Complexity Of Intimate Partner Violence Research Articles

The Exosystem Impact: An Analysis of Male- and Female Physical Intimate Partner Violence Victimization in Heterosexual Relationships.

An increasing body of sociological research explores the complexity of intimate partner violence (IPV) in heterosexual relationships. However, early research in this area concentrated exclusively on male perpetration, thereby necessitating a better understanding of the contexts behind female-perpetrated and bidirectional IPV. Using the two most recent cycles of the Canadian General Social Survey (2014 and 2019), our study employs a multinomial logistic regression model to examine the prevalence and severity of female and male physical IPV victimization among a large sample of married and common-law heterosexual couples. Framing our analysis through one concentric level of Dutton's (1990) nested ecological model, the exosystem, we aim to understand whether these indicators serve as protective markers against severe and nonsevere physical IPV. We investigate the impact of eight exosystem indicators (financial stress, number of children, length of relationship, religiosity, employment, social support, education, and income). Our findings suggest that social support, employment, and household income serve as protective markers against male and female physical IPV victimization. Other protective factors include the length of the relationship and the partner's religiosity for female-perpetrated violence. At the same time, the presence of children in the household reduces the likelihood of male-perpetrated IPV despite being a risk marker for female perpetration. Risk factors for both men and women include education and their partner's employment. Future research should undertake a more in-depth exploration of the impact of exosystem and macrosystem factors on instances of IPV to generate a better understanding of predictive and preventative measures.

Evaluation of Children after Caregiver Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Study of Barriers, Facilitators, and Trauma- and Violence-Informed Care

To identify barriers and facilitators of evaluating children exposed to caregiver intimate partner violence (IPV) and develop a strategy to optimize the evaluation. Using the EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment) framework, we conducted qualitative interviews of 49 stakeholders, including emergency department clinicians (n=18), child abuse pediatricians (n=15), child protective services staff (n=12), and caregivers who experienced IPV (n=4), and reviewed meeting minutes of a family violence community advisory board (CAB). Researchers coded and analyzed interviews and CAB minutes using the constant comparative method of grounded theory. Codes were expanded and revised until a final structure emerged. Four themes emerged: (1) benefits of evaluation, including the opportunity to assess children for physical abuse and to engage caregivers; (2) barriers, including limited evidence about the risk of abuse in these children, burdening a resource-limited system, and the complexity of IPV; (3) facilitators, including collaboration between medical and IPV providers; and (4) recommendations for trauma- and violence-informed care (TVIC) in which a child's evaluation is leveraged to link caregivers with an IPV advocate to address the caregiver's needs. Routine evaluation of IPV-exposed children may lead to the detection of physical abuse and linkage to services for the child and the caregiver. Collaboration, improved data on the risk of child physical abuse in the context of IPV and implementation of TVIC may improve outcomes for families experiencing IPV.

Professional Representations of Collaboration in the Response to Intimate Partner Violence.

Due to the complexity of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the many actors involved in its social and legal responses, there is a broad consensus that collaboration is essential if IPV is to be overcome. Few studies, however, have provided details as to how these collaborations occur. Rather, research on collaboration in IPV has typically focused on a series of factors facilitating and hindering it. However, these factors are rarely articulated in a systemic, comprehensive, and integrated way. To gain a better understanding of the socio-judicial response to IPV, we conducted a case study in an administrative region in the Province of Quebec, Canada. We conducted individual interviews with 37 key informants who work with people experiencing IPV. The data were subjected to deductive thematic coding as well as to intra- and inter-role matrices that cross-referenced the themes. According to our findings, interagency referrals and information sharing were the most common collaborative practices reported by participants which leading us to characterize the region studied in this article as poorly integrated. Factors facilitating and hindering collaboration are discussed in relation to previous studies. Recommendations for cross-sectoral training, organizational policy development, and opportunities to leverage the expertise of specialized actors in IPV response systems are made.

Practice in a Time of Uncertainty: Practitioner Reflections on Working With Families Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic.

