Evaluation of Psychological and Physical Violence towards Children and Adolescents before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Lodz Voivodship

BACKGROUND

It has been shown that the course of COVID-19 infection in the under-18 population was in many cases sparsely symptomatic. In contrast, the impact of the pandemic on the psychological state is quite different. The risk of psychopathological symptoms in children and adolescents increased and the course of already present psychiatric disorders has often been exacerbated.

OBJECTIVES

Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of psychological and physical violence among children and adolescents and its change during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to investigate various factors that might affect violence.

METHODS

In this survey study, 782 responses were included, with 480 collected during the second and 302 during the fourth wave of COVID-19. In this cross-sectional study, an anonymous questionnaire was used to collect demographic data, medical history, mental state, psychopathological symptoms, as well as the presence of psychological, physical violence, and suicidal self-harm behaviors before (retrospectively) and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the under-18 population of the Lodz Voivodship. The survey was prepared using Google Forms.

RESULTS

A decrease in the prevalence of physical violence during both waves of the pandemic has been observed (6.39% vs. 3.45%; p < 0.001), with only a similar trend present for psychological violence 16.75% vs. 14.71%; p = 0.081). No difference between physical and psychological violence was present in different pandemic waves, type of flat or house individuals lived in, availability of one's room, number of people living in the house, number of siblings, and type of school classes (p > 0.050). Older children (>15 years old) were more likely to be victims of psychological violence before and during the pandemic (both p < 0.001). A statistically significant model was obtained for psychological violence before (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.011) and during the pandemic (p = 0.007, R2 = 0.032). Risk factors for psychological violence before the pandemic included male gender (B = 0.531, p = 0.009, OR = 1.700), older age (B = 0.869, p = 0.001, OR = 2.385), and smaller city size (B = -0.187, p = 0.004, OR = 0.829), while for psychological violence during the pandemic, the risk factors were only male gender (B = 0.482, p = 0.022, OR = 1.620) and older age (B = 0.555, p = 0.046, OR = 1.742). No statistically significant models were created for physical violence (p > 0.050).

CONCLUSIONS

The observed decrease in physical violence during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that in the studied group, home environment was not the main source of physical violence. Yet, we did not find any predicting factors for this form of violence. Violence, both physical and psychological, is a dangerous phenomenon in the under-18 population both in the pre-pandemic period and in crisis situations such as the pandemic.

Negotiating Autonomy: The Linkages between Intimate Partner Violence, Women’s Paid Work Status and Birth Outcomes

Maternal and child health is severely impacted by adverse birth outcomes leading to a public health concern. A whole host of socioeconomic factors are instrumental in determining birth outcomes. Importantly, there is an intricate relationship between women’s autonomy, the perpetration of intimate partner violence in households, women’s paid work status and their consequent impact on birth outcomes. Noting this, we ask how intimate partner violence and women’s work status interact and how women’s ‘autonomy’ is negotiated to mitigate adverse birth outcomes such as miscarriage, abortion, stillbirth, low birth weight and preterm birth. We use the nationally representative NFHS-5 data for India and use multiple correspondence analyses to create an index of women’s autonomy, and multinomial logistic regression has been used to determine the relation. Women’s working status in association with the perpetration of intimate partner violence contributes significantly to adverse birth outcomes. The study found that mitigation of adverse birth outcomes, which is necessary for bringing about improvements in maternal and child health, is contingent on a multiplicity of social factors, which requires redressal in association to ensure a reduction in adverse birth outcomes.

How Valid is the Question of Fear of a Partner in Identifying Intimate Partner Abuse? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Four Studies

