Types Of Intimate Partner Violence Research Articles

Correlates of Violent Response Among Peruvian Women Abused by an Intimate Partner

The authors sought to identify correlates of violent response among women exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) in Lima, Peru. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on exposure to IPV and women's physical violent reaction towards their abuser. Women who were sexually abused by their partners, as compared with women who experienced emotional abuse only, were more than twice as likely to respond in a violent manner to the abuse (OR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.14-4.74). Similarly, women who reported being physically abused, were 4 times as likely than those who experienced emotional abuse only to retaliate in a physically violent manner (OR = 4.04, 95% CI = 2.68-6.11). Women's educational status, history of witnessing parental violence as a child, and type of IPV are significantly associated with women's violent response. Community support networks and culturally appropriate intervention programs designed to prevent and mitigate the impact of IPV are needed.

Intimate Partner Violence and Sexually Risky Behavior in Botswana: Implications for HIV Prevention

Aim: Evidence-based research has identified a link between experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and exposure to HIV in the general population and for women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Emerging evidence in Sub-Saharan Africa supports the fact that violence perpetrated against women and girls tends to increase their risk of HIV infection. The aim of the study was to explore the type and severity of IPV and HIV-related risk behaviors among remote, rural, and urban dwellers in Botswana aged 15 and over. Methods: The study combined both quantitative and qualitative methods of inquiry. Respondents came from remote area settlements and rural and urban areas of Botswana. The sample population was 1,378 Botswana, who are 15 years and above. Face-to-face structured and unstructured interviews were conducted by trained interviewers. Results: Thirty-two percent of the respondents reported that they had been in a relationship that they perceived as abusive. Respondents had had at least 2.4 abusive relationships. The mean Habitat Sustainability Index summed score was 2.4 (SD = 2.2). Women were more likely to report having been in an abusive relationship than men. The linear combination of physical, verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse explained 37% of the variance in sexually risky behaviors, r 2 = .37, F (13, 113) = 4.113, p <. 001, F change = 4.392. Emotional abuse and sexual abuse were the best predictors of sexually risky behaviors. When categories of abuse were classified by physical and nonphysical abuse, nonphysical (verbal and emotional abuse) accounted for a greater part of the variance in sexual high-risk behavior (beta = .32, p = .001). Conclusion: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common in Botswana and is related to high-risk sexual behavior. Programs for the prevention of HIV should adopt a life course model in order to identify the underlying factors in high-risk behavior.

The mental health consequences of intimate partner violence against women in Agaro Town, southwest Ethiopia

There are very few population-based studies on the mental health consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) from Ethiopia. This study was conducted among 510 'ever partnered' women in Agaro Town in February 2007. Mental distress and depression were measured using self-reporting questionnaires and Kessler's Scales. All types of IPV (physical, sexual and emotional abuses) were significantly associated with mental distress and depression. Women who suffered from physical, sexual and emotional abuses were more likely to have mental distress. We recommend using information education communications to educate the community and thereby preventing IPV and the mental health consequences.

WHITAKER ET AL. RESPOND

Two central points made by Reed are: (1) female perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) is not a public health concern and (2) there is no framework for understanding female-to-male IPV. Our perspective is that IPV is an important public health problem regardless of perpetrator and victim gender and that IPV can be addressed within a public health framework. It is indisputable that women are more affected by male IPV perpetration than are men by female IPV perpetration. However, the effect on men is far from insignificant. According to the 2005 National Crime Victimization Survey, which measures criminal victimization and, thus, likely underestimates IPV prevalence, 78 180 men and 389100 women were victims of intimate partner violence in 2005,1 and, between 1993 and 2004, 36% of male IPV crime victims reported being injured (48% of female IPV victims were injured), including 4.7% who reported being seriously injured (4.5% of female victims were seriously injured).2 Studies of other community samples find that 38% of injured IPV victims are men and 62% women.3 The adverse health impact of IPV on women is well documented, but far fewer studies have examined the health outcomes for men. Studies of the physical and psychological impacts of IPV on both women and men using nationally representative samples find that both are affected by IPV similarly.4,5 Clearly, both women and men are victims of IPV and can experience related adverse health outcomes. Existing theoretical frameworks that seek to explain both male and female IPV perpetration do so by taking a broader perspective and examining how individual, dyadic, family, and social factors affect all perpetration of IPV.6–8 These can be used within the public health approach to understand and, more importantly, to prevent IPV. The “gender-based violence” perspective has focused predominantly on IPV directed at women, and has placed less emphasis on primary prevention, or intervening before perpetration begins. Primary prevention requires understanding how risk for perpetration develops, including both low-level and severe forms of IPV. Studies should, as Reed suggests, examine types of IPV, as well as context and motives, whenever possible. They should also include both genders in examining if and how gender-related constructs relate to IPV9 to understand differences and similarities, rather than focusing on only 1 gender, as is often the case.10 The public health field is the perfect arena for such work, and is the logical discipline to support and implement violence prevention efforts for all those affected by IPV.

