Help-seeking for intimate partner violence and forced sex in South Carolina

PURPOSE: In this population-based, random-digit-dial, cross-sectional survey, we assessed the lifetime victimization of intimate partner violence (IPV) and forced or coerced sex among 556 women and men in South Carolina, and the help-seeking behaviors of victims. RESULTS: Among women, 25.3% experienced IPV (sexual, physical, or emotional violence) compared with 13.2% of men. Although women were significantly more likely to report physical or sexual IPV (17.8%) than were men (4.9%), men (8.3%) were as likely as women (7.4%) to report perceived emotional abuse without physical or sexual IPV. One half of men and women with annual incomes <$15, 000 reported IPV. Among women experiencing physical or sexual IPV, 53% sought community-based or professional services for IPV; women with higher education levels and those experiencing more severe violence were most likely to seek services. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that IPV is common and that most victims do not receive services to address this violence.     

Physical and mental health effects of intimate partner violence for men and women

BACKGROUND: Few population-based studies have assessed the physical and mental health consequences of both psychological and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) among women or men victims. This study estimated IPV prevalence by type (physical, sexual, and psychological) and associated physical and mental health consequences among women and men. METHODS: The study analyzed data from the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS) of women and men aged 18 to 65. This random-digit-dial telephone survey included questions about violent victimization and health status indicators. RESULTS: A total of 28.9% of 6790 women and 22.9% of 7122 men had experienced physical, sexual, or psychological IPV during their lifetime. Women were significantly more likely than men to experience physical or sexual IPV (relative risk [RR]=2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.1, 2.4) and abuse of power and control (RR=1.1, 95% CI=1.0, 1.2), but less likely than men to report verbal abuse alone (RR=0.8, 95% CI=0.7, 0.9). For both men and women, physical IPV victimization was associated with increased risk of current poor health; depressive symptoms; substance use; and developing a chronic disease, chronic mental illness, and injury. In general, abuse of power and control was more strongly associated with these health outcomes than was verbal abuse. When physical and psychological IPV scores were both included in logistic regression models, higher psychological IPV scores were more strongly associated with these health outcomes than were physical IPV scores. CONCLUSIONS: Both physical and psychological IPV are associated with significant physical and mental health consequences for both male and female victims.     

Physical violence, intimate partner violence, and emotional abuse among adult American Indian men and women in Montana

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the experience of American Indian communities relative to physical violence (PV), intimate partner violence (IPV), and emotional abuse. METHODS: A random sample of adult American Indians living on or near the seven Montana reservations were interviewed through an adapted Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey in 2001 (N = 1,006). Victimization from physical violence was defined as PV or sexual assault committed by any person. Respondents who reported experiencing PV and who reported that the perpetrator was a current or former spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, or date were categorized as experiencing IPV. Emotional abuse was defined as fear for one's safety or being controlled by another individual. RESULTS: Nine, one, and twelve percent of men reported experiencing PV, IPV, and emotional abuse in the past year, respectively. Five percent of women reported PV in the past year, 3% reported IPV, and 18% reported emotional abuse. Men who reported PV in the past year were more likely to be younger and report more days of physical and mental health problems in the past month. Women reporting PV in the past year were more likely to be younger and have more days with mental health problems in the past month. Few men (7%) or women (12%) reported ever being assessed for PV or safety. CONCLUSIONS: Recent PV, IPV, and emotional abuse are prevalent for both American Indian men and women. Strategies to increase screening for PV and effective interventions for violence are needed.     

Childhood family violence history and women's risk for intimate partner violence and poor health

