Violence against women in heterosexual couples: A review of psychological and medico-legal considerations

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 113-124
Author(s):  
Valeria Tullio ◽  
Antonietta Lanzarone ◽  
Edoardo Scalici ◽  
Marco Vella ◽  
Antonina Argo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Personality Profiles ◽  
Effective Prevention

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is the most pervasive violation of women’s rights worldwide, causing devastating lifelong damage. Victims can suffer physical, emotional or mental health problems, and experience detrimental effects in social, psychological and relational health with their families, especially children. Due to the complexity regarding violence against women in heterosexual couples, it is important to make a clear distinction between psychological and physical mistreatment, which also includes psychological violence. This differentiation is important in determining different emotional and psychological aspects of mistreatment in order to understand the reasons why some women stay in such relationships and to explain the personality profiles of victims and perpetrators. In this short narrative review, we have combined perspectives of depth psychology and attachment theory from studies on trauma, traumatic bonds and the perpetrator/victim complex in gender violence. We have also considered the growing literature on IPVAW as it relates to the medico-legal field. Our search strategy included intimate partner violence, attachment styles, risk factors and the victim/perpetrator relationship. Distinguishing the different types of IPVAW is a necessary step in understanding the complexity, causes, correlations and consequences of this issue. Above all, it enables the implementation of effective prevention and intervention strategies.

Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the European Union: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Gracia ◽  
Marisol Lila ◽  
Faraj A. Santirso
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Partner Violence Against Women ◽  
The Eu

Abstract. Attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) are increasingly recognized as central to understanding of this major social and public health problem, and guide the development of more effective prevention efforts. However, to date this area of research is underdeveloped in western societies, and in particular in the EU. The present study aims to provide a systematic review of quantitative studies addressing attitudes toward IPVAW conducted in the EU. The review was conducted through Web of Science, PsychINFO, Medline, EMBASE, PUBMED, and the Cochrane Library, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. This review aimed to identify empirical studies conducted in the EU, published in English in peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2018, and analyzing attitudes toward IPVAW. A total of 62 of 176 eligible articles were selected according to inclusion criteria. Four sets of attitudes toward IPVAW were identified as the main focus of the studies: legitimation, acceptability, attitudes toward intervention, and perceived severity. Four main research themes regarding attitudes toward IPVAW emerged: correlates of attitudes, attitudes as predictors, validation of scales, and attitude change interventions. Although interest in this research area has been growing in recent years, the systematic review revealed important gaps in current knowledge on attitudes toward IPVAW in the EU that limits its potential to inform public policy. The review outlines directions for future study and suggests that to better inform policy making, these future research efforts would benefit from an EU-level perspective.

scholarly journals The Gender Violence - Implicit Association Test to measure attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria A. Ferrer-Perez ◽  
Andrés Sánchez-Prada ◽  
Carmen Delgado-Álvarez ◽  
Esperanza Bosch-Fiol
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Implicit Association Test ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Association Test ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Implicit Association ◽  
Implicit Measurement ◽  
Partner Violence Against Women

Abstract Attitudes play a central role in intimate partner violence against women and are related to its origin, to the responses of women who suffer violence, and to the settings where it occurs. In fact, these attitudes are recognized as one of the risk factors linked to violent perpetration and to public, professional, and victim responses to this type of violence. However, even though available research generally shows a broad rejection of this violence, it remains a serious social and health problem that has reached epidemic proportions. This suggests that the information available about these attitudes (obtained through explicit and direct measures, i.e., self-reports) may be distorted or influenced by factors such as social desirability. In this context, the overall objective of our research project is to provide multi-method measures (explicit and implicit) of attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women, and the main goal of this paper is to propose an instrument for the implicit measurement of these attitudes. In this regard, the Implicit Association Test (IAT) is the most common procedure used, providing a superior predictive validity compared to explicit measures for socially sensitive topics. We will present an exploratory study that describes its adaptation for our purposes, and the development of the Gender Violence - Implicit Association Test (GV-IAT) to use among Spanish-speaking populations, and discuss the strengths and limitations of this proposal.

scholarly journals Psychosocial Implications of Supportive Attitudes towards Intimate Partner Violence against Women throughout the Lifecycle

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6055
Author(s):  
Andrés Sánchez-Prada ◽  
Carmen Delgado-Alvarez ◽  
Esperanza Bosch-Fiol ◽  
Virginia Ferreiro-Basurto ◽  
Victoria A. Ferrer-Perez
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Implicit Association Test ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Association Test ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Implicit Association ◽  
Shape Distribution ◽  
Partner Violence Against Women

