The role of neighborhood environment and risk of intimate partner femicide in a large urban area

Female Homicide Victims in Cook County, Illinois: A Retrospective Review

ABSTRACT

Female homicide is a broad term that includes any homicide in which the victim is a female, representing the most extreme form of violence against women. This study investigated the characteristics of female homicides to determine the types and characteristics of injury, circumstances of the events, and other aspects in this specific population. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office files were searched for homicides in female subjects between January 2017 and January 2022, with no limits for age, race, or cause of death. A total of 527 cases met the criteria. Most homicides occurred in Chicago during the summer. The most common cause of death was firearm(s) wounds, followed by sharp force traumas, asphyxia, and blunt force injuries. The remaining deaths were due to combined and "other" mechanisms. Different patterns of injuries were observed at the autopsy. Alleged offenders were mostly male subjects and were frequently in a romantic relationship with the victim, and the reasons for homicide were related to jealousy and personal conflicts. This study offers an overview of homicidal deaths in female subjects in a large metropolitan area.

Domestic/Family Homicide: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence

BACKGROUND

Domestic/family homicide (D/FH) is a global social, economic and public health problem. To date, the research studies into risk factors associated with D/FH has largely focused on intimate partner homicide (IPH). A more contemporary approach recognizes that D/FH extends beyond the intimate partner relationship. This systematic review sought to identify and quantify the individual, relationship, community and societal factors in the empirical evidence literature on D/FH.

METHODS

Eight electronic databases were searched from January 1999 to December 2020. Published journal articles on studies of D/FH were included if the study included victims and/or perpetrator of D/FH, reported risk and/or protective factors associated with D/FH, reported primary data and was published in English. Factors were descriptively synthesized by the categories of the social ecological model and D/FH sub-type.

RESULTS

Three hundred and forty published articles met the inclusion criteria. From 1999 to 2020 the number of articles on D/FH increased globally from 10 to 40 respectively, declining to 23 in 2020. Almost half of the articles examined populations located in the Americas (160, 47.1%), predominately the United States and the majority of articles used quantitative designs (277, 81.5%). The forms of homicide more commonly studied were intimate partner (171, 50.3%), and filicide (98, 28.8%). Approximately 90% of articles reported individual victim and perpetrator factors, 64.7% examined relationship factors, 17.9% examined community factors and 15.6% examined societal factors.

CONCLUSION

To inform universal and targeted D/FH elimination and prevention strategies, more research across different regions and a greater emphasis on community and societal-level factors is needed.

Examining the Factors that Impact Suicide Following Heterosexual Intimate Partner Homicide: Social Context, Gender Dynamics, and Firearms

Despite a wealth of research on intimate partner homicide, research on intimate partner homicide followed by suicide of the perpetrator is sparse. Existing studies on intimate partner homicide-suicide: tend to be descriptive, not keeping pace with quantitative advances in the epidemiological and social sciences; have yet to examine how context impacts intimate partner homicide-suicide; and are typically limited to male perpetrators, given small localized samples of female-perpetrated intimate partner (homicide and) homicide-suicide. This study uses data on 7584 heterosexual intimate partner homicide and homicide-suicide cases distributed across 2465 places and 42 U.S. states from the National Violent Death Reporting System (2003-2018) to examine the victim and perpetrator characteristics, relationship dynamics, situational factors, and contextual features that influence the likelihood of committing suicide following intimate partner homicide. Hierarchical logistic regression models indicate that victim characteristics that increase the vulnerability to victimization (alcohol and drug use, mental health problems, less than some college education) decrease the odds of committing suicide following intimate partner homicide. Similarly, situational (victim weapon usage, additional perpetrators) and contextual (concentrated disadvantage, residential instability) risk factors decrease the odds of committing suicide following intimate partner homicide. Conversely, impairment of the perpetrator (alcohol use, mental health problems) and a more intimate victim-perpetrator relationship (spousal relationship, caregiver) increases the odds of homicide-suicide. Additionally, results indicate that firearms play an integral part in homicide-suicide as well as in decreasing the gender gap in homicide-suicide. The findings suggest that the internalization of guilt by perpetrators of intimate partner homicide may play a key role in subsequent suicide. Practically, limiting firearm exposure will not only reduce the lethality of intimate partner violence, but will decrease the odds of perpetrator suicide following intimate partner homicide. This is particularly true for female-perpetrated homicide-suicide, which is unlikely to occur without a firearm.

Intimate Partner Violence and Children: Essentials for the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health problem of epidemic proportions. IPV often starts early in adolescence and continues throughout an individual's lifespan. IPV is defined as abuse or aggression occurring in the context of a romantic relationship that is perpetrated by a current or former partner. IPV victims often experience severe psychological trauma, physical injury, and even death. The direct recipient of the violence is often not the only individual impacted. Children are often peripheral victims of IPV. It is vital that pediatric health care providers, including pediatric nurse practitioners, recognize that IPV is indeed a pediatric health care crisis requiring strategies for both identification and intervention. This continuing education article will discuss IPV and its impact on children from conception to adolescence while exploring implications for practice.