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence for associations between generations in family violence and between family violence in both childhood and adulthood and women's health. Most studies focus on a subset of family violence (child abuse, witnessing intimate partner violence [IPV] as a child, and/or adult IPV), and few examine possible differences associated with the nature of abusive experiences, such as physical versus sexual abuse. METHODS: A population-based telephone survey, the 1999 and 2001 Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, asked a representative sample of 3527 English-speaking, non-institutionalized adult women whether they had been physically or sexually assaulted or witnessed interparental violence in childhood, and whether they had experienced physical assault or emotional abuse from an intimate partner in the past year. The survey also asked about current general health and mental distress in the past month. RESULTS: The risks associated with childhood family violence experiences varied depending on the nature of those experiences. Women reporting childhood physical abuse or witnessing interparental violence were at a four- to six-fold increase in risk of physical IPV, and women reporting any of the experiences measured were at three- to four-fold increase in risk of partner emotional abuse. In contrast, women reporting childhood sexual abuse only were not at increased risk of physical IPV. Women reporting childhood physical abuse were at increased risk of poor physical health, and women reporting any type of childhood family violence were at increased risk of frequent mental distress. Approximately one third of women reporting poor general health and half of women reporting frequent mental distress also reported at least one of the childhood experiences measured. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the role of childhood experiences of abuse and of witnessing family violence in women's current risk for IPV, poor physical health, and frequent mental distress.     

Cumulative abuse experiences, physical health and health behaviors

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to investigate the complex relationship between a range of lifetime abuse experiences with current physical health and health behaviors. METHODS: Between October 1998 and May 1999, interviews were conducted with 557 ethnically diverse women seen at two urban primary care centers. Seven forms of abuse were measured: childhood physical and sexual abuse, past physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV), and recent emotional, physical, and sexual IPV. Severity was measured for six of these forms. Multiple non-specific physical symptoms were measured with a modified PRIME-MD, and four health behaviors were ascertained. RESULTS: Approximately 10% of women never experiencing abuse reported multiple non-specific physical symptoms, compared with 25.8% to 78.4% of women reporting a range of abuse experiences. Increases in recent IPV, past IPV, child abuse, and economic hardship were associated with increases in reported symptoms. Women who experienced IPV were more likely to report smoking cigarettes, binge drinking, and having poor nutritional habits. CONCLUSIONS: Recent IPV is associated with physical symptoms and risky health behaviors beyond the effects of child abuse, past IPV, and economic disadvantage. Understanding a person's IPV experiences may inform interventions for health behaviors, such as smoking cessation programs.     

Intimate partner violence among women veterans by sexual orientation

National estimates suggest intimate partner violence (IPV) rates are equal or higher among lesbian, bisexual, or questioning (LBQ)-identified women than heterosexual-identified women. Women veterans are a population at high risk for IPV, yet the occurrence of lifetime and past-year IPV experiences by sexual orientation have not been examined in this population. Lifetime and past-year IPV experiences and current IPV-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed with validated screening measures as part of a 2014 web-based national survey of women veterans. Among 403 respondents, 9.7% (n = 39) identified as LBQ, and 90.3% (n = 364) identified as heterosexual. When controlling for age, LBQ-identified women veterans were significantly more likely to report lifetime sexual and physical IPV and lifetime intimate partner stalking. In the past year, LBQ-identified veterans were twice as likely to endorse emotional mistreatment and physical IPV, and three times more likely to endorse sexual IPV, than were heterosexual-identified women veterans. However, sexual orientation was unrelated to IPV-related PTSD symptoms, when controlling for age, race, and number IPV forms experienced. IPV is prevalent among LBQ-identified women veterans, suggesting the need to understand the potentially unique contextual factors and health-care needs of this group.     

South Asian victims of intimate partner violence more likely than non-victims to report sexual health concerns

To assess relationships between intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual health among South Asian women in Boston. Surveys assessed demographics, IPV and sexual and reproductive health outcomes of women in relationships with men (N = 208). In-depth interviews explored these issues with women with a history of IPV (N = 23). Subjects were majority Indian, non-U.S. citizens, and highly educated. Quantitative data were assessed by logistic regression, qualitative data by a grounded theory approach. About 21.2% of the survey sample reported IPV in the current relationship. These women are 2.6 times as likely to report discolored vaginal discharge in the past year (95% CI = 1.27–6.50), 3.1 times as likely to report burning during urination in the past year (95% CI = 1.52–6.31) and 3.4 times as likely to report unwanted pregnancy in the current relationship (95% CI = 1.33–8.66). Interviewed women described how abuse reduces sexual autonomy, increasing risk for unwanted pregnancy and multiple abortions. Study findings demonstrate the need for increased gynecologic health outreach to abused South Asian women in the U.S.     

