Sexual Partner Violence Research Articles

What factors are associated with recent intimate partner violence? findings from the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global public health and human rights concern. Despite a growing body of research into risk factors for IPV, methodological differences limit the extent to which comparisons can be made between studies. We used data from ten countries included in the WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence to identify factors that are consistently associated with abuse across sites, in order to inform the design of IPV prevention programs.MethodsStandardised population-based household surveys were done between 2000 and 2003. One woman aged 15-49 years was randomly selected from each sampled household. Those who had ever had a male partner were asked about their experiences of physically and sexually violent acts. We performed multivariate logistic regression to identify predictors of physical and/or sexual partner violence within the past 12 months.ResultsDespite wide variations in the prevalence of IPV, many factors affected IPV risk similarly across sites. Secondary education, high SES, and formal marriage offered protection, while alcohol abuse, cohabitation, young age, attitudes supportive of wife beating, having outside sexual partners, experiencing childhood abuse, growing up with domestic violence, and experiencing or perpetrating other forms of violence in adulthood, increased the risk of IPV. The strength of the association was greatest when both the woman and her partner had the risk factor.ConclusionsIPV prevention programs should increase focus on transforming gender norms and attitudes, addressing childhood abuse, and reducing harmful drinking. Development initiatives to improve access to education for girls and boys may also have an important role in violence prevention.

Engaging Intercollegiate Athletes in Preventing and Intervening in Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence

Objective: The object of this exploratory evaluation was to evaluate the “Bringing in the Bystander” sexual and intimate partner violence prevention program with a new sample of intercollegiate athletes. Participants and Methods: Fifty-three male and female athletes participated in the program (experimental group), and 86 were in the control group. All completed pretest, posttest, and 2-month follow-up surveys, including assessment of rape myth acceptance, intent to engage in bystander behaviors, bystander confidence, and bystander behaviors. Results: The program worked overall and for both women and men, improved bystander confidence and intent to engage in bystander behaviors, and did not create significant backlash effects (ie, worsening of attitudes as a result of program). Conclusions: The program fits with the intent of the National Collegiate Athletic Association CHAMPS/Life Skills program regarding its focus on the overall development of student-athletes and demonstrates the promising bystander approach compatible with the 2007 American College Health Association toolkit, Shifting the Paradigm: Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence.

Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence: Are There Unique Characteristics Associated With Making Partners Have Sex Without a Condom?

This study examined correlates of making an intimate partner engage in unprotected sex among perpetrators of sexual violence. Based on the Confluence Model, we hypothesized that power and impersonal sex motives would be higher among perpetrators who made a dating partner have unprotected sex. Among a subsample of 78 male college students, significant differences were found for acceptance of verbal pressure, positive attitudes about casual sex, frequency of sexual intercourse, and physical injuries to dating partners. These findings highlight the importance of integrating theories and interventions directed at sexual assault and sexual risk reduction.

Emotional abuse: a neglected dimension of partner violence

Emotional abuse is well recognised as a form of intimate partner violence that is widespread in abusive and dysfunctional relationships. It is often overshadowed by physical and sexual partner violence, which are closely related. The prevalence of exposure to emotional abuse in women can range from 9% to 70%.1–8

Exploring gender differences in dating violence/harassment prevention programming in middle schools: results from a randomized experiment

In this study, we randomly assigned 123 sixth and seventh grade classrooms from seven middle schools in the greater Cleveland area to one of two five-session curricula addressing gender violence/sexual harassment (GV/SH) or to a no-treatment control group. A baseline survey and two follow-up surveys were administered immediately after the treatment (Wave 2) and about six months post-treatment (Wave 3). In an earlier paper, we demonstrated the effectiveness of two approaches to youth GV/SH prevention programming (a fact-based, law and justice curriculum and an interaction-based curriculum). In this paper, we explored whether these largely positive findings remain for both girls and boys, including whether girls experience higher levels of GV/SH than boys. Most of our statistical models proved to be non-statistically significant. However, in 2 of our 48 victimization/perpetration (any violence, sexual violence and non-sexual violence) models (across two post-intervention follow-up points), we observed that the interventions reduced peer (male or female, non-dating partner) sexual violence victimization and reduced peer perpetration, but another outcome model indicated that the interventions increased dating perpetration. These mixed findings will need to be explored further in future research. Regarding our primary research question, we observed no statistically significant differences for the treatment multiplied by gender interaction terms for any of the perpetration or victimization outcome models, suggesting that the treatment had similar effects on girls and boys. However, we did observe that boys are more involved in violence than girls: both as victims and perpetrators. Boys experienced significantly more of three types of victimization from peers and dating partners compared to what girls experienced at the hands of their peers and dating partners. As perpetrators, boys committed more sexual victimization against peers (immediately post-intervention only) and more sexual victimization against dating partners than girls. The implications of these results are discussed.

