Concept

Risk Factors

HE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 / Intimate Partner Violence

"Persons with certain risk factors are more likely to become perpetrators or victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Those risk factors contribute to IPV but might not be direct causes. Not everyone who is identified as “at risk” becomes involved in violence. A combination of individual, relational, community, and societal factors contribute to the risk of becoming an IPV perpetrator or victim. Understanding these multilevel factors can help identify various opportunities for prevention.\n\nIndividual risk factors include low self-esteem; low income; low academic achievement; young age; aggressive or delinquent behavior as a youth; heavy alcohol and drug use; depression; anger and hostility; antisocial personality traits; borderline personality traits; prior history of being physically abusive; having few friends and being isolated from other people; unemployment; emotional dependence and insecurity; belief in strict gender roles, such as male dominance and aggression in relationships; desire for power and control in relationships; perpetrating psychological aggression; seeing or being a victim of physical or psychological abuse, which is consistently one of the strongest predictors of perpetration; history of experiencing poor parenting as a child; and history of experiencing physical discipline as a child.\n\nRelationship factors include marital conflict, such as fights, tension, and other struggles; marital instability, such as divorces or separations; dominance and control of the relationship by one partner over the other; economic stress; and unhealthy family relationships and interactions. Community factors include poverty and associated factors, such as overcrowding; low social capital, including lack of institutions, relationships, and norms that shape a community’s social interactions; and weak community sanctions against IPV, such as unwillingness of neighbors to intervene in situations where they witness violence. Societal factors include traditional gender norms, such as beliefs that women should stay at home, not enter the workforce, and be submissive, while men support the family and make the decisions."

Related Ideas

  • Risk FactorsHE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 · Sexual Violence
  • Prevention StrategiesHE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 · Sexual Violence
  • Getting HelpHE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 · Intimate Partner Violence
  • Prevention TypesHE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 · Violence in Relationships
  • Community SupportHE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 · Supporting families and communities
  • Violence DefinitionHE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 · Violence in Relationships
  • OverviewHE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 · Determinants of Health
  • Social FactorsHE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 · Determinants of Health
Risk Factors | HE A LTH EDUC A TION H E A L T H 1 0 0 V E R S I O N 3 | Bifalgorithm | Bifalgorithm