Psychological Perspectives on Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to acts or threats of physical, sexual, or psychological violence against a current or former partner. Although many of the psychological and physical ramifications of victimization are shared across contexts, it is critical to recognize that the cultural, social, and legal meanings and implications of victimization—and the access that survivors have to protection and support in the aftermath of violence—vary dramatically across contexts. Because of this, understanding the evolving history of IPV is necessarily context-specific, yet it is also important to recognize that there have been dramatic changes in policy in many nations since 2000 that have been motivated by growing awareness and advocacy. Examining contemporary research on IPV across contexts, a few summative points are evident. First, although the rates of bidirectional and male victimization vary across studies, women are generally victimized and injured at greater rates than are men—dramatically so in some contexts. Recent research has also suggested that individuals identifying as sexual and gender minorities may also be at greater risk for IPV. The negative effects of IPV on mental health, physical health, and development are profound and long lasting. These negative effects are not only evident in those directly victimized by of IPV, but also “trickle down” intergenerationally, and there is strong evidence documenting serious and enduring effects of IPV on the health and well-being of children. As discussed in more detail in the following sections, a substantial minority of IPV-exposed individuals have more than one violent partner in their lifetime, and these relationships often persist for years. Despite the wealth of research on the negative effects of IPV, intervention research is still in its nascence. There is relatively poor support for existing batterer intervention programs, especially those that are court-mandated and oriented toward identifying and changing stereotyped beliefs about gender relations. There is much stronger support for post-abuse care for survivors, with many available interventions demonstrating success in addressing depression and PTSD. There is also small, but growing, support for the effectiveness of programs with at-risk groups, such as IPV-exposed pregnant women. Innovative new directions for intervention include promising community-based and mobile health approaches that may improve the dissemination and scope of available services for survivors. For child witnesses, several intervention programs are available, but it is not yet clear from existing research which are the most advantageous or what the primary agents of change within these programs are. This bibliographic review of the literature is designed to highlight contemporary research in the field of partner violence and discuss some of its key controversies. It should be noted, however, that although it is rapidly changing, a great proportion of the available research has taken place in Western countries.