Intimate partner abuse (IPA) affects women's health, requiring accurate questions to identify the abuse. We investigated the accuracy of three questions about fear of an intimate partner in identifying exposure to IPA. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of these questions with the Composite Abuse Scale (CAS) using secondary data analysis of four existing studies. All studies recruited adult women from clinical settings, with sample sizes ranging from 1,257 to 5,871. We examined associations between demographic factors and fear through multivariate logistic regression, and analysis of the sensitivity and specificity of the questions about fear and IPA (CAS), generating a receiver operating curve (ROC). The prevalence of lifetime fear of a partner ranged from 9.5% to 26.7%; 14.0% of women reported fear in the past 12 months; and current fear ranged from 1.3% to 3.3%. Comparing the three questions, the question "afraid of a partner in the past 12 months" was considered the best question to identify IPA. This question had the greatest area under the ROC (0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.78-0.81]) compared with "are you currently afraid" (range 0.57-0.61) or "have you ever been afraid" (range 0.66-0.77); and demonstrated better sensitivity (64.8%) and specificity (94.8%). Demographic factors associated with "fear of a partner in the past 12 months" included being divorced/separated (odds ratio [OR] = 8.49, 95% CI = [6.70-10.76]); having a low income (OR = 4.21, 95% CI = [3.46-5.13]); and having less than 12 years of education (OR = 2.48, 95% CI = [2.04-3.02]). The question "In the last 12 months did you ever feel frightened by what your partner says or does?" has potential to identify a majority of women experiencing IPA, supporting its utilization where more comprehensive measures are not possible.

Hunger in Vulnerable Families in Southeastern Europe: Associations With Mental Health and Violence

Background: Hunger can influence healthy development of children and has been shown to be associated with other determinants of child health, such as violence within the family and maternal (mental) health problems. Whilst the majority of research has been conducted in high-income countries with vulnerable populations, less is known about the circumstances in low-and-middle-income countries. This study explored the experience of hunger in vulnerable families in three Southeastern European countries, and simultaneously examined relationships with four sets of risk factors—lack of financial, mental, familial, and social resources.

Methods: Families (N = 140) were recruited for a parenting intervention targeting child behavioral problems. Baseline data was collected on hunger, socioeconomic characteristics, mental health and wellbeing, family violence (i.e., child maltreatment and intimate partner violence), and social and emotional support. Univariate and multivariable risk factors of hunger were examined cross-sectionally with regression models.

Results: Overall, 31% of families experienced at least one form of hunger in the last month. Worse family functioning, current intimate partner violence, and more instances of child neglect showed univariate associations with family hunger. In hierarchical analysis, five risk factors remained significantly associated with the experience of hunger: lower adult educational, literacy level, emotional support, more children in the household and higher scores on parental depression, anxiety, and stress.

Conclusions: Hunger in Southeastern European families, among families with children showing elevated behavioral problems, was associated with more family violence, but specifically poorer mental health and less emotional support above and beyond socio-structural strains. Adapting parenting interventions to support the primary caregiver in getting more access to emotional support may potentially also change hunger and its association with health and violence. However, this hypothetical pathway of change needs explicit testing.

[Validation of the short version of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) in the general population]

OBJECTIVE

To perform a concurrent validation of the short version of the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST), used to detect intimate partner violence, estimating the validity indexes in the general population.

METHOD

The information source was the third Intimate partner violence survey in the Region of Madrid (Spain) conducted on women aged 18-70 in 2014. As the gold standard we used the definition of intimate partner violence based on a 26- question survey. The short version of WAST includes two questions with three possible answers. The prevalence of intimate partner violence and the validity indexes were calculated and compared according to two scoring criteria with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

RESULTS

The response rate was 60.0%, and 2979 surveys were analysed. The prevalence of intimate partner violence was 7.6% (95%CI: 6.6-8.5). We showed 21.1% (95%CI: 19.6-22.5) positive test results according to WAST criterion 1 and 11.0% (95%CI: 9.9-12.1) according to criterion 2. Criterion 2 presented higher overall efficiency of the test (81.5% [95%CI: 80.1-82.9] criterion 1 vs. 88.8% [95%CI: 87.7-89.9] criterion 2). The best indexes were obtained in women ≥30 years old.

CONCLUSIONS

The short version of the WAST showed acceptable validity indexes for use as a screening tool of intimate partner violence in the general population. We recommend using scoring criterion 2 to estimate prevalence of intimate partner violence in surveys on the general population.

Intimate partner violence and mental disorders: Co-occurrence and gender differences in a large cross-sectional population based study in Spain

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental disorders (MD) are important public health problems disproportionally affecting women. We aimed to study the epidemiology of IPV victimization, MD, and co-occurring IPV-MD in Spanish men and women in terms of i) prevalence, ii) association between IPV and MD, and iii) sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with IPV, MD, and co-occurring IPV-MD.

