Intimate Partner Violence
Statistics about intimate partner violence (IPV) vary because of
differences in how different data sources define IPV (see
Overview
section for the CDC definition) and collect data. For example, some
definitions include stalking and psychological abuse, and others
consider only physical and sexual violence. Data on IPV usually come
from police, clinical settings, nongovernmental organizations, and
survey research.
Most IPV incidents are not reported to the police. About 20% of IPV
rapes or sexual assaults, 25% of physical assaults, and 50% of
stalkings directed toward women are reported. Even fewer IPV incidents
against men are reported (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a). Thus, it is
believed that available data greatly underestimate the true magnitude
of the problem. While not an exhaustive list, here are some statistics
on the occurrence of IPV. In many cases, the severity of the IPV
behaviors is unknown.
- Nearly 5.3 million incidents of
IPV occur each year among U.S. women ages 18 and older, and 3.2
million occur among men. Most assaults are relatively minor and
consist of pushing, grabbing, shoving, slapping, and hitting (Tjaden
and Thoennes 2000a).
- In the United States every year,
about 1.5 million women and more than 800,000 men are raped or
physically assaulted by an intimate partner. This translates into
about 47 IPV assaults per 1,000 women and 32 assaults per 1,000 men
(Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a).
- IPV results in nearly 2 million
injuries and 1,300 deaths nationwide every year (CDC 2003).
- Estimates indicate more than
1 million women and 371,000 men are stalked by intimate partners
each year (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a).
- IPV accounted for 20% of nonfatal
violence against women in 2001 and 3% against men (Rennison 2003).
- From 1976 to 2002, about 11% of
homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner (Fox and Zawitz
2004).
- In 2002, 76% of IPV homicide
victims were female; 24% were male (Fox and Zawitz 2004).
- The number of intimate partner
homicides decreased 14% overall for men and women in the span of
about 20 years, with a 67% decrease for men (from 1,357 to 388) vs.
25% for women (from 1,600 to 1,202; Fox and Zawitz 2004).
- One study found that 44% of
women murdered by their intimate partner had visited an emergency
department within 2 years of the homicide. Of these women, 93% had
at least one injury visit (Crandall et al. 2004).
- Previous literature suggests
that women who have separated from their abusive partners often
remain at risk of violence (Campbell et al. 2003; Fleury, Sullivan
and Bybee 2000).
- Firearms were the major weapon
type used in intimate partner homicides from 1981 to 1998 (Paulozzi
et al. 2001).
- A national study found that 29% of
women and 22% of men had experienced physical, sexual, or
psychological IPV during their lifetime (Coker et al. 2002).
- Between 4% and 8% of
pregnant women are abused at least once during the pregnancy (Gazmararian
et al. 2000).
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Consequences
In general, victims of repeated violence over time experience more
serious consequences than victims of one-time incidents (Johnson and
Leone 2005). The following list describes just some of the
consequences of IPV.
Physical
At least 42% of women and 20% of men who were physically assaulted
since age 18 sustained injuries during their most recent
victimization. Most injuries were minor such as scratches, bruises,
and welts (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a).
More severe physical consequences of IPV may occur depending on
severity and frequency of abuse (Campbell et al. 2002; Heise and
Garcia-Moreno 2002; Plichta 2004; Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a). These
include:
- Bruises
- Knife wounds
- Pelvic pain
- Headaches
- Back pain
- Broken bones
- Gynecological disorders
- Pregnancy difficulties like low
birth weight babies and perinatal deaths
- Sexually transmitted diseases
including HIV/AIDS
- Central nervous system disorders
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Symptoms of post-traumatic
stress disorder
- Emotional detachment
- Sleep disturbances
- Flashbacks
- Replaying assault in mind
- Heart or circulatory conditions
Children may become injured during
IPV incidents between their parents. A large overlap exists between
IPV and child maltreatment (Appel and Holden 1998). One study found
that children of abused mothers were 57 times more likely to have been
harmed because of IPV between their parents, compared with children of
non-abused mothers (Parkinson et al. 2001).
Psychological
Physical violence is typically accompanied by emotional or
psychological abuse (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a). IPV—whether sexual,
physical, or psychological—can lead to various psychological
consequences for victims (Bergen 1996; Coker et al. 2002; Heise and
Garcia-Moreno 2002; Roberts, Klein, and Fisher 2003):
- Depression
- Antisocial behavior
- Suicidal behavior in females
- Anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- Inability to trust men
- Fear of intimacy
Social
Victims of IPV sometimes face the following social consequences (Heise
and Garcia-Moreno 2002; Plichta 2004):
- Restricted access to services
- Strained relationships with health
providers and employers
- Isolation from social networks
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Health Behaviors
Women with a history of IPV are more likely to display behaviors that
present further health risks (e.g., substance abuse, alcoholism,
suicide attempts).
IPV is associated with a variety of negative health behaviors (Heise
and Garcia-Moreno 2002; Plichta 2004; Roberts, Auinger, and Klein
2005; Silverman et al. 2001). Studies show that the more severe the
violence, the stronger its relationship to negative health behaviors
by victims.