Strengthening Systems for the Primary Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence: CDC's DELTA and EMPOWER Programs

Over the past three decades, the effect of intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) on individuals and families has become better understood by practitioners, researchers, and socie...

Building the Capacity of States to Ensure Inclusion of Rural Communities in State and Local Primary Violence Prevention Planning

Rural, frontier, and geographically isolated communities face unique challenges associated with ensuring that they are equal partners in capacity-building and prevention planning processes at the state and local level despite barriers that can inhibit participation. By their nature, rural, frontier, and geographically isolated communities and states experience geographical isolation from planning partners and differential funding and staffing for prevention programming, as compared to urban or metropolitan states and local communities. At the same time, rural populations can face heightened risk associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual violence (SV) that intensifies the need to promote an inclusive primary prevention planning process that allows equal access of remote stakeholders to decision making related to prevention programming. This article presents a case study of two states to examine challenges and innovative solutions associated with ensuring inclusivity of rural and frontier communities in the Enhancing and Making Programs Work to End Rape and Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancements and Leadership Through Alliances violence prevention programs. Challenges associated with inclusion of rural communities in the planning process are presented, such as difficulty associated with participation due to geographic isolation. Innovative solutions, such as the use of technology designed to decrease these barriers that were used to bring together practitioners and state planners in these communities, are also presented. In addition, difficulties in ensuring that strategies are relevant to local culture are discussed.

Eliciting behavior change in a US sexual violence and intimate partner violence prevention program through utilization of Freire and discussion facilitation

Designed by Migrant Clinicians Network, the Hombres Unidos Contra La Violencia Familiar (Men United Against Family Violence) Project used facilitated discussion groups as the method to encourage self-reflection and behavior change. Male participants were not taught to rectify any past sexual or intimate partner violence (SV/IPV) 'tendencies', rather the discussion facilitation allowed them to reflect on the SV/IPV that was present in their lives and in the Hispanic community. Subsequently, the sessions and self-reflection, coupled with the discussions with other participating males, empowered several participants to have further interactions about SV/IPV with individuals in their community. The discussions led participants to realize that SV/IPV existed in their community, but that there were males within their community that wanted to change. The Hombres Unidos Contra La Violencia Familiar project demonstrated that behavior change does not need to be actively persuaded, but that self-reflection, which elicits behavior change, can be achieved through facilitated discussion and by permitting the facilitators to become participants. By creating sessions that allow participants to construct their own understanding of the perceived problem while reflecting on their past behavior, true behavior change that is initiated by the participant can be achieved. Through discussion facilitation, a targeted and structured behavior change intervention can assist participants in realizing that their past actions were damaging to themselves and their community, while aiding the participant in employing self-initiated responses, learned within the discussions, to alter their behaviors.

Pregnancy coercion, intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy

Background Reproductive control including pregnancy coercion (coercion by male partners to become pregnant) and birth control sabotage (partner interference with contraception) may be associated with partner violence and risk for unintended pregnancy among young adult females utilizing family planning clinic services. Study Design A cross-sectional survey was administered to females ages 16–29 years seeking care in five family planning clinics in Northern California ( N=1278). Results Fifty-three percent of respondents reported physical or sexual partner violence, 19% reported experiencing pregnancy coercion and 15% reported birth control sabotage. One third of respondents reporting partner violence (35%) also reported reproductive control. Both pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage were associated with unintended pregnancy (AOR 1.83, 95% CI 1.36–2.46, and AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.14–2.20, respectively). In analyses stratified by partner violence exposure, associations of reproductive control with unintended pregnancy persisted only among women with a history of partner violence. Conclusions Pregnancy coercion and birth control sabotage are common among young women utilizing family planning clinics, and in the context of partner violence, are associated with increased risk for unintended pregnancy.

