|
Abstract
|
Intimate partner violence is a form of interpersonal violence that occurs within relationships. It includes domestic violence and partner or relationship violence. Relationship violence comprises a range of violent behaviours, from verbal abuse to physical and sexual assault, and from threats to rape and homicide. Physical, sexual and verbal violence can be common responses to conflict within relationships and can have significant effects upon the mental, physical and social well-being of those involved.
Although much intimate partner violence is unreported, it is estimated that its prevalence within the adult population is quite high. A review of international studies surmised that prevalence rates vary between countries. Between 3% and 52% of women report having experienced some form of relationship violence at some point in the previous year (Heise 1999), and 10% to 50% of women report having experienced violence from partners or ex-partners at some point in their lives (Watts 2002).
Rates of relationship abuse vary according to age, sex and previous experience of violence (Foshee 1996; Foshee 1998; Archer 2000). The prevalence of relationship violence is higher in adolescents than in adults, with females aged 12 to 18 years having the highest victimisation rate (Home Office 1999; Wolfe 2003). This form of violence is called dating violence and perpetrators are most likely to be peers (Schewe 2006). It is estimated that approximately 20% of young women have experienced violence from a dating partner (O'Keeffe 1986; Bergman 1992). Additionally, studies on relationship violence have found that first episodes of violence frequently occur in adolescence (Henton 1983). In younger dating samples, relatively higher proportions of aggression by women against men has been described, although results vary according to the measurement methods used and must therefore be interpreted with caution (Archer 2000).
Early experiences of dating violence are linked to poor health outcomes such as sexually transmitted infections, teenage pregnancy, pre-term delivery of babies, substance misuse, cancer, coronary heart disease, attempted suicide and depression (Silverman 1995; BMA 1998; Spitz 2000; Campbell 2002; Roberts 2003; WHO 2005). Recent reviews of the health consequences of partner violence have also found a 3.74 increased risk of suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and a 1.4 increased risk in mothers of having low birth weight babies (Silva 1997; Murphy 2001). Moreover, adolescents who have experienced dating violence in the past are more likely to be perpetrators or victims of intimate partner violence as adults (Krug 2002; Loh 2006).
1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERVENTION
This review will focus on educational and skills-based interventions targeted at young people aged 12 to 25 years. It includes primary preventive interventions, where participants may have never experienced or perpetrated relationship violence, and secondary prevention, where participants have experienced or perpetrated relationship violence in the past. This review focuses only upon interventions that actively provide the participants with knowledge and skills aimed at preventing initial or further relationship violence. It therefore will not include 'screening programmes' that only offer referral to support agencies. The age group 12 to 25 years has been selected to include both adolescents and young adults.
Language: en |