Intimate Partner Violence against Women

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans. The term "intimate partner violence" refers to physical, sexual, or psychological damage where current or previous partners or spouses acquire or maintain control. It can affect all cultures, religions, socio-economic status, and ethnic backgrounds and can be done in a public or private environment. Women are the most targeted victims of intimate partner violence and one in four women suffer from domestic violence in their lives.

Globally, intimate partner violence from men to women often results from the concept of masculinity and patriarchism. In the United States, studies conducted in Nigeria and Guatemala support the idea that men react violently with partners when male personality is threatened by sexual role changes. The theory that women engage in intimate partner violence (IPV) in almost the same proportion as men is called "gender symmetry". The earliest empirical evidence on gender symmetry was found in the national representative sample of the 2,146 "complete family" nationwide domestic violence survey in 1975 (Murray A. Straus and Richard J. Gelles). According to the survey, 11.6% of men and 12% of women experienced some IPV in the last 12 months, 4.6% of men and 3.8% of women experienced "serious" IPV.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs in all occasions of all socio-economic, religious, ethnic and cultural groups. The global burden of IPV is overwhelmingly affected by women and the most common criminal offenses against women are intimate partners or former partners of men. However, women experiencing IPV are not usually considered abused. IPV has a long-term and significant impact on women's physical and mental health. For example, one study found that women are 10 times more likely to develop depression and 17 times more likely to report anxiety if they are in a violent relationship. Therefore it is important for women to understand the IPV's appearance and resources available to those experiencing IPV and ask for help.