The revictimization of older Mexican women: understanding the accumulation of multiple victimizations throughout a lifetime

Risk and protective factors for revictimization from intimate partner violence: A systematic review

PURPOSE

Intimate partner violence is a global public health problem that mainly affects women rather than men. It has been associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes, including experiences of revictimization. This systematic review describes the risk and protective factors associated with revictimization in female victims of intimate partner violence.

METHODS

We searched for articles published between 1995 and 2024 in the Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases. In total, 925 studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed, of which 38 were evaluated as eligible, and 12 were finally included in the review.

RESULTS

Among the risk factors were mental health problems, some demographic characteristics of the victims, previous experiences of violence, and coping and attachment styles. Economic independence, empowerment, and restraining orders were protective factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results, we present some practical implications for health and public policy as well as recommendations for directing future research into revictimization.

Trauma Theory and Abuse, Neglect and Violence Across the Life Course

A literature review of recent prevalence and prospective studies on interpersonal violence (IPV) identifies a link among child abuse, intimate partner violence, and elder abuse that had not emerged from life-stage-specific studies on abuse, neglect, and violence against older persons. In line with a developmental understanding of IPV from a life course perspective, early life trauma is emerging as an explanatory theory of IPV across the life course. This paradigm shift in the field of elder abuse challenges more traditional explanations of IPV in old age, such as ageism, but opens up new opportunities for interventions leading to prevention and treatment of abuse, neglect, and violence against older adults. Prevalence studies that include older subjects and questions about violence experienced as children and younger adults consistently identify child abuse as a risk factor for IPV experienced in old age. Similarly, prospective studies on IPV that follow subjects from childhood to old age identify lifetime patterns of abuse. Qualitative studies of IPV in old age that include retrospective data suggest a link as well. IPV perpetrated against children and adults of all ages by persons in positions of trust can lead to trauma that has adverse lifelong behavioral and relational implications. This provides a link between trauma theory and violence against older people. Until recently, abuse, neglect, and violence were conceptualized differently based on the life stage of the victim. While historically the definitions for partner and non-partner violence diverged based on the life stage of victims, more recently this has begun to converge. Understanding violence from a life course and trauma-informed perspective better identifies risk factors and interventions for IPV against older adults. Intersectionality of age and gender variables demonstrate differences and similarities among populations studied.

Elder abuse experienced by older Mexican women with disabilities: a current and retrospective view on domestic violence

The objectives of this study were: 1) to estimate the prevalence of child abuse (CA), intimate partner violence (IPV), and elder abuse (EA) in a representative sample of older Mexican women by status, type, and cause of disability; and 2) to examine the associations of EA with CA, IPV, and disability status. We conducted a secondary data analysis of 21,718 women aged 60 years and older. Older women with disabilities had higher prevalences of CA, IPV, and EA than those with some difficulties or without disabilities. In older women whose disability was acquired at birth or due to aggression, this prevalence was especially high. Older women with disabilities and a history of CA and IPV were twice as likely to suffer EA. Policymakers and government leaders should incorporate the matter of violence against women with disabilities into their public agendas. This should be done while considering the women's various disabilities and causes of disability.

Emotion regulation and cognitive function as mediating factors for the association between lifetime abuse and risky behaviors in women of color

BACKGROUND

The relationship between lifetime abuse (i.e., childhood abuse, intimate partner violence) and risky behaviors is well established. One proposed mechanism is poor emotion regulation and executive functioning, as a potential mechanism that may explain the relationship between lifetime abuse and risky behaviors. However, research on executive functioning and emotion regulation as mediators of this relationship has been limited. In the present study, we examined this association. We hypothesized that lifetime abuse would be significantly associated with executive function and emotion regulation which in turn would be associated with greater alcohol use and risky sex.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 150 women with a history of lifetime abuse who were assessed for hazardous alcohol use using the AUDIT Score; emotion regulation was measured using the Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS); risky sex was measured using the question: "in the last 90 days, how many people did you have anal or vaginal sex without using a condom? Executive function was assessed using the NIH Toolbox.

RESULTS

The mediation model followed the self-regulation theory, which proposes executive function as the higher-order cognitive process. Results showed that executive function deficit and poor emotion regulation significantly mediated the relationship between lifetime abuse and hazardous alcohol use (indirect effect = .097, SE .031, 95% CI = .035 to .158).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest a higher-order cognitive process with executive function promoting emotion regulation as a potential mechanism for alcohol problems in women of color who experienced lifetime abuse.