The relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and substance use is not well understood. We conducted a meta-ethnography of qualitative studies to explore how substance use ...features in survivors’ and perpetrators’ accounts of IPV perpetration.
Qualitative studies from 1995 to 2016 were identified from PsycINFO, ASSIA and Web of Science, with an update in PsycINFO and ASSIA to December 2017. 7654 abstracts were screened for accounts of heterosexual IPV perpetration, then full-texts were screened for mentions of substance use. Key concepts from 26 qualitative studies (363 female survivors’ and 219 male perpetrators’ views) were synthesised to develop a grounded theory that put similarities and differences between studies into an interpretive order.
Six themes emerged: five related to the complex interplay between substance use and IPV perpetration in the context of intoxication, withdrawal and addiction, impact on relationship and wider dynamics of power and control and psychological vulnerabilities; a final theme related to survivors’ agency and resistance to IPV perpetration. Survivors and perpetrators noted how both intoxication and withdrawal could pre-empt IPV perpetration. Survivors, however, were more likely to see intoxication and withdrawal as part of a pattern of abusive behaviour, whereas perpetrators tended to describe a causal relationship between intoxication and discrete incidents of IPV perpetration. Irritability and frustration during withdrawal from or craving alcohol, heroin and stimulants, and/or a failure or partner refusal to procure money for drugs increased the likelihood of violence. Survivors were more likely than perpetrators to identify abuse in relation to the impact of substance use on their relationship and dynamics of power and control.
The interplay between substance use and IPV perpetration occurs at numerous contextual levels and is perceived differently by perpetrators and survivors. Behaviour change interventions must address the meanings behind divergent narratives about IPV perpetration and substance use.
Ensuring the emotional wellbeing of participants in violence-focused research is a paramount ethical requirement. While previous research suggests that most participants in violence-focused studies ...do not report harmful consequences, little is known about the experiences of adolescent participants in low- and middle-income countries.
This study, conducted in Maharashtra, India, aims at assessing how participant, contextual, and interviewer characteristics affect the level of distress that adolescent girls experience after participation in a violence survey.
A total of 3049 13–18-year-old girls were interviewed on their experiences of family and intimate partner violence. Following the interview, both girls and interviewers completed a 5-item questionnaire on perceived participant distress. Linear regression analyses were conducted to identify possible correlates of girls' distress.
Less than 10 % of participants reported feelings of distress upon completion of the interview. Higher levels of interviewers' empathy were significantly associated with decreased levels of participants' distress (standardised beta: −0.25, p < 0.001). Reported distress was also lower if girls had opted for an audio- and mobile-assisted self-interview (ACASI) format (standardised beta: −0.05, p < 0.01) and if the interview was conducted by someone older (standardised beta: −0.22, p < 0.001). Conversely, if interviews were conducted in participants' homes and by interviewers with higher education levels, reported distress was significantly higher (standardised beta: 0.06, p < 0.01 and 0.12, p < 0.001, respectively).
Our findings suggest that incorporating empathetic interviewing and trust-building techniques into interviewer training, offering ACASI interviews, and choosing interview locations that ensure confidentiality can help protect the wellbeing of participants in violence research.
Half of US women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV), and nearly all children in families experiencing such violence will be exposed. The negative effects of IPV exposure on children's ...mental and physical health are well-documented; however, less is known about effects on children's sleep health, a key marker of well-being.
This study examines the associations of early childhood exposure to maternal experiences of IPV with sleep health in adolescence, focusing on multiple dimensions of sleep health and differences by child sex.
We rely on data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a population-based study following 5000 children in large US cities, from birth to age 15. Analyses are based on 2687 adolescents interviewed at the year-15 follow-up.
Early childhood exposure to IPV is based on mothers' reports of her experiences of IPV from the child's birth to age 5. Adolescent sleep health is measured using 6 items approximating the BEARS sleep problem scale, at age 15. We estimate multivariate linear regression models to examine associations of early childhood IPV exposure with adolescent sleep health and stratify models by child sex.
Early childhood IPV exposure is associated with worse overall sleep health (β = 0.08; p < 0.001) and multiple dimensions of poor sleep health in adolescence. Associations are notably stronger among girls than boys.
The strong and lasting associations of early childhood exposure to IPV with adolescents' sleep health, particularly among girls, has important consequences for addressing adolescent health disparities.
Abstract
Purpose
LGBTQ + people who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and family of origin violence (FOV) are known to face significant barriers to reporting or seeking support for ...these experiences and may not always feel supported when do so.