Is Intimate Partner Violence Associated With the Use of Alcohol Treatment Services? Results From the National Survey on Drug Use and Health

The purpose of this study was to examine (1) the prevalence of alcohol treatment use by intimate partner violence (IPV) type (any IPV, victimization, and perpetration) among problem drinkers and (2) the relationship between alcohol treatment use and IPV, by IPV type, in the general population. The sample was drawn from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white cohabiting respondents 18-49 years of age and who reported one or more alcohol problems in the past year are included in the analysis. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between alcohol treatment use and IPV. The prevalence of alcohol treatment use was significantly greater among individuals exposed to IPV, regardless of IPV type (7.4%, 7.8%, and 6.9% among those with any IPV, victimization, and perpetration, respectively) compared with those without reported IPV (2.8%, 2.8%, and 3.0%, respectively). Any IPV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-3.65) and IPV victimization (AOR = 1.93, CI: 1.00-3.73), but not perpetration, were associated with alcohol treatment use. Male gender, alcohol abuse/dependence, illicit drug abuse/dependence, and serious mental illness were positively and significantly associated with alcohol treatment in all three models. IPV, especially victimization, may have a substantial impact on alcohol treatment services. Findings highlight the potential to identify IPV in alcohol treatment settings and provide referral and intervention services.

Correlates of Medical and Legal Help Seeking among Women Reporting Intimate Partner Violence

To examine the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) type, severity, and duration and abused women's use of medical and legal services. Participants were 1509 randomly sampled women from a large health plan who were interviewed by telephone to assess (1) self-reported lifetime exposure to IPV type (physical, sexual, and psychological), severity, and duration and (2) women's use of medical and legal services (civil protection orders). Compared with women who experienced psychological abuse only, sexually abused women were 1.3 times as likely to seek medical care, and women exposed to physical IPV or sexual IPV were 3.2 times and 1.6 times as likely, respectively, to seek legal services. Rates of medical and legal help seeking increased with increasing abuse severity among physically abused women, and rates of legal help seeking increased with abuse severity among sexually and psychologically abused women. Longer duration of physical and sexual IPV was also found to be associated with increased legal help seeking. Abused women who sought formal help were more likely to be exposed to physical or sexual IPV, severe psychological IPV, and severe and long-lasting physical and sexual IPV. Efforts should be considered to improve the healthcare and legal system's response to IPV.

Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Sexual Risk Behavior Among Latino Gay and Bisexual Men: The Role of Situational Factors

Using a probability sample of 912 Latino gay and bisexual men at bars in 3 U.S. cities (Los Angeles, Miami, New York), this study examines how participation in difficult sexual situations with interpersonal (e.g., wanting to please partner) and circumstantial constraints (e.g., sex in partner's home) may explain associations between dimensions of intimate partner violence (IPV) and HIV sexual risk behavior (unprotected anal intercourse with nonmonogamous partner). Findings suggest that all IPV types contribute to greater participation in sexual situations with circumstantial constraints, and that psychological and sexual IPV are also associated with higher likelihood of unprotected receptive anal intercourse with a nonmonogamous partner. Circumstantial constraints fully mediate the difference attributable to psychological IPV and partially mediate the difference attributable to sexual IPV. Intimacy concerns were unrelated to either IPV or HIV risk behavior. Results suggest HIV prevention and research should investigate immediate circumstances of the sexual encounter that may make engaging in HIV sexual risk behavior more likely.

Vaginal Douching and Intimate Partner Violence: Is There an Association?

This study tests the hypothesis that vaginal douching among women of reproductive age is associated with exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV). The data source is a cross-sectional population-based sample of 2,002 women ages 18-45 in the Central Pennsylvania Women's Health Study. The survey included measures of IPV, douching behavior, and relevant sociodemographic and health-related covariates. Six percent of the sample reported experiencing any type of IPV in the past year, and 23% reported douching in the past year. IPV is significantly associated with douching after controlling for sociodemographic and health-related covariates. This finding holds for women with and without current reproductive capacity. This is the first study to identify an association between vaginal douching and IPV. Because vaginal douching is a risk factor for sexually transmitted infections, bacterial vaginosis, and adverse pregnancy outcomes, the findings could have important implications for prevention. Further research is needed to identify the reasons why women who have been exposed to IPV are more likely to douche.

