Types Of Intimate Partner Violence Research Articles

Understanding the interconnected relationships between intimate partner violence and child maltreatment: The role of maternal material hardship

BackgroundEvidence indicates an association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (CM). Although research shows mothers' IPV victimization is a risk factor for CM, the specific elements within IPV and CM are not well understood. Some studies suggest material hardship plays a role in the relationships between IPV and CM. However, the relationship between different typologies of IPV and CM considering material hardship has rarely been examined. ObjectiveThis study fills this gap by assessing the direct effects of IPV victimization on material hardship and CM, direct effects of material hardship on CM, and indirect effects of IPV victimization on CM via material hardship with attention to typologies of IPV and CM. MethodsData included responses by 3086 mothers in the Fragile Families Child Wellbeing Study. ResultsStructural equation modeling showed that material hardship predicted higher risk of CM regardless of the presence of IPV or what type (child physical assault: β = 0.11, p < 0.001; child psychological aggression: β = 0.12, p < 0.001; child neglect: β = 0.06, p < 0.01). However, mothers who experienced controlling and emotional IPV had a higher risk of material hardship, and this increased their children's risk of CM (child physical assault: β = 0.02, p < 0.01; child psychological aggression: β = 0.02, p < 0.01; child neglect: β = 0.01, p < 0.05). This was the only type of IPV associated with CM through its association with material hardship. ConclusionsThe varied findings suggest that intervention efforts in families with co-occurring IPV and CM should mobilize economic support to IPV survivors with consideration of the varied effects of different types of IPV.

Patterns and predictors of perinatal posttraumatic stress symptoms: A latent transition analysis

BackgroundPregnancy is a time of increased risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), yet there is a dearth of prospective research examining the relationship between IPV and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in the perinatal period. Further, relationships among different types of IPV and perinatal PTSS remain understudied. MethodsLatent class and transition analyses were used to examine classes of PTSS in pregnancy and postpartum, the longitudinal patterns of transitions across these classes, and the role of IPV types, childhood adversity, and depressive symptoms in PTSS presentation. Participants (N = 238) were drawn from two longitudinal studies of high-risk perinatal women. ResultsFour latent PTSS classes emerged: High, Avoidant, Hypervigilant, and Low. Childhood adversity (χ2(3) = 13.09, p = .004), prenatal depression (χ2(3) = 17.58, p = .001), and psychological IPV (χ2(3) = 10.51, p = .01) were associated with membership in High, Avoidant, and Hypervigilant classes. Women with low prenatal PTSS continued to have low levels at postpartum. Women in higher severity classes during pregnancy tended to transition into classes with adjacent, and often lower, levels of symptom severity postpartum. Women in the High PTSS class in pregnancy with elevated levels of depression were significantly more likely to remain in the High PTSS class or transition into the Avoidant class at postpartum, compared to the Low PTSS class, χ2(3) = 11.84, p = .008. LimitationsRelatively modest sample size precluded examination of a broader range of symptoms consistent with PTSD. ConclusionsFindings highlight the importance of individualized approaches to assessing, monitoring, and treating perinatal PTSS.

Barriers to accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis among women experiencing intimate partner violence in the United States: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT Women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) are at increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection but have limited uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We systematically reviewed the existing evidence for the association between IPV and PrEP use, and barriers to accessing PrEP among women with a history of IPV in the United States. A keyword search of PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science for relevant articles within the United States from 2012 to 2022 yielded 133 articles, of which 15 were ultimately included in the analysis. A qualitative synthesis of evidence suggests that the association between IPV and PrEP awareness, PrEP acceptability, PrEP use, and HIV risk perception was contingent on the mediating or moderating effects of women’s relationship status, social network characteristics, and the timing and types of IPV. Controlling partners’ reactions and a lack of independent decision-making in the abusive relationship were salient barriers. The methodological quality of qualitative studies was high; however, there were important risks of bias among quantitative and mixed-method studies. Additional studies are needed to understand barriers to PrEP use among women with IPV in more diverse settings and to provide rigorous evidence for developing targeted HIV prevention strategies for them.

