Intimate Partner Violence In Relationships Research Articles

Sex, Gender, and Relationship Type in the Relational Uncertainty of Victims of Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects victims in ways beyond initial abuse experiences. This study examines one of these victim experiences, that of relational uncertainty. Former IPV (N = 345, n = 106 males, 239 females) victims completed surveys based on their former heterosexual romantic relationships. Results indicated that male and female relational uncertainty experiences differed and corresponded with type of IPV relationship (i.e., situational couple violence [SCV] or intimate terrorism [IT]) and gender (i.e., masculinity) affiliation. Results are discussed in terms of how they both reinforce and challenge current theorizing about IPV and relational uncertainty. Both scholarly implications and practical applications to victims are presented.

Intimate partner violence in relation to early maladaptive schemas in a group of outpatient Iranian women

Intimate partner violence is considered as a notable legal and health challenge of our age. In this study we test the hypothesis that pre-existing shame/defectiveness maladaptive schema increases the likelihood of becoming the victim of intimate partner violence. Participants were 20 women who were the victims of IPV, interviewed by open questions about experiencing different types of abuse during the childhood and marital life, their feelings about the abuse and their coping styles. At the end, participants completed Young Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire. We found that shame and defectiveness, emotional deprivation and mistrust/abuse are the most prevalent schemas in these women.

The Relationship of Intimate Partner Violence to Health-related Quality of Life Among Couples During the Transition to Parenthood

The Relationship of Intimate Partner Violence to Health-related Quality of Life Among Couples During the Transition to Parenthood

Identification of women exposed to acute physical intimate partner violence in an emergency department setting in Finland

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is seen as a serious health risk factor for women with significant acute and long-term health consequences and it affects women from all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Knowledge of these consequences of IPV may help emergency department (ED) professionals to identify these women and provide them with appropriate care, including information on a variety of community services, and refer those women to such services if necessary. The study aimed to describe the frequency of ED visits by women exposed to physical intimate partner violence as estimated by ED professionals (nurses, practical nurses, emergency medical technicians) and identification of acute IPV. In this study 'partner' is defined as a woman's husband, former husband, current or former cohabitant or partner. This design was used as part of a larger, descriptive, cross-sectional multi-centre and multi-method study. Data were collected from 28 EDs in 13 Finnish hospital districts. Altogether 488 questionnaires were returned, which yielded a response rate of 51%. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and quantitative content analysis. Findings showed that 48% (n = 231) of the ED professionals reported that they encountered women in IPV relationships at least once a month. Over one-fifth of the ED professionals reported having repeatedly encountered the same women visiting the ED for IPV related injuries. Over half of the participants reported having problems 'often' or 'now and then' when identifying women exposed to IPV. Those with training on IPV estimated that they had identified women exposed to IPV more often. To conclude, the research suggests that improvement of identification of acute IPV requires that training be arranged and jointly agreed written procedures for handling IPV be introduced.

Reasons for Staying in Intimately Violent Relationships: Comparisons of Men and Women and Messages Communicated to Self and Others

Victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) often are blamed for remaining in abusive relationships. As a result, victims may communicate messages rationalizing why they stay. Systematic, comparative examinations of these messages directed toward self and others by males versus females have not been conducted. This study addresses a gap in the literature by exploring victims’ communication regarding staying. Self-reports of 345 heterosexual IPV victims (N = 239 women, 106 men) demonstrated that more justifications were communicated internally to self than externally to others. Men and women differed significantly in only three of 14 messages, with men choosing more stereotypically masculine reasons for staying. Findings are discussed in terms of applications to victims and their stay-leave decision-making in IPV relationships.

IPV Among Adolescent Reproductive Health Patients: The Role of Relationship Communication

Population-specific data on factors that affect intimate partner violence (IPV) are needed on female adolescents and young adults, a cohort at greatest risk of IPV in the United States (Rennison, 2001). Studies have frequently overlooked the role of relationship communication as a gatekeeper to IPV (Ridley & Feldman, 2003). To address this gap, negative binomial regression was conducted with data from a 2004 survey of 618 women aged 15 to 24 seeking care at an urban reproductive health facility. Findings suggest that, within the previous year, verbal aggression by either partner was associated with physical violence by either or both partners, and verbal reasoning was negatively correlated with physical violence. Bidirectional and unidirectional IPV relationships may employ communication strategies differently.