Intimate Partner Violence and Help-Seeking Among Ethiopian Women

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread phenomenon in Ethiopia, the relationship between help-seeking sources and IPV is not well understood. Better understanding of this relationship could play a role in preventing IPV. We used data collected in the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey and limited our study to women who have ever been married, aged 15 to 49 years (n?=?4469). Overall, the proportions of women who have ever experienced emotional abuse, physical, or sexual violence were 24%, 23.1%, and 10.1%. Women who sought informal help (family) were 2.42 times more likely (OR?=?2.42; CI 1.29–4.55) to have ever experienced emotional abuse than women who did not seek family help. Neither formal nor informal help-seeking significantly associated with physical or sexual violence. The results may indicate difficulties women face in seeking help and cultural and social norms that tolerate IPV as an acceptable part of family life in Ethiopia.

     

Intimate partner violence. A survey conducted in the primary care setting

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in a sample of women attending primary care centers for any reason and to analyze the characteristics of this violence. METHODS: A cross sectional study was performed in 23 primary care centers in three regions of Spain (Andalusia, Madrid and Valencia). The sample included 1,402 randomly selected adult women aged between 18 and 65 years attending these centers. Among the variables collected through a self-administered questionnaire were the existence of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, and its timing, duration, and frequency. RESULTS: Overall, 32% had experienced some type of IPV. By type, 7% had experienced both physical and emotional IPV, 14% had experienced emotional IPV, 3% had experienced emotional and sexual IPV, and 6% had suffered all 3 types of IPV. Among the latter, 52% had experienced abuse for more than 5 years. Women who experienced abuse in a previous relationship had a greater probability of being abused by a new intimate partner (OR = 3.30; 95% CI, 2.10-5.18). CONCLUSIONS: These results show the scale of IPV in Spain. Health professionals play an important role in IPV, as they are in a privileged position to tackle this serious public health problem.     

Intimate partner violence incidence and continuation in a primary care screening program

There are few longitudinal estimates of intimate partner violence (IPV) incidence and continuation. This report provides estimates of IPV incidence and continuation in women receiving health care in clinics participating in an IPV assessment and services intervention study. The Women's Experience with Battering Scale was used in combination with questions addressing physical and sexual assault to annually screen women for IPV. Between April 2002 and August 2005, 657 women in rural South Carolina consented and were screened at least twice. Among those with a current partner (n = 530), the majority (86.2%) had never experienced IPV. Among prevalent victims, IPV continued over time for 37%. IPV continuation rates were higher among older women and those who considered abuse as a problem in their relationship. Of those women who were IPV negative at time 1, IPV incidence at time 2 was 4.2%. A higher score on the Women's Experience with Battering Scale at time 1, a marker of psychological abuse, was a strong predictor of physical IPV incidence (p(trend) = 0.0001). These data suggest that the incidence of IPV over a short follow-up period is relatively low and that the majority of IPV desists over this short follow-up period.     

Prevalence of intimate partner violence and health implications for women using emergency departments and primary care clinics.

OBJECTIVES: To determine prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among women accessing health care, factors that influence rates of abuse, barriers to disclosure, and associated health problems and perceptions of safety. METHODS: A convenience sample of women seeking health care completed 1268 anonymous surveys (75 in Spanish) while at 1 of 24 urban, suburban, or rural emergency departments or primary care clinics. RESULTS: Of women in this study, 50-57% had experienced physical and/or emotional abuse and 26% reported sexual abuse in their lifetime. In the past year, 28% reported emotional abuse, 12% physical abuse, 6% severe physical abuse, and 4% sexual abuse. Logistic regression models found that younger, less-educated, less-affluent women presenting to urban emergency departments reported the highest rates of physical abuse. Although 83% welcomed abuse screening, only 25% ever had been asked and 86% would disclose abuse if asked directly, respectfully, and confidentially. Abused women reported significantly lower health status ratings than nonabused women (p < 0.001). Emotional abuse was as strongly associated with health problems as physical abuse. The majority (70-93%) of women with headaches, stomach problems, chronic pain, vaginal bleeding, substance abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts had experienced lifetime physical/emotional abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Women experience many forms of abuse and present to a wide range of health care settings. The striking prevalence of IPV and associated emotional/physical health problems challenges providers to routinely assess for abuse in ways that minimize barriers to disclosure and enhance the development of an effective plan of care based on a patient's abuse experience.     

Adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors associated with intimate partner violence--United States, 2005

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as threatened, attempted, or completed physical or sexual violence or emotional abuse by a current or former intimate partner. IPV can be committed by a spouse, an ex-spouse, a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend, or a dating partner. Each year, IPV results in an estimated 1,200 deaths and 2 million injuries among women and nearly 600,000 injuries among men. In addition to the risk for death and injury, IPV has been associated with certain adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors. To gather additional information regarding the prevalence of IPV and to assess the association between IPV and selected adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors, CDC included IPV-related questions in an optional module of the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. This report describes the results of that survey, which indicated that persons who report having experienced IPV during their lifetimes also are more likely to report current adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors. Although a causal link between IPV and adverse health conditions cannot be inferred from these results, they underscore the need for IPV assessment in health-care settings. In addition, the results indicate a need for secondary intervention strategies to address the health-related needs of IPV victims and reduce their risk for subsequent adverse health conditions and health risk behaviors.     

Intimate Partner Violence and Socioeconomic Deprivation in England: Findings From a National Cross-Sectional Survey

Objectives. We examined the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its association with social deprivation in England.Methods. We used multivariable logistic regression to investigate IPV correlates among 21 226 men and women aged 16 to 59 years in the 2008 nationally representative cross-sectional British Crime Survey.Results. Lifetime IPV was reported by 23.8% of women and 11.5% of men. Physical IPV was reported by 16.8% and 7.0%, respectively; emotional-only IPV was reported by 5.8% and 4.2%, respectively. After adjustment for demographic confounders, lifetime physical IPV experienced by women was associated with social housing tenure (odds ratio [OR] = 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.0, 2.7), low household income (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.8, 2.7), poor educational attainment (OR = 1.2; 95% CI = 1.0, 1.5), low social class (OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 0.3, 1.7), and living in a multiply deprived area (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1, 1.7). Physical IPV experienced by men and emotional IPV experienced by either gender were generally not associated with deprivation factors.Conclusions. Physical and emotional IPV are very common among adults in England. Emotional IPV prevention policies may be appropriate across the social spectrum; those for physical IPV should be particularly accessible to disadvantaged women.The World Health Organization highlights intimate partner violence (IPV) as a pressing public health and human rights issue.1 The World Health Organization defines IPV as physical or sexual violence, emotional abuse, or controlling behavior by a current or former intimate partner.2 In nearly 50 populationwide surveys globally some 10% to 69% of women report having ever experienced physical abuse by an intimate partner.2 In the United Kingdom, a 2009 review found that the prevalence of lifetime IPV against women was 13% to 31% in community studies, and 13% to 41% in clinical populations.3 The health impact of IPV extends beyond mortality and direct injury4 to poor overall self-rated health, mental health problems, and gynecological and sexual health problems.5,6 The annual UK domestic violence cost was estimated at £ 16 billion in 2008.7Often, IPV is seen in terms of physical or sexual violence perpetrated by men against women.1 As a consequence, most UK and international IPV prevention policies are targeted at women.1,8 However, some recent national surveys found a near-equal prevalence of physical IPV reported by men and women, mainly in North America and New Zealand, and there are calls for more services for male victims.9,10 Many have argued that this finding reflects measurement artifact, ignoring important differences in the nature and context of abuse.11 Further detailed examination of IPV as reported by both genders in national studies is needed to inform this debate.Policies for prevention of IPV also tend to emphasize that all women are at risk, regardless of their socioeconomic background.1,12 This is perhaps in an effort to decrease stigma associated with IPV. However, many studies show that both male perpetrators and female victims of physical IPV are more likely to come from disadvantaged backgrounds.13–15 The association with social deprivation depends on the broader social context, with more empowered women being at higher risk in some settings.16 There is little evidence on the socioeconomic profile of male victims. Finally, although central to the World Health Organization’s definition of IPV, emotional abuse is not well-described in the current literature among either gender. This is an important knowledge gap, as emotional abuse has a significant public health impact that can be as great as that of physical abuse.17,18 Understanding how social deprivation is associated with different types of abuse in both sexes will inform the need for targeted versus universal interventions.The British Crime Survey (BCS), a large national victimization survey in England and Wales, provides a detailed assessment of IPV. Home Office BCS reports examined associations between social deprivation and IPV victimization during the past year,19–21 but did not examine associations with lifetime IPV or IPV subtypes. To our knowledge there are no IPV studies using BCS data in the peer-reviewed scientific or public health literature, and only 1 UK national study using data other than the BCS, focusing on physical IPV.3,22 We used BCS data to describe the prevalence of both recent and lifetime IPV among men and women in England, and to explore whether different types of lifetime IPV were associated with social deprivation among either gender.To facilitate interpretation of our empirical findings we generated hypotheses in advance, following our review of theoretical and empirical literature. We expected to find that (1) women would report a higher prevalence of all types of IPV than men, particularly severe, prolonged, and controlling types of abuse11,23; (2) social deprivation would be associated with being a victim of lifetime IPV in both men and women13,15; and (3) social deprivation would be more strongly associated with being a victim of physical than of emotional lifetime IPV.17,24     