Community Characteristics and the Geographic Distribution of Intimate Partner Violence: A Partial Test of Social Disorganization Theory

Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory has provided a framework to examine the relationship between community-level structural variables and neighborhood crime. Although empirical support for the theory has been widely demonstrated using property and violent crime data, the body of literature examining the theory's applicability to intimate partner violence (IPV) is more limited. Further, much of the existing literature in this area applies the theory's macro-level variables to individual outcomes instead of assessing community effects. Using negative binomial regression to analyze incident data from the Austin (TX) Police Department and demographic information from the United States Census Bureau, this study assesses the relationship between concentrated disadvantage, racial/ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability, and the geographic distribution of IPV incidents in a major U.S. city with no racial or ethnic majority. The independent variables of interest were constructed using principal axis factoring, and a spatial lag variable was included in the model to control for spatial clustering. The analysis showed that concentrated disadvantage was significantly, positively associated with annual counts of IPV incidents in neighborhoods, as was the control variable total crime reports. These results demonstrate that the geographic distribution of IPV is influenced by community factors. They underscore the importance of considering community-wide prevention and intervention efforts in tandem with individual services to those impacted by IPV.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Physical Violence-Related Acquired Brain Injury Among Visitors to Justice Center in New York

OBJECTIVE

The recent United States Government Accountability Office report highlights the need for improved data on the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV)-related acquired brain injury (ABI) to help direct Health & Human Services public efforts. This article identifies the prevalence and risk factors for IPV-related ABI among survivors of IPV at a Justice Center in New York.

SETTING

Community Justice Center.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty survivors of IPV, aged 17 to 73 years (median 32, interquartile range: 25.25, 42) were assessed within 60 days of sustaining physical violence.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

MAIN MEASURES

The HELPS and the Danger Assessment-Revised were used at the initial Center visit.

RESULTS

Of the 40 physical IPV survivors screened, all (100%) reported a prior history of partner-induced ABI within the past 60 days. Thirty-seven (92.5%) survivors also reported sustaining at least 1 potential hypoxic brain injury from strangulation. However, only 16 (40%) survivors screened positive on the HELPS for a history of IPV-related mild traumatic brain injury. Females (95%) and individuals with low income (67.5%) largely comprised our sample. Compared with the County's average, the proportion of African Americans/Blacks and refugees was 227% higher (42.5% vs 13%) and 650% higher (7.5% vs 1.09%), respectively. Refugee status (P = .017) also correlated with number of previous ABIs. On an exploratory binary logistic regression with stepwise selection, only balance difficulties (P = .023) and difficulty concentrating/remembering (P = .009) predicted a positive screen for mild traumatic brain injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with previous findings, our data indicate a high prevalence of IPV-related ABI among visitors to a New York Justice Center. An overrepresentation of African Americans/Blacks and refugees in our sample relative to the region signified a higher prevalence of IPV in these populations and warrants a provision of more trauma-informed ABI resources to these groups/communities. Intimate partner violence survivors visiting Justice Centers should be screened for motor/neurocognitive symptoms suggestive of mild traumatic brain injury. Further research to identify the prevalence and risk factors of IPV-related ABI statewide and nationwide is urgently needed to improve resource allocation and clinical management.

Psychological Autopsy: A Method to Assist in the Identification of Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Femicide

The most common form of violence experienced by women is that perpetrated by intimate partners, and the gendered nature of intimate partner femicide (IPF) has received particular attention. Few studies to date have delved into the limitations associated with methods used in IPF research, and particularly the methods used to study homicide victims (rather than homicide perpetrators). This article outlines dominant methodologies used to study IPF, and considers a novel method of investigation-the "psychological autopsy"-that may help to improve existing knowledge about IPF.

Neighborhoods and Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: The Direct and Interactive Effects of Social Ties and Collective Efficacy

This study examines the impact of several indicators of neighborhood social ties (e.g., residents' interactions with each other; residents' ability to recognize outsiders) on intimate partner violence (IPV) against women as well as whether neighborhood collective efficacy's impact on IPV is contingent upon such ties. This study used data from 4,151 women (46% Latina, 33% African American, 17% Caucasian, on average 32 years old) in 80 neighborhoods from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. We estimated a series of random effects hierarchical Bernoulli models to assess the main and interactive effects of neighborhood social ties and collective efficacy on minor and severe forms of IPV against women. Results indicate that certain neighborhood social ties are associated with higher rates of minor forms of IPV against women (but not severe forms of IPV), and collective efficacy does not appear to influence IPV against women, regardless of the level of individual or neighborhood social ties. Unlike street crime, collective efficacy does not significantly reduce IPV against women, even in neighborhoods with strong social ties that may facilitate awareness of the violence. In fact, perpetrators of minor IPV may enjoy some protective benefit in communities with social ties that make neighbors hesitant to intervene in what some might perceive as "private matters."

The Rural/Urban Divide: Examining Different Types of Assault Through a Social Disorganization Lens

Most studies of social disorganization theory focus on urban communities. In addition, these studies largely ignore more intimate crimes, such as intimate partner violence. Yet, results from extant studies are often generalized to explain all types of crime in all types of communities, thus potentially ignoring the dynamics surrounding intimate crimes and rurality. The current study expands on previous research in two ways. First, this study examines whether characteristics of social disorganization can predict assault across various victim-offender relationships. Second, this study applies social disorganization predictors to both metropolitan (or urban) and nonmetropolitan (or rural) counties. The sample consisted of 690 counties located across 13 different states. Results from the Poisson regression models indicate higher levels of ethnic heterogeneity and concentrated disadvantage were associated with increased rates of assault across various victim-offender relationships. Furthermore, the measures of social disorganization functioned in the expected direction in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. These results highlight the importance of controlling for community structures when examining rates of violence, including intimate partner violence. Programs and policies designed to reduce intimate partner violence should include neighborhood components as these affect rates of violence within a community.

Examining the relationship between urban liveability and gender-based violence: A systematic review

Gender-based violence can include, but is not limited to, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, rape, and intimate partner homicide. It is well-established that gender inequality is the main driver of gender-based violence. However, little work has attempted to unpack how gender-based violence perpetuates within the neighbourhood context, and whether 'liveability' attributes might intersect with gender inequality and violence. We systematically reviewed quantitative evidence examining associations between gender-based violence and several liveability neighbourhood-level factors. MEDLINE (Ovid) and Scopus databases yielded 1822 potentially relevant articles. 50 articles met inclusion criteria. Neighbourhood social capital was most consistently associated with reduced gender-based violence. Few studies examined built environment attributes (e.g. gambling venue densities, access to services). Future research is needed to more deeply examine how combinations of salutogenic or pathogenic neighbourhood attributes may reinforce or prevent violence.