METHODS

Community-based cross-sectional study with 4507 randomly selected participants. Measurement instruments (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and set of validated questions about IPV during the last 12 months) were administered by trained interviewers in participants' households. Statistical analyses included multivariate logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The prevalence of IPV was 9.4%, of MD 22.3%, and of co-occurring MD-IPV 4.4%. MD was associated with higher odds of experiencing IPV (OR = 3.6; p < 0.05). Lack of social support, neuroticism, impulsivity, and family history of MD were associated with higher odds of IPV, MD, and co-occurring IPV-MD in men and women. Poor health status was associated with MD and with co-occurring IPV-MD in men and women. In women, not being married was associated with MD and with co-occurring IPV-MD; having a non-Spanish nationality was associated with IPV and co-occurring IPV-MD; and older age with IPV. In men, younger age was associated with MD.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional nature of this study limited our ability to examine causal inferences.

CONCLUSIONS

MD and IPV are strongly associated. Although less frequently than in women, IPV in men is also associated with depression, post-traumatic and mood disorders, which has relevant implications for healthcare delivery.

Risk Factors for Domestic Violence in Women and Predictors of Development of Mental Disorders in These Women

INTRODUCTION

Based on the hypothesis that women who exposed to physical violence had lower education and income levels than those who did not, and those who got married earlier and had marriage with unwanted people had higher psychiatric disorders, the aims of this study were to determine risk factors for domestic violence and predictors of psychiatric impairment in women exposed to domestic violence.

METHODS

We used random selection method and included 400 married women above 18 years of age living in Adiyaman province. Socio-demographic data and exposure to physical violence and sexual coercion for participants were evaluated by a structured questionnaire. Depression scores of the women were evaluated by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and anxiety scores were evaluated by Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Suicidal ideas of the subjects were evaluated by 17 item Suicide Intent Scale and their suicide plans, attempts, thoughts, and risk of recurrence were evaluated by 4 item Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire.

RESULTS

65,5% of the women (n=262) reported no violence, 19,3% (n=77) reported violence only from their spouses, 5,2% (n=21) reported violence from people other than spouse, and 10% (n=40) reported physical violence from both their spouses and other people. Logistic regression analysis showed that employment status of spouses, presence of medical/psychiatric illness in spouses, the acceptance of the view that 'Husbands can sometimes beat' by women and presence of psychiatric illness in women predicted domestic violence against these women from their spouses. Logistic regression analysis also revealed that education level, and presence of physical or sexual violence from their spouses predicted development of psychiatric disorders in women survivors of domestic violence.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that opinion of women about domestic violence, presence of a psychiatric disorder in women, employment status of spouse, and presence of a medical/psychiatric illness in spouse predicted physical violence against these women. In addition, education level of women, and presence of domestic violence from their spouses predicted development of psychiatric disorder. Knowing the factors that trigger physical violence and related psychiatric impairments is really important for development of preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Violent injuries and regional correlates among women in China: results from 21 cities study in China

BACKGROUND

Ecological models depict violent injuries against women being influenced by both individual and environmental characteristics. However, only few studies examined the association between regional variables and the likelihood of violent injuries. Our study is a preliminary assessment of the impact of regional variables on the likelihood that a woman has experienced violent injuries.

METHODS

Participants were 16 866 urban residents, who were identified through a multi-stage sampling process conducted in 21 Chinese cities. Out of the sampled population, 8071 respondents were female. Subsequent analyses focused solely on the female sample. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed to examine regional variation in violent injuries.

RESULTS

Prevalence of violent injuries against women is 10.7% (95% CI: 7.8%, 15.5%). After controlling for individual-level characteristics, higher regional male-female ratio (OR: 1.97, P < 0.05), population growth rate (OR: 4.12, P < 0.01) and unemployment rate (OR: 2.45, P < 0.01) were all associated with an elevated risk of violent injuries among Chinese women caused by physical attack.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest violent injuries among Chinese women caused by physical attack have become an important social and public health problem. The findings point to the importance of developing effective health policies, laws and interventions that focuses on the unequal economic development between different regions.

