Partner Violence Research Articles

Online Sexual Experiences Predict Subsequent Sexual Health and Victimization Outcomes Among Female Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis.

Adolescents' online sexual experiences (e.g., pornography use, sexual chatting, sexualized social media use, and nude image exchange) provide a new context for sexual socialization. Traditionally, online sexual experiences are often aggregated averages, which neglect their complexity and fail to identify individual differences in the experience. Moreover, the lack of longitudinal research in this area has failed to determine if these experiences predict later offline sexual health and violence outcomes. An analysis of two waves of surveys completed by ethnically and socioeconomically diverse female adolescents (N = 296; 49% maltreated; aged 14-16 years) participating in a larger cross-sequential study was conducted to address these gaps. Established latent classes from the prerequisite study of online sexual experiences at Time 1 were Online Abstinent (low probability of any online sexual experiences), Online Inclusive (high probability of all online sexual experiences), Attractors (high probability of attracting attention from others), and Seekers (high probability of seeking out sexual content and interaction). Class membership uniquely predicted HIV risk, number of physically violent romantic partners, and the occurrence of sexual assault at Time 2. Although membership in risker online sexual experience classes predicted later offline risk and victimization, this was especially true for maltreated participants. These findings demonstrate the advantages of examining online sexual experiences in a way that emphasizes their complexity and individual differences in influential susceptibility.

Partner Violence in Muslim Marriages: Tips for Therapists in the US

Partner violence in Muslim marriages is one of the most challenging subjects in the therapy setting for both therapists and Muslim clients. Due to the lack of studies and the negative reputation of Muslim families’ in Western culture, many therapists may carry stereotypes about partner violence in Muslim societies. Moreover, as a result of these same reasons, many Muslim clients might be hesitant to seek help or share their negative experiences. In family therapy, therapists would benefit from knowing what Muslim marriages are like and from learning to respect their clients’ cultural values. Understanding Muslim families better can be valuable in the therapy setting for many Muslim clients by helping therapists recognize abuse and enabling clients to seek help for partner violence. The current study aims to guide therapists in understanding marriages, cultural values, and partner violence in terms of Muslim marriages; to prepare them for challenges in therapy; and also to encourage future studies focused on preventing and combatting intimate partner violence.

Falling for the Ones That Were Abusive: Cycles of Violence in Low-Income Women's Intimate Relationships.

This study examines low-income women's cycles of lifelong violence victimization. A qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 24 low-income women living in Eastern Washington State illustrates the complexity of abusive interpersonal relationships, and the decision-making processes that abused women utilize to escape violence. The data illustrate patterns of a discursive process of normalization, wherein early experiences of violence socialized women to treat abuse as a normal and expected component of adult intimate unions. The normalization of abuse also set the stage for later abuse within intimate relationships to be downplayed. The participants' narratives demonstrate victims' efforts to interrupt cycles of violence by identifying protection of children and partners' other problematic behaviors as motivators in terminating their relationships. Abuse itself, however, is rarely stated as a main reason for victims to leave their abusers. The study's findings also highlight the importance of utilizing alternative sampling strategies, as the sample of domestic violence victims was not recruited via victim support services, but rather for a study of economic strain. The patterns elucidate the multiple ways in which abuse goes unrecognized and unreported within marginalized communities. These findings also provide insight for those within the victim advocacy network and researchers of domestic violence by showcasing the experiences of victims who are often excluded from studies of domestic violence. To those who work actively in the field, this study serves as a call to action to widen sampling strategies and examine abuse in ways that better fit victims' understandings and experiences of intimate partner and domestic violence.

Rationale and Design of a Remote Web-Based Daily Diary Study Examining Sexual Minority Stress, Relationship Factors, and Alcohol Use in Same-Sex Female Couples Across the United States: Study Protocol of Project Relate.

