Commission Versus Receipt of Violence During Pregnancy: Associations With Substance Abuse Variables

• NCJ Number: 237894
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 25 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2010 Pages: 1928-1940
• Author(s): Golfo K. Tzilos; Emily R. Grekin; Jessica R. Beatty; Sara K. Chase; Steven J. Ondersma
• Date Published: October 2010
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): DA00516; DA14621; DA021329; AA16256
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined correlates of different patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant women.

Abstract

The tendency for women to report both commission and receipt of violence is an understudied phenomenon. In particular, little is known about individual differences as a function of commission vs. receipt of partner violence among pregnant women. Using a sample of 78 cohabiting low-SES pregnant women, the current study examines three violence subtypes based on self-report (primarily commission of violence, primarily receipt of violence, and no report of violence) and investigated differences in a range of other risk factors among these subtypes. In this sample, 47 percent reported higher levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration than victimization; 14 percent reported more IPV victimization than perpetration; and 39 percent reported no IPV. Results demonstrate clear differences between women reporting IPV and those not reporting IPV and clear differences between IPV subtypes in terms of partner substance use, with women reporting primarily receipt of violence also reporting more drug and alcohol abuse by their partners. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that the commission of violence may be more common during pregnancy than the receipt of violence, but that risks for these two subgroups are similar. (Published Abstract)