NCJ Number
210815
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 20 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 99-123
Date Published
February 2005
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This study explored the specific impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) on women’s health among a sample of Spanish women.
Abstract
Previous research has documented the deleterious effects of IPV on women’s physical and psychological health. However, the measurement instruments researchers use to assess the experience of battered women vary greatly and often do not capture a complete understanding of the dynamic violent interaction. The current study sought to estimate the prevalence of the three types of violence (physical, sexual, and psychological) and to explore their characteristics. Additionally, in order to control for other factors linked to deleterious health outcomes for women, such as childhood abuse, the lifetime victimization history of the women were considered, along with information concerning the behavior of the women during the attack. Participants were 182 female IVP victims from the Valencian Community of Spain who were recruited from social service programs. Participants completed face-to-face interviews focused on sociodemographic information, relationship factors, characteristics of the violence, behavior of the women, unwanted sexual relationships, and lifetime victimization history. Results show that IPV is not homogeneous and that research on IPV should focus on each type of violence separately in order to gain a full understanding of women’s experiences of violence in the home. Additionally, the findings underscore the importance of controlling for other relevant variables when assessing the deleterious health impacts of IPV. Tables, references