Separated Women’s Risk for Intimate Partner Violence: A Multiyear Analysis Using the National Crime Victimization Survey

The current study assesses the relative influence of various individual-level characteristics on the probability of intimate partner violence (IPV) for separated and nonseparated women. While previous studies have found that separated women do in fact have a higher risk for IPV than nonseparated women, these largely bivariate examinations of marital status and risk for IPV have often not considered the effect other characteristics may have on risk estimates. The current study uses the 1995-2010 National Crime Victimization Surveys to examine how separated women’s risk for IPV compares with nonseparated women’s risk for IPV over time, and if separated, women’s risk for IPV is a function of either being separated or possessing characteristics known to be correlated with risk. A key strength of this study is its ability to account for the confounding effects of change in separation status and IPV. Results show that separated women were more likely than nonseparated women to be victims of IPV in most years from 1995 to 2010, and after controlling for the effects of individual-level characteristics, their risk did not change. Age was the only significant predictor of women’s risk for IPV, net of other factors, but had no effect on separated women’s risk for IPV. These results suggest that the status of being separated has the strongest effect on women’s risk for IPV. The importance of understanding how the separation period makes women more likely to be victims of IPV is discussed.