BackgroundThe Healthy People 2020 initiative aims to reduce health disparities, including alcohol use, among sexual minority women (SMW; eg, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and pansexual). Compared with heterosexual women, SMW engage in more hazardous drinking and report more alcohol-related problems. Sexual minority stress (ie, the unique experiences associated with stigmatization and marginalization) has been associated with alcohol use among SMW. Among heterosexuals, relationship factors (eg, partner violence and drinking apart vs together) have also been associated with alcohol use. Negative affect has also been identified as a contributor to alcohol use. To date, most studies examining alcohol use among SMW have used cross-sectional or longitudinal designs.ObjectiveProject Relate was designed to increase our understanding of alcohol use among young SMW who are at risk for alcohol problems. The primary objectives of this study are to identify daily factors, as well as potential person-level risk and protective factors, which may contribute to alcohol use in SMW. Secondary objectives include examining other physical and mental concerns in this sample (eg, other substance use, eating, physical activity, and stress).MethodsBoth partners of a female same-sex couple (aged 18-35 years; n=150 couples) are being enrolled in the study following preliminary screening by a market research firm that specializes in recruiting sexual minority individuals. Web-based surveys are being used to collect information about the primary constructs of interest (daily experiences of alcohol use, sexual minority stress, relationship interactions, and mood) as well as secondary measures of other physical and mental health constructs. Data are collected entirely remotely from women across the United States. Each member of eligible couples completes a baseline survey and then 14 days of daily surveys each morning. Data will be analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling.ResultsTo date, 208 women (ie, 104 couples) were successfully screened and enrolled into the study. In total, 164 women have completed the 14-day daily protocol. Compliance with completing the daily diaries has been excellent, with participants on average completing 92% of the daily diaries. Data collection will be completed in fall 2018, with results published as early as 2019 or 2020.ConclusionsProject Relate is designed to increase our understanding of between- and within-person processes underlying hazardous drinking in understudied, at-risk SMW. The study includes a remote daily diary methodology to provide insight into variables that may be associated with daily hazardous alcohol use. Before the development of programs that address hazardous alcohol use among young SMW, there is a need for better understanding of individual and dyadic variables that contribute to risk in this population. The unique challenges of recruiting and enrolling SMW from across the United States in a daily diary study are discussed.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/11718

Impact of Partner Violence on Female Delinquency

In recent decades there has been an increase of criminal behavior by women, which is due to social rather than individual change. Feminist analysis points to the existence of an androcentric and patriarchal order, which through the practices of subjectification, builds the identity of the subjects. These practices have been shaped by close affective bonds, including couple bounds, who in turn have constructed them as criminals. Ninety-four women were interviewed in six prisons in four countries. Their life stories were analyzed through Atlas.ti. Affective bonds with the partner and gender violence are the two main categories of analysis. It was found that the affective bonds with the partner that included violent behavior can be a factor leading these women towards crime. The findings suggest that the women were imprisoned, before entering prison, in violent relationships that held them, configuring their subjectivity. The violent partner bonds and female delinquency associated with them are the product of a patriarchal society that does not see a difference between being a victim or being criminal.

A longitudinal cohort study of\xa0rural adolescent vs adult South African mothers and their children from birth to 24\u2009months

BackgroundAdolescent motherhood has been repeatedly linked to poor child outcomes in high income countries and urban areas in low- and middle-income countries. We examine the structural, personal, and caretaking challenges of adolescent mothers and their children in rural South Africa compared to adult mothers over the first 24 months post-birth.MethodsA cohort of sequential births (n = 470/493) in the rural OR Tambo District was recruited and reassessed at 3, 6, 9, 12, and at 24 months post-birth, with a retention rate above 84% at all timepoints. Maternal and child outcomes were examined over time using multiple linear and logistic regressions.ResultsAdolescent mothers reflect 17% of births (n = 76/458). Adolescent mothers were more likely to have water in their households, but less likely to live with a partner and to be seropositive for HIV than adult mothers. Risks posed by mental health symptoms, alcohol, and partner violence were similar. Adolescents exclusively breastfed for shorter time and it took longer for them to secure a child grant compared to adult mothers. Although obtaining immunizations was similar, growth was significantly slower for infants of adolescent mothers compared to adult mothers over time.ConclusionsIn rural South Africa, almost one in five pregnant women is an adolescent. Caretaking tasks influencing child growth, especially breastfeeding and securing the child grant appear as the greatest problems for adolescent compared to adult mothers.

