Women Veterans’ Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence and Non-Partner Sexual Assault in the Context of Military Service: Implications for Supporting Women’s Health and Well-Being

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 843-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa E. Dichter ◽  
Clara Wagner ◽  
Gala True
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Women Veterans ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Service Members ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Impact

Women who have served in the military in the United States experience high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) and non-partner sexual assault (SA). The military setting presents challenges and opportunities not experienced in other employment contexts that may compound the negative impacts of IPV/SA on women’s lives. The purpose of this study was to explore the intersection of women’s experiences of IPV/SA and military service through analysis of women veterans’ narrative accounts. We conducted in-depth face-to-face qualitative interviews with 25 women veterans receiving primary care at a U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. We draw upon Adler and Castro’s (2013) Military Occupational Mental Health Model to frame our understanding of the impact of IPV/SA as a stressor in the military cultural context and to inform efforts to prevent, and support women service members who have experienced, these forms of violence. Our findings highlight the impact of IPV/SA on women’s military careers, including options for entering and leaving military service, job performance, and opportunities for advancement. Women’s narratives also reveal ways in which the military context constrains their options for responding to and coping with experiences of IPV/SA. These findings have implications for prevention of, and response to, intimate partner or sexual violence experienced by women serving in the military and underscore the need for both military and civilian communities to recognize and address the negative impact of such violence on women service members before, during, and after military service.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an Intimate Partner Violence Training for Home Visitors Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiaan G. Abildso ◽  
Angela Dyer ◽  
Alfgeir L. Kristjansson ◽  
Michael J. Mann ◽  
Thomas Bias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behavior ◽  
Planned Behavior ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Home Visiting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Home Visitors ◽  
The Impact

Introduction. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health issue with recent intervention focus by home visiting programs with at-risk families in the United States. Home visitors are typically required to assess IPV but feel unprepared to do so and desire training. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of a daylong IPV training on the intention to enact three key IPV behaviors (screening, making referrals, and safety planning) using the theory of planned behavior. Method. Survey of 125 home visitors in West Virginia was conducted before and after a daylong IPV training. Results. The IPV training had a positive impact on intention to perform the three behaviors of interest, with the greatest impact on the intention to conduct IPV screenings. Discussion. Results provide important preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of professional development as a means of increasing intentions to conduct activities related to IPV. The impact on IPV screening intention is promising because screening is the first step in addressing IPV. Conclusion. The IPV training proved beneficial in increasing intentions and such trainings should be expanded, but further study is needed to link intentions to subsequent behaviors to address IPV with at-risk families.

scholarly journals Post-Intimate Partner Violence Difficulty Sleeping, Perceived Mental Health, and PTSD Among Heterosexual and Bisexual Women in the United States

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany M Coston
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Bisexual Women ◽  
Straight Women ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Women Abused

Using data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey, this paper examines the relationship between sexuality and mental health outcomes in survivors of intimate partner violence. Findings indicate that heterosexual/straight women abused by women and bisexual women abused by women are significantly more likely to report current difficulty sleeping, while heterosexual/straight women abused by women and bisexual women abused by men are more likely to self-rate their overall mental health as poor (versus good or excellent). This is the first study using population-based data that takes into account all forms of violence and its impact on sexually diverse women—when we include psychological abuse and controlling tactics, the impact on mental health is worse than previously noted: around 80-90% of all women experience some form of anxiety, depression, intense fear, restlessness, nightmares, or stressors that impact their ability to work, go to school, and complete daily life activities.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Needs and Lived Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors in the United States: Advocate Perspectives

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122110548
Author(s):  
Maya I. Ragavan ◽  
Lauren Risser ◽  
Virginia Duplessis ◽  
Sarah DeGue ◽  
Andrés Villaveces ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Local State ◽  
Structural Inequities ◽  
The Impact

We explored the challenges and lived experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic by interviewing 53 U.S.-based IPV advocates between June and November 2020. Advocates described how the COVID-19 pandemic limited survivors’ abilities to meet their basic needs. The pandemic was also described as being used by abusive partners to perpetrate control and has created unique safety and harm reduction challenges. IPV survivors experienced compounding challenges due to structural inequities. IPV must be considered by local, state, and federal governments when developing disaster planning policies and practices, including in the context of pandemics.