Comparing Factors Associated With Intimate Partner Violence Among Rural and Urban Women in Northern Uganda.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health issue with negative effects at individual and societal levels. In northern Uganda, IPV prevalence is high but literature on it is limited. Northern Uganda has a long history of socio-economic and political upheavals, which are recognized risk factors for IPV. We compare IPV prevalence among rural and urban women in northern Uganda. This was a cross-sectional survey of 856 northern Ugandan women, 409 women living in rural areas, and 447 women working in an urban marketplace. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. High rates of emotional, physical, and sexual IPV were found. Almost four of five participants had experienced at least one type of IPV during their lifetime, and approximately half of the participants had experienced IPV in the 12 months prior to the survey. Many women stated that IPV was justified in certain situations. Younger age was a significant determinant of IPV in both cohorts (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.93-0.97]). Determinants of IPV among the rural cohort included male partner's alcohol abuse (aOR 2.22, CI [1.34-3.73]); having been in a physical fight with another man (aOR 1.90, 95% CI [1.12-3.23]); and controlling behaviors (aOR 1.21, CI [1.08-1.36]). Possible protective factors in the urban cohort included markers of economic empowerment such as being the decision maker on large household items (59.2% vs. 44.6%, p = .002) and having a mobile phone (20.4% vs. 12.4%, p = .024). Our study shows that IPV is a significant issue in northern Uganda. Economic empowerment is associated with lower rates of IPV in urban women, and interventions to reduce gender wealth inequality may reduce IPV prevalence. Further studies on enablers of IPV and the effect of conflict on IPV prevalence are needed to inform future interventions.

Understanding the Geography of Victimization: A Spatial Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence in India.

Most studies on intimate partner violence (IPV) and its drivers have focused on individual-and household-level characteristics of the victim. Recent studies have acknowledged that it is a community-level phenomenon, using spatial analytical methods to analyze community-level determinants of IPV and its geographic dimensions. Such studies provide mixed evidence on the impact of different factors and need to be supplemented by similar studies-particularly in South Asian countries where IPV is common. The present study examines district-level variations in the incidence of various forms of IPV and identifies its determinants in India, a fast-growing South Asian country with poor gender indicators. The study combines data from the National Family Health Survey, District Level Household Survey, and the decadal Census. It applies spatial analytical methods such as the Global Moran's I, Getis-ord statistic, and Multivariate Local Geary to determine the nature of the spatial distribution of different categories of IPV. Spatial regression models are used to identify the community-level predictors of each category of IPV. The study finds non-random overlapping spatial clusters in the eastern part of India. The study also finds that neighborhoods characterized by low empowerment levels, and with a high child sex ratio, road connectivity, and proportion of socially marginalized groups are more likely to exhibit high levels of all types of IPV-although the impact of these determinants varies across districts. Furthermore, spill-overs in the incidence of IPV between neighboring districts are also observed. The study concludes by recommending the use of localized policies, rather than broad national or state policies, in reducing IPV.