Trauma-related symptoms and severity among women in the Pacific Rim

Current understandings of the effects trauma exposure on women’s health are limited because prior research has largely focused on intimate partner and sexual violence in homogenous samples. In this descriptive study, the authors examined the relationships between lifetime trauma exposure and psychological well-being among women across the Pacific Rim. Psychological well-being differed significantly between the four locations and increased trauma exposures were related to poorer psychological well-being across and within locations. The authors report relevant findings on the relationship between trauma exposure and psychological well-being and provide evidence for future research to enhance knowledge on the effects of trauma in women’s lives.

Partner violence against women with malignancies

The content of this paper is an overview of the results of some available foreign studies related to the experience of violence against women suffering from various malignancies, especially breast and gynecological cancers. The topic is both specific and complex because it considers double victimization - malignancy and violence. The idea for this review paper emerged from author?s observations during the years of her clinical and psychotherapy practice, who after 16 years of work with the population of children, adolescents and adults with malignant diseases at the Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, continued to deal with counseling and psychotherapy of adult oncology patients and their family members in private practice. This paper is intended to stimulate research on violence against women suffering from malignant diseases in Serbia. The author?s experience and observations from her daily psychotherapy practice indicate that violence, especially partner violence against women suffering from malignant diseases, both in the years before the onset of the disease and during and after the end of combined oncological treatment, is, unfortunately, rather present in Serbia. For a more comprehensive and systematic insight into this issue, it is necessary to conduct an ?anonymous? national victimization survey to cover women aged 19-75 who are treated for the most common malignancies typical for women (breast and gynecological cancers) in all reference national oncology centers across Serbia.

Relationship between the history of abuse in the childhood and abusive behaviour towards children. Itagüí, Colombia, 2012–2013

IntroductionOne of the experiences that represent the biggest risk for any society is child abuse. Despite the consequences of this form of violence, it tends to be a hidden and little understood phenomenon. The reason why parents mistreat their children has been one of the issues that has raised the most interest in the investigation of this phenomenon. ObjectiveTo determine how the history of child abuse in adults is related to abusive behaviour directed at their own children. MethodologyA cross-sectional study, based on a source of secondary information. The study included sociodemographic variables, variables related to violent behaviours directed to other people, pro-social factors and the use of psychoactive substances. From this population, 2 groups were selected, parents who were abusive and parents who were not abusive towards their own children. In both groups the frequency of different factors that could explain the probability of abusive behaviour of the adults towards their children was evaluated. We analysed the association between aggressive behaviour against one's own children and having a history of child abuse. As a measure of association, the OR was used with its respective 95% confidence interval and p-value <.05. Results187 adults were included, 63.1% were women. The median [IQR] age was 38 [24–52] years. The abusive behaviour of the parents towards their children was associated with: the female sex (OR=2.23; 95%CI, 1.13–4.40), partner's aggression (OR=3.28; 95%CI, 1.58–6.80), aggression towards other people outside the family (OR=2.66; 95%CI, 1.05–6.74), pro-social behaviour (OR=0.32; 95%CI, 0.14–0.73), and dysfunctional behavioural traits (OR=2.23; 95%CI, 1.11–4.52). There was no association with the history of child abuse (OR=1.54; 95%CI, 0.59–4.04). ConclusionsThe history of abuse in the parents’ childhood was not associated with abusive behaviour towards their children. Other forms of partner's violence and non-family violence were associated, suggesting that child abuse in the study population was related to other expressions of family and social violence.

Cognitive analytic therapy for obsessive morbid jealousy: A case series.

