Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Research Articles

The prevalence of intimate partner violence and risk factors for women and men in China during the Shanghai 2022 lockdown.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health concern with negative effects on individuals and families. The present study investigated the prevalence, risk factors and gender disparities associated with IPV during the Shanghai 2022 Covid-19 lockdown - a public health emergency which may have exacerbated IPV. We estimated the total IPV prevalence and prevalence of physical, sexual and verbal IPV by using an adapted version of the Extended-Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream scale. This cross-sectional study was carried out using a population quota-based sampling of Shanghai residents across 16 districts during the 2022 Shanghai lockdown (N = 2026; 1058 men and 968 women). We found a distinct gendered dynamic, where women reported a significantly higher prevalence of experienced IPV (27.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 23.1-31.4) compared to men (19.8%, 95% CI: 16.1-24.0). Notably, the prevalence estimate mirrored the national lifetime IPV prevalence for women but was over twice as high for men. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, economic stress (income loss: adjusted OR [aOR] = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.28-4.56; job loss: aOR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.02-2.92; financial worry much more than usual: aOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.00-3.57) and household burden (one child at home: aOR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.12-2.92; not enough food: aOR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.04-2.70) were associated with increased odds of overall IPV victimization among women but not men. With regard to more serious forms of IPV, job loss (aOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.09-4.69) and household burden (two or more children at home: aOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.33-7.69) were associated with increased odds of physical IPV against men. For women, a lack of household supplies was associated with increased odds of physical IPV (water: aOR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.79-6.25; daily supplies: aOR = 2.27, 95% CI: 1.18-4.35). Lack of daily supplies (aOR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.03-4.55) and job loss (aOR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.16-6.12) were also associated with increased odds of sexual IPV. Although a larger proportion of women reported IPV, men experienced greater IPV during the lockdown than previously estimated before the pandemic. Economic stressors, including job loss, and household burden were critical risk factors for serious forms of IPV. Improving gender equality that my account for disparities in IPV in China is critically needed. Policies that mitigate the impact of economic losses during crises can potentially reduce IPV.

Intimate partner violence, women's health, and rights in the Philippines.

In a recent article, Mercier et al. explored the use of innovative technologies, such as telemedicine, for intimate partner violence victims. They emphasized that these technological advancements can increase the comfort, convenience, and time efficiency of healthcare services for intimate partner violence victims. In addition to these technological advancements, this article advocates for addressing structural barriers and upholding the rights of intimate partner violence victims as crucial steps for enhancing their well-being, using the context of women in the Philippines as an illustrative example.

Prevalence, co-occurrence, and associated factors of intimate partner violence among Brazilian university students.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among youth is a public health problem worldwide because of its high prevalence and lifelong serious consequences in health and quality of life. This cross-sectional census aimed to describe the IPV victimization among all freshman students in a Brazilian university (n=1,509), which was selected from a larger population of 2,706 freshmen. We created a 10-item questionnaire inspired by established instruments to measure the prevalence of IPV. Multivariate logistic regression assessed the association between demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors with various types of IPV. We visualized co-occurrence using a Venn diagram and employed multinomial logistic regression to examine the relationship between covariates and the cooccurrence of IPV types. The chance of IPV was higher in males, those who were currently in a relationship, and those with a higher risk of alcohol abuse. These same characteristics were also associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing the co-occurrence of two or more types of IPV. Prevention strategies should consider those groups and monitoring of those who abuse alcohol, which can be a predictor behavior or a mechanism to deal with the stress arising from IPV.

Some scandals in gender-based violence and intimate partner violence

This study was requested by victims of gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV), who wanted their voices to be heard. They were not interested in their identities being revealed, but they only wanted to share their stories to expose some rot by high-profile people. This paper sought to explore the meanings that these victims attach to the experiences of GBV and IPV in cases where perpetrators are well-to-do, highly respected persons occupying positions of authority in recognized establishments. Six (6) IPV victims, selected using the purposive sampling method, participated in the study. They were interviewed, and their text data was analyzed. The results show that some high-status people perpetrate GBV and IPV, covering the known types of IPV and generating two new ones of IPV extending to the victim’s family and threats to divorce their victim. The paper recommends monitoring and evaluating high-status people and also bars GBV and IPV perpetrators from practicing in high-profile trades.

Physical Intimate Partner Violence and Emotional Harm in Five U.S. States.