1443P Intimate partner violence in cancer patients: An SOS call

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a critical problem worldwide. The subject remains a taboo especially in Arab countries were reported IPV prevalence ranged from 6% to 59%. Data about the combination of IPV and cancer is missing. The aim of the present study was to measure the frequency and types of IPV among patients with cancer and evaluate risk factors. The study was a cross sectional, questionnaire-based study, conducted between January and April 2022, including 141 patients treated with cancer regardless of gender, site, or stage. We developed the study questionnaire by adapting items from the “WHO multi-country questionnaire on violence against women” and “The Women’s Experiences with Battering Scale”. Odds ratio (OR) and Spearman tests were performed to assess the impact of several factors associated with the reported IPV. Median age was 50.8 yo, 38.3% were male cancer patients. Patient reported to have a highschool or university educational level (EL) in 76% and a stable job at the moment of the study in 49%. IPV prevalence was 24.8%, we observed 5 cases of torture (3%). The most common forms of violence were: placing severe restriction on certain types of food in 21% of cases, psychological violence (absence of kindness and critsism) in 20%, exposing intimate information about the patient health status in 17%, ignoring and not speaking to the patient in 13.5%, putting restrictions on visiting relatives in 9.2%, verbal assault in 9.2%, physical violence in 7.9%. There was no difference in the incidence of IPV neither in the forms of violence between man and women. The only difference of reported IPV forms between man and women was “divorce threats”, observed in 9% of women vs 0% in man (p=0.02). We observed a significant correlation between IPV prevalence and disease stage (34.6% M1 vs 19.1% M0, p=0,04, OR=2.2 [1-4.8]), patient’s EL (48.5% none-primary school vs 17.6%, p=0.01, OR= 4.4 [1.8-10.2]) and being under cancer therapy (30.9% vs 11.4%, p=0.013, OR=3.4 [1.2-9.7]). Patients were shown to be victims of several forms of IPV regardless of gender and highly correlated with a low educational level and disease stage. Implementation of both; intervention strategies to take care of victims and preventive strategies supporting patients and their partners is needed.

Ending the Cycle of Abuse in Battered Women Defenses.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health concern, and multiple types of IPV have been described. Women, like men, have various motives for committing intimate partner homicide. This issue of The Journal includes an article reviewing the use of a Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) defense in American courts. The time was right for a BWS defense a generation ago when there was a lack of understanding of the reasonableness of a woman's action, but not at present. We review the inherent problems of having a gendered law, looking to infanticide acts, as examples. We discuss the validity of BWS considering the DSM and the ICD-10. We explore the role of a forensic psychiatrist in these evaluations, particularly given the lack of a diagnostic, scientific basis for BWS, and consider the similarities with sexually violent predator hearings. In conclusion, we outline considerations for forensic psychiatrists when conducting these examinations. This includes awareness of potential gender bias, recognizing clinical and scientific challenges in the legal diagnosis of BWS, and consideration of the role of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Stressful life events, intimate partner violence, and perceived stress in the postpartum period: longitudinal findings in rural Pakistan.

While the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and stress is well documented, the directionality of this relationship is unclear. We use an adjusted longitudinal study design to better understand if stressful life events in the home precipitate or exacerbate intimate partner violence (IPV) and if experiences of IPV, in turn, increase levels of perceived stress. Longitudinal data were collected among married women in rural Pakistan at 12 and 24months postpartum (N = 815). Adjusted Poisson and linear regression models were used to examine stressful life events, past year IPV and severity (number and frequency of violent acts), and perceived stress (Cohen Perceived Stress Scale). At 12months postpartum, the prevalence of past year physical, psychological, and sexual IPV was 8.5%, 25.7%, and 25.1%, respectively, with 42.6% experiencing any IPV. After adjustment, stressful life events were associated with a subsequent increased likelihood of all IPV types and increased severity of all but physical IPV. Any past year IPV (versus none) and greater IPV severity were associated with 3.43 (95% CI 2.33-4.52) and 2.57 (95% CI 1.87-3.27) point subsequent increases in perceived stress. Physical, psychological, and sexual IPV and their respective severities were all independently associated with increased perceived stress. Among postpartum women in Pakistan, stressful life events increase the likelihood of IPV and, in turn, experiences of IPV increase stress levels. Support to families undergoing stressful circumstances may be critical to reducing women's IPV exposure and resulting elevated stress.

Self-Control and Intimate Partner Violence: Does Gender Matter?