Neighborhood Norms, Disadvantage, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Most theoretical treatments of intimate partner violence (IPV) focus on individual-level processes. More recently, scholars have begun to examine the role of macrolevel factors. Results of that research indicate that social ties facilitate the diffusion of cultural norms-including tolerance of deviance/violence-across neighborhoods. Yet the influence of the neighborhood normative climate extends beyond norms regarding the use of violence, shaping cultural understanding about dating and the opposite sex. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), the current investigation examines the multilevel association between dating norms and IPV perpetration among a large, diverse sample of adolescents and young adults. Results indicate that individuals' liberal dating attitudes are associated with IPV perpetration. Furthermore, this effect varies across levels of neighborhood disadvantage.

The Nonlinear Effect of Informal Social Control on Repeat Intimate Partner Violence Victimization

Prior research has examined the effects of neighborhood context on intimate partner violence (IPV) with mixed results. While most studies find that neighborhood disadvantage is positively associated with risk of IPV, the effects are less consistent for characteristics such as social ties and informal social control. One possible explanation for these mixed findings draws from theoretical and empirical literature arguing that a high level of collective efficacy can aid in the control of criminal behavior, but it can also deter residents from acting against crime committed by neighbors. This suggests the possibility of a nonlinear effect of collective efficacy where the risk of IPV may be high in areas with very low levels of collective efficacy because of the inability of neighborhoods to collectively control residents, but it may also be high in areas with very high levels of collective efficacy where residents are less willing to report on the criminal behavior of fellow residents. We test this possibility using survey data for female victims of IPV in Chicago merged with neighborhood characteristics. Findings suggest that the risk of repeat victimization is highest in areas with either very high or very low levels of informal social control.

Understanding the Relation Between Neighborhoods and Intimate Partner Violence: An Integrative Review

Stemming in part from the lack of theory, predictors of the relationship between neighborhoods and intimate partner violence (IPV) are underidentified. Furthermore, few mediation studies exist that inductively build and deductively confirm theoretical frameworks. This article provides an integrative review of the literature, aiming to enhance the field's understanding of predictors and potential mechanisms that drive this relationship, using a combined theoretical model to guide the analysis. The integrative review was conducted using Whittemore and Knafl's systematic method for integrative reviews with articles published between 1995 and 2015. Findings indicate that macro-, exo-, and mesolevel predictors and mediators in the proposed model have modest empirical support; however, a number of concepts at each ecological level have yet to be fully researched. Results of this review suggest that a well-defined and integrative theoretical framework will enhance the current understanding of ecological research into IPV. Additionally, a comprehensive ecological approach to IPV intervention is likely to be more effective than employing solely an individual-level approach. Intervention implications are discussed.

Evolution and study of a copycat effect in intimate partner homicides: A lesson from Spanish femicides

OBJECTIVES

This paper focuses on the issue of intimate partner violence and, specifically, on the distribution of femicides over time and the existence of copycat effects. This is the subject of an ongoing debate often triggered by the social alarm following multiple intimate partner homicides (IPHs) occurring in a short span of time. The aim of this research is to study the evolution of IPHs and provide a far-reaching answer by rigorously analyzing and searching for patterns in data on femicides.

METHODS

The study analyzes an official dataset, provided by the system VioGén of the Secretaría de Estado de Seguridad (Spanish State Secretariat for Security), including all the femicides occurred in Spain in 2007-2017. A statistical methodology to identify temporal interdependencies in count time series is proposed and applied to the dataset. The same methodology can be applied to other contexts.

RESULTS

There has been a decreasing trend in the number of femicides per year. No interdependencies among the temporal distribution of femicides are observed. Therefore, according to data, the existence of copycat effect in femicides cannot be claimed.

CONCLUSIONS

Around 2011 there was a clear change in the average number of femicides which has not picked up. Results allow for an informed answer to the debate on copycat effect in Spanish femicides. The planning of femicides prevention activities should not be a reaction to a perceived increase in their occurrence. As a copycat effect is not detected in the studied time period, there is no evidence supporting the need to censor media reports on femicides.

A systematic review of socioeconomic status measurement in 13 years of U.S. injury research

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review was to assess the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on injury and to evaluate how U.S. injury researchers have measured SES over the past 13years in observational research studies.

DESIGN & METHODS

This systematic review included 119 US injury studies indexed in PubMed between January 1, 2002 and August 31, 2015 that used one or more individual and/or area-level measures of SES as independent variables. Study findings were compared to the results of a previous review published in 2002.

RESULTS

Findings indicate SES remains an important predictor of injury. SES was inversely related to injury in 78 (66%) of the studies; inverse relationships were more consistently found in studies of fatal injury (77.4%) than in studies of non-fatal injury (58%). Approximately two-thirds of the studies (n=73, 61%) measured SES along a gradient and 59% used more than one measure of SES (n=70). Studies that used a gradient measure of SES and/or more than one measure of SES identified significant relationships more often. These findings were essentially equivalent to those of a similar 2002 review (Cubbin & Smith, 2002).

CONCLUSIONS

There remains a need to improve measurement of SES in injury research. Public health training programs should include best practices for measurement of SES, which include: measuring SES along a gradient, selecting SES indicators based on the injury mechanism, using the smallest geographic region possible for area-level measures, using multiple indicators when possible, and using both individual and area-level measures as both contribute independently to injury risk. Area-level indicators of SES are not accurate estimates of individual-level SES.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Injury researchers should measure SES along a gradient and incorporate individual and area-level SES measures that are appropriate to the injury outcome under study.

