Agreement on Reports of Intimate Partner Violence Among White, Black, and Hispanic Couples in the United States

This article describes the rates and risk factors of unidirectional and bidirectional intimate partner violence (IPV) among White, Black and Hispanic couples in the US. Subjects constitute a multistage area probability sample representative of married and cohabiting couples from the 48 contiguous United States. Results indicate that most couples reporting violence engage in bidirectional IPV. Blacks are more likely than Whites to report bidirectional IPV. In addition, severe unidirectional and bidirectional IPV are more common among Blacks and Hispanics. The results also indicate that predictors of IPV vary depending on whether it is unidirectional or bidirectional. Unidirectional female-to-male IPV and bidirectional IPV are more associated with the characteristics of the female. In contrast, the occurrence of unidirectional male-to-female IPV is associated with a single risk factor, male childhood physical abuse. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing different types of IPV and have important epidemiological and prevention implications.

Download Full-text

The 5-Year Course of Intimate Partner Violence Among White, Black, and Hispanic Couples in the United States

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260505277783 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 20 (9) ◽

pp. 1039-1057 ◽

Cited By ~ 150

Author(s):

Raul Caetano ◽

Craig A. Field ◽

Suhasini Ramisetty-Mikler ◽

Christine McGrath

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

The United States ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Hispanic Couples

Download Full-text

Abusive Men's Use of Children to Control Their Partners and Ex-Partners

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040.12.1.54 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 54-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Marisa L. Beeble ◽

Deborah Bybee ◽

Cris M. Sullivan

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Emotional Abuse ◽

The United States ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Anecdotal Evidence ◽

Multiple Variables ◽

The Relationship

While research has found that millions of children in the United States are exposed to their mothers being battered, and that many are themselves abused as well, little is known about the ways in which children are used by abusers to manipulate or harm their mothers. Anecdotal evidence suggests that perpetrators use children in a variety of ways to control and harm women; however, no studies to date have empirically examined the extent of this occurring. Therefore, the current study examined the extent to which survivors of abuse experienced this, as well as the conditions under which it occurred. Interviews were conducted with 156 women who had experienced recent intimate partner violence. Each of these women had at least one child between the ages of 5 and 12. Most women (88%) reported that their assailants had used their children against them in varying ways. Multiple variables were found to be related to this occurring, including the relationship between the assailant and the children, the extent of physical and emotional abuse used by the abuser against the woman, and the assailant's court-ordered visitation status. Findings point toward the complex situational conditions by which assailants use the children of their partners or ex-partners to continue the abuse, and the need for a great deal more research in this area.

Download Full-text

COVID-19 and the Risk for Increased Intimate Partner Violence Among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260521997454 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052199745

Author(s):

Rob Stephenson ◽

Tanaka M.D. Chavanduka ◽

Matthew T. Rosso ◽

Stephen P. Sullivan ◽

Renée A. Pitter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Social Contact ◽

The United States ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sex With Men ◽

First Time

Stay at home orders–intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by limiting social contact–have forced people to remain in their homes. The additional stressors created by the need to stay home and socially isolate may act as triggers to intimate partner violence (IPV). In this article, we present data from a recent online cross-sectional survey with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the United States to illustrate changes in IPV risks that have occurred during the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic. The Love and Sex in the Time of COVID-19 survey was conducted online from April to May 2020. GBMSM were recruited through paid banner advertisements featured on social networking platforms, recruiting a sample size of 696 GBMSM. Analysis considers changes in victimization and perpetration of IPV during the 3 months prior to the survey (March-May 2020) that represents the first 3 months of lockdown during the COVID-19 epidemic. During the period March-May 2020, 12.6% of participants reported experiencing any IPV with higher rates of emotional IPV (10.3%) than sexual (2.2%) or physical (1.8%) IPV. Of those who reported IPV victimization during lockdown, for almost half this was their first time experience: 5.3% reported the IPV they experienced happened for the first time during the past 3 months (0.8% physical, 2.13% sexual, and 3.3% emotional). Reporting of perpetration of IPV during lockdown was lower: only 6% reported perpetrating any IPV, with perpetration rates of 1.5% for physical, 0.5% for sexual, and 5.3% for emotional IPV. Of those who reported perpetration of IPV during lockdown, very small percentages reported that this was the first time they had perpetrated IPV: 0.9% for any IPV (0.2% physical, 0.2% sexual, and 0.6% emotional). The results illustrate an increased need for IPV resources for GBMSM during these times of increased stress and uncertainty, and the need to find models of resource and service delivery that can work inside of social distancing guidelines while protecting the confidentiality and safety of those who are experiencing IPV.

Download Full-text