Variations in Women's Help Seeking in Response to Intimate Partner Violence: Findings From a Canadian Population-Based Study

• NCJ Number: 233358
• Journal: Violence Against Women Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2011 Pages: 47-70
• Author(s): Betty Jo Barrett; Melissa St. Pierre
• Date Published: January 2011
• Length: 24 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This Canadian study examined variations in women's help seeking in response to intimate partner violence (IPV) and sought to determine the extent to which sociodemographic distinctions among women impacted their participation in both informal and formal help-seeking behaviors.

Abstract

This study examined the role of sociodemographic factors and v iolence characteristics in influencing women's use of informal and formal supports in response to intimate partner violence (IPV) in a national survey of Canadian households. A subset of female respondents in the 1999 Canadian General Social Survey who experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual IPV by a male current or former intimate partner was used for this analysis. Findings suggest that although there are significant sociodemographic variations in women's help seeking, the largest independent predictor of women's use of supports is fear that one's life is in danger. (Published Abstract) Tables, notes, and references