A Study Comparing Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV Among Ex-Red-Light District and Non-Red-Light District Sex Workers After the Demolition of Baina Red-Light District

In June 2004, the red-light area of Goa was demolished. We compare HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) between sex workers who had been based in Baina red-light district (ex-RLD-SWs) with sex workers who had never worked in Baina (non-RLD-SWs).Three hundred twenty-six sex workers recruited using respondent-driven sampling, completed interviewer-administered questionnaires, and were tested for Trichomonas vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and antibodies to HIV. The association between ever working in Baina red-light area and HIV and STIs was examined using multivariate analysis.Non-RLD-SWs made up 55.3% (n = 201) of the sample, 48% of whom had entered sex work since the demolition. Non-RLD-SWs more likely to be less than 20 years old, Goan, have experienced sexual and intimate partner violence, to work part time, from home or the streets, and to have fewer clients. Ex-RLD-SWs were less likely to have curable STIs adjusted odds ratio of 0.27 (95% confidence interval: 0.10 to 0.73) and were more likely to have been exposed to HIV prevention and report consistent condom use with clients.Non-RLD-SWs were more likely to be engaged in high-risk sexual activity. Although partly explained by lack of exposure to HIV prevention and inconsistent condom use, social and professional isolation and greater experience of intimate partner and sexual violence may play a role.

Assessing Acceptance of Violence Toward Women

The Acceptance of Interpersonal Violence Scale (AIV) is a self-report inventory assessing beliefs about violence toward women. This study's purpose was to test the multidimensionality of the AIV. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on half a sample of 772 male participants and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the other half. EFA indicated a two-factor solution. Factors were labeled Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence. The CFA showed this model provided a good fit and was superior to the original one-factor model. Potential problems when using the single sum score and the applicability of the derived factor structure to violence research are discussed.

Continuity of adolescent and early adult partner violence victimisation: association with witnessing violent crime in adolescence

Background:Although exposure to peer and family violence is a documented risk factor for adolescent dating violence, less is known about the relationship between violent crime exposure and dating violence victimisation.Methods:Participants...

Handbook of injury and violence prevention

This book is the work of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, United States of America (USA). It brings together 74 authors writing on the widest range of injury prevention topics. The book is in five parts. Part I includes a chapter on the subject of epidemiology and the cost of injury and violence as well as an overview of interventions. Part II is about effective and promising interventions, with five chapters on unintentional injury – falls in adults, motor vehicle injury, drowning, residential fire injury, and sports and recreation injury – and six chapters on violence prevention – child maltreatment, youth violence, suicide, intimate partner violence, sexual violence and maltreatment of elderly people. The chapters have a common broad structure including epidemiology from the USA, the history of prevention, an outline of interventions including commentary on the strength of evidence, some discussion, an outline of research gaps and a conclusion. For example, the chapter on drowning has six detailed pages on interventions divided under subheadings of: products, environment, individual/social behaviour, legislation and multi-level drowning prevention campaigns. The analysis of research gaps follows this same grouping. Part III covers cross-cutting issues, with chapters on changing the built environment to prevent injury, changing the social environment, prevention of alcohol-related injury, reducing misuse of firearms, parenting and the prevention of childhood injury, building resilience to mass trauma events, and trends and challenges in intervention research methods. Part IV is about interventions in the field and covers knowing when an intervention will work in your community, behavioural interventions, developing interventions when there is little science, developing and implementing communication messages, cultural appropriateness, evaluating effectiveness and involving the community. Part V concerns dissemination and adoption of effective interventions and policies, and it has a chapter on dissemination, implementation and the wider use of interventions and encouraging adoption of science-based interventions. There are four appendices on resources, evaluation, data and web material, and a detailed 30-page index. The intention of the publication is to follow its title and to be a handbook, bringing together a wide range of issue-specific and action-oriented analyses to facilitate both understanding and action in injury and violence prevention. The book is clearly directed at those trying to understand or intervene in the USA – the authors are predominantly American; the epidemiology, history, information in the appendices and the references cited have a strong American focus – but it will also have wider currency. While it is not directed at an international audience, the breadth of coverage, the degree of detail and the quality of the scholarship make it useful in understanding specific injury and violence issues and in crafting and implementing interventions. For those with a long memory, this publication is similar in scope and detail to the 1989 supplement to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine,1 reflecting the two decades of research and experience that have occurred since then and, as such, is a very welcome addition to the literature. ■

Mediating pathways explaining psychosocial functioning and revictimization as sequelae of parental violence among adolescent mothers.