The evidence base for integrative forms of psychotherapy for obsessive morbid jealousy (OMJ) is very limited and so this study sought to examine the effectiveness of cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) in a small case series. Three A/B with extended follow-up single case experimental designs (SCEDs) were completed, with 1 male and 2 female patients presenting with OMJ. Results indicate that on the daily ideographic jealousy measures (across and within each case) there was evidence of significant reductions in morbid jealousy (and other associated symptoms) during the treatment phase. Treatment effects were also seen to be maintained over the follow-up period in these ideographic measures. On the primary nomothetic measure, all cases were classed as nonjealous by follow-up. Partner violence was extinguished across all cases. This article provides evidence of CAT offering promise as a suitable OMJ treatment option. Methodological limitations, theoretical insights, and treatment implications are all discussed.

Reproductive Control Among Women with Violent Partners in Paraguay

Abstract In this qualitative study, we explore the presence of reproductive control as a form of intimate partner violence (IPV). An intentional sample of 30 women in heterosexual couples was inter...

Exploring the relationships between sexual violence, mental health and perpetrator identity: a cross-sectional Australian primary care study

BackgroundResearch supports the association between adult sexual violence (SV) and poor mental health. However, most studies focus on rape and physical sexual assault. Little is known about how more subtle forms of SV affect women’s well-being. Furthermore, evidence for the impact of the perpetrator’s identity is mixed. There is also little data from clinical populations to help health practitioners identify SV. This paper addresses these gaps by exploring the associations between different types of adult SV, perpetrator identity, and women’s mental health in the Australian primary care setting.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study in general practice clinics. Adult women completed an anonymous survey while waiting for the doctor. Measures included PHQ-9 (depression), GAD-7 (anxiety) and PCL-C (post-traumatic stress disorder). SV was measured using items from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey and categorised into three groups (rape/sexual assault; coercive behaviours and/or reproductive control; and unwanted sexual contact).ResultsWe found significant associations between rape/sexual assault and poor mental health, and between coercion and/or reproductive control and higher PTSD and anxiety scores, compared to women with no SV experiences. SV perpetrated by an intimate partner was associated with significantly higher mean PTSD scores than SV perpetrated by a stranger, and significantly higher depression scores than SV perpetrated by another known person.ConclusionFindings suggest that associations between SV and mental health are mediated by type of SV and perpetrator identity. Health practitioners should enquire about different types of SV beyond stranger rape as a cause of poor mental health, and about perpetrator identity to inform them about the likelihood of ongoing symptoms.

Predictors of change in depressive symptoms over time: Results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

BackgroundDepressive symptoms fluctuate over time, and are most common amongst women in early adulthood. Understanding predictors of changes in depressive symptoms among young women may inform health promotion and early intervention. MethodsData were collected at three-yearly intervals from 2000 (Survey 2) to 2012 (Survey 6) from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The sample comprised 7663 women, aged 22–27 in 2000, who reported any indicator of poor mental health at any wave. Generalised linear mixed models identified predictors of change in depressive symptoms (CESD-10) over each three-year period. ResultsDepressive symptoms reduced over time. In a fully adjusted model, greater reduction in symptoms was predicted by higher initial symptoms, time, higher social support, and higher self-rated general health. Slower reduction was predicted by lower education, difficulty managing on income, high or zero alcohol consumption, stress, and history of childhood sexual assault or partner violence. Motherhood predicted an increase in depressive symptoms at Survey 2 (2000), but a decrease at Survey 5 (2009). LimitationsAlthough sampling was nationally representative, there is a slight bias towards Australian-born and more educated women. Further, although validated measures are used, all data are self-report. ConclusionsFluctuations in depressive symptoms among young women are related to fixed and time-varying factors spanning multiple health and social domains. A range of factors, including education and financial resources, promotion of positive social support systems, and encouragement of health promoting lifestyles, might serve to promote young women's mental health and thus to reduce pressure on clinical services.

Exploring comorbid depression and physical health trajectories: A case-based computational modelling approach.