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between physical intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and four related aspects of emotional well-being: threat sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, impulse control, and access to resources for emotional regulation. We draw on a transactional model of IPV and emotional regulation to theorize how invalidation and partner threats in relationships can generate harmful emotional outcomes. We used representative data collected for residents living in five U.S. states: Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Texas. Our analytic sample included individuals who reported having been in a romantic relationship in the past year (N = 2,501). Data were collected using a probability-based web panel, between April 29 and May 15, 2022. Following the presentation of descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations, we developed a series of four multivariate models (ordinary least squares [OLS], negative binomial) to analyze the association between IPV victimization and each emotional outcome. All models adjusted for pertinent demographic and geographic control measures. Physical IPV victimization was associated with increased intolerance of uncertainty and heightened threat sensitivity. IPV victimization also corresponded with poorer impulse control and fewer resources for emotional regulation. Overall, our results demonstrate that experiences of physical IPV victimization are linked to poorer emotional outcomes. These outcomes can be harmful to broader mental health and potentially impact long-term well-being. The findings underscore the importance of mental health screenings that extend beyond assessments of diagnostic-level functions and allocating resources toward alleviating other clinically relevant factors that might arise from or even prompt additional exposure to physical IPV.

Relational dynamics associated with adolescent and young adult (13 to 23 years of age) partner violence: The role of inter-parental violence and child abuse.

The study aimed to examine the effect of witnessing inter-parental violence and experiencing childhood abuse on victimization of intimate partner violence (IPV) after marriage among adolescent and young girls. Data were drawn from the second wave of the Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (UDAYA) survey (2018-2019). The sample size was 5480 married adolescent and young girls aged 13-23 years. The outcome variable of the study was the victimization of IPV. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) were performed. A total of 39% of married adolescent and young girls experienced physical violence, followed by sexual violence (35%) and emotional violence (28%) by their partner. Around 30% of respondents witnessed inter-parental violence, and 32% of the participants were beaten by their parents during childhood. Participants who had witnessed inter-parental violence were significantly correlated with experiencing childhood abuse, and this association was positively correlated with exposure to IPV in adolescence and young adulthood. Further, the parameter estimates of the indicators of IPV were highest for emotional violence (1.10) followed by physical violence (1.00) and sexual violence (0.62). Witnessing inter-parental violence significantly increases parents' physical violence to adolescents and young adult girls (β = 0.49, P<0.001, CI: 0.47-0.51). No tie between witnessing inter-parental violence and childhood abuse mediates their effect on later victimization of IPV. The findings indicate that witnessing inter-parental violence is a strong risk factor for IPV victimization among adolescent and young adult girls. Our findings advocate prerequisite collaborative effort with multiple service providers for greater empowerment at national, state, community, and family levels to achieve SDG goals pertaining to eliminating violence against women.

Gender symmetry: A systematic review of men’s experiences of intimate partner violence during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health concern. However, men&amp;rsquo;s experiences of IPV have been largely neglected in previous studies. This systematic review aimed to examine men&amp;rsquo;s experiences of IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Six online bibliographic databases were used to identify relevant published peer-reviewed journal articles and gray literature. A total of 19 journal articles and gray literature that examined the prevalence, types, and consequences of violence experienced by men during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown were extracted for review. This systematic review is anchored on the gender symmetry theory developed by Straus and Gelles. Expectedly, females were the major victims of IPV cases, but a significant number of men around the world also experienced IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. This finding suggests that evidence-based approaches that also recognize men as victims of IPV should be taken into account for minimizing such cases.

Factors associated with non-help-seeking among women victims of physical or sexual intimate partner violence in Peru: Findings from the National Demographic and Family Health Survey, 2017 to 2019.

To evaluate the factors associated with non-help-seeking in victims of physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) in Peru. This was an analytical cross-sectional study of 3-year data from the Peruvian Demographic and Health Survey. The sample comprised women aged 18 to 49 who had experienced physical or sexual IPV at some time in their lives. The dependent variable was non-help-seeking after suffering physical or sexual IPV. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) with their 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the factors associated with non-help-seeking. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was carried out in which only women who suffered physical or sexual IPV in the last year were considered. Data from 15,265 female victims of physical or sexual IPV were analyzed. It was found that 57.4% did not seek help after suffering physical or sexual IPV. The main reasons for non-help-seeking included thinking it was unnecessary (42.3%) and embarrassment (14.9%). Age between 30 and 49 years old (PRa:1.15; 95%CI [1.06, 1.25]) and residing in a rural area (PRa:1.07; 95%CI [1.00, 1.13]) were associated with a higher probability of non-help-seeking. On the other hand, having a secondary education level (PRa:0.91; 95% CI [0.86, 0.97]) or higher (PRa:0.90; 95%CI [0.82, 0.99]), having a partner who drinks alcohol (PRa:0.94; 95%CI [0.89, 0.99]), having experienced physical or sexual IPV during a pregnancy (PRa:0.87; 95%CI [0.80, 0.94]), and having experienced moderate (PRa:0.81; 95%CI [0.76, 0.86]), or severe physical or sexual IPV (PRa:0.74; 95%CI [0.67, 0.82]), were associated with a lower probability of non-help-seeking. These associations were consistent in the sensitivity analysis. Half of the women who experience physical or sexual IPV do not seek help. There are sociodemographic factors related to this non-seeking of help that are useful for identifying and prioritizing interventions to reduce IPV and improve the health status of women.

