Clinical Features of Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence Victims With Escalating Injury Severity. Issue 17 (September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Choi, Anna Wai-Man; Lo, Barbara Chuen-Yee; Wong, Janet Yuen-Ha; Lo, Ruby Tsz-Fung; Chau, Phyllis Cheuk-Wing; Wong, John Kit-Shing; Lau, Chu-Leung; Kam, Chak-Wah
• Is Part Of: Journal of interpersonal violence. Volume 36:Issue 17/18(2021)
• Page Start: 8585
• Page End: 8605
• Publication Date: 2021-09
• Subjects: intimate partner violence -- injury -- abused women -- male victims -- spouse abuse -- escalation of violence; Violence -- Periodicals; Sex crimes -- Periodicals; Violence -- Périodiques; Crimes sexuels -- Périodiques; 364.15
• DOI: 10.1177/0886260519850539
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0886-2605

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is largely recognized to have a cyclical pattern and violence escalation in terms of frequency and intensity over time. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation of the profiles of victims and quantification of the patterns of injury of the victims associated with the first time versus repeated violence episodes. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by medical chart review of 878 victims in a 5-year period from 2010 to 2014 in Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of two public general hospitals in Hong Kong. The differences in injury patterns between the first IPV episode (FE) and recurrent IPV episodes (REs) experienced by male and female victims in heterosexual relationship were evaluated. The results indicated the violence escalation occurred in recurrent IPV in both genders. In female victims, there was significant increase in the number of injury locations (mean [ M ] = 2.0 vs. 2.2, p < .05), number of causes of injury ( M = 1.7 vs. 2.2, p < .001) and police escort (15.2% vs. 22.1%, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In male victims, however, only the increase in the number of causes of injury was significant ( M = 1.6 vs. 2.1, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In summary, our results highlight the escalation in the severity of harm of IPV victims in heterosexual relationship, and the gender differences in severity aggression and injury and help-seeking behavior change in recurrent IPV. Preventive measures are indicated to intervene the IPV occurrence and recurrence with rising morbidity and a potential of mortality.