While comorbid depression/physical health is a major clinical concern, the conventional methods of medicine make it difficult to model the complexities of this relationship. Such challenges include cataloguing multiple trends, developing multiple complex aetiological explanations, and modelling the collective large-scale dynamics of these trends. Using a case-based complexity approach, this study engaged in a richly described case study to demonstrate the utility of computational modelling for primary care research. N=259 people were subsampled from the Diamond database, one of the largest primary care depression cohort studies worldwide. A global measure of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) and physical health (PCS-12) were assessed at 3, 6, 9, and 12months and then annually for a total of 7years. Eleven trajectories and 2 large-scale collective dynamics were identified, revealing that while depression is comorbid with poor physical health, chronic illness is often low dynamic and not always linked to depression. Also, some of the cases in the unhealthy and oscillator trends remain ill without much chance of improvement. Finally, childhood abuse, partner violence, and negative life events are greater amongst unhealthy trends. Computational modelling offers a major advance for health researchers to account for the diversity of primary care patients and for developing better prognostic models for team-based interdisciplinary care.

Influence of Intimate Terrorism, Situational Couple Violence, and Mutual Violent Control on Male Victims.

The goal of the current study is to test - among samples of men - some previous findings relative to Johnson's (2008) typology of partner violence (PV). Among samples of exclusively women, Johnson has found that the frequency and severity of PV - and victims' mental health - are worse for female victims of intimate terrorism (IT) than of situational couple violence (SCV). However, such findings have rarely been tested in male victims of PV. Furthermore, although Johnson posits that mutual violent control (MVC) is relatively rare, other research suggests that it is about as common as IT and may be associated with worse PV and health. We examined the relative frequency and severity of various forms of PV, and the relative health and mental health between men who (a) experienced IT versus SCV, and (b) experienced IT versus MVC. Our two samples were 611 men who sought help for PV victimization and 1,601 men from a population-based sample. Our analyses showed that across samples, men who were victims of IT had significantly worse mental health than men who experienced SCV, and IT victims experienced more severe and frequent PV, including physical, sexual, and non-physical forms of PV. Male victims of IT had worse mental and physical health than either men who perpetrated IT or experienced MVC, but men involved in MVC were involved in relationships with more types of PV than either male IT perpetrators or victims. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for Johnson's typology, future research, and service providers.

A Violent Event Perspective on Women's Involvement in Incidents of Severe Partner Violence.

There is a shortage of research that examines experiences of partner violence (PV) among high-risk, incarcerated women using a situational perspective. This study uses a "violent event perspective" and data from the Canadian-Based Women's Experiences of Violence study to examine the sequential actions of intimate partners in a violent event. It also identifies the types of violent events based on women's involvement in the incidents of severe PV. A total of 135 incarcerated women reported 295 incidents of severe violence with a partner. Findings suggest that PV experiences of women in this clinical sample are highly heterogeneous but mostly represent extreme forms of both victimization and perpetration. This study also identifies the heterogeneity of the types of PV events by providing insight into novel forms of violent dynamics.

Intimate Partner (Sexual) Violence: Danish Research and Policy

ABSTRACTIn this article the authors seek to describe state responses to figures showing that the rates of physical and/or sexual violence against women in Denmark are among the highest in Europe. The authors do so by investigating the representations of intimate partner sexual violence, framing contemporary political developments of the Danish field of welfare work addressing violence in intimate relationships as well as the dominating knowledge production substantiating these. Theoretically, Slavoj Zizek and his concept objective violence inform the paper, in order to analyze authoritative representations of “intimate partner sexual violence” in two areas: Danish research on sexual violence and Danish policy-papers. On the basis of a descriptive analysis we conclude that intimate partner sexual violence is essentially an unexplored problem in a Danish research context and we show that an incident-oriented conceptualization of rape and sexual assault dominates most of the research on sexual violence. Furthermore, in the political context we identify strong tendencies toward de-gendering violence as an outcome of strategies working to mainstream the field of welfare work addressing violence. This means that in a Danish context working with violence is now taking place within an ideological environment where the idea that equality between the sexes has been achieved dominates.