The Employment Trajectories of Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

2021 ◽  
pp. 095001702110352
Author(s):  
Kathryn Showalter ◽  
Susan Yoon ◽  
TK Logan
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Employment Status ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Employment Trajectories ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Employment Instability

Intimate partner violence in the United States is significantly associated with employment instability. Using a latent growth curve model, the current study investigates the impact of intimate partner violence on mothers’ (N=4897) employment outcomes trajectories in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study which include four waves of data collection starting when a child was born and ending about eight years later. Outcomes included annual weeks worked and employment status (employed vs. unemployed). There was a significant effect of intimate partner violence on weeks worked and employment status at the second wave of data collection, indicating that mothers were most likely to experience employment instability when they had a three-year-old child. Results also showed that intimate partner violence survivors were still experiencing unemployment six years after abuse occurred. Workplaces and policymakers should protect mothers with young children experiencing intimate partner violence by extending time off from work and connection to community resources.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Self-Reported Intimate Partner Violence Victimization Among Military Personnel: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 586-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Sparrow ◽  
Hannah Dickson ◽  
Jamie Kwan ◽  
Louise Howard ◽  
Nicola Fear ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Reference List ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Impact

Background: Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) in the military has tended to focus on military personnel as perpetrators and civilian partners/spouses as victims. However, studies have found high levels of IPV victimization among military personnel. This article systematically reviews studies of the prevalence of self-reported IPV victimization among military populations. Methods: Searches of four electronic databases (Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were supplemented by reference list screening. Meta-analyses of the available data were performed, where possible, using the random effects model. Results: This review included 28 studies with a combined sample of 69,808 military participants. Overall, similar or higher prevalence rates of physical IPV victimization were found among males compared to females and this was supported by a meta-analytic subgroup analysis: pooled prevalence of 21% (95% confidence interval [CI] = [17.4, 24.6]) among males and 13.6% among females (95% CI [9.5, 17.7]). Psychological IPV was the most prevalent type of abuse, in keeping with findings from the general population. There were no studies on sexual IPV victimization among male personnel. Evidence for the impact of military factors, such as deployment or rank, on IPV victimization was conflicting. Discussion: Prevalence rates varied widely, influenced by methodological variation among studies. The review highlighted the lack of research into male IPV victimization in the military and the relative absence of research into impact of IPV. It is recommended that future research disaggregates results by gender and considers the impact of IPV, in order that gender differences can be uncovered.

scholarly journals When user-centered design meets implementation science: integrating provider perspectives in the development of an intimate partner violence intervention for women treated in the United States’ largest integrated healthcare system

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara B. Danitz ◽  
Shannon Wiltsey Stirman ◽  
Alessandra R. Grillo ◽  
Melissa E. Dichter ◽  
Mary Driscoll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Implementation Science ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Women Veterans ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Integrated Healthcare

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global health problem that is a substantial source of human suffering. Within the United States (US), women veterans are at high risk for experiencing IPV. There is an urgent need for feasible, acceptable, and patient-centered IPV counseling interventions for the growing number of women treated in the US’s largest integrated healthcare system, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Implementation science and user-centered-design (UCD) can play an important role in accelerating the research-to-practice pipeline. Recovering from IPV through Strengths and Empowerment (RISE) is a flexible, patient-centered, modular-based program that holds promise as a brief counseling intervention for women veterans treated in VHA. We utilized a UCD approach to develop and refine RISE (prior to formal effectiveness evaluations) by soliciting early feedback from the providers where the intervention will ultimately be implemented. The current study reports on the feedback from VHA providers that was used to tailor and refine RISE. Method We conducted and analyzed semi-structured, key-informant interviews with VHA providers working in clinics relevant to the delivery of IPV interventions (n = 23) at two large medical centers in the US. Participants’ mean age was 42.6 years (SD = 11.6), they were predominately female (91.3%) and from a variety of relevant disciplines (39.1% psychologists, 21.7% social workers, 17.4% physicians, 8.7% registered nurses, 4.3% psychiatrists, 4.3% licensed marriage and family therapists, 4.3% peer specialists). We conducted rapid content analysis using a hybrid inductive-deductive approach. Results Providers perceived RISE as highly acceptable and feasible, noting strengths including RISE’s structure, patient-centered agenda, and facilitation of provider comfort in addressing IPV. Researchers identified themes related to content and context modifications, including requests for additional safety check-ins, structure for goal-setting, and suggestions for how to develop and implement RISE-specific trainings. Conclusions These findings have guided refinements to RISE prior to formal effectiveness testing in VHA. We discuss implications for the use of UCD in intervention development and refinement for interventions addressing IPV and other trauma in health care settings globally. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03261700; Date of registration: 8/25/2017, date of enrollment of first participant in trial: 10/22/2018. Unique Protocol ID: IIR 16–062.