The Relationship Between Parents' Verbal Aggression and Young Adult Children's Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Perpetration

This study examines the relationships between perceived and self-reported parent verbal aggression and their young adult children's intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration. Two hundred undergraduate students completed an in-person self-administered survey measuring IPV victimization and perpetration, as well as perceived parent verbal aggression. Three-hundred and eighty-six mail surveys were also sent to their parents; 79% of parents returned the surveys. Results indicate that perceived mother and father verbal aggression was related to higher levels of victimization and perpetration across several forms of IPV for both daughters and sons. The data appear to support theory that suggests parents of the same sex as their children are stronger models for aggressive behavior (Bandura, 1986). In addition, there were some differences in perceived and self-reported data for ratings of parent verbal aggression. Results of this investigation indicate that perceived parent communication has a significant impact on young adult children's victimization and perpetration of violence in intimate partner relationships. The findings also suggest that interventions aimed at developing and enhancing parent communication skills can help prevent or reduce the risk of young adult children becoming involved in violent relationships, as well as reducing risk factors for other adverse health problems.

Intimate partner violence relationship dissolution among couples with children: the counterintuitive role of “Law and Order” neighborhoods

AbstractThis study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) relationship dissolution and neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability, collective efficacy, and legal cynicism. Data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) Longitudinal survey were used to identify 658 cases of IPV in Wave 1. A generalized boosting model (GBM) was used to determine the best proximal predictors of relationship dissolution from the longitudinal data. Controlling for these predictors, logistic regression of neighborhood characteristics from the PHDCN community survey was used to predict IPV relationship dissolution in Wave 2. Counterintuitively, the authors find that neighborhoods high in legal cynicism have a greater likelihood of IPV relationship dissolution, controlling for other variables in the logistic regression model. However, analyses did not find that IPV relationship dissolution was related to neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability, and collective efficacy. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Intimate Partner Violence and Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Disorders Among American Indian Women in Primary Care

The relationship of intimate partner violence (IPV) with mental disorders was investigated among 234 American Indian/Alaska Native female primary care patients. Results indicated that unadjusted prevalence ratios for severe physical or sexual abuse (relative to no IPV) were significant for anxiety, PTSD, mood, and any mental disorder. Adjusted prevalence ratios showed severe physical or sexual IPV to be associated with any mood disorder. Patterns of IPV and mental health have implications for detection and service utilization.

The Transtheoretical Model in Intimate Partner Violence Victimization: Stage Changes Over Time

The transtheoretical model of behavior change (TTM) has been extended to describe the process of change in victims of intimate partner violence (IPV); however, it has not been validated over time or in a population of women experiencing IPV who are not currently in shelter. This article examines the process of change in IPV victims longitudinally and identifies factors that may relate to staging and stage progression. Fifty-three women were enrolled on presentation to an emergency department for health care treatment and completed follow-up at 3 to 4 months. Measures of TTM staging, use of community resources, ongoing abuse, mental health, and social support were collected. Cluster analyses were conducted, and descriptive summaries of clusters and significant demographic, abuse, and outcome variables related to cluster membership are presented. A five-cluster solution was selected on the basis of parsimony, theory, and overall coherence with the data. Forward progression through the stages over time was related to both the use of community resources and ending the IPV relationship.

Assessing Prevalence and Awareness of Violent Behaviors in the Intimate Partner Relationships of College Students Using Internet Sampling

ABSTRACT This study is an investigation of the occurrence and awareness of violence in intimate partner relationships as reported by college students recruited by e-mail from a small Midwestern university. Students responded to an online survey using a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scale 2. Data were collected on the occurrences of violent behaviors in their intimate partner relationships as well as their awareness of victimization and perpetration behaviors. Over 22% of the students who have been perpetrators or victims of violent physical acts are still unaware that these violent behaviors constitute relational abuse. Descriptive statistics concerning the prevalence of physical, sexual, and psychological violence are also reported. Implications about Internet sampling and the prevalence and awareness of intimate partner violence are discussed.

Pregnancy-Associated Violent Deaths

This literature review examines intimate partner violence in relation to pregnancy-associated femicide and suicide. Empirical publications were eligible for review if they included information on intimate partner violence and examined females who were pregnant/postpartum and who were victims of femicide/attempted femicide and/or suicide/attempted suicide. Nine publications met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Results suggest that intimate partners perpetrate one- to two-thirds of the pregnancy-associated femicides in the United States and that pregnant women make up 5% of urban intimate partner femicides. Intimate partner abuse during pregnancy appears to be a risk factor for severe intimate partner violence, including attempted/completed femicide. So little information exists concerning intimate partner violence in pregnancy-associated suicides that it is impossible to draw conclusions regarding this topic; however, a hospital-based study suggests that intimate partner violence may be a risk factor for attempting suicide while pregnant. More research is needed concerning intimate partner pregnancy-associated femicide and suicide so that evidenced-based preventive/therapeutic interventions may be developed.