Intimate Partner Violence and Its Association With Physical and Mental Health Symptoms Among Older Women in Germany

Intimate partner violence is a commonly acknowledged health care issue. While numerous studies established the health implications of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence among women of reproductive age, the evidence is scarce for older women and for other forms of intimate partner violence. This study, therefore, investigates the prevalence of intimate partner violence in its different forms and its association with physical and mental health symptoms of older women, using women of reproductive age as a reference group. This study is a cross-sectional study, utilizing data from a national representative survey of 10,264 German women aged 16 to 86 years. Rates of physical and sexual intimate partner violence in the last year decreased from 8% to 3% and 1% among women aged 16 to 49 years, 50 to 65 years, and 66 to 86 years, respectively. The prevalence of emotional and economic abuse and controlling behavior by partners remained nearly the same. All forms of intimate partner violence had significant associations with women's health symptoms, such as gastrointestinal, psychosomatic and psychological symptoms, and pelvic problems. Controlling behavior was most consistently associated with most health symptoms. Health and care professionals who screen women for intimate partner violence should, therefore, consider incorporating questions about controlling behavior as well, because this form of violence is not only frequent but also has multiple health outcomes among women across all ages.

Intimate partner violence against women in Spain: A medico-legal and criminological study

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant worldwide problem whose magnitude and risk factors vary across different settings and cultures. Nowadays, it is a priority to improve the knowledge on this issue in order to formulate better evidence-based policy responses. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of non-fatal IPV against women in Spain. A retrospective analysis of IPV cases with a final judicial decision was carried out. The period under study extended from January 2005 to December 2012, with a total of 582 files included in the investigation. Most IPV victims were young adult women of Spanish origin, either married or single, with children, unemployed and with a low family income level. The majority of alleged perpetrators were young adults, employed, with a middle-low income level, a history of alcohol consumption/abuse, but no criminal records. Most victims had previous history of IPV, were engaged in a long-term relationship with their abuser and lived with him at the time of assault. The combination of psychological and physical abuse was the most frequent form of violence. The most common mechanisms of assault consisted in minor acts of physical violence, which resulted in mild injuries, most of them in the upper limbs and face. Nearly half of women sought medical care, but physician's injury report was only made in about a quarter of these cases, even though it is mandatory for health professionals. The majority of criminal proceedings were initiated by the victim's report and ended in conviction, most of them being considered occasional mistreatment. This study confirms the heterogeneity of the phenomenon of intimate partner violence. The importance of adopting standard IPV concepts and promoting the recognition and assessment of this form of violence amongst health care professionals, criminal investigators and forensic personnel is emphasized.

Physical domestic violence exposure is highly associated with suicidal attempts in both women and men. Results from the national public health survey in Sweden

Background: Studies on a national level concerning domestic violence (DV) among both men and women are few. DV and its relation to other social and health outcomes within the framework of the Swedish Public Health Survey have remained unexplored. Aim: To compare women and men regarding their social situation and health status in relation to self-reported exposure to physical DV as measured in the Swedish National Public Health Survey. Methods: This study used cross-sectional data from the Swedish Public Health Survey, years 2004–09 with a total sample of 50 350 respondents, of which 205 women and 93 men reported DV exposure. Logistic regression analyses stratified by sex with physical DV exposure as the outcome measure were conducted, and the multivariate models were fitted using the likelihood ratio test. Results: Being foreign-born [women odds ratio (OR) = 1.52, men OR = 1.92] and lack of social support (women OR = 2.81, men OR = 1.92) were associated with DV exposure among both sexes. Higher psychological distress (women OR = 2.81, men OR = 1.92) and hazardous drinking (women OR = 1.61, men OR = 2.33) were also associated with DV exposure. Among women, financial problems were associated with DV exposure (OR = 1.83), whereas among men, sum of medicines used and higher odds of DV were associated (OR = 1.17). Further, suicidal attempts were associated with DV exposure among both women (OR = 5.59) and men (OR = 8.34). Conclusions: In this national survey, prevalence rates of violence exposure were lower than in other studies, but despite this, both women and men exposed to physical DV reported increased odds of having attempted suicide.

Psichometrics properties of Psychological Dating Violence Questionnaire: A study with young couples

This instrumental study examines the psychometric properties of the Psychological Dating Violence Questionnaire (PDV-Q). The scale was developed with the aim of evaluating subtle and overt psychological abuse among dating couples, and its possible bi-directionality in the implication as victim and as aggressor. A sample group of 670 heterosexual university students (62.8% women), aged between 19 and 25 years old (M = 22; SD = 1.78), took part in the study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a satisfactory index of reliability with two different scales: Victimization and Aggression. The external validity was checked with a physical violence measure (modified Conflict Tactic Scale-2). The results indicated a significant but low correlation between psychological and physical scales. The PDV-Q joins dating and intimate violence instruments potentialities and tries to overcome their limitations. It includes a wide range of violent behaviours and it is adapted to specific characteristics from young couples.