ABSTRACT The present study focuses on the interrelationships among gender, self-control, and intimate partner violence (IPV). The extant bodies of literature suggest that both IPV and low self-control are gendered phenomena. That is, males tend to display lower mean levels of self-control than females, and there are notable differences in IPV between males and females. Since both phenomena are gendered, it is plausible that the relationship between self-control and IPV may also be gendered. To that end, the purpose of the present study is to explore the role played by gender in the relationship between self-control and IPV. To accomplish this, a sample of currently dating undergraduate and graduate college students (n = 960) was analyzed. The first objective is to determine whether self-control and IPV vary across gender. The second objective is to examine whether self-control predicts IPV differently by gender. Results indicated partial support for Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime. Self-control operated similarly on IPV for both males and females, supporting the gender-neutrality of their theory. However, the interaction between gender and self-control did not significantly impact IPV offending. Moreover, the gender gap in crime as it relates to self-control remains in question as females were more likely than males to commit more types of IPV. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Military and Veteran Populations: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Surveys and Population Screening Studies.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) may be a major concern in military and veteran populations, and the aims of this systematic review were to (1) provide best available estimates of overall prevalence based on studies that are most representative of relevant populations, and (2) contextualise these via examination of IPV types, impacts, and context. An electronic search of PsycINFO, CINHAL, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library databases identified studies utilising population-based designs or population screening strategies to estimate prevalence of IPV perpetration or victimisation reported by active duty (AD) military personnel or veterans. Random effects meta-analyses were used for quantitative analyses and were supplemented by narrative syntheses of heterogeneous data. Thirty-one studies involving 172,790 participants were included in meta-analyses. These indicated around 13% of all AD personnel and veterans reported any recent IPV perpetration, and around 21% reported any recent victimisation. There were higher rates of IPV perpetration in studies of veterans and health service settings, but no discernible differences were found according to gender, era of service, or country of origin. Psychological IPV was the most common form identified, while there were few studies of IPV impacts, or coercive and controlling behaviours. The findings demonstrate that IPV perpetration and victimisation occur commonly among AD personnel and veterans and highlight a strong need for responses across military and veteran-specific settings. However, there are gaps in understanding of impacts and context for IPV, including coercive and controlling behaviours, which are priority considerations for future research and policy.

Recovering from Intimate Partner Violence through Strengths and Empowerment (RISE): Initial Evaluation of the Clinical Effects of RISE Administered in Routine Care in the US Veterans Health Administration.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common concern among military Veterans that negatively impacts health. The United States’ Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has launched a national IPV Assistance Program (IPVAP) to provide comprehensive services to Veterans, their families and caregivers, and VHA employees who use or experience IPV. Grounded in a holistic, Veteran-centered psychosocial rehabilitation framework that guides all facets of the program, the IPVAP initiated the pilot implementation of a novel intervention called Recovering from IPV through Strengths and Empowerment (RISE). This evidence-based, person-centered, trauma-informed, and empowerment-oriented brief counseling intervention is designed to support those who experience IPV and to improve their psychosocial wellbeing. This program evaluation study describes clinical outcomes from patients who participated in a pilot implementation of RISE in routine care. We examined changes in general self-efficacy, depression, and valued living, as well as treatment satisfaction among patients who received RISE and completed program evaluation measures at VHA facilities during the pilot. Results from 45 patients (84% women) indicate that RISE was associated with significant pretreatment to posttreatment improvements in self-efficacy, depression, and valued living (Cohen’s d s of 0.97, 1.09, and 0.51, respectively). Patients reported high satisfaction with treatment. Though preliminary results were similar across gender and IPV types, findings from the evaluation of the pilot implementation of RISE demonstrate the intervention’s feasibility, acceptability, and clinical utility in routine VHA care and inform the scalability of RISE. Additionally, findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness and acceptability of RISE with men. Modification to RISE and its implementation are discussed, which may be useful to other settings implementing IPV interventions.