Method
Data from 4,607 participants of a nationwide survey of LGBTQ + adults in Australia who indicated having ever experienced IPV or FOV was analysed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with reporting the most recent experience of IPV or FOV and with feeling supported when reporting.
Results
In total, 1,188 (25.9%) participants indicated that they reported their most recent experience of IPV or FOV and 1,112 (84.6%) of those felt supported. Participants’ sexual orientation, level of education, engagement with a regular general practitioner (GP), experience of homelessness and country of birth were associated with reporting their most recent experience of IPV or FOV. Of those who reported their experience, participants were most likely to feel supported if they had a regular GP and least likely to feel supported if they had ever experienced homelessness.
Conclusion
The findings of this study highlight inadequacies in family violence frameworks in promoting or facilitating access to services that could benefit this population. Encouraging LGBTQ + people to engage with a regular GP, establishing family violence services that cater to the specific needs of LGBTQ + people, and training family violence responders and service providers to recognise diverse relationship dynamics may improve support outcomes for LGBTQ + survivors of family violence.
This study estimated the U.S. lifetime per-victim cost and economic burden of intimate partner violence.
Data from previous studies were combined with 2012 U.S. National Intimate Partner and Sexual ...Violence Survey data in a mathematical model. Intimate partner violence was defined as contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking victimization with related impact (e.g., missed work days). Costs included attributable impaired health, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs from the societal perspective. Mean age at first victimization was assessed as 25 years. Future costs were discounted by 3%. The main outcome measures were the mean per-victim (female and male) and total population (or economic burden) lifetime cost of intimate partner violence. Secondary outcome measures were marginal outcome probabilities among victims (e.g., anxiety disorder) and associated costs. Analysis was conducted in 2017.
The estimated intimate partner violence lifetime cost was $103,767 per female victim and $23,414 per male victim, or a population economic burden of nearly $3.6 trillion (2014 US$) over victims’ lifetimes, based on 43 million U.S. adults with victimization history. This estimate included $2.1 trillion (59% of total) in medical costs, $1.3 trillion (37%) in lost productivity among victims and perpetrators, $73 billion (2%) in criminal justice activities, and $62 billion (2%) in other costs, including victim property loss or damage. Government sources pay an estimated $1.3 trillion (37%) of the lifetime economic burden.
Preventing intimate partner violence is possible and could avoid substantial costs. These findings can inform the potential benefit of prioritizing prevention, as well as evaluation of implemented prevention strategies.
Previous research has demonstrated that youth involved in the juvenile justice system endorse diverse patterns of victimization. However, previous research investigating victimization profiles among ...youth involved in the juvenile justice system has primarily consisted of boys.
This study investigated victimization profiles and correlates of victimization exposure, including posttraumatic stress symptoms and risk behaviors, in a sample of girls involved in the juvenile justice system.
Participants were 245 girls involved in the juvenile justice system (Mage = 15.57, SD = 1.13) participating in a dating violence prevention program. The sample was racially diverse, and 48 % self-identified as Hispanic/Latina.
Prior to participating in the intervention, participants completed self-report measures of adversity and victimization exposure, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and risk behaviors.
Results of latent class analysis identified three distinct victimization profiles. The first class (n = 106) was characterized by low levels of victimization. The second class (n = 98) experienced predominantly emotional victimization (i.e., emotional dominant). The third class (n = 41) was characterized by exposure to polyvictimization (i.e., polyvictimization predominant). Girls categorized into the polyvictimization dominant class evidenced the greatest levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms, substance use, suicidal behaviors, and sexual risk behaviors.
Girls involved in the juvenile justice system report distinct patterns of victimization, which are differentially associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms and risk behaviors. The present study underscores the importance of implementing trauma-informed assessment and intervention practices within juvenile justice systems.
We examined whether females with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and intimate partner violence (IPV) have greater exposure to lifetime trauma relative to females with TBI but no IPV ...history. Further, we assessed the effects of lifetime trauma on psychological outcomes after TBI. Female participants (
= 70; age M standard deviation-SD = 50.5 15.2 years) with TBI (time since injury median interquartile range -IQR = 10.2 5.3-17.8 years) completed a structured assessment of lifetime history of TBI, including an IPV module to query head injuries from physical violence by an intimate partner. We characterized lifetime trauma exposure with the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire and Survey of Exposure to Community Violence (CV). We evaluated psychological functioning with self-report questionnaires of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms. Compared with those with no IPV history (
= 51), participants reporting IPV-related head injuries (
= 19; 27.1%) reported more ACEs (MSD IPV: 4.52.9; No IPV: 1.61.8,
< 0.001,
= 1.08) and greater CV (IPV: 17.58.4; No IPV: 7.66.1,
< .0001,
= 1.26). Within the full sample, ACEs (β = 0.21, 95% confidence interval CI = 0.04-0.39) and CV (β = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01-0.13) predicted worse PTSD symptoms, while IPV alone did not. Exposure to all three sources of trauma (ACEs, CV, and IPV) was associated with worse PTSD symptoms relative to fewer traumas. The results highlight the scope of traumatic exposures among TBI survivors and the importance of considering IPV and other lifetime trauma exposure in assessing and managing TBI. Trauma-informed interventions that are modified for TBI-related impairment may offer improved outcomes in managing psychological symptoms.