Assessing the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in the Chinese Population

The study undertook the development and validation of a risk assessment tool for the evaluation of risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) among the Chinese population. A total of 2,225 men from a representative Chinese population in Hong Kong were assessed with their experience of IPV perpetration in the year preceding the interview. With the use of the split-half validation procedure, six factors that were associated with IPV perpetration were selected. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.76. The Chinese Risk Assessment Tool for Perpetrators (CRAT-P) is a brief and easy to use assessment tool for evaluating IPV risk in the Chinese population.

Violence against women by male partners and against children within the family: prevalence, associated factors, and intergenerational transmission in Romania, a cross-sectional study

Background

Domestic violence is a public health problem with negative consequences. We aimed to determine the prevalence of violence between parents and by parents against children, types of intimate partner violence against women, the intergenerational transmission of violence, and to identify a profile of beliefs and judgements regarding violent behaviour.

Methods

The data used for this article were sourced from three cross-sectional studies performed in Romania in 2009–2011. We sampled 869 respondents (male and female) with a homogenous distribution between environment, gender, educational level, and age group (18 to 75). From a 96-item questionnaire regarding family and reproductive health, this article refers to four items: (1) feelings relating to the family in which they were raised; (2) whether they witnessed violence between parents or were victims of violence by parents or other family members during childhood or the teenage years; (3) opinions relating to 10 statements on violence from Maudsley Violence Questionnaire; (4) the manifestation of psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse from the partner in the family of procreation (FOP). The data were analysed by Pearson chi-square tests and latent class analysis.

Results

During childhood, 35% of respondents witnessed parental violence and 53.7% were victims of family violence. Psychological abuse by men against women was the most common type of violence reported in the FOP (45.1%). Violence in childhood and adolescence correlated with the perception of the family of origin as a hostile environment and of violence against women as a corrective measure, and that insults, swearing, and humiliation by their partner within the FOP is acceptable (p < 0.05). A profile of beliefs and judgements about violent behaviour indicated that the Impulsive reactive cluster is represented by men in rural areas, and by subjects who witnessed parental violence or were victims of violence during childhood (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

In Romania, the use of violence as a form of discipline or instruction of children and women remains a significant problem, with a higher rate of intimate partner violence than in other developed countries. Furthermore, implementing intervention mechanisms for psychological abuse is urgently required, as are education and intervention in high-risk populations.

Sexual health and socioeconomic-related factors in Spain

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to describe sexual health in Spain according to three important indicators of the World Health Organization definition and explore the influence of socioeconomic factors.

METHODS

We performed a population-based cross-sectional study of sexually active people aged 16-44 years residing in Spain in 2009 (2365 women and 2532 men). Three main aspects of sexual health were explored: sexual satisfaction, safe sex, and sexual abuse. The independent variables explored were age, age at first intercourse, reason for first intercourse, type of partner, level of education, country of origin, religiousness, parity, and social class. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted.

RESULTS

Both men and women were quite satisfied with their sexual life, their first sexual intercourse, and their sexual relationships during the previous year. Most participants had practiced safe sex both at first intercourse and during the previous year. Levels of sexual abuse were similar to those in other developed countries. People of disadvantaged socioeconomic position have less satisfying, more unsafe, and more abusive sexual relationships. Women experienced more sexual abuse and had less satisfaction at their first intercourse.

CONCLUSIONS

The state of sexual health in Spain is relatively good. However, we observed inequalities according to gender and socioeconomic position.

Partner Abuse Worldwide

Research on partner abuse has lagged in much of the world where attention has been on other problems (such as famine and war) and other crimes against women (e.g., honor killings, genital mutilation). We conducted a sweeping review of scholarly articles published in peer-reviewed journals and by government agencies outside of the United States and English-speaking developed nations that provided quantitative data on physical, psychological, and sexual abuse of intimate partners as well as consequences, risk factors, and attitudes. One hundred sixty-two articles reporting on more than 200 studies in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe met the inclusion criteria from various types of samples. Most of the studies reported on female victimization only, but 73 reported on both male and female victimization.