Supportive attitudes towards intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) normalize and promote these aggressive behaviors. As a result, more and more research is proposing the identification, analysis and intervention of these attitudes. However, the vast majority of this research focuses on students. The main objective of this paper is to analyze these supportive attitudes throughout the lifecycle. An opportunity sample of 200 Spanish participants, by age and sex fixed quotas, took part in this study. Attitudes were measured using the Inventory of Distorted Thoughts about Women and Violence, the Inventory of Beliefs about Intimate Partner Violence and the Gender Violence Implicit Association Test, a personalized form of Implicit Association Test (IAT). The results show that explicitly measured supportive attitudes towards intimate partner violence against women differ between age groups, adopting a U-shape distribution: lower acceptance among middle-aged-adults and young-adults and higher acceptance among adolescents and older adults. However, when these attitudes were implicitly measured, the IPVAW rejection increased with age, which is a counter-intuitive result and inconsistent with previous theoretical evidence. In summary, these results support an age effect that differs according to the measure of attitudes used and highlight some difficulties related to based-on-reaction-time measures among older people. This suggests the need for further research on the topic, especially among the older population.

Association of Black Women’s Perceptions of the Sex Ratio to Their Attitudes Toward and Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110139
Author(s):  
Karen B. Vanterpool ◽  
William L. Yarber ◽  
Molly Rosenberg ◽  
Rasul A. Mowatt ◽  
Justin R. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Behavioral Models ◽  
The Past ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Women Violence

This study explores how perceptions of the availability of male dating partners (sex ratio) affect heterosexual Black women’s tolerance and experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV). Evolutionary behavioral models suggest that when the sex ratio is high (more available men than women), violence against women is more likely to occur, whereas the Guttentag–Secord model suggests that when there is a surplus of men, violence against women is less likely to occur. Testing these theories, results show perception of a high sex ratio was significantly positively associated with experiences of IPV in the past 12 months and more tolerant attitudes toward IPV.

Mental Health Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in El Salvador

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122097880
Author(s):  
Laura Navarro-Mantas ◽  
Soledad de Lemus ◽  
Jesús L. Megías
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
El Salvador ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

Violence against women (VAW) is currently one of the main problems in El Salvador, which leads the ranking of femicides in the world. We conducted the first national survey on VAW in El Salvador following the World Health Organization (WHO) methodology, to determine the impact of violence on women’s mental health ( N = 1,274). Women who had experienced intimate partner violence showed significantly poorer mental health and more suicidal ideations. Common mental disorders were significantly associated with the experience of all forms of violence, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and stressful life experiences. The results are discussed in connection with the primary care protocols and the design of public policies.

scholarly journals Rethinking Women’s Mental Health After Intimate Partner Violence

2020 ◽  
pp. 107780122092193
Author(s):  
Nicole Moulding ◽  
Suzanne Franzway ◽  
Sarah Wendt ◽  
Carole Zufferey ◽  
Donna Chung
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Women’S Mental Health ◽  
Women's Mental Health

This article reports on mixed methods research into intimate partner violence (IPV) and women’s mental health. Using an online national survey and life history interviews, quantitative and qualitative data analysis demonstrates how IPV negatively impacts women’s sense of self, with other multiple losses in relation to income, work, housing, and social participation further undermining recovery into the long term. The feminist concept of sexual politics is used to critically examine current responses to mental health problems after IPV, and a feminist-informed response is outlined that addresses the gender inequalities underpinning IPV and the psychological distress it produces.

scholarly journals Profiles of Emotion Regulation and Post-Traumatic Stress Severity among Female Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6865
Author(s):  
Marina Muñoz-Rivas ◽  
Ana Bellot ◽  
Ignacio Montorio ◽  
Rosa Ronzón-Tirado ◽  
Natalia Redondo
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Gender Violence ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Critical Pathway ◽  
Post Traumatic

Emotional dysregulation is a construct that has drawn substantial attention as a transdiagnostic contributing factor to the loss of health. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a term used to describe physical, psychological, or sexual assault of a spouse or sexual partner. The aim of the study was to determine the variability of emotional dysregulation among women with different types of IPV revictimization and post-traumatic stress. The cross-sectional survey included 120 women attended by the Integrated Monitoring System of Gender Violence of Madrid, Spain, due to a gender violence complaint. The presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (DSM 5 criteria), emotional dysregulation (Emotional Processing Scale (EPS)), childhood trauma, and type of revictimization were evaluated. Cluster analysis found three profiles of emotional regulation: Emotionally Regulated, Avoidance/Non-Impoverished, and Emotional Overwhelm. The results showed that the Emotional Overwhelm group was characterized by a general dysregulation of emotional experiences and a greater intensity of post-traumatic stress symptoms. In addition, women who have suffered several episodes of IPV by different partners showed a differential pattern of emotional regulation than the rest of the victims that entailed greater psychopathology. Findings confirm that emotional dysregulation is a critical pathway to the decrease of health among IPV victims.

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