Examining the Traumatic Effects of Sexual Victimization on the Health of Incarcerated Women

Data from the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities were used to examine the effects of sexual abuse on the physical and mental health of incarcerated women. This nationally representative sample consisted of a cross-section of 2,885 female inmates ranging in age from 16 to 74. Using bivariate analysis, we made comparisons between sexually abused (n = 1,205) and non–sexually abused (n = 1,680) inmates. Abused women were more likely to report increases in health problems and mental health diagnoses, as well as other self-reported mental health conditions, such as paranoia, depressive symptoms, anger, and lifestyle changes. Respondents with extensive sexual abuse histories (multiple and across the life cycle) were also more likely to suffer higher levels of paranoia, depression, chronic health problems, and attempted suicide.     

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Thailand

There is no recent national data on the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Thailand. This study proposed to examine the prevalence of intimate partner violence in 4 regions of Thailand by using a standardized questionnaire from the WHO multi country study on women’s health and domestic violence. Two thousand four hundred and sixty-two married or cohabiting women aged 20–59 years were interviewed about their experiences of psychologically, physically, sexually violent, and/or controlling behaviors by their male partners. The study found that 15% of respondents had experienced psychological, physical, and/or sexual violence in their life time which suggests that 1 in 6 of Thai women have faced intimate partner violence. Of the 15% of women who reported intimate partner violence within the past 12 months, psychological violence was the most common (60–68%), followed by sexual violence (62–63%) and physical violence (52–65%). In addition, the percentage of women who faced various forms of controlling behaviors varied from 4.6% to 29.3%. Men who were more controlling were more likely to abuse their female partners. The results reveal that partner violence against women is a significant public health issue in Thai society that must be addressed.     

Psychological abuse of women: Six distinct clusters

This study was designed to identify patterns of psychological abuse (abuse) and determine whether different patterns mediate the effects of violence and sexual aggression. Interviews were completed with 578 (80.3%) of 720 women who volunteered for a study of “bad” or “stressful” heterosexual relationships. Cluster analysis with 51 items assessing many types of subtle and overt psychological abuse identified six groups. Cluster 1 sustained the most serious abuse, violence, and sexual aggression, but partners did not denigrate women or control finances. Cluster 2 sustained serious abuse which was more subtle than the dominating-controlling abuse discussed by others and had moderate violence and sexual aggression scores. Cluster 3 scored relatively low on abuse but reported controlling types (e.g., isolation, enforced secrecy) and relatively little violence and sexual aggression. Cluster 4 sustained the least abuse, violence, and sexual aggression but the abuse was overt (e.g., criticism, several types of control). Clusters 5 and 6 were similar with high abuse and moderate violence and sexual aggression scores but they experienced very different types of abuse. Total psychological abuse, threats of violence, acts of violence, and sexual aggression scores made different contributions to women's health, help seeking, and relationship perceptions depending on the pattern of abuse they sustained. Results for each type of harmful act are discussed separately.     

12-Month Prevalence,Trends, Gender Differences,and the Impact of Mental Health Services on Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Discharged Psychiatric Inpatients

Minimal research has examined partner violence committed by individuals with severe mental illness. This study examined rates of IPV in the first year post-discharge from psychiatric hospitalization, trends over time, gender differences, and the impact of follow-up mental health services. One in five (20.3 %) patients committed at least one act of IPV in the first year. Whereas women were more than twice as likely to perpetrate IPV, men were nearly twice as likely to be violent toward non-family members. Risk of IPV was highest immediately post-discharge and decreased over time, with the sharpest decline after 20 weeks in the community. Mental health treatment was associated with a 40 % decrease and medication non-adherence a 50 % increase in risk for IPV. Partner violence is a prevalent concern among discharged psychiatric patients, and these findings suggest that coordinated risk management efforts should focus on the time immediately following hospital discharge.     

Long-Term Effects of Witnessing Marital Violence for Women: The Contribution of Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse

A sample of 313 college women completed a questionnaire about experiences with violence in childhood and adulthood and adult adjustment and relationship functioning. Nine percent of the women reported having witnessed some type of physical conflict between their parents. Witnessing marital violence was associated with other family mental health risks, childhood physical and sexual abuse, and adult physical assaults by strangers. Women who witnessed marital violence reported more symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder than other women, after family background and abuse variables were accounted for. Significant interactions between witnessing marital violence and childhood physical abuse were observed for measures of social avoidance and predictability in partner relationships, indicating that the effects of witnessing marital violence depended on the presence of childhood abuse. Implications of these results for research and interventions are discussed.     

Marital Violence: Is it a Factor Affecting the Reproductive Health Status of Women?

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of violence on the reproductive health of women and utilization of reproductive health services. The study population consisted of 250 married women aged 15 to 49, selected from patients at two different hospitals’ obstetrics and gynecology clinics in Ankara, Turkey. A data collection form and the “Scale of Marital Violence Against Women” were used to obtain data. According to the study, women who have lower education levels and who first experience marriage and sexual intercourse at a younger age suffer from violence more frequently. Women experiencing violence have higher gravida and para numbers. The majority of these women has not undergone appropriate prenatal care and delivered their babies under the supervision of a health care professional. These women have been using traditional and ineffective contraceptive methods. Marital violence has led to unfavorable effects on these women’s reproductive health and utilization of reproductive health services.     

