Intimate Partner Violence In Low Research Articles

Evidence from Mexico on social status and violence against women

This study investigates the impact of relative social status on violence against women in Mexico using state-level panel data. Relatively higher female social status, measured by educational, economic and political standings, is associated with lower homicide rates for women and lower intimate partner violence rates. More importantly, different status variables affect violence against women through different channels, depending on the victim–offender relationship. The results are robust to different specifications and different control variables. This study may provide helpful guidelines to policy-makers attempting to identify more effective means for deterring violence against women.

Legal factors associated with change in alcohol use and partner violence among offenders

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive social concern that may be exacerbated by high rates of alcohol dependence among perpetrators. Society has attempted to combat IPV through various legal interventions, but the effects of specific legal factors on behavioral change and treatment compliance remain largely unexamined. The primary focus of the current study was to comprehensively evaluate the impact of various legal factors (i.e., judicial mandate, judicial monitoring, stage of change, and stake in conformity) on mandatory treatment compliance and behavioral change over a 12week post-adjudication period among a high-risk sample of alcohol dependent IPV offenders (N=60). Growth curve analyses revealed effects of judicial monitoring and stage of change such that participants reporting low perceived judicial monitoring and early stages of change reported higher initial levels and a more rapid reduction in IPV than those reporting high perceived judicial monitoring and late stages of change, who reported consistently low IPV. Although we found that legal factors were poor predictors of treatment compliance and alcohol use during treatment, the association between alcohol and IPV was moderated by the legal factors. Stake in conformity was negatively associated with IPV among low alcohol users and positively associated among high alcohol users whereas stage of change was negatively associated with IPV among high alcohol users. The current results suggest that pretreatment legal factors may represent an important consideration in reducing IPV among alcohol dependent offenders. Further research is required to determine the efficacy of legal factors in isolation of treatment as well as methods of manipulating these factors to optimally compliment a prescribed course of treatment.

Patterns of Resource Utilization and Mental Health Symptoms Among Women Exposed to Multiple Types of Victimization

Although the value of resources aimed to support women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) is clear, few studies have investigated how exposure to multiple types of victimization influences women's resource utilization. We applied latent class analysis (LCA) to a sample of 412 women who used IPV in their current relationships to test whether women's resource utilization is associated with different patterns of victimization, including current IPV victimization, past IPV victimization, and childhood victimization. Three classes of women were identified: the Low Cumulative IPV class (n = 121) included women with a low prevalence of past IPV victimization and low severity of current IPV victimization; The High Past/ Low Current IPV class (n = 258) included women with a high prevalence of past IPV victimization but low severity of current IPV victimization; and the High Cumulative IPV class (n = 33) included women with a high prevalence of past IPV victimization and severe current IPV victimization. Multiple types of childhood victimization were highly prevalent among women in all three classes. Women in the High Cumulative IPV class used a greater variety of resources, experienced a greater number of posttraumatic stress and depression symptoms, drug problems, and used more severe IPV aggression compared to women in other classes. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of resource utilization among women in relationships characterized by bidirectional IPV and underscore the potential clinical utility of adapting services to meet the specific needs of women with unique profiles of victimization.

Intimate Partner Violence and Symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Infections: Are the Women from Low Socio-economic Strata in Bangladesh at Increased Risk

There is little research on whether women who are either poor or illiterate and have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) have a unique risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Most such research concerns families displaced by wars and conflicts. Therefore, we aimed to further this important area of inquiry by (1) addressing whether an association exists between experiences of physical and/or sexual IPV within the past year and symptoms of STI and (2) exploring the relationship between low socio-economic status and IPV and the relative roles they play as obstacles to reducing women's risk of STI in a nationally representative sample of Bangladesh. This paper used data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey. The analyses were based on the responses of 4,195 currently married women. Exposure was determined from women's experiences of physical and sexual IPV within the past year. Genital sores and genital discharge were used as proxy outcome variables of the symptoms of STI. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used in the study. Experience of any physical and/or sexual IPV were associated with genital sores (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-2.51) and genital discharge (AOR 1.90, 95% CI 1.42-2.53). Severity of physical IPV appeared to have more profound consequences on the outcome measured. Findings also demonstrated that for the risk of STI, women at the nexus of poverty or illiteracy and IPV were not more uniquely disadvantaged. The results suggest that for the risk of STI, the negative effect of having experienced IPV extends across all socio-economic backgrounds and is not limited to women at either at the nexus of poverty or illiteracy and IPV. Findings underscore the calls for protecting women from all forms of physical and sexual violence from their husbands as a part of interventions to reduce the risk of STI.

Patterns of Violence Against Women: A Latent Class Analysis.