Adolescent mothers are at high risk for negative life events, such as previous childhood physical abuse, impaired psychosocial functioning, and young adulthood revictimization. However, little is known about the potential pathways in these events; hence, little is known about opportunities for intervention. This study used structural equation modeling to investigate mediators of the effects of parental child abuse on later psychosocial functioning and revictimization (in the form of intimate partner violence and sexual violence) among adolescent mothers, with longitudinal data spanning 2.4 years. On psychological distress in the final time period, parental physical child abuse had an early and then maintained effect but also effects mediated by earlier psychological distress and revictimization. Psychological distress rather than substance use appeared as the primary psychosocial factor mediating the effects of parental violence on both future distress and revictimization. For prevention of further psychosocial impairment and revictimization, these findings indicate the need for early intervention with adolescent mothers who come from abusive families and who display higher levels of psychological distress.

Violence: News on a public health problem

In 1996, the UN World Health Assembly adopted a resolution that declared violence to be a major and growing public health problem across the world. The resolution drew attention to the serious consequences of violence, both in the short and the long term, for individuals, families, communities and countries, and stressed the damaging effects of violence. The World Health Organization (WHO) was requested to set up public health activities to deal with the problem. In 2002, the WHO published the first world report on violence and health [1]. It addressed violence as a global health problem, and covered youth violence, child sexual abuse and neglect, intimate partner violence, abuse of the elderly, sexual violence, self-inflicted violence, and collective violence (violence during armed conflicts). The WHO defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person or a group or community that either results in or has the likelihood of resulting in injury, death, personal harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation. It covers a broad range of outcomes, including injuries, chronic diseases, psychological harm and adverse development, that pose a substantial burden on individuals, families, and communities. The world report on violence and health primarily described the physical, psychological and social problems of intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women, and, to a lesser degree, the possible long-term, health-related consequences of violence against men. Collective violence was subdivided into social, political and economic violence, committed by larger groups of individuals or by states. It included war and related violent conflicts. Apart from the direct health effects on combatants during war and armed conflicts, violence against women and girls has risen sharply since the start, in 2003, of the war in Iraq [2], and as a result of other regional conflicts [3]. In 2002, the Council of Europe adapted recommendations to combat violence against women in the Member States. Consequently, the Council was to receive annual follow-up information at a national level regarding the provisions of this recommendation. In this respect, in 2005, the Council implemented a set of indicators to monitor the Member States’ initiatives to combat violence against women. Among these indicators were current and nationwide sex-differentiated register data on police-reported cases of violence, and data on emergency department contacts due to violence. Furthermore, to monitor the trends in violence against women, it was recommended to include questions on violence in the Member States’ regular, national health interview surveys. The Danish National Institute of Public Health considers violence to be a serious risk factor for physical and mental health problems. Hence, since 2000, the national health interview surveys have included standardized questions on exposure to threats of violence, physical violence, and unwanted sex. The regulations on register-based research in Denmark permit the merging of survey data and

Domestic violence crimes and children: A population-based investigation of direct sensory exposure and the nature of involvement

Children's exposure to domestic violence is a major national problem. Researchers and policymakers have called for research guided by comprehensive conceptual frameworks to advance understanding of this complex risk to children's well-being [Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2006). Preventing intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and child maltreatment. Retrieved June 3, 2006 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/research_agenda/07_violence.htm.; National Institute of Justice (2007). Adolescents, neighborhoods, and violence: Recent findings from the Project on Human Development. Retrieved on September 5, 2007 from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/217397.pdf). The present study used a developmental–epidemiological model to explore the prevalence and nature of children's exposure to and involvement in domestic violence crimes investigated by law enforcement across a population. During the year under study 1581 domestic violence crimes were investigated by law enforcement. Forty-three percent of all domestic violence crimes had children in the household, and nearly all of those children (95%) experienced sensory exposure to the violence. A logistic regression model revealed a relationship between child exposure and domestic violence event characteristics such as victim injury, mutual assault, and perpetrator arrest. This research also examined how children are involved in domestic violence events. Three distinct types of involvement were revealed: children were part of the precipitating event; children called for help; and children were physically involved. Findings highlight the importance of developing a comprehensive surveillance system to ensure children exposed to domestic violence are made visible so they can be referred to appropriate services.

