Intimate Partner Violence among Unmarried College Women (original) (raw)

College Women's Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence: Exploring Mental Health Issues

NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education, 2012

College women's experiences with sexual and physical violence are so common that campus interventions are needed. To help guide these, we surveyed 339 college women and asked: (a) are college women's experiences with different types of relational violence interrelated and (b) are there patterns of association between types of violence and mental health symptoms? Analyses showed that experiences with verbal aggression, and minor and major physical violence overlapped. Experiences of sexual assault and minor physical violence also co-occurred. Moreover, women who encountered verbal and physical, but not sexual violence, suffered from symptoms of hostility, anxiety, and depression; those who encountered sexual coercion displayed signs of depression. We explore the implications of these findings for those who work with college women. Contemporary research has consistently revealed that physical and sexual aggression in intimate relationships is a serious problem on college campuses (e.g.,

Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and the Perception of Dating Situations Among College Students

Violence and Victims, 2007

Although the prevalence and severity of dating violence among college students is well known, the relationship between past victimization and perceptions of future dating situations has not been examined. Using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, this study investigated gender differences in the relationship between intimate partner violence victimization and the perceptions of dating situations. The study found that the more psychological, physical, or sexual violence that was experienced by females, the more likely they perceived dating situations as inappropriate. Males, on the other hand, were more likely to report aggressive behaviors in dating situations only if victimized by sexual violence. Implications for professionals working with college students or community prevention programs are discussed.

Variables That Differentiate College Students with High and Low Level of Dating Violence: An Analysis by Gender

An inquiry was made with respect to differences in personal variables (gender stereotypes, depression, and substance abuse) and relational (tensions in the couple's relationship and support) in college students with high and low level of violence in dating. A non-random sample of 769 students was selected from a university in southern Sonora of which 397 (52%) were included in the group with high and 372 (48%) with a low level of violence respectively. By discriminant analysis was found that in both genders groups with low level of dating violence reported greater support and lower tensions in the couple's relationship, also men with lesser violence reported lower substance use and hostile sexism. From the results it can be concluded that dating violence is associated in women with relational variables and in the case of men to a combination of relational and personal aspects.

College Women’s Experiences of Dating Violence in Casual and Exclusive Relationships

American Journal of Criminal Justice, 2012

Using a sample of female college students involved in a current dating relationship, we investigate the nature of violence in these intimate relationships to better understand the concept of violence mutuality. To do so we explore womens' experiences with violence as both perpetrators and victims and examine the prevalence, chronicity, and severity of violence experienced by young women. We also examine whether there are differences in experiences of violence for women in casual versus exclusive dating relationships. Our findings suggest that when violence is present in a dating relationship it is likely to occur within a mutually violent relationship where women are both victims and perpetrators of violence. More importantly, within these mutually violent relationships, women reported being more likely to perpetrate violence at higher rates than they experience as victims. We find no notable differences in experiences with violence among those in casual versus exclusive relationships. The methodological limitations and policy implications of our findings are discussed.

Physical Aggression, Forced Sex, and Stalking Victimization by a Dating Partner: An Analysis of the National Violence Against Women Survey

Violence and Victims, 2003

This study used the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS) of women and men to estimate non-cohabitating dating violence prevalence by type (physical, forced sex, and stalking), associations between dating violence and other types of interpersonal violence across the lifespan, and association of dating violence with longer-term mental health including substance abuse. Among respondents aged 18-65, 8.3% of 6,790 women and 2.4% of 7,122 men experienced physical aggression, forced sex, or stalking victimization by a dating partner. Few (20.6% of women and 9.7% of men) reported more than one type of dating violence. Childhood physical aggression by a parent or guardian was strongly associated with subsequent dating violence risk for men and women. Dating violence (physical aggression specifically) was associated with current depressive symptoms, current therapeutic drug use (antidepressants, tranquilizers or pain medications), and current recreation drug use for women. Implications for parents, survivors, health care and service providers are discussed.

Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Women within the Context of Victimization History

2020

Using a longitudinal design, the current study explored intimate partner violence perpetration among 1,300 college women within the context of one's history of physical and sexual victimization across 4 years of college. Structural equation modeling indicated that sexual victimization does not predict concurrent use of women's intimate partner violence but does predict subsequent use of women's intimate partner violence during the later years of college. In contrast, physical victimization is associated positively with concurrent use of women's intimate partner violence but is negatively associated with subsequent use of women's intimate partner violence for women. Furthermore, the negative relationship of victimization to subsequent perpetration primarily is due to those with high levels of victimization histories. The present study provides the first model of intimate partner violence within the context of victimization history using longitudinal data. The find...

A Longitudinal Perspective on Dating Violence Among Adolescent and College-Age Women

American Journal of Public Health, 2003

Objectives. We investigated physical assault in dating relationships and its co-occurrence with sexual assault from high school through college. Methods. Two classes of university women (n = 1569) completed 5 surveys during their 4 years in college. Results. Women who were physically assaulted as adolescents were at greater risk for revictimization during their freshman year (relative risk = 2.96); each subsequent year, women who have experienced violence remained at greater risk for revictimization than those who have not. Across all years, women who were physically assaulted in any year were significantly more likely to be sexually assaulted that same year. Adolescent victimization was a better predictor of college victimization than was childhood victimization. Conclusions. There is a need for dating violence prevention/intervention programs in high school and college and for research on factors that reduce revictimization.

Intimate partner violence, trauma, and mental health need among female community college students

Journal of American College Health, 2018

The impact of interpersonal violence on college students has received considerable recent attention, yet no studies have been conducted among community college students. These students comprise over 40% of all American college students, and may have unique risk factors and needs. These students are more likely than their peers at 4 year institutions to be women, people of color, working, parenting, and first generation college students. The current study uses a simple random sample of students from four campuses (n=435) to assess the extent of intimate partner violence, trauma exposure, sexual violence victimization, and associated mental health consequences among female students attending community college. Over 27% of participants met the threshold for experiencing IPV in the past 12 months, while 25% reported having experienced sexual assault and 34% reported experiencing other uncomfortable sexual experiences in their lifetime. Nearly 20% of participants were currently reporting PTSD symptoms.

Male Dating Violence Victimization and Adjustment: The Moderating Role of Coping

American Journal of Men's Health, 2012

Dating violence is a prevalent problem. Research demonstrates that males and females are victimized at comparable rates in their dating relationships and experience a number of mental health and relationship problems. Less research has examined male dating violence victimization, its association to mental health and relationship satisfaction, and whether coping styles influence mental health symptoms and relationship satisfaction among victims. The current study examined physical and psychological aggression victimization, adjustment (posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and relationship satisfaction), and problem-focused and emotion-focused coping among heterosexual college males in a current dating relationship (n = 184). Results identified that psychological victimization was associated with posttraumatic stress and relationship discord above and beyond physical victimization. Interaction findings identified that psychological victimization was associated with increased posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms at high levels of problem-focused coping, whereas psychological victimization was associated with less relationship satisfaction at low levels of emotion-focused coping. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.