partner violence have emerged as major intersecting public health problems that adversely and disproportionately impact the lives of women in the United States. This longitudinal study investigated the demographic and clinical correlates of intimate partner violence in a sample of 324 mothers with severe mental illness. A secondary analysis of longitudinal data was conducted by using multiple logistic regression. Participants were part of a longitudinal, community-based study of mothers with severe mental illness, which was aimed at understanding how these mothers viewed motherhood. The women were interviewed initially at baseline (interviews were conducted between 1995 and 1996) and then about 20 months later at follow-up (interviews were conducted between 1997 and 1998). At follow-up the prevalence rate of intimate partner violence was 19%. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed a significant positive relationship between alcohol and drug misuse at baseline and intimate partner violence at follow-up, indicating that women with a co-occurring diagnosis of a substance use disorder (dual diagnosis) were more likely than women without such a diagnosis to report intimate partner violence. The number of lifetime psychiatric hospitalizations and the number of symptoms related to psychiatric disability exhibited at baseline were positively associated with intimate partner violence at follow-up, and age was inversely associated with intimate partner violence. Mental health professionals serving mothers with mental health problems need to be aware of and prepared to assess the significant correlation between these intersecting public health problems in order to influence successful interventions. Particular attention must be given to the special treatment needs related to dual diagnosis and victimization and the impact of these factors on this vulnerable population.

A Longitudinal Investigation of Intimate Partner Violence Among Mothers With Mental Illness

The practice of screening women for intimate partner violence (IPV) in health care settings has been a critical part of responding to this major public health problem. Yet, IPV prevention would be enhanced with detection efforts that extend beyond screening for IPV experiences to identifying those who use violence in relationships as well. To determine rates of IPV experiences and use (ie, among perpetrators of IPV) and factors associated with disclosures among adult patients seeking mental health services at the Veterans Health Administration. This cross-sectional study used electronic medical record data drawn from a quality improvement initiative at 5 Veterans Health Administration medical centers conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 to examine IPV disclosures following concurrent screening for IPV experience and use. Participants included patients engaged in mental health services. Data were analyzed in April and May 2023. Mental health clinicians were trained to screen for IPV experience and use concurrently and instructed to screen all patients encountered through routine mental health care visits during a 3-month period. Outcomes of interest were past-year prevalence of IPV use and experience, sociodemographic characteristics, and clinical diagnoses among screened patients. A total of 200 patients were offered IPV screening. Of 155 participants (mean [SD] age, 52.45 [15.65] years; 124 [80.0%] men) with completed screenings, 74 (47.7%) denied past-year IPV experience and use, 76 (49.0%) endorsed past-year IPV experience, and 72 (46.4%) endorsed past-year IPV use, including 67 participants (43.2%) who reported IPV experience and use concurrently; only 9 participants (5.8%) endorsed unidirectional IPV experiences and 5 participants (3.2%) endorsed unidirectional IPV use. Patients who reported past-year IPV experience and use were younger than those who denied IPV (experience: mean difference, -7.34 [95% CI, 2.51-12.17] years; use: mean difference, -7.20 [95% CI, 2.40-12.00] years). Patients with a posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis were more likely to report IPV use (43 patients [59.7%]) than those without a posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis (29 patients [40.3%]; odds ratio, 2.14; [95% CI, 1.12-4.06]). No other demographic characteristics or clinical diagnoses were associated with IPV use or experience. In this cross-sectional study of IPV rates and associated factors, screening for IPV found high rates of both IPV experience and use among patients receiving mental health care. These findings highlight the benefit of screening for IPV experience and use concurrently across gender and age. Additionally, the associations found between PTSD and IPV use underscore the importance of strengthening and developing additional targeted treatment for IPV.

Those who have served in the military are at heightened risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), defined as threatened or actual physical, sexual, or psychological abuse from a current or former romantic partner, relative to the general population. However, no known efforts have compared patterns of IPV use (i.e., perpetration) and IPV experience (i.e., victimization) disaggregated by current military affiliation (i.e., service member or veteran), nor have they compared patterns of unidirectional IPV (either IPV use or experience only) versus bidirectional IPV (i.e., concurrent IPV use and IPV experience) by military affiliation. Using dyadic data from United States service members, veterans, and their spouses who participated in the Millennium Cohort Family Study-the only Department of Defense-wide longitudinal study on military families-we compared rates and frequencies of IPV use, IPV experience, and IPV patterns between service members (n = 2,301) and veterans (n = 1,877). An estimated 37.6% of service members and 47.9% of veterans had any IPV experience; 36.4% of service members and 50.8% of veterans had any IPV use. Veterans had higher rates of IPV experience (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.10, 1.85]) and IPV use (aOR: 1.67; 95% CI [1.29, 2.18]). After adjusting for bidirectionality, veterans had higher rates of bidirectional IPV (aOR: 1.62; 95% CI [1.22, 2.15]) and IPV use (aOR: 2.19; 95% CI [1.29, 3.27]), but not IPV experience. Veterans had an increase in the expected frequency of IPV experience by 47% (adjusted incidence rate ratios [IRR] = 1.47; 95% CI [1.19, 1.81]) and IPV use by 65% (IRR = 1.65, 95% CI [1.35, 2.00]), relative to service members. These findings underscore the value of investment in IPV prevention and treatment upon separation from military service, and the need for targeted programming and resources to address bidirectional IPV among both partners in a dyad.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a reality the average Nigerian woman has to grapple with everyday. Ethnicity and place of residence play a pivotal role in the social realities of Nigerian women, especially with their experience of IPV. However, there is a paucity of reviews examining the impact of ethnicity and place of residence on women’s experiences of IPV in Nigeria. This study seeks to explore the ethnoregional dynamics of IPV from the range of studies undertaken on the subject matter. Eighteen studies meant the inclusion criteria for analysis. The major criteria for selecting studies for analysis were peer-reviewed studies on IPV against women and studies on a Nigerian population, regardless of the nationality of the authors. Databases like the University of Saskatchewan Library, ProQuest, Sociological s, and Journal Storage (JSTOR) were used in searching for peer-reviewed studies. The study revealed that Igbo women tend to experience IPV more than Yoruba and Hausa women. The study also found that rural women tend to experience IPV more than urban women. The study points out some of the services available for female victims of IPV and the possible strategies that can be adapted to reach them effectively.