Partners as Possession: A Qualitative Exploration of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence in Freetown, Sierra Leone

ABSTRACTThe ‘gender acts’ passed in 2007 and 2012, regarding intimate partner (sexual) violence though extremely progressive on paper, are starkly disconnected from the changing social landscapes, lived experiences and social codes, which govern marriages and cohabitation in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Using practice theory (e.g. Karp 1986, Ortner 2006) to analyze and challenge the social, cultural and historical contexts of intimate partner sexual violence, and to examine notions about and access to justice, this article explores the intersection between human agency, social, legal and institutional structures, and forms of power (Karp, 1986, p.132, 134). Qualitative methodology is used to investigate how sexual assault is conceived in heterosexual relationships in Sierra Leone and to analyze why married or cohabitating women only seldom report the assault they suffer to the police and why cases predominantly end with a dismissal or an out of court solution, euphemistically referred to as ‘friendly settlements.’ The article argues for an intersectional approach towards intimate partner sexual violence. It conceives of women’s responses to such violence within the nexus between individual, community and state regulations, paying attention to the specific socially embedded agency they enable. The article contends that the pressures on women that cause them to prioritize social and economic security over justice need to be accounted for.

Hushed Voices: Views and Experiences of Older Women on Partner Abuse in Later Life

ᅟIntimate partner violence(IPV) in later life is a topic that is in its infancy in India. IPV among elderly women in particular has largely been overlooked by researchers as well as by the service providers primarily because the society doesn’t recognise IPV in later life. Moreover, it gets gleaned over because of the incertitude about categorising the violence inflicted upon elderly women by their partners under the fold of Elder Abuse(EA) or Domestic Violence(DV). People working in the area of Domestic Violence usually provide services to the women in their 20s and 30s and not to women older than 50 experiencing similar abusive relationships. People working in the area of Elder Abuse focus on abuse perpetrated by children and caregivers and not on abuse by partners. This confucion of categorisation has led to a complete neglect of this area of public health concern. The present exploratory study was designed to understand the causes, patterns and psychosocial consequences of IPV among elderly women (50 years and above). Using a multi-method approach, this qualitative study aims to identify key themes, and issues related to causes and consequences of IPV in later life. The data draws primarily from in-depth interviews with the survivors of abuse in later life and focus group discussions conducted with women of lower and middle class who are all 50 above. In addition to this, in-depth interviews were done with the key informants who are the service providers for such women. The survivors were chosen through critical case purposive sampling technique, while, the key informants were chosen using expert purposive sampling technique. For condensing the interviews, thematic analysis was performed. The results revealed that the perception of traditional gender roles in the society had led to preservation of women's subordinate position. When the participants of this research were growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, the social bounderies of gender were extremely rigid and the wives were expected to behave in a way that was acceptable for husbands. Abuse mostly started in early age and tended to continue in later life. But the form of abuse often changes as the couples became older. Physical abuse declined with age and was replaced by psychological abuse. Lack of support in old age and the stigma attached to divorce were the biggest restraining factors. Most women reported education and mass media as the primary agents of change. The psychological and social consequences included recourse to substance use, withdrawal from social life, low self- esteem, etc. The study has implications both for policy making and clinical practice.

Barriers to Disclosure of Intimate Partner Violence among Female Patients Availing Services at Tertiary Care Psychiatric Hospitals: A Qualitative Study.

Background:Intimate partner violence (IPV)/domestic violence is one of the significant public health problems, but little is known about the barriers to disclosure in tertiary care psychiatric settings.Methodology:One hundred women seeking inpatient or outpatient services at a tertiary care psychiatric setting were recruited for study using purposive sampling. A semi-structured interview was administered to collect the information from women with mental illness experiencing IPV to know about their help-seeking behaviors, reasons for disclosure/nondisclosure of IPV, perceived feelings experienced after reporting IPV, and help received from the mental health professionals (MHPs) following the disclosure of violence.Results:The data revealed that at the patient level, majority of the women chose to conceal their abuse from the mental health-care professionals, fearing retaliation from their partners if they get to know about the disclosure of violence. At the professional level, lack of privacy was another important barrier for nondisclosure where women reported that MHPs discussed the abuse in the presence of their violent partners.Conclusion:The findings of the study brought out the need for mandatory screening of violence and designing tailor-made multicomponent interventions for mental health care professionals at psychiatric setting in India.