We also conducted an analysis of data from our literature review, including 1 major cross-national study, to determine the relationship among prevalence of abuse, social factors, and women’s empowerment. Results indicate that partner abuse is a widespread problem around the world, with multiple causes. Overall prevalence of abuse is higher in Third World countries compared to the United States, and rates for physical and psychological abuse are comparable across gender in most countries when all types of samples are considered. No significant association was found between rates of partner violence (PV) and a nation’s level of human development. However, a significant relationship was found between a nation’s level of gender empowerment and rates of PV by both males and females but only for university dating samples from the International Dating Violence Study (IDVS). In addition, an analysis of the IDVS indicates that efforts by 1 partner to dominate the other are positively correlated with physical abuse perpetration for women, but not for men. Among the limitations of this review was the relatively few numbers of large population studies that ask about both male and female perpetration and victimization and the consequences and context of PV. Implications of the findings include the need for a broader conceptualization of PV as not merely a gender problem but also (and perhaps primarily) a human problem.

Intimate partner violence against older women in Germany: prevalence and associated factors

Violence against women is a recognized human rights and public health issue, with significant impacts on women's life and health. Until now, several studies, most of them relying on small scale samples, have explored the prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence against older women, whereas few have examined what actually puts older women at risk of intimate partner violence. This study is based on a secondary analysis of the first national survey on violence against women in Germany, looking at the prevalence and associated factors for physical and for sexual violence by the current partners of women aged 50 to 65 and women aged 66 to 86 years. The prevalence of violence in women's current relationships was 12% and 5%, respectively. In both age groups, women who had experienced violence during childhood and nonpartner physical or sexual violence after the age of 16 had higher odds of experiencing current partner violence. Current partner violence was associated only with women and their partner's level of education and women's vocational training among women aged 66 to 86 years. Relationships where one or both partners drank heavily in recent months were associated with higher odds of violence among women aged 50 to 65. Future studies on intimate partner violence need to recognize that women above reproductive risk are also at risk of current partner violence.

Considering Violence: The Dark Side of Occupation

This opinion piece discusses current thinking on, and approaches to, violence from the fields of occupational therapy, occupational science and criminology. A change in how occupation is both defined and examined is anticipated, rather than considering only prosocial occupations. The authors propose the need for an increase in work that explores the impact of antisocial occupations upon other occupations and upon health and wellbeing; occupational therapists and scientists must, therefore, develop their theory, practice and research to include due consideration of antisocial occupations. Owing to the primary author's interests, there is a focus upon the antisocial occupation of violence.

Gender symmetry in the self-reporting of intimate partner violence

Research has not conclusively determined whether men and women are equally likely to commit intimate partner violence (IPV). One explanation for the disparity in previous findings may be gender-based differences in reporting styles. The present study investigated whether there was any gender difference in self-reported IPV prevalence. A total of 3,740 Chinese couples from a representative population in Hong Kong were interviewed. Self-reports of men-to-women and women-to-men IPV between spouses were compared. Gender was controlled for to evaluate whether age, education, the Chinese concept of face, and other violence-related characteristics would affect the self-reporting of IPV. Findings supported gender symmetry in self-reported IPV prevalence as well as a moderate interspousal agreement in the self-reports. After adjustment for covariates, face was a significant factor predicting the interspousal differences in both men-to-women and women-to-men physical IPV.

Factors associated with violence by a current partner in a nationally representative sample of German women

Partner violence is a serious human rights violation and public health issue. Although its pervasiveness is well documented, more research is needed on risk and protective factors to inform interventions. This study is based on a secondary analysis of the first national survey on violence against women in Germany. Women who reported partner violence by their current partner were compared to women who never reported partner violence. The prevalence of physical or sexual violence, or both, by current partners was 17 per cent. Women who experienced violence during their childhood had higher odds of experiencing partner violence. Partner violence was associated with women's drug use in the last 5 years, physical disability or debilitating illness, having more than three children, experiencing violence by a non-partner and feeling socially excluded. The odds of violence also increased if both partners were unemployed or lacked vocational training or if only the woman had vocational skills. Relationships shorter than 5 years or where the man or both partners drank heavily were likewise associated with higher odds of violence. Partner violence interventions should focus on reducing children's exposure to violence and preparing women and men for the job market as well as including interventions that tackle social isolation and substance use.