scholarly journals A Multi-Method Approach to a Comprehensive Examination of the Psychiatric and Neurological Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence in Women: A Methodology Protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara E. Galovski ◽  
Kimberly B. Werner ◽  
Katherine M. Iverson ◽  
Stephanie Kaplan ◽  
Catherine B. Fortier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Head Injury ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Method Approach

The number of women in the United States that experience blows to the head during assaults by intimate partners is substantial. The number of head blows that result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is virtually unknown, but estimates far exceed numbers of TBI in parallel populations (e.g., blast exposure, accidents, sports) combined. Research on the impact of TBI on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) is sparse. This methodology paper describes the comprehensive, multi-method approach used by a multi-disciplinary team of investigators from several different fields of expertise to assess the interaction of psychiatric, cognitive, psychological, and physical conditions that result from IPV. Using state-of-the-art instruments, a comprehensive assessment of lifetime trauma exposure, lifetime history of TBI, psychiatric history, and a full assessment of current cognitive, neuropsychological and biomedical function was conducted with 51 female survivors of IPV who screened positive for PTSD. This multi-method assessment included clinician-administered diagnostic interviews modified to specifically assess the sequelae of IPV, standardized self-report surveys, neuropsychological tests, structural, diffusion, and functional neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers. The specific details and full report of the results of the full study are beyond the scope of this methodology paper. Descriptive characteristics of the complex clinical presentation observed in this unique sample are described. The sample reported high rates of trauma exposure across the lifespan and 80% met full criteria for current PTSD. Women also reported high rates of lifetime subconcussive head injury (88.2%) and TBI (52.9%) from various etiologies (35.3% secondary to IPV). Descriptive findings from the methodological protocol described here have begun to reveal information that will advance our understanding of the impact of subconcussive head injury and TBI on recovery from mental injury among IPV survivors.

scholarly journals Reporting Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault: A Mixed Methods Study of Concerns and Considerations Among College Women of Color

2020 ◽  
pp. 104365962094158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candace W. Burton ◽  
Jeanine D. Guidry
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Women Of Color ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Ethnic Discrimination ◽  
Black African ◽  
Potential Safety ◽  
Perceived Ethnic Discrimination

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to explore how women of color affiliated with a large public university in the United States evaluated involving authorities in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) and/or sexual assault (SA) and to discover if structural stressors such as racism or sexism influenced their thinking. Methodology: Surveys on perceived ethnic discrimination, depression, trauma history, stress, social support, resilience, and sleep disturbance were completed by 87 self-identified women of color. All women also participated in one of several focus groups on IPV and SA. Results: Roughly half of participants had experienced SA and about a third experienced IPV. Participants identifying as Latinx/Hispanic or Black/African American reported the greatest experiences of structural stressors and also felt there was not always a potential safety gain with reporting IPV and/or SA. Discussion: The results of this study suggest universities must create more culturally competent environs of safety for women of color.

Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence Across Contexts: Mental Health, Delinquency, and Dating Violence Outcomes Among Mexican Heritage Youth

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052094681
Author(s):  
Lela Rankin Williams ◽  
Heidi Adams Rueda
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Dating Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Witness Violence ◽  
The Impact

Immigrant Mexican American (MA) youth are at greater risk for violence exposure due to risk factors associated with migration–postmigration processes and as they settle into urban U.S. communities marked by crime and poverty. Less is known about the contexts of this exposure. Specifically, what are the ecological contexts in which youth witness intimate partner violence (IPV), how do these experiences differ by immigration generational status, and what is the impact on youth’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors? MA adolescents ( N = 279; 15–17 years, M = 16.17, SD = 0.81) from the Southwest United States participated in an online survey. Over half of adolescents had witnessed at least one incidence of IPV in the prior 2 weeks, usually involving their peers. Adolescents who had spent more time in the United States were more likely to witness violence and rated it as more severe than more recently immigrated youth. A cross-sectional path model revealed that witnessing IPV was associated with internalizing and externalizing problems. However, the associations between witnessing IPV and dating violence perpetration and victimization were mediated through acceptance of dating violence norms. Each successive generation may be more likely to witness violence across a range of ecological contexts. Witnessing violence may be central to a host of negative outcomes, including deviancy, poor mental health, and dating violence. However, preventive interventions can help youth to challenge violence norms within intimate partnerships as well as to cope with violence in their homes, peer groups, and communities.

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