Children bereaved by fatal intimate partner violence: A population-based study into demographics, family characteristics and homicide exposure

BACKGROUND

In the context of violence against women, intimate partner homicide increasingly receives research and policy attention. Although the impact of losing a parent due to intimate partner homicide is intuitively obvious, little is known about the children involved. We aimed to identify all children bereaved by parental intimate partner homicide in the Netherlands in the period 2003-2012, describe their demographics and family circumstances, and assess their exposure to prior violence at home and to the homicide itself.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We cross-examined 8 national data sources and extracted data about children's demographics and circumstances prior to, and during the homicide. Our primary outcomes were prior violence at home (child maltreatment, neglect or domestic violence) and homicide witness status (ranging from being at a different location altogether to being present at the scene). During the decade under study, 256 children lost a biological parent due to 137 cases of intimate partner homicide. On average, the children were 7.4 years old at the time of the homicide (51.1% were boys; 95% CI 47.3-54.7) and most lost their mother (87.1%; full population data). Immigrant children were overrepresented (59.4%; 95% CI 52.8-66.0). Of the children for whom information about previous violence at home was gathered, 67.7% (95% CI 59.7-73.7) were certainly exposed and 16.7% (95% CI 11.3-22.2) probably. Of the children who had certainly been exposed, 43.1% (95% CI 41.1-60.9) had not received social services or mental health care. The majority of the children (58.7%; 95% CI 52.1-65.3) were present at the location of the homicide when the killing took place, with varying levels of exposure. Homicide weapons mostly involved cutting weapons and firearms, leading to graphic crime scenes.

CONCLUSIONS

Care providers need capacity not only to help children cope with the sudden loss of a parent but also with unaddressed histories of domestic violence and exposure to graphic homicide scenes, in a culture-sensitive way. Future directions include longitudinal monitoring of children's mental health outcomes and replication in other countries.

Disorganization Theory, Neighborhood Social Capital, and Ethnic Inequalities in Intimate Partner Violence between Arab and Jewish Women Citizens of Israel

We draw on social disorganization (SD) theory and social capital to examine the impact of neighborhood environment on the ethnic gap in intimate partner violence (IPV) between Arab and Jewish women in Israel. We linked census data on neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) to national data we gathered in 2014-2015 on 1401 women (436 Arab, 965 Jewish) age 16-48. Women were interviewed while visiting 65 maternal and child health clinics throughout Israel. We used General Estimated Equation (GEE) multivariate logistic regression models to adjust for clinic cluster effects and estimated the contribution of neighborhood collective efficacy, problems, relative socioeconomic status (SES), bridging and linking social capital, and social support to explaining ethnic inequalities in IPV, while adjusting for women's socioeconomic and socio-demographic characteristics. We found that any IPV is higher among Arab compared to Jewish women (odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 4.19 (2.72,6.42)). Collective efficacy and social group membership (bridging social capital) had no effect on the ethnic inequality in any IPV and types of IPV. Women's active participation in social groups (linking social capital), higher social support, and living in neighborhoods with relative SES similar to the ethnic group average) had a protective effect from any IPV and physical IPV. Neighborhood problems were associated with increased any IPV and physical IPV. In the final model, the ethnic gap in IPV was reduced but not eliminated (OR (95%CI) = 3.28 (2.01, 5.35). Collective efficacy did not explain the ethnic gap in IPV, while women's active participation (linking social capital) had a protective effect from IPV. Given the protective nature of women's activism in this population, future research should investigate how this might be incorporated into solutions to IPV. In addition, reducing neighborhood problems, improving neighborhood SES, and increasing social support might help reduce IPV among Arab women, thus decreasing the ethnic gap in IPV.

Intimate partner violence in neighborhood context: The roles of structural disadvantage, subjective disorder, and emotional distress

Most theoretical treatments of intimate partner violence (IPV) focus on individual-level processes. Some researchers have attempted to situate IPV within the larger neighborhood context, but few studies have sought to link structural- and individual-level factors. The current analyses fill a research gap by examining the role of anger and depression in the association between neighborhood disadvantage and IPV. Using data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS) and the 2000 Census, this study focuses on structural indicators of disadvantage as well as subjective disorder, and highlights the complex associations between neighborhood conditions, emotional distress, and IPV. Findings indicate that anger and depressive symptoms partially explain the association between neighborhood disadvantage and IPV. Additionally, the associations between disadvantage, disorder, and IPV depend on respondent's level of anger. Results underscore the need to further consider the role of neighborhood factors (both objective and subjective) in relation to IPV, and also suggest the utility of introducing individual-level emotional measures to assess the circumstances under which neighborhoods matter most.

Bystander Action in Situations of Dating and Sexual Aggression: A Mixed Methodological Study of High School Youth

Bystander action is a critical component of dating and sexual aggression prevention; however, little is known about barriers and facilitators of bystander action among high school youth and in what situations youth are willing to engage in bystander action. The current study examined bystander action in situations of dating and sexual aggression using a mixed methodological design. Participants included primarily Caucasian (83.0%, n = 181) male (54.6%, n = 119) and female (44.5%, n = 97) high school youth (N = 218). Most (93.6%) students had the opportunity to take action during the past year in situations of dating or sexual aggression; being female and histories of dating and sexual aggression related to bystander action. Thematic analysis of the focus group data identified barriers (e.g., the aggression not meeting a certain threshold, anticipated negative consequences) to bystander action, as well as insight on promising forms of action (e.g., verbally telling the perpetrator to stop, getting a teacher); problematic intervention methods (e.g., threatening or using physical violence to stop the perpetrator) were also noted. Implications for programming are discussed.