Violência sexual por parceiro íntimo entre homens e mulheres no Brasil urbano, 2005

To estimate the prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence among men and women of the Brazilian urban population and factors associated to it. The data analyzed is part of the study conducted between 1998 and 2005 among urban populations in Brazil. The data was obtained by means of a questionnaire applied to a representative sample of 5.040 individuals, men and women 16 to 65 years of age. Descriptive analysis was undertaken with weighted data, utilizing F design-based tests, with 5% significance. The global prevalence of intimate partner sexual violence was 8.6%, being predominant among women (11.8% versus 5.1%). Women consistently reported higher rates of violence then men, except in cases involving homo/bisexual partners. The rate verified for male homo/bisexuals was significantly greater than that found among male heterosexuals, but this difference in rates was not significant among women. The black population, irrespective of sex, referred more violence than the white population. The lower the income and years of formal education, the greater the rates of violence. However, men from poorer regions referred more violence, but this did not occur with respect to women. Diverse situations with respect to work, use of condoms, lower age at first intercourse and number of partners during the last five years differed significantly among women, but not among men. For both men and women sexual violence was associated with being separated or divorced, having had STDs, self -evaluation of being at risk for HIV, but was not associated with testing positive for HIV. The high magnitude of sexual violence as well as female surtax is confirmed. Violence as a result of gender conflicts, that pervades social stratification and ethnic groups is reiterated. As to the Aids epidemic, sexual violence is an important factor to be taken into consideration when discussing the feminization of the population affected by the disease.

Measurement and Correlates of Prosocial Bystander Behavior: The Case of Interpersonal Violence

The field of social psychology has long investigated the role of prosocial bystanders in assisting crime victims and helping in emergency situations. This research has usually been experimental and has established important principles about the conditions under which individuals will choose to engage in prosocial bystander behaviors. More recently, interest has grown in applying this work to the important practical problem of preventing interpersonal violence in communities. Yet, to date, there has been little research on the role of bystanders in cases of interpersonal violence. The current study is thus exploratory. Using a sample of 389 undergraduates, the study discusses key issues in the development of measures to investigate these questions and presents preliminary analyses of correlates of bystander behavior in the context of sexual and intimate partner violence.

Violence against women and the risk of under‐five mortality: analysis of community‐based data from rural Bangladesh

To assess whether violence against women was associated with increased mortality risks for their daughters and sons before the age of 5. Secondary analysis of longitudinal data from rural Bangladesh of 2691 live-born children in relation to their mother's experience of physical, sexual and emotional partner violence and level of controlling behaviour in marriage. Analyses were adjusted for potential confounders and stratified by gender. Under five-mortality was 88 per 1000 in this cohort. Overall, there was no association between different forms of violence against women and under-five mortality. However, more educated women had an increased risk of under-five deaths of their female offspring if ever exposed to severe physical violence (adjusted hazard ratio 2.2, 95% CI 1.06-4.50) or to a high level of controlling behaviour in marriage (adjusted hazard ratio 2.5, 95% CI 1.30-4.90). Controlling behaviour in marriage increased the hazard ratios in a dose-response manner. Increased mortality risks were neither shown for offspring of women with low or no education nor for boys in any educational group. Severe physical violence and controlling behaviour in marriage were associated with higher under-five mortality among daughters of educated mothers in rural Bangladesh, indicating gender-biased consequences of partner violence for child mortality.

The complexity of trauma types in the lives of women in families referred for family violence: Multiple mediators of mental health.

Responding to calls for further research about the impact of multiple types of trauma across the life span, this study examines the interconnections among types of trauma in childhood and adulthood in a convenience clinical sample of 283 women obtaining social services for family violence. In particular, variables including family of-origin dysfunction and other childhood risk factors, relationship victimization in adulthood, and the presence of adult resources were examined as mediators of links between child maltreatment and adult mental health symptoms. Variables were assessed at different time points, 3 years apart. Path analysis revealed that the conceptual model of multiple pathways between childhood family violence exposure and adult outcomes fit the data well. In particular, the link between child maltreatment and adult trauma symptoms was mediated by more proximal adult sexual and intimate partner violence and its association with childhood risk markers (e.g., negative family environment) and decreased markers of resources. This link was not significant for a more general index of mental health symptoms in adulthood.