NCJ Number
239792
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 26 Issue: 8 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 1628-1645
Date Published
May 2011
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study used latent class analysis to examine the psychosocial consequences associated with different patterns of physical violence, sexual coercion, psychological abuse, and controlling behavior.
Abstract
Although the negative health consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) are well documented, most research has conceptualized IPV as a unitary construct and has primarily focused on the impact of physical violence. However, recent theoretical and empirical work suggests that IPV may be heterogeneous, with different consequences associated with different patterns of violence, abuse, and control. This study used latent class analysis to examine the psychosocial consequences associated with different patterns of physical violence, sexual coercion, psychological abuse, and controlling behavior. Data from 676 women and 455 men who were interviewed for the 2004 Canadian General Social Survey on Victimization were analyzed. The results suggest that experiencing any pattern of violence is associated with a range of negative psychosocial outcomes for both women and men. However, they also show the increasingly negative impact and perceived dangerousness of IPV for those experiencing more severe and chronic patterns of violence and control. These findings were particularly pronounced for women as they experienced the most chronic pattern of abuse and control documented in the study. The psychosocial consequences were also greater for women than for men with similar experiences of IPV. These results suggest that the psychosocial impact of IPV is influenced by gender and by the nature of the violence, abuse, and control experienced. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.