The effects of social capital and neighborhood characteristics on intimate partner violence: a consideration of social resources and risks

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a growing public health problem, and gaps exist in knowledge with respect to appropriate prevention and treatment strategies. A growing body of research evidence suggests that beyond individual factors (e.g., socio-economic status, psychological processes, substance abuse problems), neighborhood characteristics, such as neighborhood economic disadvantage, high crime rates, high unemployment and social disorder, are associated with increased risk for IPV. However, existing research in this area has focused primarily on risk factors inherent in neighborhoods, and has failed to adequately examine resources within social networks and neighborhoods that may buffer or prevent the occurrence of IPV. This study examines the effects of neighborhood characteristics, such as economic disadvantage and disorder, and individual and neighborhood resources, such as social capital, on IPV among a representative sample of 2412 residents of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Using a population based sample of 2412 randomly selected Toronto adults with comprehensive neighborhood level data on a broad set of characteristics, we conducted multi-level modeling to examine the effects of individual- and neighborhood-level effects on IPV outcomes. We also examined protective factors through a comprehensive operationalization of the concept of social capital, involving neighborhood collective efficacy, community group participation, social network structure and social support. Findings show that residents who were involved in one or more community groups in the last 12 months and had high perceived neighborhood problems were more likely to have experienced physical IPV. Residents who had high perceived social support and low perceived neighborhood problems were less likely to experience non-physical IPV. These relationships did not differ by neighborhood income or gender. Findings suggest interesting contextual effects of social capital on IPV. Consistent with previous research, higher levels of perceived neighborhood problems can reflect disadvantaged environments that are more challenged in promoting health and regulating disorder, and can create stressors in which IPV is more likely to occur. Such analyses will be helpful to further understanding of the complex, multi-level pathways related to IPV and to inform the development of effective programs and policies with which to address and prevent this serious public health issue.

Intimate Partner Violence Risk among Undergraduate Women from an Urban Commuter College: the Role of Navigating Off- and On-Campus Social Environments

The current attention that is being paid to college sexual assault in policy circles and popular media overlooks a critical issue: the possible role played by the urban social environment in intimate partner violence (IPV) risk for the large number of urban commuter college students throughout the USA and beyond. This article helps to illuminate this dynamic using qualitative research collected at an urban commuter campus in New York City. Specifically, we conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with 18 female undergraduate students, exploring the nature and consequences of IPV in students' lives, perceived prevalence of IPV, and resources for addressing IPV. Our results indicate that college attendance may both elevate and protect against IPV risk for students moving between urban off- and on-campus social environments. Based on this, we present a preliminary model of IPV risk for undergraduate women attending urban commuter colleges. In particular, we find that enrolling in college can sometimes elevate risk of IPV when a partner seeks to limit and control their student partner's experience of college and/or is threatened by what may be achieved by the partner through attending college. These findings suggest a role for urban commuter colleges in helping to mitigate IPV risk through policy formulation and comprehensive ongoing screening and prevention activities.

Intimate partner violence among women in Spain: the impact of regional-level male unemployment and income inequality

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a complex worldwide public health problem. There is scarce research on the independent effect on IPV exerted by structural factors such as labour and economic policies, economic inequalities and gender inequality.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the association, in Spain, between contextual variables of regional unemployment and income inequality and individual women's likelihood of IPV, independently of the women's characteristics.

METHOD

We conducted multilevel logistic regression to analyse cross-sectional data from the 2011 Spanish Macrosurvey of Gender-based Violence which included 7898 adult women. The first level of analyses was the individual women' characteristics and the second level was the region of residence.

RESULTS

Of the survey participants, 12.2% reported lifetime IPV. The region of residence accounted for 3.5% of the total variability in IPV prevalence. We determined a direct association between regional male long-term unemployment and IPV likelihood (P = 0.007) and between the Gini Index for the regional income inequality and IPV likelihood (P < 0.001). Women residing in a region with higher gender-based income discrimination are at a lower likelihood of IPV than those residing in a region with low gender-based income discrimination (odds ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence intervals: 0.55-0.75).

CONCLUSIONS

Growing regional unemployment rates and income inequalities increase women's likelihood of IPV. In times of economic downturn, like the current one in Spain, this association may translate into an increase in women's vulnerability to IPV.

Does neighborhood environment differentiate intimate partner femicides from other femicides?

We examined the association between neighborhood-level factors and intimate partner femicide (IPF) using Wisconsin Violent Death Reporting System (WVDRS) data and Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) reports, in concert with neighborhood-level information. After controlling for individual characteristics, neighborhood-level disadvantage was associated with a decreased likelihood of IPF status, as compared with other femicides, whereas neighborhood-level residential instability was associated with an increased likelihood of IPF status. Neighborhood plays a role in differentiating IPFs from other femicides in our study area. Our findings demonstrate the importance of multilevel strategies for understanding and reducing the burden of intimate partner violence.

Neighborhood environment and intimate partner violence: a systematic review

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important global public health problem, affecting women across the life span and increasing risk for a number of unfavorable health outcomes. Typically conceptualized as a private form of violence, most research has focused on individual-level risk markers. Recently, more scholarly attention has been paid to the role that the residential neighborhood environment may play in influencing the occurrence of IPV. With research accumulating since the 1990s, increasing prominence of the topic, and no comprehensive literature reviews yet undertaken, it is time to take stock of what is known, what remains unknown, and the methods and concepts investigators have considered. In this article, we undertake a comprehensive, systematic review of the literature to date on the relationship between neighborhood environment and IPV, asking, "what is the status of scholarship related to the association between neighborhood environment and IPV occurrence?" Although the literature is young, it is receiving increasing attention from researchers in sociology, public health, criminology, and other fields. Obvious gaps in the literature include limited consideration of nonurban areas, limited theoretical motivation, and limited consideration of the range of potential contributors to environmental effects on IPV--such as built environmental factors or access to services. In addition, explanations of the pathways by which place influences the occurrence of IPV draw mainly from social disorganization theory that was developed in urban settings in the United States and may need to be adapted, especially to be useful in explaining residential environmental correlates of IPV in rural or non-U.S. settings. A more complete theoretical understanding of the relationship between neighborhood environment and IPV, especially considering differences among urban, semiurban, and rural settings and developed and developing country settings, will be necessary to advance research questions and improve policy and intervention responses to reduce the burden of IPV.