Prevalence and related factors of intimate partner violence among married women in Garmsar, Iran.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common type of domestic violence often used by men against their wives. Due to the destructive and widespread social and health consequences of IPV, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and related factors of IPV among married women in Garmsar, Iran. Using multi-stage clusters sampling method, this cross-sectional study included 400 married women in Garmsar, Iran. The data collection process was conducted during October and December 2019 using a researcher-made questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed using content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) indicators (0.85 and 0.88, respectively). Also, the reliability was confirmed by examining the internal consistency and obtaining a score of 0.93 for Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive and analytical statistics were performed using t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey's post-hoc test. Most participants were in the age range of 20-40 years (mean age: 34.9 years). The overall exposure of women to IPV was 56.11%. In addition, the most prevalent types of IPV included legal (24%), social (24%), financial (22%), verbal (16%), physical (13%), emotional (12%), and sexual (11%). The effective factors on the prevalence of IPV included number of children, education level, occupation, and age (P less than 0.05). We witnessed that women living in Garmsar faced different types of IPV and their overall exposure to this phenomenon was higher than the national and global average. To resolve the problem, the following measurements are recommended: a careful investigation of the reasons for the spread of IPV, implementing interventions based on reliable evidence, and serious cooperation of the experts and relevant governmental and non-governmental institutions, particularly citizens.

Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence against Men living with HIV in Birnin Kudu, Northwest Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Globally, intimate partner violence (IPV) among women living with HIV is well researched in various settings, but little is known about IPV among men living with HIV. While most of the documented facts are from quantitative surveys, very little has been documented from qualitative studies on the subject. Hence, this study sought to explore the experiences of IPV among HIV-positive men living in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State Nigeria. This study was carried out using an experiential qualitative research approach which collected data through a semi-structured interview that explored the IPV experiences of 23 HIV-positive men, who were all Hausa – Muslims. Their experience of IPV was explored regarding the types of violence, reasons, and consequences. The data were explored with reflexive thematic analysis. Common themes relating to reasons for victimization, the types of IPV experienced, and the consequences of IPV were generated. All the participants in this study had experienced psychological aggression; some had experienced physical assault, while one of the participants had experienced sexual coercion. The reasons for the victimization: include disclosure of HIV status, domestic issues, and suspicion about extra-marital affairs. The experience of IPV against men living with HIV is complex, with psychological aggression and physical assault occurring concurrently. It is of essence to address IPV among men living with HIV as this may lead to a poorer health outcomes.

Pregnancy complications and intimate partner violence: The moderating role of prenatal posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and posttraumatic stress disorder increase the risk of poor pregnancy outcomes, but associations among IPV exposure, mental health, and pregnancy complications remain underexplored. This study assessed the interaction between three types of IPV exposure (i.e., physical, sexual, psychological) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) on prenatal complications (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes) among pregnant women exposed to IPV. Participants included 137 IPV-exposed pregnant women (Mage = 27.29, SD = 6.00; 66.9% African American/Black). Three regression models were run to test the main effect of each type of IPV and PTSS on pregnancy complications, and the moderating effect of PTSS on the association between IPV and pregnancy complications, controlling for socioeconomic status, gestational age, and childhood trauma. Main effects were observed for sexual coercion, β = .32, p = .010, R2 part = .050, and PTSS, β = 0.19, p = .039, R2 part = .026, with more frequent sexual IPV and higher levels of PTSS associated with more pregnancy complications. Moderating effects were also evident, with the IPV x PTSS interaction significant for all three IPV domains: psychological aggression, f2 = .046; sexual coercion, f2 = .079; and physical assault, f2 = .048. PTSS strengthened the positive association between psychological and sexual IPV and pregnancy complications. Physical IPV and pregnancy complications were inversely related for participants with low-level PTSS. Results provide novel information on how IPV types and PTSS function together during pregnancy. Findings highlight the need for evidence-based prenatal interventions that successfully address both IPV exposure and PTSS severity.