The psycho-social factors that escalate intimate partner violence (IPV) among South Asian women in North America: An intersectional approach and analysis

ABSTRACT South Asian (SA) women, immigrant, and non-immigrant, living in the United States (US) and Canada make up a unique population for social research, specifically as it relates to intimate partner (IPV) or gender-based violence (GBV). Despite an increase in study of GBV or IPV including in the current pandemic situation, research on IPV for South Asian women in North America remains inadequate. There is a disconnect in the literature about how multiple psycho-social factors including socio-cultural, socio-demographic, and individual factors intersect and intensify IPV victimization of South Asian women in the North American context. Factors, like collectivism, patriarchy, and family honor are essential to this discussion. To better understand this gap and mobilize knowledge, this paper seeks to assess, evaluate, and examine the current state of literature on IPV among South Asian women in North America (Canada and US) in an effort to determine the associated psycho-social factors that exacerbate South Asian women’s abuse experiences. Additionally, Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectional approach is used to explain how South Asian women’s overlapping multiple identities escalate the IPV experience. The results of this paper identify and articulate several psycho-social factors including individual factors (ethnicity, gender role, young age, education, religion, immigrant identity, English fluency, and economic dependency); social/community factors (acculturation which intersect with limited family support and change of gender roles; patriarchy; family primacy (collectivism and family honor); and limited community support); and the (lack of) service/technology knowledge can affect one’s experiences of violence. Educational and policy recommendations for better intervention and/or prevention of IPV for South Asian women residing in the West is also considered.

Health providers readiness in managing intimate partner violence in public health institutions, Ethiopia.

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a worldwide public health problem and major human and legal rights abuses of women. It affects the physical, sexual, and psychological aspects of the victims therefore, it requires complex and multifaceted interventions. Health providers are responsible for providing essential healthcare services for IPV victims. However, there is a lack of detailed information on whether or not health providers are ready to identify and manage IPV. Therefore, this study aimed to assess health providers' readiness and associated factors in managing IPV in public health institutions at Hawassa, Ethiopia. Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted through a simple random sample of 424 health providers. Data was collected with an anonymous questioners using physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS) tool. Linear regression analysis was used to examine relationships among variables. The strength of association was assessed by using unstandardized β with 95% CI. The mean score of perceived provider's readiness in managing IPV was 26.18± 6.69. Higher providers age and providers perceived knowledge had positive association with provider perceived readiness in managing IPV. Whereas not had IPV training, absence of a protocol for dealing with IPV management, and provider attitude had a negative association with provider perceived readiness in managing IPV. This study reviled that health providers had limited perceived readiness to manage IPV. Provision of training for providers and develop protocol for IPV managements have an important role to improve providers readiness in the managements of IPV.

Experiences of intimate partner violence victims: Continued abuses during and after litigation

This quantitative study examined the experiences of intimate partner violence victims during and after separation, with a particular focus on experiences with family court proceedings. Participants were recruited from a family court advocacy agency and self-identified as victims of intimate partner violence. This study explored the following three hypotheses: 1) Participants will report an increase in harassment, stalking, verbal, psychological, and emotional abuse from ex-partners post-separation 2) Participants will report re-traumatization from legal professionals and paraprofessionals in the family law or court system 3) Participants will report that behaviors associated with litigation abuse will go unrecognized by the family court system and legal professionals. Participants reported a post-separation increase in incidents of physical harm toward their children, threats to take their children away, threats to the survivor, their children, family, property, or pets, financial abuse, and insulting or threatening texts or social media messages. Many participants reported re-traumatization in court and reported that legal professionals verbally threatened them, mocked them, did not give them a chance to speak in court, exaggerated the survivor’s faults in court, and provoked them to elicit emotional reactions. Domestic violence survivors indicated a lack of trust in the systems in place to protect them. Systems-level changes to legal proceedings and expanded training for legal professionals is needed.

