Intimate Partner Violence
Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_251
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides the following definition of violence:
The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.
Violence is increasingly regarded as a public health problem and it may be physical, sexual, psychological, or involve deprivation or neglect. The WHO definition emphasizes intentional behavior—what matters is committing the act, no matter what the outcome— whether public or private, reactive (following previous provocation) or proactive, criminal or not. Globally, in 2000, it is estimated that 1.6 million people lost their lives to intentional violence: one-half resulted from suicide; one third, homicide; one-fifth were war casualties.
Intimate partner violence (IPV), or domestic violence, is the form of aggression that women most commonly...
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Suggested Readings
- World Health Organization (1996) WHO global consultation on violence and health. Violence: a public health priority. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. Available at http://www.WHO/EHA/SPI.POA.2)
- World Health Organization (2005) WHO multi‐country study on women's health and domestic violence against women. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland, November 24Google Scholar
- Zink T, Fisher BS, Regan S, Pabst S (2005) The prevalence and incidence of intimate partner violence in older women in primary care practices. J Gen Intern Med 20:884–888PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Zink T, Jacobson CJ, Regan S, Pabst S (2004) Hidden victims: the healthcare needs and experiences of older women in abusive relationships. J. Womens Health 13 (8):898–906CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Zink T, Regan S, Goldenbar L, Pabst S, Rinto B (2004) Intimate partner violence: what are physicians’ perceptions? J Am Board Fam Prac. 17:332–40CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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