Intimate partner violence prevalence and HIV risks among women receiving care in emergency departments: implications for IPV and HIV screening

Objective: To examine (1) the prevalence of experiencing physical, injurious and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) and (2) the associations between HIV risks and different types of IPV among women...

Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy: Incidence and Associated Health Behaviors in a Rural Population

The goal of this investigation was to examine the prevalence of different types of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy, as well as the association between both physical and psychological IPV and negative health behaviors, including smoking, other substance use, inadequate prenatal care utilization, and nutrition, in a rural sample. 104 southern Appalachian women, primarily Caucasian and lower SES, completed a pregnancy interview focused on IPV (CTS2) and health behaviors. Medical records were also reviewed. 81% of participants reported some type of IPV during the current pregnancy, with 28% reporting physical IPV, and 20% reporting sexual violence. More than half were current smokers. Physical IPV during pregnancy was associated with significantly increased rates of pregnancy smoking (including decreased rates of quitting and reducing), increased rates of alcohol, marijuana, and harder illicit drug use around the time of conception, and later entry into prenatal care. The experience of psychological IPV during pregnancy was associated with a significantly decreased likelihood of quitting or reducing smoking during pregnancy, an increased rate of alcohol use around the time of conception, and an increased rate of pre-pregnancy obesity. In this sample, pregnancy IPV and smoking occurred at rates well above national averages. Additionally, while physical IPV during pregnancy was associated with several negative pregnancy health behaviors, the experience of psychological IPV, even in the absence of physical IPV, also placed women at increased risk for negative health behaviors, all of which have been linked to poor pregnancy and newborn outcomes.

Physical health consequences of intimate partner violence in Spanish women

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women can result in serious health problems. The objectives of this study are to analyse the association between the different types of IPV and women's physical health, and to examine whether this association varies depending on the intensity, duration and timing of the violence. A sample of 1402 randomly selected women attending 23 family practices in Spain responded to an anonymous self-reported questionnaire. Measures considered were exposure to physical, sexual and psychological IPV; intensity, duration and timing of such violence; chronic physical disease; number of lifetime surgical operations and number of days spent in bed in the last three months. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Lifetime IPV prevalence was 32%. Higher prevalence of chronic disease was observed in abused women than in never abused women, as well as greater number of days spent in bed. Women who reported having experienced the three types of IPV were more likely to suffer a chronic disease (OR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.18-3.51) and to spend more days in bed (t = 2.35; P = 0.019) than those never abused. Women abused in the past but not in the present presented a higher probability of having a chronic disease than never abused women, and women who had been abused both in the past and in the present had a higher probability of spending more days in bed. IPV can negatively affect physical health of the victims. It is therefore necessary to detect cases of IPV at a primary health care level.

A Specification of the Types of Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Women in the General Population

This study analyzes data from a national, general population sample of respondents (National Violence Against Women Survey) to estimate the prevalence of the different forms of intimate partner violence (IPV) that women experience in the United States. The study's purpose, to differentiate types of IPV, follows the Johnson and Ferraro tradition that distinguishes occasional and random acts of abuse from chronic and controlling forms of violence. When examining the specific types of IPV that the survey respondents disclosed, the author finds that the distribution closely resembles Gordon's epidemiological findings. This study analyzed the variance in the number of types of IPV as a function of the childhood abuse the women experienced and their partner's controlling and threatening behaviors. It concludes with a discussion of the multiple responses to IPV that are necessary in contemporary U.S. society.

Severity of Intimate Partner Violence and Occurrence and Frequency of Police Calls

This article evaluates whether female victims of severe physical, psychological, or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) call police more often than other abused women. Abused women (431) reported frequency of contacting police (dependent variable), nature and severity of IPV experienced, and characteristics of themselves and their perpetrator (explanatory variables). A two-part regression model estimated likelihood of police contact among all participants and rate of contact among callers. Women with severe physical or psychological IPV or injury were more likely to call police than were other abused women. Among callers, women made 96% more calls if a weapon was involved, 58% more if they were severely sexually abused, and 40% more if they were severely physically abused. Women with children at home made 32% more calls. These results delineate the level and types of IPV and other characteristics of homes that make single and repeat calls to police.

Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence and Their Associations with Physical Health, Psychological Distress, and Substance Use

The purpose of this work is to formally model patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) separately for males and females and to assess the unique contributions of different types of violence exposure to health related outcomes. Using data from the National Violence Against Women Survey--a national probability sample of U.S. men and women--latent class analyses produced a map of the underlying structure of IPV for both males and females that is defined by specific types of violent acts. Multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed the differential physical health, mental health, and substance use consequences of exposure to IPV by gender. Women and men experience similar types of IPV, although the prevalence of the different types of violence is much greater for women than men. Second, exposure to IPV for both women and men is associated with a range of negative health outcomes including increased odds of poor physical health and physical disability, psychological distress and mental illness, and heightened recreational and non-recreational substance use. Finally, there is some evidence that experiences with IPV have stronger and broader associations with negative health outcomes among women, likely reflecting differences in the severity of violence experienced by men and women. More attention to the ways in which interpersonal violence is conceptualized, measured, and screened for is crucial. Specifically, while women have greater exposure to IPV, and subsequently a greater range of health problems, the effects on men should not be ignored.

Intimate partner violence and mental health symptoms in African American female ED patients

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) victims often seek care in the ED, whether for an injury from abuse or other sequelae such as mental health symptoms. Objectives The objective of the study was to assess whether depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality were associated with physical, sexual, or emotional IPV in African American female ED patients and to determine if experiencing multiple types of abuse was associated with increased mental health symptoms. Methods All eligible African American female patients were approached in the ED waiting room during study periods. Patients participated in the screening process via a computer kiosk. Questions regarding IPV and mental health symptoms were asked using validated tools. Results In this prospective cohort, 569 participated and 36% of those in a relationship in the past year (n = 461) disclosed that there were victims of IPV in the past year. In the past year, 22% experienced recent physical abuse, 9% recent sexual abuse, and 32% recent emotional abuse. A Pearson correlation was conducted and showed that all mental health symptoms were positively correlated with each type of IPV and each type of mental health symptom category. Mental health symptoms increased significantly with amount of abuse: depression (odds ratio [OR], 5.9 for 3 types of abuse), PTSD (OR, 9.4 for 3), and suicidality (OR, 17.5 for 3). Conclusions Emotional, sexual, and physical IPV were significantly associated with mental health symptoms. Each type of abuse was independently associated with depression, suicidality, and PTSD. Experiencing more than 1 type of abuse was also correlated with increased mental health symptoms.

Parental violence and the occurrence of severe and acute malnutrition in childhood

Evidence from developed countries has linked family violence with severe acute malnutrition (SAM), yet no similar studies have been conducted in developing countries where the risk of SAM is higher. To redress this gap, the objective of this study was to explore the role of intimate partner violence (IPV) among caregivers as an independent risk factor for SAM. A hospital-based case-control (n = 172 : 345) study was carried out in six paediatric hospitals of Rio de Janeiro (1995-99). Cases comprised children (1-24 months) admitted with SAM (weight-for-height z-score < -2 SD). Controls were children of the same age admitted for non-traumatic surgery. Couple violence was gauged through the Conflict Tactics Scales from two perspectives: (a) two ordinal variables characterising the intensity of verbal and physical aggression based on scores, and (b) a four-level variable representing a pattern of increasing violence seriousness. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was performed to control for confounding factors. Parents of SAM cases had higher Conflict Tactics scores than parents of controls, indicating more severe partner violence. The adjusted odds ratio for the comparison of the highest to the lowest scores (10 vs. 0) was 4.15 (95% confidence interval 1.55, 11.15). Using the four-level variable for violence seriousness, a threefold SAM risk was found for children with parents reporting severe physical abuse, but not for those with parents reporting verbal aggression or more minor physical assaults. In addition to traditionally studied risk factors, the findings suggest that family violence may also play an important role in SAM among children. Moreover, these findings indicate that the risk for SAM is not associated with all types of IPV, but that children exposed to severe and recurrent events are more likely to be admitted for SAM. For the prevention or early detection of SAM, this result points to a specific population group requiring rigorous public health targeting, especially in terms of accurate detection of both SAM and IPV, as well as appropriate handling and follow-up of violent families.

