Experiences Of Psychological Abuse Research Articles

Patterns of Womenʼs exposure to psychological violence: A global examination of low- and middle-income countries

IntroductionUnder Sustainable Development Goal 5, prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) is a globally reportable indicator. There is a lack of consensus on how to measure and report psychological IPV, affecting prevalence estimates and cross-country comparability. We examine similarities and differences in the patterning of women's experiences of psychological abuse in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to inform common cut points. MethodsData include 13,452 ever-partnered women from six LMICs participating in the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence against women and 306,101 from 47 LMICs participating in the Demographic and Health Surveys. A confirmatory latent class analysis (LCA) approach was applied to identify the optimal class structure using the 3 DHS and 4 WHO psychological IPV items, assessed the impact of physical and sexual IPV on class structure, and tested class generalizability across countries. We validated the three-class solution by regressing the classes on physical IPV, sexual IPV, controlling behaviors, and injury due to domestic violence. We used item response theory (IRT) methods to assess item-level characteristics of the items. ResultsAnalysis confirmed the three-class structure in most countries. Addition of physical and sexual IPV did not change overall class structure or improve discrimination or homogeneity of the items. The three-class structure was invariant within most WHO-classified regions. Operationalized classes informed by the LCA resulted in prevalences of roughly 90% low-to-no class, 7% moderate-intensity class, and 3% high-intensity class. Classes showed convergent validity with all outcomes tested. IRT analysis revealed good discriminations but substantial information overlaps over a narrow range of the latent psychological violence construct. ConclusionsThis study confirms the three-class pattern but suggests some differences across countries. and regions. We suggest cut points distinguishing violent from non-violent acts and demarcating levels of severity for future study. Findings offer evidence-based guidance to rectify challenges.

Not Just Sticks and Stones: Psychological Abuse and Physical Violence among U.S. State Senators

AbstractIn this study, we report results of a survey of U.S. state senators about their experiences of psychological abuse, physical violence, and sexualized abuse and violence on the job, as well as gender differences among senators. Overall, our results indicate that more than 80% of state senators reported having faced abuse and violence, and women senators reported more physical violence than men. Moreover, we found differences in the factors that contributed to abuse and violence among women and men state senators. Most notably, women with higher levels of power (party or committee leaders) were more likely than other women to experience psychological abuse and sexualized abuse and violence, and Democratic women senators faced more sexualized abuse and violence than Republican women. The implications for continued service by state senators in the face of these experiences, the likelihood of attracting future candidates, and the implications for gender diversity in office are explored.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Identity Transformation After Experiences of Psychological Abuse: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

Psychological abuse (PA) is being associated with the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, few studies have focused exclusively in this type of abuse. This study aimed to examine the relationship between PA and PTSD symptoms according to gender and understand the impact of severe PA in identity transformation, in a Portuguese university sample. Using a mixed-methods approach, 158 students answered an e-survey containing closed and open-ended questions. Results indicated a positive correlation between PA and PTSD symptoms. Women were significantly different from men concerning PA, contrarily to PTSD symptoms that did not present significant gender differences. The qualitative analysis revealed two different forms of adjustment, in both genders: positive-indicating personal growth-and negative changes-impacting relationships and emotional states. The more negative changes were described, the more PTSD symptoms were presented, regardless gender. Raising awareness can help young recognize themselves as victims and prevent the development of detrimental mental health status.

Psychological abuse in Spanish same-sex couples: prevalence and relationship between victims and perpetrators

This study investigates the prevalence of psychological abuse victimization in same-sex couples and the relationship between being a victim and a perpetrator of these negative behaviours. The final sample consisted of 107 adults residing in Spain who identified themselves as lesbian women and gay men, and who had been involved in a conflictive same-sex relationship. Participants were asked how frequently they would label their experience of psychological abuse and three different estimation methods were used. Furthermore, the relationship between being a victim and being a perpetrator of psychological abuse behaviours was calculated through the behavioural estimation method using a questionnaire. The results showed that the prevalence rates varied from 11.3% to 56.6%, depending on the estimation method, and they revealed that there was no correlation between receiving and enacting psychological abuse behaviours. The variation in prevalence rates highlights methodological differences that limit the extent to which comparisons can be made across studies. Three estimation methods are introduced to stimulate future research on this issue.