Visualising Patterns in Women's Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence in the First 10years of Motherhood.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) can involve patterns of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Women typically experience physical IPV in combination with emotional IPV, while emotional IPV is often experienced in the absence of other types of IPV. There is very little known about women's experiences of these different types of IPV over time. The primary aim of this paper is to describe patterns in women's individual experiences of physical and/or emotional IPV across the first 10years of motherhood. Data were drawn from a prospective pregnancy cohort of 1507 first-time mothers in Melbourne, Australia. Emotional, physical, and combined physical and emotional IPV were reported in the first, fourth and tenth year of motherhood using the Composite Abuse Scale. The overall prevalence of each type of IPV remained consistent across the three time-points, with emotional IPV alone being the most prevalent. There was substantial variability in women's experiences of IPV over time and there was no common progression from one type of IPV to another. Women were more likely to report IPV at more than one time-point if they experienced combined physical and emotional IPV, while for women who reported emotional or physical IPV alone this was more likely to be at a single time-point. A number of socio-demographic characteristics in early pregnancy were associated with a higher risk of reporting IPV at all three time-points, including being unemployed (RRR = 3.6; 95% CI: 2.1, 6.2) and being aged 18-24years (RRR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.8, 5.4). Knowledge of the variability and persistence of IPV in the first 10years of motherhood, and factors associated with these experiences, can help tailor effective health and social service responses.

EXPOSURES TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND NON-PARTNER SEXUAL VIOLENCE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTENSION IN SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN

Objective: South African women suffer from a dual burden of gender-based violence and hypertension. Studies suggest abuse exposures may increase the risk of hypertension by contributing to psychological stress, but this association has not been clearly described. This study described the associations of intimate partner violence (IPV), non-partner sexual violence (NPSV) and sexual harassment (SH) exposures with hypertension, and potential mediators of those associations in South African women aged 18 to 40 years. Design and method: Baseline data from the Rape Impact Cohort Evaluation study, including history of sexual, physical, emotional and economic IPV, NPSV and SH were examined using validated questionnaires. Hypertension was based on measured blood pressure (equal or higher than 140/90 mmHg) or a previous diagnosis. Logistic regression models examining the associations between various types of IPV, NPSV and hypertension adjusted for traditional hypertension risk factors and other traumatic exposures including recent rape incident. Mediation effects of body mass index, HIV infection, current smoking, alcohol binge drinking, depressive symptom scores and post-traumatic stress symptom (PTSS) scores on the associations using multiple mediation models adjusted for age and recent rape exposure. Results: Among 1742 women, 218 (12.5%) had hypertension. Hypertension prevalence was higher in women with, compared to without, a history of all four types of IPV (15% vs. 9%), sexual (19% vs. 11%), physical (16% vs. 9%), emotional (17% vs. 9%) and economic IPV (19% vs. 11%); NPSV (18% vs. 11%) and SH (29% vs. 11%), (p-values were equal or above 0.001). More than one episode of NPSV (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.63; 95%CI: 1.27–2.67), any SH (aOR: 2.56; 95%CI: 1.60–4.03), frequent physical (aOR: 1.44; 95%CI: 1.06–1.95) and emotional IPV (aOR: 1.45; 95%CI: 1.06–1.98), and greater severity score of emotional IPV (aOR: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.02–1.08) were associated with hypertension. Current depression, PTSS and/or alcohol binge drinking completely or partially mediated these associations. Conclusions: The modifiable associations of IPV, NPSV and SH with hypertension highlight that, while gender-based violence must be prevented, public health interventions should incorporate monitoring blood pressure of violence victims, determining a history of violence in hypertension patients, and providing counselling.