Attitudes About Intimate Partner Violence Screening Among an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Young Women

Purpose This clinic-based study investigated attitudes about intimate partner violence (IPV) screening among an ethnically diverse population of adolescent and young adult women (n = 645). Methods A cross-sectional quantitative and qualitative survey assessed experiences with and attitudes toward IPV screening. Results Almost all participants supported universal IPV screening and over 90% believed that a health care provider was the most appropriate adult to ask them about interpersonal violence. Young women’s concerns toward screening varied by age and violence experience; those most likely to mind being screened were younger, had a history of childhood sexual abuse, and were victims of physical violence in the last year. However, even in these groups, over 70% supported IPV screening. Qualitative analyses suggested that provider qualities and confidentiality will affect the amount of disclosure to provider-initiated screening. Women also raised important questions about how to define IPV in relationships. Conclusions Young women generally favor universal screening of interpersonal violence, but provider qualities and confidentiality issues affect responses to screening questions.

The Mediation Effect of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms on the Relationship of Intimate Partner Violence and IFN-γ Levels

Women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) report greater stress and negative health consequences than nonabused women. Although an association between psychological stress and altered immune function has been shown, IPV studies have not investigated this relationship. This study explored the association of IPV with mental health symptoms and an immune marker to determine if posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms mediate the effect of IPV on pro-inflammatory (IFN-gamma) cytokine levels. A cross-sectional, comparative design was used to compare 62 women with IPV and 39 nonabused women. Mean IFN-gamma values were higher in abused women and in women with current PTSD symptoms. There were no significant relationships with potential confounding variables that could provide an alternative explanation for the increase in production of proinflammatory cytokines. PTSD symptoms mediate the association between IPV and IFN-gamma levels and may partially explain the association of mental health symptoms with physical health sequelae in IPV.

Coercion in Intimate Partner Violence: Toward a New Conceptualization

For decades, battered women’s advocates have placed coercive control squarely at the center of their analysis of intimate partner violence. Yet, little work has been done to conceptualize and measure the key construct of coercive control. In this article, we apply French and Raven’s social power model to a conceptualization of coercive control in intimate partner violence relationships. Central elements of the model include: social ecology; setting the stage; coercion involving a demand and a credible threat for noncompliance; surveillance; delivery of threatened consequences; and the victim’s behavioral and emotional response to coercion. These elements occur in spiraling and overlapping sequences to establish an overall situation of coercive control. The implications of this model for theory and practice are discussed.

Gender Differences in the Experience of Intimate Partner Violence among Active Duty U.S. Army Soldiers

The relationship of intimate partner violence to psychological distress and the mediating or moderating effects of social support were examined among 99 married active duty Army women and 477 married active duty Army men. Although approximately 40% of both the men and the women had experienced physical partner violence in the past year, in neither group was physical violence correlated with psychological distress when controlling for other variables. Among women, psychological abuse inflicted by a partner was significantly associated with greater psychological distress. Among men, poor marital adjustment was associated with greater psychological distress. An unexpected significant interaction effect was found among women indicating that those who were violent toward their partners under conditions of high peer support experienced greater psychological distress.

The domestic violence survivor assessment: a tool for counseling women in intimate partner violence relationships

Seeking to end violence and distress in their relationship is the goal of women abused by intimate partners. The theoretical framework guiding development of the domestic violence survivor assessment (DVSA) was Landenburger’s theory of entrapment and recovery. Social context and need to balance care for others and herself influence women’s decision-making about abuse. The DVSA was developed collaboratively between researchers and counselors to gain a deeper understanding of battered women’s cognitive states in order to assist them during counseling to effectively resolve the dilemma of their abusive relationships while experiencing personal growth. Five states are identified which a woman may experience on 11 issues concurrently at the personal, relationship or social context levels. Research to validate the DVSA and suggestions on use with women desiring to preserve their relationship or preserve their self or preserve the resolution of change is described. Using the DVSA for assessment, intervention and measuring intermediate outcomes is delineated.