This paper reports findings of a qualitative study examining the perceptions of 21 Australian women professionals who conduct home visiting with families experiencing intimate partner violence. There is scant evidence documenting how home visiting professionals adapted practice to address the safety concerns of women and their children within the context of the pandemic. Practitioners noted an increase in the risk level and complexity of intimate partner violence (IPV), including the ways that perpetrators weaponized the pandemic to exert power and control over women and children. Practitioners reported on their rapid adaptation of practices, to ensure the continuation of services which included moving to online delivery methods, wearing PPE, and negotiating practice from a distance. While responses to these changes were mixed, most reported their desire to continue to use online platforms post-pandemic, reporting increased safety, flexibility, and accessibility for the majority of clients. This research addresses a gap in respect of professionals' perceptions of the issues facing survivors of IPV and of their professional practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. As policies, practices, and protocols continue to adapt to the challenging environment posed by the pandemic the experiences of professionals and service users are critical to inform these changes.

Alexithymia and Insecure Attachment among Male Intimate Partner Violence Aggressors in the Dominican Republic.

The complexity of intimate partner violence and the impossibility of understanding it from single factors have been studied from different biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 187 men involved in legal proceedings for problems of violence in their intimate partner relationships in the Dominican Republic in order to explore whether insecure attachment represents a risk factor for alexithymia in men with violent behaviors. The attachment style was determinate by the Casullo and Fernández-Liporace Attachment Styles Scale, and alexithymia was assayed using the Latin American Consensual Toronto Alexithymia Scale (LAC TAS-20), a modification of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Chi-square test and multiple binary logistic regression analysis were performed to explore the phenomena of alexithymia and attachment styles in the context of a confinement center for male intimate partner offenders in the Dominican Republic. The results showed that insecure attachment represents a risk factor for alexithymia, being highest for avoidant attachment in the population studied. The results also highlight the influence of other factors such as education and maternal–familial relationships as a factor risk for alexithymia.

The Complexities of Intimate Partner Violence: Mental Health, Disabilities, and Child Abuse History for White, Indigenous, and Other Visible Minority Canadian Women.

This research examines how mental health issues associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) relate to women's intersecting identities of race/ethnicity, disability status, and child abuse history. Data (N = 595) from a Canadian triprovincial study included women who were White (n = 263, 44.8%), Indigenous (n = 292, 49.7%), or visible minority (n = 32, 5.5%). Few demographic differences were found. None of the mental health measures (Symptom Checklist-Short Form [SCL-10], Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression [CES-D-10], Posttraumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] Checklist) were in the clinical ranges. In a MANCOVA on the mental health scales, with IPV severity, racial group, disability status, and child abuse history as variables, only disability was significantly associated with more mental health symptoms.

A literature review of intimate partner violence and its classifications

Intimate partner violence is an important issue and attempts to distinguish typologies of intimate partner violence are necessary to understand the complexities of intimate partner violence, its various causes, correlates, and consequences. Over the last two decades, much research was aimed at classifying types of violence depending on the similarities and differences in patterns of violence. However, it is difficult to find a single account that provides a succinct and up-to-date overview of these classifications. As a result, considerable effort is required to identify and retrieve relevant papers to understand each typology or classification of intimate partner violence. This article provides a succinct and up-to-date integrative review of various classifications of intimate partner violence. Typologies by form of abuse, type of violence, type of perpetrator (men and women) are critically reviewed in the light of available literature and the strengths and limitations of each are described. Recommendations for further research are also provided.