This study examined patterns of nine types of violence against women (VAW) and associated mental health problems. The following self-reported, lifetime violence victimization was examined among 1424 employed women: (1) childhood physical abuse, (2) childhood sexual abuse, (3) physical abuse between parents/guardians during childhood, (4) psychological intimate partner violence (IPV), (5) physical IPV, (6) sexual IPV, (7) adult physical or sexual assault by a non-intimate partner, (8) physical workplace violence, and (9) psychological workplace violence. Latent class analysis was used to identify homogenous patterns, called "classes," of women's "yes/no" responses to experiencing these types of violence. The best model consisted of 4-classes characterized by the following probabilities: low violence (class 1: 63.1%), high psychological and physical IPV (class 2: 15.6%), high physical and psychological workplace violence (class 3: 12.4%), and moderate to high childhood abuse (class 4: 9.0%). When compared to class 1 (low violence), membership in classes 2 (IPV) and 4 (childhood abuse) was associated with screening positive for depression in the past week at baseline after controlling for the influence of demographic characteristics on class membership. Also, when compared to class 1 (low all), membership in class 2 (IPV) was associated with greater odds of screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder in the past month at the six month follow-up assessment. Findings document distinct patterns of VAW and associated proximal and distal mental health outcomes. Implications for interventions aimed to improve employed women's health are discussed.

Trajectories of intimate partner violence victimization.

IntroductionThe purposes of this study were to assess the extent to which latent trajectories of female intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization exist; and, if so, use negative childhood experiences to predict trajectory membership.MethodsWe collected data from 1,575 women at 5 time-points regarding experiences during adolescence and their 4 years of college. We used latent class growth analysis to fit a series of person-centered, longitudinal models ranging from 1 to 5 trajectories. Once the best-fitting model was selected, we used negative childhood experience variables—sexual abuse, physical abuse, and witnessing domestic violence—to predict most-likely trajectory membership via multinomial logistic regression.ResultsA 5-trajectory model best fit the data both statistically and in terms of interpretability. The trajectories across time were interpreted as low or no IPV, low to moderate IPV, moderate to low IPV, high to moderate IPV, and high and increasing IPV, respectively. Negative childhood experiences differentiated trajectory membership, somewhat, with childhood sexual abuse as a consistent predictor of membership in elevated IPV trajectories.ConclusionOur analyses show how IPV risk changes over time and in different ways. These differential patterns of IPV suggest the need for prevention strategies tailored for women that consider victimization experiences in childhood and early adulthood.

Social Determinants and Health Effects of Low and High Severity Intimate Partner Violence

We sought to analyze whether the sociodemographic profile of battered women varies according to the level of severity of intimate partner violence (IPV), and to identify possible associations between IPV and different health problems taking into account the severity of these acts. A cross-sectional study of 8,974 women (18-70 years) attending primary healthcare centers in Spain (2006-2007) was performed. A compound index was calculated based on frequency, types (physical, psychological, or both), and duration of IPV. Descriptive and multivariate procedures using logistic regression models were fitted. Women affected by low severity IPV and those affected by high severity IPV were found to have a similar sociodemographic profile. However, divorced women (odds ratio [OR], 8.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.2-20.3), those without tangible support (OR, 6.6; 95% CI, 3.3-13.2), and retired women (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-6.0) were more likely to report high severity IPV. Women experiencing high severity IPV were also more likely to suffer from poor health than were those who experienced low severity IPV. The distribution of low and high severity IPV seems to be influenced by the social characteristics of the women involved and may be an important indicator for estimating health effects. This evidence may contribute to the design of more effective interventions.

How does economic empowerment affect women's risk of intimate partner violence in low and middle income countries? A systematic review of published evidence

AbstractObjectivesTo identify whether individual and household economic empowerment is associated with lower intimate partner violence in low and middle income country settings.MethodsSystematic PubMed and internet searches.ResultsPublished data from 41 sites were reviewed. Household assets and women's higher education were generally protective. Evidence about women's involvement in income generation and experience of past year violence was mixed, with five finding a protective association and six documenting a risk association.ConclusionAt an individual and household level, economic development and poverty reduction may have protective impacts on IPV. Context specific factors influence whether financial autonomy is protective or associated with increased risk. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.This article was published online on 6 October 2008. Errors were subsequently identified. This notice is included in the online and print versions to indicate that both have been corrected [17 April 2009].

Utilization of services by abused, low-income African-American women.

Little is known about health care and service utilization patterns among low-income African-American women, particularly those who report intimate partner violence (IPV). (1) Identify utilization patterns among low-income African-American women. (2) Demonstrate utilization differences by IPV status. One hundred and fifty-three African-American women from medical care clinics at a large inner-city public hospital. Case-control study. Predictor variable IPV assessed by the Index of Spouse Abuse. Outcome variables, health care, and service utilization, determined using the Adult Service Utilization Form. Of the 153 participants, 68 reported high IPV levels. The mean age was 32 years, majority were poor and unemployed, and 15.7% were homeless. The overall utilization rates were low. When controlled for homelessness and relationship status, high IPV levels were associated with greater psychiatric outpatient utilization. We found differences in the use of other medical or community services by IPV group. Women reporting high IPV levels are more likely to receive mental health services than women reporting low IPV levels, but may not have access to other needed services. Primary care providers should assess the mental health, legal, and social service needs of abused women, which will facilitate receipt of services.