Intimate Partner Violence among College Women: A Single-Centred Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of sexual violence between intimate partners among college women at Ankara University. The depression symptoms were compared with the history of their sexual abuse in the past and in six months. The study, a cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 400 college women. Intimate partner sexual violence was evaluated using the Intimate Partner Violence Victim version and depression was evaluated with the Personal Health Questionnaire-9. Study data were evaluated using statistics such as number, percentage, and mean Mann-Whintey U test, and sample t-test. Sexual violence between intimate partners is present during romantic relationships in college women. Using tobacco, alcohol compulsion, or substance abuse are risk factors for sexual violence with an intimate partner. Furthermore, depression is double diagnosed in college women with sexual violence from intimate partners.

"Like A Mouse Pursued By the Snake": A Qualitative Metasynthesis on the Experiences of Revictimization Among Women Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Partner Violence.

A metasynthesis was performed on 15 qualitative studies to document the experience of revictimization by an intimate partner among women, based on survivors' perspectives on their sustained childhood sexual abuse and intimate partner violence victimization. Results identified two main conceptual categories: (a) Barriers to action: A belief system reflecting learned helplessness that hinders women's abilities to protect themselves and prevent further abuses, and (b) Broken internal compass: Cognitive elements blurring women's risk evaluation capacities and reference points limiting their ability to break the cycle of revictimization. These findings support the need to examine cognitive distortions and false beliefs in intervention practices and suggest valuable guidelines for practitioners. As the responsibility for violence always lies with the perpetrator, this study should not be interpreted as blaming women for their victimization, but instead, as a way to give women a voice about their experiences and give them a sense of power in the prevention of violence.

Correction: High-risk Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Abuse Characteristics, Psychosocial Vulnerabilities and Reported Revictimization

Correction: High-risk Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Abuse Characteristics, Psychosocial Vulnerabilities and Reported Revictimization

Cultural adaptation to Spanish and psychometric analysis of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) in Peruvian adult women

BACKGROUND: Partner violence is a public health problem. In Peru, women with spouses are vulnerable to suffering it. The Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) is a widely recommended instrument for the early identification of these cases. Therefore, our objective was to adapt and analyse the psychometric properties of the WAST scale in adult Peruvian women. METHODOLOGY: This was an instrumental study, with a sample of 628 women who were in a marital condition of cohabitation or married at the time of the study. The mean age was 35 years (M = 35.58; SD = 10.92) and on average they were living with their partner for 9 years (M = 9.93; SD = 8.41). This sample was selected by non-probabilistic snowball sampling. The Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used. The validity of the internal structure was verified with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity by correlation coefficients between the WAST, GAD-7 and PHQ-9, while reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega coefficient. RESULTS: Factorial analysis indicated that the one-dimensional model showed adequate goodness-of-fit indices (CFI = 0.998; TLI=0.991; RMSEA=0.103; SRMR=0.075), and reliability coefficients (α = 0.899 and ω = 0.916) were optimal. Additionally, the WAST showed strong external validity based on the relationship with the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores (Rho &gt; 0.50). CONCLUSIONS: The Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) scale demonstrated solid evidence of internal and external validity and optimal reliability in adult Peruvian women. Its use will benefit the early identification of victims of intimate partner violence in primary health care and further research.

Sexual orientation disclosure and depression among Thai gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men: The roles of social support and intimate partner violence.

Among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM), sexual orientation disclosure to social groups can act as a significant risk for depression. The primary goal of this research is to understand the association between disclosure and depression, the association of social support and intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences, depression, and disclosure. This project uses a secondary dataset of Thailand from a larger cross-sectional study distributed in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. This study utilized web-based answers from 1468 Thai GBM respondents between the ages of 15-24 years. Prevalence of depression was over 50%. Across the social groups of interest, those who disclosed to everyone had the lowest depression prevalence. This association was statistically significant for all groups (p<0.050) except for "Family members" (p = 0.052). There was a statistically significant association illustrated between full disclosure to social groups and increased social support. Most respondents (43.9%) had low social support, and additionally this group had the highest level of depression, compared to those with high social support. There was a statistically significant association for lowered depression outcomes and increased social support. IPV experiences that occurred within the last six months had a statistically significant relationship with depression (p = 0.002). There was a notable association between those with experiences of being a victim of IPV, alone and in conjunction with experience of being a perpetrator of IPV, which was associated with increased odds of depression. However, the type of IPV experiences an individual had did not differ based on disclosure status. This study provides strengthened evidence of the impact that differences in supportive networks can have on mental health outcomes. In addition, they provided a wider consideration for how people may have different IPV experiences, either as a perpetrator, victim, or both, and how those shapes health outcomes of depression. GBM communities still face adversity and challenges that affect their long-term health outcomes, even if they do live in what is considered an accepting country.