The Effect of Coercion on Aggression and Mental Health Among Reciprocally Violent Couples

Researchers have not investigated mental health outcomes among couples who are reciprocally violent towards each other. The present study investigated differences in partner violence (psychological, physical, and sexual) and mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, hostility, and somatic) between two types of reciprocally violent couples: situational couple violence (SCV) and mutual control violence (MVC). SCV couples use violence to address stressful family conflicts, while MVC couples use violence as a tool to control each other. Participants (N = 609) completed surveys that contained several instruments that measured past violence, coercive behaviors, physical injuries, and mental health symptoms. Results revealed that MVC reported significantly higher levels of violent perpetration and worse physical and mental health than SCV. These findings have implications for understanding the role of coercion in partner violence and mental health, which can be used for the development of appropriate mental health services for couples who are mutually violent towards each other.     

Contextualizing depression and physical functioning in battered women: adding vulnerability and resources to the analysis

This investigation examined the relationships between physical, psychological, and sexual abuse along with vulnerability appraisals, positive and negative social relations, and socioeconomic resources on battered women's depression symptomatology and physical functioning. Women were recruited following an incident of partner violence that resulted in a police-report or the filing of a protection order. Participants were surveyed using a standardized questionnaire. Bivariate correlations and multiple regressions were used to examine the relationships between predictors as well as the cumulative and unique contributions of each variable set in explaining depression and physical functioning. Findings indicate that vulnerability appraisals, social relations, and socioeconomic resources significantly explain women's depression and physical functioning over and above the unique effect of specific types of partner violence. Given that women's physical and mental health are important aspects of assisting women with safety planning and violence cessation strategies, implications for assessment and interventions for battered women are discussed.     

Mental health disorders and functioning of women in domestic violence shelters

This study investigates the presence of mental health symptoms and disorders reported by 74 women in a domestic violence shelter and the impact of those symptoms on function in work, school, and social encounters. Findings are compared to estimates of U.S. women generally, based on a national sample of over 65,000 women drawn from the 1995 National Health Interview Survey. The sheltered sample presents significantly higher rates of mental conditions and functional impairments affecting their work, school, and social functioning. These women are also less educated and poorer and use more health services than the U.S. population. Mental health conditions must be identified in shelters to improve functioning and facilitate independence from abusers.     

Pregnancy and Intimate Partner Violence in Canada: a Comparison of Victims Who Were and Were Not Abused During Pregnancy

The purpose of this study was to examine risk factors, indicators of severity, and differences in post-violence health effects for victims who experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy compared to victims who experienced IPV outside the pregnancy period. Data were from Statistics Canada’s 2009 General Social Survey. Among IPV victims, 10.5 % experienced physical and/or sexual violence during pregnancy. Victims who had experienced violence during pregnancy were more likely than victims who were not abused during pregnancy to experience both less severe and more severe forms of violence. In fully adjusted models, younger age, separated or divorced marital status, as well as partners’ patriarchal domination, destruction of property, and drinking were significant predictors of pregnancy violence. Measures indicative of more severe violence and of a number of adverse post-violence health effects were significantly elevated among victims who experienced pregnancy violence relative to victims who were not abused during pregnancy. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

The Association Between Different Types of Intimate Partner Violence Experienced by Women

Those who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) are often subjected to multiple types of victimization such as physical violence, sexual violence, psychological aggression, and stalking. However, relatively few studies have used a national population-based sample and multivariate methods to analyze the associations between these different types of violence. This study uses multivariate methods to analyze a national population-based sample of women in order to document empirically the extent to which different types of IPV overlap, while controlling for personal and behavioral characteristics. Results indicated significant levels of overlap, with victims often experiencing more than one type of victimization by an intimate partner. Findings also indicated that women who had experienced violence by non-intimate partners were often more likely to experience violence by intimates. Finally, women who had experienced stalking by an intimate were more likely to experience more forms of IPV on average than those who had experienced physical violence, sexual violence, or emotional aggression.     

Depressive symptoms among female college students experiencing gender-based violence in Awassa, Ethiopia

Little epidemiologic research has focused on the mental health effects of gender-based violence among sub-Saharan African women. The objective of this study was to assess risk of depression and depressive symptoms among 1,102 female undergraduate students who were victims of gender-based violence. Students who reported experience of any gender-based violence were nearly twice as likely to be classified as having moderate depression during the academic year (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.39-2.82) as compared with nonabused students. Compared with nonabused students, those who had experienced both physical and sexual abuse were 4 times more likely to report either moderately severe (OR = 4.32, 95% CI = 2.00-9.31) or severe depressive symptoms (OR = 4.19, 95% CI = 1.01-17.43). Our findings, consistent with previous studies, support the thesis that women's mental health status is adversely affected by exposure to gender-based violence.     