Intimate Partner Violence and its Health Impact on Ethnic Minority Women [corrected]

In the United States, intimate partner violence (IPV) against women disproportionately affects ethnic minorities. Further, disparities related to socioeconomic and foreign-born status impact the adverse physical and mental health outcomes as a result of IPV, further exacerbating these health consequences. This article reviews 36 U.S. studies on the physical (e.g., multiple injuries, disordered eating patterns), mental (e.g., depression, post-traumatic stress disorder), and sexual and reproductive health conditions (e.g., HIV/STIs, unintended pregnancy) resulting from IPV victimization among ethnic minority (i.e., Black/African American, Hispanic/Latina, Native American/Alaska Native, Asian American) women, some of whom are immigrants. Most studies either did not have a sufficient sample size of ethnic minority women or did not use adequate statistical techniques to examine differences among different racial/ethnic groups. Few studies focused on Native American/Alaska Native and immigrant ethnic minority women and many of the intra-ethnic group studies have confounded race/ethnicity with income and other social determinants of health. Nonetheless, of the available data, there is evidence of health inequities associated with both minority ethnicity and IPV. To appropriately respond to the health needs of these groups of women, it is necessary to consider social, cultural, structural, and political barriers (e.g., medical mistrust, historical racism and trauma, perceived discrimination, immigration status) to patient-provider communication and help-seeking behaviors related to IPV, which can influence health outcomes. This comprehensive approach will mitigate the racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities related to IPV and associated health outcomes and behaviors.

Neighborhood characteristics and sexual intimate partner violence against women among low-income, drug-involved New York City residents: results from the IMPACT Studies

We assessed relations among neighborhood characteristics and sexual intimate partner violence against women (SIPVAW), among low-income, drug-involved, women (n = 360) and men (n = 670) in New York City between 2005 and 2009. Six percent of women (n = 22) and 5% of men (n = 33) reported experiencing and perpetrating SIPVAW in the past year with a main partner. In adjusted mixed models among women, neighborhood ethnic heterogeneity was significantly negatively associated with SIPVAW victimization. In adjusted logistic models among men, neighborhood collective efficacy was significantly positively associated with SIPVAW perpetration. Novel theoretical frameworks are needed to guide research on neighborhoods and partner violence.

Community matters: intimate partner violence among rural young adults

Drawing on social disorganization theory, the current study examined the extent to which community-level poverty rates and collective efficacy influenced individual reports of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, victimization, and bystander intervention among a sample of 178 young adults (18-24; 67.4% women) from 16 rural counties across the eastern US who completed an online survey that assessed demographic information, IPV perpetration, victimization, bystander intervention, and collective efficacy. We computed each county's poverty rate from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey. Generalized estimating equations demonstrated that after controlling for individual-level income status, community-level poverty positively predicted IPV victimization and perpetration for both men and women. Collective efficacy was inversely related to IPV victimization and perpetration for men; however, collective efficacy was unrelated to IPV victimization and perpetration for women. Whereas IPV bystander intervention was positively related to collective efficacy and inversely related to individual-level income status for both men and women, community-level poverty was unrelated to IPV bystander intervention for both men and women. Overall, these findings provide some support for social disorganization theory in explaining IPV among rural young adults, and underscore the importance of multi-level IPV prevention and intervention efforts focused around community-capacity building and enhancement of collective efficacy.

Intimate partner sexual violence: a comparison of foreign- versus US-born physically abused Latinas

Men's violence against women-particularly intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV)-is associated with the transmission of HIV. Men who physically abuse their female intimate partners often also sexually abuse them. Latinas are one of the fastest growing populations in the USA and at high-risk for contracting HIV, though little is known about IPSV against physically abused Latinas, including whether there is an association between nativity of the victim and the likelihood of sexual violence by intimate partners. This study examined the (1) prevalence of recent (past 6 months) IPSV against 555 physically abused, help-seeking Latinas and (2) relationship of nativity to recent IPSV. This study used data collected in 2002–2003 from participants in one major city on the East Coast and one West Coast county, who were involved in the Risk Assessment Validation (RAVE) Study. The RAVE Study assessed the accuracy of four different methods for predicting risk of future intimate partner violence. IPSV was defined as an abusive male partner physically forcing sex (rape) or making the woman have sex without a condom. Recent IPSV was reported by 38 % of the sample. Among those reporting recent IPSV, multiple assaults were common: 30%of women were raped and 51%were made to have unprotected sex six or more times during the past 6 months. IPSV was significantly associated with nativity. Physically abused Latinas who were foreign born had two times greater odds of reporting recent IPSV than physically abused Latinas born in the USA, after controlling for other demographic covariates. Exploratory post hoc analyses examining all pairwise comparisons of IPSV against Latinas born in the USA, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean also revealed some significant differences that warrant further study with larger samples. HIV prevention efforts aimed at reducing IPSV in this population are needed.