Health-Related Costs of Intimate Partner Violence: Using Linked Police and Health Registers.

This study aims to estimate direct health-related costs for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) using nationwide linked data based on police reports and two healthcare registers in Finland from 2015 to 2020 (N = 21,073). We used a unique register dataset to identify IPV victims from the data based on police reports and estimated the attributable costs by applying econometric models to individual-level data. We used exact matching to create a reference group who had not been exposed to IPV. The mean, unadjusted, attributable healthcare cost for victims of IPV was €6,910 per individual over the 5-year period after being first identified as a victim. When adjusting for gender, age, education, occupation, and mental-health- and pregnancy-related diagnoses, the mean attributable health-related cost for the 5 years was €3,280. The annual attributable costs of the victims were consistently higher than those for nonvictims during the entire study period. Thus, our results suggest that the adverse health consequences of IPV persist and are associated with excess health service use for 5 years after exposure to IPV. Most victims of IPV were women, but men were also exposed to IPV, although the estimates were statistically significant only for female victims. Victims of IPV were over-represented among individuals outside the labor force and lower among those who were educated. The total healthcare costs of victims of IPV varied according to the socioeconomic factors. This study highlights the need for using linked register data to understand the characteristics of IPV and to assess its healthcare costs. The study results suggest that there is a significant socioeconomic gradient in victimization, which could also be useful to address future IPV prevention and resource allocation.

The Role of Positivity on Depressive Symptoms in Women Seeking Help for Intimate Partner Violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and pervasive global phenomenon. Despite extensive research on physical and sexual violence, there has been a relative lack of investigation into the detrimental and distinctive consequences of psychological violence against women. This is surprising given the profound impact it has on the psychological well-being of victims, notably in the form of depression, which is commonly observed as an outcome in cases of psychological IPV victimization. The present study analyzes the impact of psychological IPV on depressive symptoms, considering the moderating influence of personal positivity, defined as positive self-perceptions, optimistic life perspectives, and a hopeful view of the future in a sample of 171 Italian women seeking assistance from anti-violence centers in different localities of Italy. The findings show that in line with the hypothesis, the association between psychological violence and depressive symptoms is moderated by the levels of perceived positivity, even when controlling for instances of physical violence. These results and implications for interventions are discussed within the framework of existing literature on positive psychology and psychological well-being in the context of IPV.

High-risk Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Abuse Characteristics, Psychosocial Vulnerabilities and Reported Revictimization

High-risk Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Abuse Characteristics, Psychosocial Vulnerabilities and Reported Revictimization

Evaluation of Traditional Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth.

Sexual and gender minority youth assigned female at birth (SGM-AFAB) experience higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) than heterosexual and cisgender youth. To inform efforts to reduce these disparities, we explored whether IPV risk factors identified in the general population are associated with IPV among SGM-AFAB young people. Using multiwave longitudinal data from a 400 SGM-AFAB youth (ages 16-20 at baseline), we estimated between- and within-persons effects of demographic/contextual characteristics (gender, sexual identity, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status), developmental/background factors (childhood violence), and psychological/behavioral factors (antisocial behavior, depression, problematic alcohol and cannabis use) on a range of IPV experiences (victimization and perpetration of psychological, physical, sexual, and SGM-specific IPV). In this SGM-AFAB sample, IPV experiences were associated with many traditional risk factors identified in the general population, including race, economic stress, childhood violence, antisocial behavior, depression, and use of substances (particularly cannabis). In contrast to previous research, we did not find that SGM youth with transgender or gender nonbinary identities, or with bi- or pan-sexual identities, were at greater risk for IPV than other SGM youth. Very few putative risk factors were associated with SGM-specific IPV. Findings suggest SGM youth could benefit from IPV prevention approaches that target common risk factors at multiple ecological levels (policies to reduce poverty and racism, parenting programs, interventions to reduce mental health and substance use problems). Continued research is needed to explore how risk for IPV among SGM-AFAB youth may vary by gender identity, sexual identity, and stigma-based experiences.