Help-seeking has been identified as one of the most potent ways of stopping gender-based violence. However, studies have shown that poor help-seeking behaviour persists among women with experience with intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nigeria. This study examines the factors influencing help-seeking behaviour among young women with IPV experience in Nigeria. Young women within the age bracket of 15-29years were considered because they are disproportionately affected by IPV. This study utilised the 2018 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) data. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. The results revealed that religion [χ2 = 11.700, p < 0.05], place of residence [χ2 = 8.710, p < 0.05], level of education [χ2 = 14.659, p < 0.05], and ethnicity [χ2 = 40.135, p < 0.05] significantly influence the help-seeking behaviour of young women with experience with IPV. Participants from the South-South region of Nigeria were 49% less likely to seek help (OR 0.49, CI 0.28-0.84, p < 0.05) compared to those from the South-West region. Additionally, participants with formal education were 35% less likely to seek help (OR 0.35, CI 0.15-0.84, p < 0.05) than those without formal education. The study recommends implementing culturally sensitive and region-specific interventions to address barriers that hinder uneducated women from seeking help. These findings also suggest that policies and programs should consider sociocultural factors such as region, ethnicity, and educational level.

This study investigates regional variations in the factors associated with acceptance and actual experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) among married women in northern and southern Nigeria - two regions with distinct socio-cultural and economic differences. Data from the 2018 demographic and health survey are analysed to compare these two regions. The sample comprised married/living-with-partner women within the reproductive age of 15-49. Overall, a positive association exists between IPV experience and IPV acceptance, regardless of which is used as the outcome variable. Contrary to the notion that IPV is prevalent where its acceptance is high, this study finds that the reverse is true. IPV acceptance is significantly higher in the north than in the south (39.4% versus 14.7%), but the reverse is the case for the actual experience of IPV (20.1% versus 24.7%). Being employed and having access to the internet reduce the odds of IPV victimisation for women in the south, but increases the chances for northern women. Muslims in the north have significantly higher odds of IPV acceptance than their Christian counterparts in the same region, but the reverse is the case in the south. Regional differences also exist in the influence of decision-making, educational difference between spouses, and media exposure. While the cosmopolitan-success and conservative-failure hypothesis explains the regional differences in the acceptance of IPV, it fails to explain differences in the actual experience of IPV. The study provides alternative explanations for the regional differences in the experience of IPV and acceptance of it in Nigeria, and it points to the need for differing intervention programmes across regions. Notably, the study found that the association between justification of IPV and actual experience of it is bi-directional and suggests caution in making causal inferences.

The association between emotional and physical intimate partner violence and COVID-19 vaccine uptake in a community-based U.S. Cohort

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.

22: Intimate partner violence and pregnancy: Narratives of pregnant and parenting teens

BackgroundSocial support is an important factor for improving the outcome of intimate partner violence (IPV) among abused women. Gaps exist on the role of social support among young women who...

Neighborhood Effects and Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence: Latest Results

Evidence suggests an overlap between intimate partner violence (IPV) experience and perpetration. However, few studies in sub-Saharan Africa have investigated experience and perpetration of IPV among women and men within the same community. This study reports prevalence of past-year IPV experience and perpetration among women and men living in an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, and factors associated with IPV. Data analyzed for this study involved a geographically distributed random sample of 273 women and 429 men who participated in a community survey. We approximated prevalence of IPV experience and perpetration and used logistic regression for estimating associations between individual-level factors and IPV. Women and men experienced similar levels of IPV, but a significantly higher proportion of men reported physical and sexual IPV perpetration. Witnessing violence between parents in childhood was associated with women's physical and sexual, and men's sexual IPV experience; and with women perpetrating emotional, and men perpetrating sexual IPV. Less equitable gender attitudes were associated with men's perpetration of physical IPV. More equitable gender knowledge was associated with women's experience of sexual IPV, and with men perpetrating IPV. Perceived skills to challenge gender inequitable practices were negatively associated with men perpetrating sexual IPV. In conclusion, we found IPV experience and perpetration were highly correlated, and that, contrary to commonly reported gender gaps, men and women experienced similar rates of IPV. We make suggestions for future research, including on IPV prevention interventions in areas with such IPV prevalence that would be beneficial for women and men and future generations.

Women presenting for care within a suburban Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital (VA) were screened for intimate partner violence (IPV). This study aimed to explore the feasibility of screening for IPV within a VA women’s health clinic, assess how well the screening measure captured women veterans’ experiences of IPV, and compare clinical correlates of IPV in women veterans who have and have not experienced IPV. Of 96 eligible women, 93 (97 %) answered a self-report question regarding experience of lifetime IPV and 72 (75 %) participated in a standardized screening. Among participants, 42 (47 %) reported experiencing past or current IPV, and of those, 11 (25 %) reported that they were currently experiencing IPV, and 31 (70 %) reported that they had experienced IPV in their past. Screening for IPV among women veterans in a women’s health clinic is feasible and identifies women who experience IPV, offering opportunities for referral and intervention.