Methods to measure the impact of home, social, and sexual neighborhoods of urban gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men

Men who have sex with men (MSM) accounted for 61% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2010. Recent analyses indicate that socio-structural factors are important correlates of HIV infection. NYCM2M was a cross-sectional study designed to identify neighborhood-level characteristics within the urban environment that influence sexual risk behaviors, substance use and depression among MSM living in New York City. The sample was recruited using a modified venue-based time-space sampling methodology and through select websites and mobile applications.

This paper describes novel methodological approaches used to improve the quality of data collected for analysis of the impact of neighborhoods on MSM health. Previous research has focused predominately on residential neighborhoods and used pre-determined administrative boundaries (e.g., census tracts) that often do not reflect authentic and meaningful neighborhoods. This study included the definition and assessment of multiple neighborhoods of influence including where men live (home neighborhood), socialize (social neighborhood) and have sex (sexual neighborhood). Furthermore, making use of technological advances in mapping, we collected geo-points of reference for each type of neighborhood and identified and constructed self-identified neighborhood boundary definitions. Finally, this study collected both perceived neighborhood characteristics and objective neighborhood conditions to create a comprehensive, flexible and rich neighborhood-level set of covariates. This research revealed that men perceived their home, social and sexual neighborhoods in different ways. Few men (15%) had the same home, social and sexual neighborhoods; for 31%, none of the neighborhoods was the same. Of the three types of neighborhoods, the number of unique social neighborhoods was the lowest; the size of sexual neighborhoods was the smallest. The resultant dataset offers the opportunity to conduct analyses that will yield context-specific and nuanced understandings of the relations among neighborhood space, and the well-being and health of urban MSM.

Troubled times, troubled relationships: how economic resources, gender beliefs, and neighborhood disadvantage influence intimate partner violence

We evaluate race/ethnicity and nativity-based disparities in three different types of intimate partner violence (IPV) and examine how economic hardship, maternal economic dependency, maternal gender beliefs, and neighborhood disadvantage influence these disparities. Using nationally representative data from urban mothers of young children who are living with their intimate partners (N = 1,886), we estimate a series of unadjusted and adjusted logit models on mothers' reports of physical assault, emotional abuse, and coercion. When their children were age 3, more than one in five mothers were living with a partner who abused them. The prevalence of any IPV was highest among Hispanic (26%) and foreign-born (35%) mothers. Economic hardship, economic dependency on a romantic partner, and traditional gender beliefs each increased women's risk for exposure to one or more types of IPV, whereas neighborhood conditions were not significantly related to IPV in adjusted models. These factors also explained most of the racial/ethnic and nativity disparities in IPV. Policies and programs that reduce economic hardship among women with young children, promote women's economic independence, and foster gender equity in romantic partnerships can potentially reduce multiple forms of IPV.

Characteristics of the residential neighborhood environment differentiate intimate partner femicide in urban versus rural settings

PURPOSE

A growing body of work examines the association between neighborhood environment and intimate partner violence (IPV). As in the larger literature examining the influence of place context on health, rural settings are understudied and urban and rural residential environments are rarely compared. In addition, despite increased attention to the linkages between neighborhood environment and IPV, few studies have examined the influence of neighborhood context on intimate partner femicide (IPF). In this paper, we examine the role for neighborhood-level factors in differentiating urban and rural IPFs in Wisconsin, USA.

METHODS

We use a combination of Wisconsin Violent Death Reporting System (WVDRS) data and Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV) reports from 2004 to 2008, in concert with neighborhood-level information from the US Census Bureau and US Department of Agriculture, to compare urban and rural IPFs.

FINDINGS

Rates of IPF vary based on degree of rurality, and bivariate analyses show differences between urban and rural victims in race/ethnicity, marital status, country of birth, and neighborhood characteristics. After controlling for individual characteristics, the nature of the residential neighborhood environment significantly differentiates urban and rural IPFs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest a different role for neighborhood context in affecting intimate violence risk in rural settings, and that different measures may be needed to capture the qualities of rural environments that affect intimate violence risk. Our findings reinforce the argument that multilevel strategies are required to understand and reduce the burden of intimate violence, and that interventions may need to be crafted for specific geographical contexts.

The impact of neighborhoods on intimate partner violence and victimization

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) and victimization is widespread across disciplines. To date, the majority of research underscores the importance of individual-level factors to explain IPV, thereby neglecting the significance of macro-level elements. Nevertheless, research suggests that the characteristics of the neighborhood where an individual lives are important for fully understanding IPV. This review focuses on the effects of neighborhoods and macro-level context on violence between intimate partners, specifically identifying empirical studies that have examined contextual predictors of IPV utilizing the major tenets of social disorganization theory. The authors note consistencies and differences across research results and describe study features that may influence the patterns of these findings. Finally, the authors provide both theoretical and methodological recommendations for future research.

Perceived threat of violence and exposure to physical violence against foreign-born women: a Swedish population-based study

BACKGROUND

Violence against women is an increasing global phenomenon. Little is known about violence against foreign-born women, despite a possible increased concentration of risk factors in this group.

METHODS

This study investigated prevalence of perceived threat of violence and exposure to physical violence and its relation to country of birth among women (18-64 years) residing in southern Sweden, using data obtained from the 2004 Public Health Survey in Scania, Sweden.

FINDINGS

Foreign-born women reported significantly higher rates of both perceived threat of violence and exposure to physical violence compared with Swedish-born women. Foreign-born women exposed to violence originated primarily from middle/low-income countries (versus high-income countries). The risk of perceived threat of violence remained significantly increased among foreign-born even after further adjustment for potential confounders, such as marital status and disposable income. After similar adjustment, increased exposure to physical violence was no longer significantly related to foreign-born status, but instead was largely attributable to marital status and low levels of disposable income. Foreign-born women, however, had a greater risk of physical violence in the home than Swedish-born women, and violence in the home was the most frequently reported setting for violence exposure among foreign-born women.