Intimate Partner Violence: Prevalence, Types, and Chronicity in Adult Women

Most intimate partner violence (IPV) prevalence studies do not examine the relationships between IPV types and the chronicity and severity of abuse. Delineate prevalence, chronicity, and severity of IPV among adult women. Retrospective cohort study conducted by telephone survey. Data were collected in 2003 to 2005 and analyzed contemporaneously. English-speaking women (n=3568) aged 18 to 64 years enrolled in a U.S. health maintenance organization for 3 or more years. Response rate was 56.4%. Physical, psychological, and sexual IPV were assessed using five questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey and ten items from the Women's Experience with Battering (WEB) scale. Most (3429) of the respondents had at least one intimate partnership as an adult. Of these, 14.7% reported IPV of any type in the past 5 years, and 45.1% of abused women experienced more than one type. Prevalence was 7.9% in the past year, while during a woman's adult lifetime, it was 44.0%. Depending on IPV type, 10.7% to 21.0% were abused by more than one partner; duration was <1 year to 5 median years; while in 5% to 13% of the instances, IPV persisted for >20 years. IPV rates were higher for younger women, women with lower income and less education, single mothers, and those who had been abused as a child. The high prevalence of IPV across women's lifetimes in the previous 5 years and the previous year are documented. The present investigation provides new information of IPV chronicity, severity, and the overlap of IPV types over a woman's adult life span.

La violencia contra la mujer en la pareja. Un estudio en el ámbito de la atención primaria

Objectives To determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of women attending primary care centers for any reason and to analyze the characteristics of this violence. Methods A cross sectional study was performed in 23 primary care centers in three regions of Spain (Andalusia, Madrid and Valencia). The sample included 1,402 randomly selected adult women aged between 18 and 65 years attending these centers. Among the variables collected through a self-administered questionnaire were the existence of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, and its timing, duration, and frequency. Results Overall, 32% had experienced some type of IPV. By type, 7% had experienced both physical and emotional IPV, 14% had experienced emotional IPV, 3% had experienced emotional and sexual IPV, and 6% had suffered all 3 types of IPV. Among the latter, 52% had experienced abuse for more than 5 years. Women who experienced abuse in a previous relationship had a greater probability of being abused by a new intimate partner (OR = 3.30; 95% CI, 2.10-5.18). Conclusions These results show the scale of IPV in Spain. Health professionals play an important role in IPV, as they are in a privileged position to tackle this serious public health problem.

Intimate Partner Violence and Disabilities among Women Attending Family Practice Clinics

To estimate the frequency and type of disabilities preventing work among those experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) compared with those never experiencing IPV. We used a large cross-sectional survey of women, ages 18-65, attending family practice clinics from 1997 through 1998. Participation included a 5-10-minute in-clinic survey assessing IPV experience and a longer telephone survey assessing health status and chronic disabilities that prevented work outside the home or housework. Of 1,152 eligible women surveyed, 54% experienced some type of IPV, and 24% were currently in a violent relationship. Women who had ever experienced IPV were more than twice as likely to report a disability (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6, 3.0). The most commonly reported disabilities were those associated with heart or circulatory disease (4.9%), followed by back problems (3.5%), chronic pain (3.4%), arthritis (3.0%), nerve system damage (2.4%), asthma or another respiratory problem including emphysema (1.7%), and either depression (1.6%) or another mental illness (1.0%). Women ever experiencing IPV were more likely to report a disability due to generalized chronic pain (aOR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.5, 4.3) and mental illness (aOR = 4.5, 95% CI 1.5, 13.1). IPV-related injuries were associated in a dose-dependent manner with having any disability and with disability from chronic pain, asthma and other respiratory diseases, mental illness, and chronic diseases. Primary care-based efforts to screen for IPV and effectively intervene to reduce the impact of IPV on women's lives must be a public health priority to reduce the shortterm and long-term health effects, including disabilities.

Gender Symmetry and Asymmetry in Violent Relationships: Patterns of Mutuality Among Racially Diverse Women

Three patterns of mutual intimate partner violence (IPV) are proposed, based on frequency and severity: Male primary perpetrator (MPP), female primary perpetrator (FPP), and symmetrical (SYM). Patterns and effects of ethnicity were examined with 445 African American, Euro-American, and Mexican American low-income women experiencing mutual IPV. More relationships were classified as MPP (54%) than SYM (35%) or FPP (11%). Comparing women's and men's perpetration of several types of IPV (e.g., threats, severe physical) indicated MPP-pattern women experienced all IPV types more often and were more likely to sustain injury than their male partners. Fewer gender differences were found in the FPP pattern. Racial/ethnic groups were more similar than different; previously reported differences may be explained by variation in socioeconomic status.