“But she's violent, too!”: Holding domestic violence offenders accountable within a systemic approach to batterer intervention

PurposeHolding domestic violence perpetrators accountable for their abusive behavior is the number one objective of batterer intervention programs (BIPs), typically consisting of same‐sex psychoeducational counseling groups. However, such programs have been found to be only marginally successful in reducing recidivism rates. To be more effective, programs need to take into account the complexities of intimate partner violence. The purpose of this article is to offer clinicians working in the field of partner violence suggestions to help them enlist client cooperation and teach responsibility while taking into account the prevalence of mutual abuse dynamics.Design/methodology/approachThe article draws on findings from the research literature as well as the author's 20 years of clinical experience conducting domestic violence offender treatment groups for both men and women.FindingsAmong individuals court‐mandated to batterer intervention, many are involved in mutually‐abusive relationships. Emerging literature indicates that some are also primarily victims. This poses a dilemma for batterer intervention group facilitators, who must work within a legal framework in which individuals are deemed to be either perpetrators or victims.Practical implicationsImplications of this article for partner violence policy and practice include a need for more flexible, evidence‐based laws on partner violence.Originality/valueThere are few practice articles on working with the various forms of abuse dynamics within a clinical setting, and this is the first that is focused on group treatment. The article should be of value to clinicians working directly with domestic violence perpetrators and victims, as well as to the policy makers who conceptualize, create and fund these programs.

Towards a Global Interdisciplinary Evidence-Informed Practice: Intimate Partner Violence in the Ethiopian Context

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.

Narrative Possibilities: Poor Women of Color and the Complexities of Intimate Partner Violence

This article shows how a narrative methodological approach is particularly suited to examining the dynamics of intimate partner violence, especially among poor women of color in South Africa. We show how a narrative approach allowed women to represent their experiences of violence according to their own frames of meaning, examining the complexities of abuse as it is informed by sociocultural factors of gender, poverty, and deprivation. In particular, we show how a narrative approach departs from other qualitative work by enabling women to construct particular forms of identity, thereby giving them agency in authoring their own stories of violence.

Understanding the Complexity of Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Violence in the Lives of Hispanic Men Who Have Sex with Men: Methodological Issues and Considerations

The purpose of this paper is to highlight methodological issues and considerations which will be of use to researchers interested in further understanding the complexity of intimate partner violence in the lives of Hispanic men who have sex with men. We present a brief review of the research on intimate partner violence which highlights intersections of health and behavior risk factors (i.e., alcohol-related-intimate-partner-violence and HIV/AIDS risk) pertaining to gender, ethnicity, and sexuality in this population of males. We then present the reader with a synthesis and critique of several methodological concerns relevant to furthering research in this area including: locating participants, considerations of the impact of local cultural contexts, and impact of researcher positionality. Research recommendations for addressing intimate partner violence as a complex public health concern embedded in “hidden populations” conclude the paper.

Lovestruck: Women, romantic love and intimate partner violence

Intimate Partner Violence remains a significant problem globally despite health promotion aimed at raising awareness. In particular, there is a current trend for many young women to view some abusive/violent behaviours as acceptable in their relationships. Intimate Partner Violence has serious implications for its short and long term impacts on the health of women and children. Health workers may find working with women a challenging and sometimes frustrating experience. A way forward is to develop clearer understandings of the complexities of Intimate Partner Violence and to better understand women’s investments in romantic relationships. In this paper a secondary analysis of data from a narrative study of women’s recovery from IPV relationships is presented in order to illustrate discourses that inform underpinnings of romantic relationships. Transcriptions of audio-taped interviews were analysed using a feminist post-structural approach in order to make visible the ways in which the women negotiated their identities in the discourses of femininity. A critical review of current literature was also undertaken to develop the construct of romantic love. Women revealed that cues for Intimate Partner Violence were present early in the relationship but were not recognised at the time. Two positions within the discourse of romantic love were identified that underpinned their desires to establish and invest in the relationship despite the presence of cues for Intimate Partner Violence. These were ‘Desperate for a man’ and interpreting jealousy as a sign of love. Romantic love may be desirable for the sharing of warmth, safety and protection, and yet can mask behaviours that are cues for domestic violence. Understanding the complex nature of the ways that women’s desires are located in the discourse of romantic love has implications for all nurses working to prevent and reduce the incidence of Intimate Partner Violence.