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Abstract
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Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global problem, defined as physical, emotional, and sexual violence as well as controlling and coercive behaviours perpetrated by an intimate partner that could lead to mental health problems.1 Although men experience violence in intimate relationships, women are usually the victims.1 IPV is more frequent in low-income and middle-income countries1 and its rates, which are probably underestimated, have been increasing in the past 2 years, especially in countries such as Brazil.2 Literature focusing on IPV outcomes is still insufficient and there are challenges in conducting research with victims of an unseen type of violence.
We conducted a study (unpublished) in Brazil to assess victims of IPV and its consequences on mental health. We included help-seeking women victims of IPV, recruited from a referral centre for assistance to female who had experienced violence, and a control group of women who had not experienced IPV, recruited from the general population. 15% of the women who began the study as control participants were subsequently discovered to be victims of IPV after answering a specific questionnaire3 and interview questions about experiencing violent relationships. These victims did not initially recognise their past relationships as abusive and had not realised the harmful effects of undergoing repetitive situations, such as knowing that their partners spoke badly about them when they were not present, being criticised for their clothes, or having unwanted sex. Our accidental finding highlights a crucial feature of IPV that should be considered in future studies: the invisibility of IPV that might not be revealed solely from self-report measures.
Unfortunately, victims and even health-care professionals have difficulties identifying some forms of abuse,4 mainly violence other than physical. Gender-related social norms and beliefs help to perpetuate IPV and some abusive behaviours are perceived as inherent within marital relationships.5 Maximising understanding of this subject is imperative for changing social norms. Moreover, strategies for disseminating knowledge are a crucial part of a comprehensive public health initiative. Health-care professionals should be trained about different types of violence and its negative consequences’ and should implement a worldwide prevention and community-involvement programme on this issue. Awareness campaigns should target the general population as a strategy to educate people about violent behaviour and how to combat aggressive relationships. Peer training and community workshops, with follow-up support, can also help to create a less violent ...
Language: en |