Young Women’s Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Patterns Across Multiple Relationships

Abstract

We explored patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization at the relationship level within a socioeconomically diverse sample of young women who had experienced IPV. We recruited from a university, a 2-year college, and high-risk community settings. Drawing on life course theory and utilizing the life history calendar, we conducted retrospective interviews with 148 young women aged 18–24 about partner victimization (physical IPV, coercive control, and sexual IPV) within each relationship, beginning with their first (up to four relationships; 388 total). We assessed patterns of IPV across participants’ relationship histories: rates of the three IPV types and co-occurrence, by setting and relationship number; relationship length in association with the number of IPV types; and transitions into and out of abusive relationships. Coercive control was the most common IPV type across Relationships 1–4 (46–58% of relationships), followed by physical IPV (42–54%) and sexual IPV (29–34%); the most common co-occurrence patterns were physical IPV plus coercive control and all three IPV types combined. Relationships lasted 15–24 months on average, and relationship length was positively associated with the number of IPV types. Transitions were heterogeneous, with systematic, positive change in physical IPV from Relationships 1 to 2; setting was not associated with transition patterns. In the future, researchers should explore a relationship-level approach; prevention and intervention efforts should integrate sexual assault and partner violence, begin early, and target all youth. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/0361684318795880 .