Global Prevalence and Factors Related to Intimate Partner Violence Amongst People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

Reviews of intimate partner violence (IPV) have primarily focused on women and same-sex relationships, but little is known about the global epidemiology of IPV among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This review employed meta-analytic approaches to determine the worldwide prevalence and factors related to different forms of IPV among PLWHA. Databases including PubMed, Cochrane review, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest, and registers, were systematically reviewed until November 5, 2021. The meta-analysis was conducted using the metafor package in R software. The Newcastle Ottawa Scale and Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 1 were used to assess the study quality and risk of bias, respectively. A total of 49 published articles and 42,280 participants, were included in the meta-analysis. Over their lifetime, four in ten PLWHA have experienced some type of IPV. Over a quarter have experienced physical, emotional, or psychological IPV. One in five PLWHA experienced at least one form of IPV during the recall period of last year, with emotional IPV being the most prevalent. Rates of physical and any types of IPV differed substantially between IPV measurements. IPV rates also varied significantly by the study design, with physical (29%) and sexual (18%) IPV rates being more prevalent in cross-sectional studies. Public health measures are critical for preventing and combating IPV among PLWHA. Additional cross-national research using robust sampling methods is required to obtain more representative samples and thus a more reliable prevalence estimate of IPV prevalence.

IPV Experiences and Financial Strain Over Time: Insights from the Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition Analysis.

Financial strain is one hardship faced by female survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) that is often overlooked. This paper examined the relationships between multiple forms of abuse—with a focus on economic abuse—and financial strain. Guided by stress process model, this study tested two hypotheses: (1) economic abuse is associated with financial strain more than other types of IPV; and (2) decreased economic abuse relates to financial strain over time. The study sample consists of 229 female IPV survivors who participated in a longitudinal, randomized controlled study evaluating an economic empowerment curriculum. Results from regression models suggest that physical abuse and economic abuse were significantly and positively associated with the magnitude of financial strain. Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition was used to partition the mean differences of financial strain over time that was mainly attributed to the decrease in economic and physical abuse (78%). Particularly, the decrease of economic abuse contributed to over half (58%) of the decrease in financial strain over time. Advocates should assess survivors’ risk of economic abuse, evaluate financial strain, and utilize financial safety planning skills to help survivors build economic security and independence. In addition, policy makers should address issues concerning economic security among female IPV survivors.

Status mismatch and self-reported intimate partner violence in the European Union: does the country’s context matter?

ABSTRACT We explore whether status mismatch in education or income within couples is associated with self-reported intimate partner violence (IPV) and whether a country’s context relates to this. We used data collected by the ‘FRA Violence Against Women Survey’ in 2012, and we identified three dimensions of self-reported IPV: IPV via controlling behaviour, psychological IPV, and physical IPV. Based on logistic multilevel estimates of approximately 21,000 women in 27 European countries, we found that women, who were higher educated or earned more than their partners, were more likely to report all three types of IPV. We tested the impact of the societal context by looking at gender ideology, crime rates and the acceptance of domestic violence within a country. Our results suggest that only the level of crime directly impacts IPV, albeit only through controlling behaviour and psychological forms. Furthermore, none of the contextual characteristics moderate the relationship between status mismatch and IPV. Therefore, at least in our sample of European countries, the individual-level factors seem to weigh more than the societal context.

Linkages Between Childhood Maltreatment, Intimate Partner Violence, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Pregnant Hispanic Women: A Network Analysis.

Pregnant Hispanic women are at increased risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in part due to greater risk of childhood maltreatment, intimate partner violence (IPV), and pregnancy-related vulnerabilities. However, PTSD, is a highly heterogenous diagnosis with numerous presentations. Individual PTSD symptoms may be differentially associated with specific types of maltreatment, IPV. Determining how IPV exposure across the lifespan is associated with specific symptoms of PTSD in pregnant Hispanic women is necessary to develop group-relevant models of this disorder and targeted interventions. The present study examined a network model of PTSD symptoms, childhood maltreatment, and adulthood IPV in a sample of pregnant Hispanic women (N = 198). Childhood emotional abuse and adulthood psychological distress had the highest bridge centrality. These types of exposures were most strongly associated with social isolation. Childhood emotional abuse was associated with more individual PTSD symptoms than any IPV type. These findings suggest that associations between PTSD symptoms and different types of IPV exposure vary. In addition, robust associations between childhood emotional abuse and PTSD symptoms suggest that this domain may be particularly important for the clinical assessment and intervention for pregnant women.