Intimate Partner Violence Among Men Having Sex with Men,Women, or Both: Early-Life Sexual and Physical Abuse as Antecedents

Little is known about the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) or about childhood adversity as a predictor of IPV among MSM. Studies have documented high rates of childhood sexual abuse among MSM. To evaluate associations of early-life sexual and physical abuse with IPV among African American heterosexual men or MSM, prevalence of early-life (≤21 years) sexual and physical abuse was measured among 703 nonmonogamous African American men. Men were classified as (1) MSM who disclosed male sex partners; (2) MSM who initially denied male sex partners but subsequently reported oral-genital and anal-genital behaviors with men; (3) non-MSM. MSM who initially disclosed male sex partners reported significantly (P < 0.0001) higher rates of early physical abuse (36%) and lifetime abuse (49%) compared with non-MSM (15 and 22%), respectively. These MSM reported significantly higher rates of sexual abuse by age 11, age 21, and over a lifetime compared with non-MSM (P < 0.0001). Being an MSM who initially disclosed male sex partners (OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2, 3.6) and early-life sexual abuse (OR: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.8, 4.3) was associated with IPV victimization in current relationships. Similarly, being an MSM with early-life physical and sexual abuse was associated (0.0004 ≤ P ≤ 0.07) with IPV perpetration. Early-life physical and sexual abuse was higher among MSM who disclosed male sex partners compared with heterosexual men; however, all MSM who experienced early-life abuse were more likely to be IPV victims or perpetrators.     

Intimate Partner Violence and the Utilization of Maternal Health Care Services in Nigeria

Our aim in this study is to examine the association between women's lifetime experiences of physical, sexual, and emotional intimate partner violence (IPV) and the use of maternal health care services. We used data from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Analysis was based on responses from 17,476 women (for antenatal care [ANC]) and 17,412 (for delivery assisted by a skilled health provider) who had had deliveries in the 5 years preceding the survey. We found an overall IPV prevalence rate of 33.4%. Physical IPV was associated with low use of ANC. Emotionally abused women were less likely to use delivery assistance from skilled health care providers. Based on our findings, we suggest the importance of designing interventions to address the health care needs of women who have experienced violence from their partners.     