Men’s Experience of Psychological Abuse: Conceptualization and Measurement Issues

In this paper the literature on men’s experience of psychological abuse (in the U.S.) is reviewed and the ability to conceptualize and measure such abuse is reconsidered. Scales used to measure psychological abuse based on the experiences of battered women are critiqued as inadequate as measures of psychological abuse of men. Although both men and women direct psychological abuse toward their partners, violence perpetrated by men and women is not necessarily the same. Adopting a gender role perspective on psychological abuse, we argue that women may use different strategies to hurt men including manipulation and gender role harassment, whereas coercive control paired with physical abuse may constitute one version of (male) intimate partner violence.

The impact of physical and economic abuse on maternal mental health and parenting

Using the first four waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), this article examined the long-term impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) on maternal depression and parenting. Findings from multivariate logistic regressions demonstrated that economic and psychological abuse at Year 1 had significant effects on the likelihood of mothers experiencing depression and spanking their children at Year 5. Psychological abuse experiences at Year 1 had a significant effect on the level of engagement with their children at Year 5. However, experiences of physical violence at Year 1 did not significantly impact mothers' depression or parenting. In addition, the results indicated that both the level and change of economic abuse increased the odds of mothers experiencing depression at Year 5. Similarly, both the level and change of psychological abuse decreased the odds of mothers engaging with their children at Year 5. Finally, the level of economic and psychological abuse at Year 1 increased the odds of the use of spanking in Year 5. These results suggest that there are long-term effects of economic and psychological abuse on mothers' depression and parenting and that more research is needed to understand the impact of abuse, specifically of economic abuse, among families that are victims of interpersonal violence.

A Contextualized Investigation of Traumatic Correlates of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Australian Athletes

This study examined the traumatic sequelae associated with childhood sexual abuse from a contextualized perspective, taking into account childhood physical and psychological abuse experiences and adult trauma. Participants were 90 (45 men and 45 women) competitive athletes, purposefully selected to balance the distributions of sex and reported childhood sexual abuse across the sample. The study comprised a cross‐sectional, retrospective investigation using well‐established, standardized, self‐report questionnaires and a semi‐structured interview Results revealed that, within the total sample, childhood sexual, physical, and psychological abuse were strongly correlated. Reported childhood psychological abuse was the primary unique correlate of current posttraumatic and dissociative symptomatology. Reported childhood sexual abuse and psychological abuse were uniquely correlated with posttraumatic and dissociative symptomatology in the male sample. The unique correlate in the female sample was childhood physical abuse. The study provides initial data that support recent work in the trauma field with non‐athletes, indicating that contextualized, trauma‐based assessment and intervention is an appropriate therapeutic approach when working with athlete‐survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Specifically, the long‐term traumatic sequelae associated with childhood sexual abuse need to be assessed and treated within a context that is sensitive to psychological abuse issues. Sex disaggregated analyses suggest that the social context of childhood sexual abuse may be qualitatively different for men and women. Implications for sport psychology practice, training, and research are discussed.

Abuse Behavior Inventory

This study determines a clinical cutting score for the 29-item Abuse Behavior Inventory (ABI) developed by Shepard and Campbell (1992) to measure both physical and psychological abuse experiences. The authors report on a sample of 392 White and African American women from primary care waiting rooms, who completed the ABI and the revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). An ABI cutoff score of 10 maximizes validity and produces a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 81% compared to the CTS2. Cronbach's alpha is .92 for the entire scale, .91 for the psychological subscale, and .86 for the physical subscale. Correlation between the ABI and CTS2 is .76, with subscale correlations of .74 between ABI psychological and CTS2 verbal aggression, and .71 between ABI physical and CTS2 physical aggression, injury, and sexual coercion.

