Economic abuse as a form of intimate partner violence : definition, risk factors, and mental well-being

Economic abuse is another form of intimate partner violence (IPV) used by batterers to maintain power and control over their partners which often goes unreported, unrealized, and under-supported by IPV survivor advocates. Economic abuse is misunderstood as an IPV and is often incorrectly considered a financial crime, financial fraud, or white-collar crime. Economic abuse impacts the victim’s short and long-term physical and mental well-being in efforts to achieve economic wellness for basic living conditions as well as job placement and professional development opportunities. Healthy minds fuel healthy bodies and economic self-efficacy contributes to both mental and physical health. The awareness and impact of economic abuse is grossly understudied, lacking empirical evidence on victims and survivors of economic self-sufficiency during and at the conclusion of an abusive relationship. The current research has primarily collected and reported data on heterosexual women, leaving a gap in the research regarding the impact of economic abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships. This paper serves as a literature review into current economic abuse research by discussing three constructs: economic control, economic exploitation, and employment sabotage as well as possible solutions for educational opportunities and financial self-efficacy. Further research is needed to raise awareness and provide financial literacy to IPV survivors in all gender communities.

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Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the Arab Countries: A Systematic Review of Risk Factors

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/1524838020953099 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 152483802095309

Author(s):

Amera Mojahed ◽

Nada Alaidarous ◽

Hanade Shabta ◽

Janice Hegewald ◽

Susan Garthus-Niegel

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Violence Against Women ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Well Being ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Arab Countries ◽

The Family

Intimate partner violence (IPV) profoundly damages physical, sexual, reproductive, and psychological health, as well as social well-being of individuals and families. We sought in this systematic review to examine the risk factors according to the integrative ecological theoretical framework for IPV for women living in the Arab countries. We searched Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS, supplemented by hand searching of reference lists. A research strategy was developed and observational studies were included if they considered female participants (age ≥13) in heterosexual relationships, estimates of potential risk factors of IPV, and IPV as a primary outcome. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the risk factors data from 30 cross-sectional studies. Factors associated with increased IPV against women were extracted and categorized into four levels according to the updated integrative ecological model. At the individual level, risk factors were either related to victims or perpetrators of IPV. Factors relating to marriage, conflict within the family, etc., were explored and included within the family level, whereas factors relating to the extended family and the nature of marriage were included in the community level. Finally, risk factors relating to the cultural context that are influenced by the political and religious backgrounds were included in the societal level. The complex structure of violence against women in the Arab world calls for socioculturally sensitive interventions, which should be accompanied by systematic and structured work aimed at improving Arab women’s status at all levels.

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Unique Risk Factors of the Co-Occurrence Between Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000396 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 122-133

Author(s):

Jelle J. Sijtsema ◽

Elena A. Stolz ◽

Stefan Bogaerts

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Domestic Violence ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Child Maltreatment ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Well Being ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration ◽

Other World ◽

The Individual

Abstract. Recent studies found that there is considerable overlap between perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (CM), suggesting that both types of domestic violence can co-occur. However, there is a lack of consistency about the prevalence of co-occurrence, what unique risk factors and outcomes of co-occurrence are, and whether co-occurrence differs between Europe and other world regions. The aim is thus to review existing evidence and provide a framework for the study of IPV and CM co-occurrence by identifying unique risk factors and outcomes. In total, 12 European studies were identified that examined risk factors of co-occurrence between IPV and CM. Risk factors were distinguished at the individual, dyadic, and broader contextual levels, and compared between Europe and other regions of the world. Despite significant variation between studies, several general patterns were discerned, both globally and region-specific. These insights were used to develop a framework for the explanation of IPV and CM co-occurrence, which has implications for prevention and treatment. Importantly, more awareness and early signaling of risk for co-occurrence may counteract the spill-over from one type of domestic violence into the other to the benefit of children’s safety and well-being.