Intersections Between Childhood Abuse and Adult Intimate Partner Violence Among Ecuadorian Women

Objectives Strong linkages exist between childhood abuse and adult intimate partner violence (IPV) among women in developed countries. Few studies examine this pattern in developing nations. This study explores the effect of childhood physical and/or psychological abuse on the likelihood of IPV among a national sample of Ecuadorian women of reproductive age. Methods Secondary data analysis was conducted on a subsample of 9,077 Ecuadorian women, utilizing the 2004 Encuesta Demografía y de Salud Materna e Infantil survey. Cross-tabulations and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to assess whether women who report childhood abuse had a higher likelihood of reporting sexual, physical or psychological IPV during their lifetimes or within the past year. Results Levels of abuse were high. More than 30% of women reported childhood psychological or physical abuse, and 21% experienced both types of abuse. Forty percent of women reported sexual, physical or psychological IPV during their lifetimes, while 15% reported any form of IPV in the past year. The co-occurrence of childhood psychological and physical abuse was highly predictive of all forms of IPV, with less consistent associations for women who reported only physical or only psychological childhood abuse. Conclusions This study suggests that childhood abuse is an important risk factor for IPV victimization among Ecuadorian women. While this analysis supports findings from developed countries, more cross-cultural research about patterns of violence throughout the life course is needed to develop relevant prevention programs.     

Physical and sexual abuse of wives in urban Bangladesh: husbands' reports

Using data from 8,320 husbands'self reports for the 2006 Urban Health Survey, this article examines the prevalence of physical and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrated by husbands against their wives in Bangladesh and identifies risk markers associated with such violence. Of the men included in the sample for this study, 55 percent reported perpetrating physical IPV against their wives at some point in their married lives, 23 percent reported perpetrating physical IPV in the past year, 20 percent reported ever perpetrating sexual IPV, and 60 percent reported ever perpetrating physical or sexual IPV. Bivariate analyses revealed that men residing in slums had a greater likelihood than those residing in nonslum areas and in district municipalities of perpetrating lifetime and past-year physical IPV, and any lifetime (physical or sexual) IPV. Lifetime sexual IPV prevalence, by contrast, was highest in district municipalities (26 percent), followed by slum (20 percent) and nonslum (17 percent) areas. Net of other factors, low socioeconomic levels were associated with men's increased likelihood of perpetrating IPV. Alcohol and drug use, sexually transmitted disease infection, poor mental health, and holding attitudes supportive of wife beating were predictive of IPV perpetration. These results suggest that IPV-prevention programs targeting men should consider spousal abuse, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors as social and public health problems and should also consider the sociocultural context within which men who abuse their partners are embedded.     

Abuse from In-Laws during Pregnancy and Post-Partum: Qualitative and Quantitative Findings from Low-income Mothers of Infants in Mumbai,India

To examine experiences of perinatal (in pregnancy or post-partum) abuse from in-laws and to assess associations between such experiences and perinatal intimate partner violence (IPV) from husbands, as reported by Indian women residing in low-income communities in Mumbai. The present study includes both qualitative and quantitative research conducted across two phases of study. The qualitative phase involved face-to-face, semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 32) with women seeking health care for their infants (6 months or younger) and self-reporting emotional or physical abuse from their husband. The quantitative arm involved survey data collection (n = 1,038) from mothers seeking immunization for their infants 6 months or younger at three large Urban Health Centers in Mumbai. Results of the qualitative study documented the occurrence of both non-physical and physical abuse from in-laws during pregnancy and post-partum. Non-physical forms of abuse included forced heavy domestic labor, food denial and efforts toward prevention of medical care acquisition. Quantitative results demonstrated that 26.3% of the sample reported perinatal abuse (non-physical and physical) from in-laws and that women experiencing perinatal sexual or physical IPV from husbands were significantly more likely to report perinatal abuse from in-laws (AOR = 5.33, 95% CI = 3.93–7.23). Perinatal abuse from in-laws is not uncommon among women in India and may be compromising maternal and child health in this context; such abuse is also linked to perinatal violence from husbands. Programs and interventions that screen and address IPV in pregnant and post-partum populations in India should be developed to include consideration of in-laws.     

Prevalence of intimate partner violence and injuries--Washington, 1998

Approximately 20% of emergency department visits for trauma and 25% of homicides of women involve intimate partner violence (IPV) (1,2). To assess IPV prevalence in Washington, the Washington State Department of Health added questions from the Conflict Tactics Scale (3) and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (4) to its 1998 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. This report describes an analysis of responses to the questions, which indicated that women were more likely than men to experience IPV in their lifetime, and more than three times more likely than men to experience injuries from IPV.