Severity of neurocognitive impairment in women who have experienced intimate partner violence in Spain

This study examines neuropsychological impairment in women who have experienced intimate partner violence using DSM 5 criteria for mild and severe cognitive impairment. A total of 108 females in Spain were included in one of three groups: psychological abuse (n = 24), physical and psychological abuse (n = 45), and no-abuse (n = 39). There were differences between the control and IPV groups in attention and executive functioning. Furthermore, approximately 25% of women experiencing IPV suffer mild neuropsychological alterations and 5% severe, mostly in memory and executive function domains. This evidence supports the growth in research that suggests psychological violence on its own to be as strongly related to poor health outcomes as physical violence in intimate partner relationships.     

Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention among Married Women in Central Anatolia

This study examines domestic violence and aims at increasing women’s awareness of it. The authors collected data from 1039 married women at 12 Family Health Centers (FHCs) in Konya, Turkey. Of all women, 39.9 % reported the type of violence given by their husbands as verbal, 31.7 % as emotional, 23.9 % as physical, 13.5 % as sexual and economic violence. While 33 % cited jealousy as a reason for domestic violence, 10.4 % reported to apply to a police station, and 12.2 % to a health center. After experiencing violence, 40 % were found to know how to apply to a state agency while only 1 % reported to know about183, the violence hotline in Turkey. Furthermore, only 9 % were detected to know about legal regulations protecting women and families, 6.2 % to be aware of the Turkish penal code, and 3.5 % to know about the Turkish civil code. However, only 2 % of participants responded correctly, but incompletely to the items in the questionnaire regarding legal changes.     

The Effect of Family Violence on Sexual Victimization among Young Women

Young people who grow up in a violent family context are more vulnerable to become victims of sexual aggression outside the family context. The present study contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms that explain this link among young women by looking at the mediating role of sexual exposure behavior and target vulnerability. Data were used from an online survey among 237 young women aged 16 to 26 (M?=?21.0 years, SD?=?2.75). Experiencing violence from (one of) the parents and to a lesser extent witnessing interparental violence were related to an elevated risk for sexual victimization. Witnessing interparental violence was related to increased target vulnerability but this factor did not mediate the link with sexual victimization. Experiencing parental violence was related to both increased sexual exposure behavior and increased target vulnerability and these factors did mediate the link with sexual victimization.     

Gender Differences in Health Symptoms Associated with the Exposure to Physical Violence in Family: Data from the 2006 National Health Survey in Serbia

This study analyzed gender differences in exposure to family violence in Serbia and its association with health symptoms. Using data from the National Health Survey 2006 in Serbia, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were run to examine the association between exposure to physical violence in the family (in the past 12 months) and the occurrence of 15 different health symptoms (in the past 4 weeks). Out of 12,646 interviewed adults (older than 20), women reported experiencing family violence nearly 1.7 times more often than men (1.28 % vs. 0.75 %). Women had nine health symptoms significantly associated with experienced violence, while men had four, even after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Depression and insomnia were common for both genders. Results suggest that physicians should pay attention to health complaints, consider family violence as an associated factor, and address violence in a gender sensitive way that is free of prejudice and preconceptions.     

Domestic Violence and its Relationship with Quality of Life in Iranian Women of Reproductive Age

Violence against women is a major concern for public health. This study was conducted in Tabriz (Iran) to investigate domestic violence and its relationship with quality of life in women of reproductive age. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 558 women selected through a two-stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected by Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaires. Negotiation-emotional violence had the highest prevalence (93 %) and severe injury (12 %) had the lowest. There was a significant inverse correlation between chronicity of psychological, physical, sexual and injury domains of domestic violence and quality of life and a significant positive correlation between negotiation-emotional domain and quality of life. There is a significant relationship between domestic violence and quality of life. So, regarding the importance of empowering women and improving their quality of life, we must help eliminate violence against women.     

Exploring the Stressors of Low-Income Women with Abusive Partners: Understanding Their Needs and Developing Effective Community Responses

This study examined how women's experiences of domestic violence may affect their level of stress, as measured by difficult life circumstances and stressful life events for 107 women living in poverty. Results indicated that women with abusive partners reported higher levels of stress than women who had not experienced abuse. Women's perceptions of how their experiences of domestic violence impacted their health and the type of events women perceived to be most stressful were also examined. Symptoms most frequently perceived to be a result of abusive experiences were heart pounding/racing, trembling hands, headaches, and sleep problems. Implications of the findings for research and community intervention are discussed, including the importance of providing not only crisis intervention services, but also the need to create and maintain long-term support and advocacy services for women who have experienced domestic violence.     

Age at first sexual assault and current substance use and depression

This article explores how the association between sexual violence and substance use and mental health differs by race and life course stage. Analyses are based on data (n = 8,000) from the Violence and Threats of Violence against Women and Men in the United States Survey, 1994-1996 (NVAWS). Although sexual violence does not heighten the risk of problem drinking for White women, minority women victimized in adulthood are significantly more likely to engage in problem drinking and use illicit drugs. This suggests that for minority women the effects of recent victimization experiences result in immediate and potentially long-lasting consequences. The findings with respect to the association between sexual violence and depression are consistent with the child and adolescent development literature. It is Hispanic women who are more likely to suffer depression as a consequence of child sexual assault.