Intimate Partner Violence

Definitions

Most research definitions of IPV focus on acts. For physical assault, these acts may include pushing, [Page 567]slapping, shoving, throwing, grabbing, biting, shaking, poking, punching, hitting, kicking, burning, threatening physical harm, and using a weapon such as a knife or gun. Context is also important: Some studies consider defensive acts to be IPV, but others do not. For sexual assault, these acts may include threat or attempted rape, rape, demands that sex be videoed, and touching in an unwanted manner. Emotional or psychological abuse and controlling behaviors may include constantly putting down and insulting, lying, saying no one would want the partner, calling him or her crazy, isolating the partner from family and friends, blaming him or her for anything that is not perfect, and causing problems at the partner's work. While most definitions of IPV focus on acts of IPV, some focus more on the experience of the victim, such as ‘do you feel like you are walking on eggshells at home?’ Finally, some research simply asks individuals if they are abused and leaves it up to the respondent to define abuse.

Prevalence of IPV

The estimated prevalence of IPV depends on the definition used and the population sampled. Most studies focus on the prevalence of IPV against women. Internationally, the annual prevalence of physical or sexual assault against women by a partner is approximately 20%; however, the range is substantial, with country prevalences ranging between 3% and more than 50%. Country estimates of physical or sexual assault ever occurring to a woman ranged from 15% to 70%, and 4% to 50% for severe assaults. The lowest prevalences tend to be in Western Europe, the United States, Canada, and some developed Asian countries (e.g., Japan). The areas with high prevalence tend to be developing countries in Africa, South America, and Asia. Worldwide, women are at greater risk of assault from a partner than from a stranger.

In the United States, measures of IPV that limit the focus to acts of violence find that women and men experience equivalent violence by their heterosexual partners: 1% to 10% report any physical assault in the past year. However, violence that results in injury is far more likely to occur to women. About 1 million women report severe physical assaults annually. These findings have raised substantial conversation and disagreement in the research community. The growing hypothesis is that two or more distinctly different types of IPV are being measured. One is bilateral violence (i.e., both partners being violent), which may be considered acceptable behavior within the social norms of some communities. The other is violence used as a means to gain and maintain control of a partner. This second form is more often perpetrated by men against women.

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