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Economic abuse amongst Dutch women (formerly) victimised by intimate partner violence and abuse: A mixed methods approach

Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies ◽

10.5117/tvgn2021.2.002.vang ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 89-107

Author(s):

Nicole van Gelder ◽

Suzanne Ligthart ◽

Leslie Astro ◽

Sabine Oertelt-Prigione

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Well Being ◽

Income Level ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Distinct Form ◽

Mixed Methods Approach ◽

Economic Abuse ◽

Significant Relationships

Abstract Background: Economic abuse (EA) is a type of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) that is understudied and not always recognised as a distinct form of IPVA. EA receives relatively little attention but occurs frequently and prevents people from leaving a violent relationship. Therefore, we investigate EA amongst our study populations of women who experience(d) IPVA, in order to contribute to this new field of research. Methods: A mixed methods approach involving quantitative (N=210) and qualitative (N=12) data is used to investigate the prevalence and appearances of EA and links with other forms of IPVA, educational level, income level, etc. Results: 42.9% reported EA and the outcomes showed significant relationships between EA, psychological abuse, income level, and contribution to household income. Participants discussed various forms of EA and its impact on their economic independence and well-being. Discussion: EA is probably even more prevalent than we found in this study and more research is needed to gain insight on the prevalence, forms, and impact of EA as a silent but distinct form of IPVA. EA must be taken into account when working with IPVA survivors in order to support them in building their (economic) indepence.

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Situational and Developmental Risk Factors for PTSD in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e517292011-698 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

Aran Watson ◽

Kristin W. Samuelson ◽

Christina Wilson ◽

Christiane Burnett

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Developmental Risk ◽

Developmental Risk Factors

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Meta-Analytic Review of Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e529382014-245 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Sandra Stith

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Analytic Review

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Factors Distinguishing Reciprocal Versus Nonreciprocal Intimate Partner Violence Across Time and Reporter

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211001475 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110014

Author(s):

Doris F. Pu ◽

Christina M. Rodriguez ◽

Marina D. Dimperio

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Self Report ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Couple Functioning ◽

Female Perpetrators ◽

Over Time

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) is often conceptualized as occurring unilaterally, reciprocal or bidirectional violence is actually the most prevalent form of IPV. The current study assessed physical IPV experiences in couples and evaluated risk and protective factors that may be differentially associated with reciprocal and nonreciprocal IPV concurrently and over time. As part of a multi-wave longitudinal study, women and men reported on the frequency of their IPV perpetration and victimization three times across the transition to parenthood. Participants also reported on risk factors related to personal adjustment, psychosocial resources, attitudes toward gender role egalitarianism, and sociodemographic characteristics at each wave. Participants were classified into one of four IPV groups (reciprocal violence, male perpetrators only, female perpetrators only, and no violence) based on their self-report and based on a combined report, which incorporated both partners’ reports of IPV for a maximum estimate of violence. Women and men were analyzed separately, as both can be perpetrators and/or victims of IPV. Cross-sectional analyses using self-reported IPV data indicated that IPV groups were most consistently distinguished by their levels of couple satisfaction, across gender; psychological distress also appeared to differentiate IPV groups, although somewhat less consistently. When combined reports of IPV were used, sociodemographic risk markers (i.e., age, income, and education) in addition to couple functioning were among the most robust factors differentiating IPV groups concurrently, across gender. In longitudinal analyses, sociodemographic vulnerabilities were again among the most consistent factors differentiating subsequent IPV groups over time. Several gender differences were also found, suggesting that different risk factors (e.g., women’s social support and men’s emotion regulation abilities) may need to be targeted in interventions to identify, prevent, and treat IPV among women and men.

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Gender Differences in Witnessing and the Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence from the Perspective of Children in Finland

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094724 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4724

Author(s):

Johanna Hietamäki ◽

Marjukka Huttunen ◽

Marita Husso

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Well Being ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Clinical Samples ◽

Chi Square ◽

Child Victim ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

And Gender ◽

Gender Variations

Background—Intimate partner violence (IPV) has both direct and longer-term effects on children’s well-being. Much of the research thus far has relied on caregiver reports of IPV and clinical samples of children. By contrast, minimal research has examined violence between parents from the perspective of children using nationwide samples. Objective—This study explored the frequency of IPV witnessed by children and gender variations regarding the victims, perpetrators, and witnesses. Methods—The data were derived from a sample of 11,364 children from the Finnish Child Victim Survey 2013. The children were between 11 and 17 years old and were enrolled in the Finnish school system. The main methods of analysis included crosstabulation and the chi-square test. Results—The results indicate that children witnessed more IPV against their mother (4.9%) than their father (3.5%). Girls reported having witnessed more violence against both their mother (7.0%) and father (5.1%) than boys did (mothers 2.7%, fathers 1.8%). Girls’ reports of IPV against both parents were twice or more than twice as common as boys’ reports. Conclusions—The above differences might result from gendered expectations and boys’ and girls’ different relationships to violence, as well as differences in the recognition and interpretation of violent incidents. Therefore, practitioners should adopt a gender-sensitive approach as a precondition and practice for working with children in social and health care.

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