Influence of Intimate Partner Violence Severity on the Help-Seeking Strategies of Female Victims and the Influence of Social Reactions to Violence Disclosure on the Process of Leaving a Violent Relationship

This article uses data from the 2015 Spanish Survey on Violence Against Women, a nationally representative survey of 10,171 women aged 16 or above, to analyze the relationship between the severity of intimate partner violence and formal and informal help-seeking strategies, the link between the severity of abuse and the reasons for not seeking formal help, and the influence of social reactions to violence disclosure on the process of leaving a violent relationship. The results show that in Spain, many abused women disclose violence and seek help. However, the severity of the violence strongly determines their help-seeking strategies, especially the search for formal help. Women who experienced less severe incidents tended to minimize their importance and did not seek formal help. For informal help, the differences were smaller, and a high proportion of women talked about the abuse with someone within their social environment, regardless of the severity of the suffered violence. A supportive reaction to violence disclosure had a strong and positive influence on the process of leaving the abusive relationship. The implications of these findings for the design of public policies, education, and awareness-raising campaigns are discussed.

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Factors influencing help-seeking by those who have experienced intimate partner violence: Results from a New Zealand population-based study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0261059 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (12) ◽

pp. e0261059

Author(s):

Zarintaj Malihi ◽

Janet L. Fanslow ◽

Ladan Hashemi ◽

Pauline Gulliver ◽

Tracey McIntosh

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

New Zealand ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Population Based ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Limited Information ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Informal Help

Background There is limited information about what influences help-seeking following experience of intimate partner violence (IPV). This study investigated determinants of formal and informal help-seeking by those who had experienced lifetime physical, sexual or psychological IPV. Methods A cross-sectional population-based New Zealand study conducted from 2017 to 2019 recruited 2,887 participants (1,464 women and 1,423 men) aged 16 years and older. Face-to-face interviews were conducted. Of these, 1,373 participants experienced physical, sexual or psychological IPV. Two series of logistic regressions were conducted: 1) comparing those who sought help with those who did not, and 2) comparing those who had not sought help with those who sought informal help only, or with those who also sought formal help. Results Of the 1,373 participants who reported experience of physical, sexual or psychological IPV 835 participants (71.3% of women and 49.0% of men) sought some form of help. In both genders self-reported physical and mental health or work-related IPV impacts were significantly associated with help-seeking. Experiencing only one form of IPV was associated with lower odds of seeking formal help by women (Adjusted odds ratio = 0.38; 95%CI = 0.15, 0.92 for physical/sexual only and AOR = 0.37, 95%CI = 0.22, 0.64 for psychological only) compared to those experiencing concurrent types of IPV. Conclusion and implications Although there were gender differences in help-seeking, for both women and men the experience of greater impacts associated with IPV exposure increased the likelihood of help-seeking. Agencies providing services for people who are experiencing IPV need to be equipped to identify and respond to multiple forms of IPV, and prepared to address the suite of impacts experienced.

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Formal and informal help-seeking associated with women's and men's experiences of intimate partner violence in Canada

Social Science & Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.009 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 70 (7) ◽

pp. 1011-1018 ◽

Cited By ~ 139

Author(s):

Donna L. Ansara ◽

Michelle J. Hindin

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Informal Help

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Severity of Victimization and Formal Help Seeking Among Men Who Experienced Intimate Partner Violence in Their Ongoing Relationships

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260520922352 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088626052092235

Author(s):

Alexandra Lysova ◽

Eugene E. Dim

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Latent Class ◽

General Social Survey ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Structural Factors ◽

Male Victims ◽

Psychological Violence ◽

Nationally Representative

This study examined the severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by men in their ongoing relationships and their help-seeking behavior with the criminal justice system and other professional agencies. This study also examined the extent to which socio-demographic variables predicted formal help seeking among male victims of IPV. Data were drawn from 2009 and 2014 cycles of the Canadian General Social Survey on Victimization with a nationally representative sample of 52,400 respondents. It is estimated that about 655,400 men in Canada reported having experienced physical and/or sexual victimization due to IPV in married/common-law relationships at the time of the surveys between 2004 and 2014. The latent class analysis generated four types of IPV victimization among men. Among male victims of physical and/or sexual IPV, about 64,000 men experienced the most severe type of IPV characterized by chronic and severe physical and psychological violence with a high probability of injuries and negative emotional effects of IPV. Although most of the male victims of IPV did not seek formal help (e.g., did not contact the police and IPV services), the severity of experienced violence was associated with the increased use of formal services. Some structural factors, such as being unemployed and residing with young children, were found to be substantial barriers to contacting formal agencies for help. Our findings highlight the need for the development of gender-inclusive and gender-sensitive public policy and intervention programs that help all victims of IPV regardless of victim gender.