Intimate Partner Violence and Cigarette Smoking: Association Between Smoking Risk and Psychological Abuse With and Without Co-Occurrence of Physical and Sexual Abuse

We examined the association between psychological abuse in a current relationship and current cigarette smoking among women, with and without the co-occurrence of physical or sexual abuse. Women's experience of psychological abuse, experience of physical or sexual abuse, and smoking status were ascertained through a survey of female nurses. A score of 20 or more on the Women's Experience With Battering scale defined psychological abuse. We used logistic regression to predict current smoking, adjusting for demographic and social covariates. Analyses included women in a current relationship (n=54200). Adjusted analyses demonstrated that women experiencing only psychological abuse alone were 33% (95% confidence interval [CI]=13%, 57%) more likely to smoke than nonabused women. Compared with nonabused women, psychologically abused women's risk of smoking was greater if they reported a single co-occurrence of physical or sexual abuse (odds ratio [OR]=1.5; 95% CI=1.3, 1.8) or multiple co-occurrences (OR=1.9; 95% CI=1.7, 2.3). Psychological abuse in a current relationship was associated with an increased risk of smoking in this cohort of largely White, well-educated, and employed women. The co-occurrence of physical or sexual abuse enhanced that risk. Further research is needed to see if these associations hold for other groups.

Psychological Abuse in Family Studies

One of the first documented psychoeducational programs to educate college students about the perils of psychological abuse is described. The intervention was designed to help students examine their personal experiences of psychological abuse and consider how the information could be used in their careers. The process of creating the intervention and publicizing it to the campus community is discussed. The content of the intervention, participants, implementation, and evaluation processes are described. Operational definitions and dramatic skits of psychological abuse are described along with historical context and current research findings. Ways of working through psychological abuse, and services available to recover from it, are presented. Evaluation data, immediately after workshop completion and one week later, indicated that participants positively evaluated this intervention and reported both positive attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. Limitations and implications of this psychoeducational program for the prevention of interpersonal violence are discussed.

Risk and Protective Factors for Pregnant Women Experiencing Psychological Abuse

A community sample of two hundred pregnant women reported on their experiences of psychological abuse, depressive symptoms, and emotional support. Findings indicated that prenatal depressive symptoms mediated the relationship between prenatal severity of psychological abuse and postpartum depressive symptoms. In addition, prenatal emotional support moderated the relationship between the severity of prenatal psychological abuse and prenatal depressive symptoms. Emotional support, therefore, was considered to act as a buffer for psychological abuse severity, as high levels of emotional support were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms under conditions of more severe psychological abuse. These results were over and above the effects of the physical violence that these women experienced. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Behavioral observations of parenting in battered women.

The current study assessed observational data of parenting in 95 battered women and their school-aged children's behavioral adjustment and analyzed them within an ecological framework. Results indicated that maternal experience of psychological and physical abuse predicts maternal warmth, but not maternal authority-control, over and above ontogenic and exosystemic factors. In addition, maternal experience of psychological abuse and maternal authority-control predicted children's observed behavior, over and above child characteristics. An ecological framework for understanding the effects of domestic violence on parenting was supported.

Gender role perceptions of women in abusive relationships

A community sample of psychologically abused women (N = 93; 83 Anglo, 4 Hispanic, 4 African-American, 1 Native American, 1 “Other”) in 3 groups (psychological abuse only, with moderate violence, with severe violence) received payment for completing lengthy questionnaires and interviews. This study concerns women’s perceptions of their own and their partners’ gender roles and gender role attitudes. Women in all 3 groups rated themselves feminine and egalitarian, as hypothesized. Ratings of their partners were near the midpoint of the scales on masculinity and traditionalism, contrary to hypotheses. Women experiencing psychological abuse with severe violence had more negative perceptions of their partners and believed their partners had more negative views of them than did women who shared the common experience of psychological abuse but sustained less or no violence.