- Engaging in high-risk sexual
behavior
- Unprotected sex
- Decreased condom use
- Early sexual initiation
- Choosing unhealthy sexual
partners
- Having multiple sex partners
- Trading sex for food, money, or
other items
- Using or abusing harmful
substances
- Smoking cigarettes
- Drinking alcohol
- Driving after drinking alcohol
- Taking drugs
- Unhealthy diet-related
behaviors
- Fasting
- Vomiting
- Abusing diet pills
- Overeating
- Overuse of health services
Economic
- Costs of IPV against women in 1995
exceed an estimated $5.8 billion. These costs include nearly $4.1
billion in the direct costs of medical and mental health care and
nearly $1.8 billion in the indirect costs of lost productivity (CDC
2003).
- When updated to 2003 dollars, IPV
costs exceed $8.3 billion, which includes $460 million for rape,
$6.2 billion for physical assault, $461 million for stalking, and
$1.2 billion in the value of lost lives (Max et al. 2004).
- Victims of severe IPV lose nearly
8 million days of paid work—the equivalent of more than 32,000
full-time jobs—and almost 5.6 million days of household productivity
each year (CDC 2003).
- Women who experience severe
aggression by men (e.g., not being allowed to go to work or school,
or having their lives or their children’s lives threatened) are more
likely to have been unemployed in the past, have health problems,
and be receiving public assistance (Lloyd and Taluc 1999).
Groups at Risk
Certain groups are at greater risk for IPV victimization or
perpetration.
Victimization
- The National Crime Victimization
Survey found that 85% of IPV victims were women (Rennison 2003).
- Prevalence of IPV varies among
race. Among the ethnic groups most at risk are American
Indian/Alaskan Native women and men, African-American women, and
Hispanic women (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000b).
- Young women and those below the
poverty line are disproportionately victims of IPV (Tjaden and
Thoennes 2000b).
Perpetration
- Studies show that for low levels
of physical violence, men and women self-report perpetrating
physical IPV at about the same rate. However, a common criticism of
these studies is that they are generally lacking information on the
context of the violence (e.g., whether self-defense is the reason
for the violence) (Archer 2000).
Risk Factors for Victimization and
Perpetration
Risk factors are associated with a greater likelihood of IPV
victimization or perpetration. Risk factors are not necessarily direct
causes of IPV—these may be contributing factors to IPV (Heise and
Garcia-Moreno 2002). Not everyone who is identified as "at risk"
becomes involved in violence.
Some risk factors for IPV victimization and perpetration are the same.
In addition, some risk factors for victimization and perpetration are
associated with one another; for example, childhood physical or sexual
victimization is a risk factor for future IPV perpetration and
victimization.
The public health approach aims to moderate and mediate those
contributing factors that are preventable, and to identify
protective factors which can reduce
the risk of victimization and perpetration.
A combination of individual,
relational, community, and societal factors contribute to the risk of
being a victim or perpetrator of IPV. Understanding these multilevel
factors can help identify various points of prevention intervention.
Risk Factors for Victimization
Individual Factors
- Prior history of IPV
- Being female
- Young age
- Heavy alcohol and drug use
- High-risk sexual behavior
- Witnessing or experiencing
violence as a child
- Being less educated
- Unemployment
- For men, having a different
ethnicity from their partner’s
- For women, having a greater
education level than their partner’s
- For women, being American
Indian/Alaska Native or African American
- For women, having a verbally
abusive, jealous, or possessive partner
Relationship Factors
- Couples with income, educational,
or job status disparities
- Dominance and control of the
relationship by the male
Community Factors
- Poverty and associated factors
(e.g., overcrowding)
- Low social capital—lack of
institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and
quantity of a community’s social interactions
- Weak community sanctions against
IPV (e.g., police unwilling to intervene)
Societal Factors
- Traditional gender norms (e.g.,
women should stay at home and not enter workforce, should be
submissive)
(Crandall et al. 2004; Heise and
Garcia-Moreno 2002; Stith et al. 2004; Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a)
Risk Factors for Perpetration
Individual Factors
- Low self-esteem
- Low income
- Low academic achievement
- Involvement in aggressive or
delinquent behavior as a youth
- Heavy alcohol and drug use
- Depression
- Anger and hostility
- Personality disorders
- Prior history of being physically
abusive
- Having few friends and being
isolated from other people
- Unemployment
- Economic stress
- Emotional dependence and
insecurity
- Belief in strict gender roles
(e.g., male dominance and aggression in relationships)
- Desire for power and control in
relationships
- Being a victim of physical or
psychological abuse (consistently one of the strongest predictors of
perpetration)
Relationship Factors
- Marital conflict—fights, tension,
and other struggles
- Marital instability—divorces and
separations
- Dominance and control of the
relationship by the male
- Economic stress
- Unhealthy family relationships and
interactions
Community Factors
- Poverty and associated factors
(e.g., overcrowding)
- Low social capital—lack of
institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and
quantity of a community’s social interactions
- Weak community sanctions against
IPV (e.g., unwillingness of neighbors to intervene in situations
where they witness violence)
Societal Factors
- Traditional gender norms (e.g.,
women should stay at home and not enter workforce, should be
submissive)
(Black et al. 1999; Heise and
Garcia-Moreno 2002; Kantor and Jasinski 1998; Stith et al. 2004;
Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a) |