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Help-Seeking Behaviors and Barriers Among Black Women Exposed to Severe Intimate Partner Violence: Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample

Violence Against Women ◽

10.1177/1077801220917464 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 107780122091746 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Krim K. Lacey ◽

Tina Jiwatram-Negron ◽

Karen Powell Sears

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Black Women ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

The United States ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Help Seeking Behaviors ◽

Nationally Representative

This article examined general help-seeking utilization and barriers among U.S. Black women reporting severe physical intimate partner violence (IPV). Data from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), the largest and most detailed survey on Blacks residing in the United States, were analyzed. Among U.S. Black women reporting severe physical IPV, many sought the help of a psychiatrist (13.8%) or other mental health professionals (14.0%). Multivariate findings revealed associations between help-seeking utilization and sociodemographic factors. Queries from open responses suggested potential cultural and ethnic differences between African American and Caribbean Black women reporting intimate partner violence in relation to barriers to help-seeking.

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Help Seeking Experiences of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in Canada: the Role of Gender, Violence Severity, and Social Belonging

Journal of Family Violence ◽

10.1007/s10896-019-00086-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 15-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Betty Jo Barrett ◽

Amy Peirone ◽

Chi Ho Cheung

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Gender Violence ◽

Social Belonging ◽

Violence Severity

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Experiences With Help Seeking Among Non–Service-Engaged Survivors of IPV: Survivors’ Recommendations for Service Providers

Violence Against Women ◽

10.1177/1077801220963861 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 107780122096386

Author(s):

Rachel J. Voth Schrag ◽

Kristen Ravi ◽

Sarah Robinson ◽

Elyssa Schroeder ◽

Diana Padilla-Medina

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Service Providers ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Formal Services ◽

Future Risk ◽

Informal Help

Engaging with formal intimate partner violence (IPV) services can buffer the impacts of violence and reduce future risk. Many survivors do not access or engage with such services. However, much of our knowledge related to the experiences and perspectives of IPV survivors comes from samples drawn from those seeking formal services. Qualitative interviews with 23 survivors of violence who are not currently engaged with formal IPV services were conducted, focused on the process and outcomes of choosing to seek help. Themes emerged within the categories of formal help-seeking experiences, informal help seeking, and recommendations for providers.

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Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Survivors’ Help-Seeking

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260517715027 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (21-22) ◽

pp. 4558-4582 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Hyunkag Cho ◽

Dasha Shamrova ◽

Jae-Bum Han ◽

Polina Levchenko

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Study Results ◽

Intimate Partner Violence Victimization ◽

Dependent Variables ◽

The Relationship ◽

Informal Help

Intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors often do not seek critically needed help. A good understanding of the relationship between the pattern of violence and help-seeking is critical to developing adequate services for the survivors, as well as for reaching out to those who do not seek help. This study used the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey to examine how IPV survivor’s help-seeking varies, depending on the characteristics of the survivors and the pattern of victimization. Logistic regression analyses were conducted, with the survivors’ help-seeking and use of formal or informal help as the dependent variables. The study results show that women are the primary victims of IPV, that the pattern of victimization is associated with both whether survivors seek help or not, and which help sources they utilize, if any. IPV consequences are also associated with survivors’ help-seeking, as are demographic factors such as age, gender, race, and immigration status.

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Intimate Partner Violence and Help-Seeking

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000304 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 263-281 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Solveig Lelaurain ◽

Pierluigi Graziani ◽

Grégory Lo Monaco

Keyword(s):

Social Psychology ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Review Of The Literature ◽

Social Concern ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Inhibiting Factors ◽

Wide Range

Abstract. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global social concern: many women are affected by this phenomenon and by the difficulty of putting an end to it. This review of the literature aims to identify help-seeking facilitating and inhibiting factors in response to IPV. It was carried out on the PsycINFO and Medline databases using the following keywords: “intimate partner violence,” “domestic violence,” “help-seeking,” and “help-seeking barrier.” Ninety out of 771 eligible publications were included on the basis of inclusion criteria. The results highlight that (1) research on this phenomenon is very recent and underdeveloped in Europe, (2) theoretical and conceptual frameworks are poorly developed and extended, (3) there is a significant impact of violence characteristics (e.g., severity, type) on help-seeking, and (4) help-seeking is a complex and multifactorial process influenced by a wide range of factors simultaneously individual and social. To conclude, these findings lead us to propose a psychosocial conceptualization of the help-seeking process by indicating how the levels of explanation approach in social psychology can be applied to this field of research in order to increase our understanding of this phenomenon.

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