CONCLUSION

Migration may confer an increased risk of interpersonal violence against women. Although the underlying causes of this increased risk are unknown, a complex set of factors may be involved, including socioeconomic disadvantage.

Theories of intimate partner violence: from blaming the victim to acting against injustice: intersectionality as an analytic framework

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has garnered increasing public and academic attention in the past several decades. Theories about the causes, prevention, and intervention for IPV have developed in complexity. This article provides an overview of the historical roots of IPV, as well as a description and critique of historical and contemporary theories of IPV causes and women's responses to IPV. This is followed by a discussion of the most current theoretical developments and application of critical theories to the problem of IPV. The article concludes with theoretically based implications for nursing practice and research with women who are experiencing IPV.

Taxing sin and saving lives: Can alcohol taxation reduce female homicides?

With costs exceeding $5.8 billion per year, violence against women has significant ramifications for victims, their families, the health care systems that treat them, and the employers who depend on their labor. Prior research has found that alcohol abuse contributes to violence against both men and women, and that stringent alcohol control policies can reduce alcohol consumption and in turn some forms of violence. In this paper, we estimate the direct relationship between an important alcohol control measure, excise taxes, and the most extreme form of violence, homicide. We use female homicide rates as our measure of severe violence, as this measure is consistently and accurately reported across multiple years. Our results provide evidence that increased alcohol taxes reduce alcohol consumption and that reductions in alcohol consumption can reduce femicide. Unfortunately, a direct test of the relationship does not have the power to determine whether alcohol taxes effectively reduce female homicide rates. We conclude that while alcohol taxes have been shown to effectively reduce other forms of violence against women, policy makers may need alternative policy levers to reduce the most severe form of violence against women.

Neighborhood-level factors associated with physical dating violence perpetration: results of a representative survey conducted in Boston, MA

Neighborhood-level characteristics have been found to be associated with different forms of interpersonal violence, but studies of the relationship between these characteristics and adolescent dating violence are limited. We examined 6 neighborhood-level factors in relation to adolescent physical dating violence perpetration using both adolescent and adult assessments of neighborhood characteristics, each of which was aggregated across respondents to the neighborhood level. Data came from an in-school survey of 1,530 public high school students and a random-digit-dial telephone survey of 1,710 adult residents of 38 neighborhoods in Boston. Approximately 14.3% of the youth sample reported one or more acts of physical aggression toward a dating partner in the month preceding the survey. We calculated the odds of past-month physical dating violence by each neighborhood-level factor, adjusting for school clustering, gender, race, and nativity. In our first 6 models, we used the adolescent assessment of neighborhood factors and then repeated our procedures using the adult assessment data. Using the adolescent assessment data, lower collective efficacy (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.09-3.52), lower social control (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.07-3.43), and neighborhood disorder (AOR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.05-1.35) were each associated with increased likelihood of physical dating violence perpetration. However, when we used the adult version of the neighborhood assessment data, no neighborhood factor predicted dating violence. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Intimate partner violence perpetration, immigration status, and disparities in a community health center-based sample of men

OBJECTIVE

We examined disparities in male perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) based on immigration status.

METHODS

From 2005 to 2006, 1,668 men aged 18-35 who were recruited from community health centers anonymously completed an automated, computer-assisted self-interview. Men self-reported their immigrant status (e.g., native-born, <6 years in the U.S. [recent immigrants], or > or = 6 years in the U.S. [non-recent immigrants]) and IPV perpetration. We calculated differences in IPV perpetration based on immigrant status. Among immigrant men, we further examined differences in IPV perpetration based on English-speaking ability.

RESULTS

Recent immigrants were less likely to report IPV perpetration than native-born men in the overall sample (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36, 1.00). However, we observed no differences in IPV perpetration between non-recent immigrants and native-born men (AOR=0.88, 95% CI 0.63, 1.23). Among immigrant men, those who were non-recent immigrants and reported limited English-speaking ability were at the highest risk for IPV perpetration, compared with recent immigrants with high English-speaking ability (AOR=7.48, 95% CI 1.92, 29.08).

CONCLUSIONS

Although immigrant men were at a lower risk as a group for IPV perpetration as compared with non-immigrants, this lower likelihood of IPV perpetration was only evident among recent immigrants. Among immigrant men, those who arrived in the U.S. more than six years ago and reported speaking English relatively poorly appeared to be at greatest risk for using violence against partners. Future research should examine the effects of fear of legal sanctions, discrimination, and changes in gender roles to clarify the present findings.

The relationship between the rate of homicide by those with schizophrenia and the overall homicide rate: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

It is widely believed that the rate of homicide by the mentally ill is fixed, differs little between regions and is unrelated to the total homicide rate.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based studies conducted in developed countries of homicide committed by persons diagnosed with schizophrenia.

FINDINGS

We found that rates of homicide by people diagnosed with schizophrenia were strongly correlated with total homicide rates (R=0.868, two tailed, P<0.001). Using meta-analysis, a pooled proportion of 6.48% of all homicide offenders had a diagnosis of schizophrenia (95% confidence intervals [CI]=5.56%-7.54%). Rates of other homicides did not contribute to the heterogeneity in the proportion of homicides committed by those with schizophrenia (slope=-0.055, P=0.662).

CONCLUSIONS

Homicide rates by people with schizophrenia are associated with rates of all homicides. It is therefore likely that both types of homicide have some common etiological factors. Accordingly, measures to reduce the likelihood of a person committing homicide during a psychotic illness should not only attempt to optimise treatment, but include attention to those factors associated with an increased risk of all homicides, such as improving the social circumstances of disadvantaged patients, treating substance abuse and reducing access to weapons.