Research is lacking on differing perspectives regarding custody cases involving domestic violence (DV). In a survey of judges, legal aid attorneys, private attorneys, DV program workers, and child ...custody evaluators (n = 1,187), judges, private attorneys, and evaluators were more likely to believe that mothers make false DV allegations and alienate their children. In response to a vignette, evaluators and private attorneys were most likely to recommend joint custody and least likely to recommend sole custody to the survivor. Legal aid attorneys and DV workers were similar on many variables. Gender, DV knowledge, and knowing victims explained many group differences.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) damages health and is costly to families and society. Individuals experience different forms and combinations of IPV; better understanding of the respective health ...effects of these can help develop differentiated responses. This study explores the associations of different categories of IPV on women's mental and physical health.
Using data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence, multilevel mixed effects logistic regression modelling was used to analyse associations between categories of abuse (physical IPV alone, psychological IPV alone, sexual IPV alone, combined physical and psychological IPV, and combined sexual with psychological and/or physical IPV) with measures of physical and mental health, including self-reported symptoms, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and nights in hospital.
Countries varied in prevalence of different categories of IPV. All categories of IPV were associated with poorer health outcomes; the two combined abuse categories were the most damaging. The most common category was combined abuse involving sexual IPV, which was associated with the poorest health attempted suicide: odds ratio (OR): 10.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.37-13.89, thoughts of suicide: 8.47, 7.03-10.02, memory loss: 2.93, 2.41-3.56. Combined psychological and physical IPV was associated with the next poorest outcomes (attempted suicide: 5.67, 4.23-7.60, thoughts of suicide: 4.41, 3.63-5.37, memory loss: 2.33, 1.88-2.87-).
Understanding the prevalence and health impact of different forms and categories of IPV is crucial to risk assessment, tailoring responses to individuals and planning services. Previous analyses that focused on singular forms of IPV likely underestimated the more harmful impacts of combined forms of abuse.
Uganda confirmed its first COVID-19 case in March 2020, leading to country-wide closures and a stay-at-home order. Infectious disease pandemics can overwhelm adaptive coping capacity (e.g., general ...self-efficacy and resilience) and increase the risk for mental distress. For individuals experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and cohabitating with a perpetrator, stay-at-home orders can also increase risk of violence, which can further exacerbate mental distress. The present study explores women's perceived self-efficacy and resilient coping, mental health outcomes (depression and COVID-19 related anxiety), hazardous alcohol use and IPV in the context of Uganda's national 2020 lockdown.
A phone-based survey was undertaken from June-August of 2020 in Wakiso District, Uganda. The study sample consisted of Africa Medical and Behavioral Sciences Organization (AMBSO) Population Health Surveillance (APHS) study participants who agreed to be contacted for future research. The analytic sample was restricted to women aged 13-80 years. Bivariate analysis and multivariable models explored associations between experiences of IPV and measures of adaptive coping, mental health and alcohol use.
A total of 556 women aged 13-79 years (mean age of 33.4 years) participated. Over half (55%) were currently married. The majority (60%) reported a decrease in alcohol use during the lockdown. Nearly half of the sample were experiencing physical or verbal IPV and reported an increase in violence during the lockdown. In adjusted analysis, alcohol use was associated with four times greater odds of recent physical IPV (aOR 4.06, 95% CI = 1.65-10.02, p = 0.0024), while participants had lower odds of experiencing any form of IPV as general self-efficacy increased (aOR 0.95, 95% CI = 0.91-0.99, p = 0.0308).
Lockdown measures in Uganda may have mitigated increased alcohol consumption. IPV was exacerbated during lockdown; more than 2 in 5 IPV victims experienced increased physical or verbal violence. Development of programming and policies aimed at mitigating women's risk of IPV during future lockdowns are needed.
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