Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate-partner violence describes relationships characterized by intentional controlling or violent behavior by someone who is in an intimate relationship with the victim. The abuser’s controlling behavior may take many forms, including psychological abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, economic control, and social isolation. Abuse may ultimately lead to the death of the victim from homicide or suicide. Typically, an abusive relationship goes through cycles of violence. There are periods of calm, followed by increasing tension in the abuser, outbursts of violence, and return to periods of calm. These cycles often spiral toward increasing violence over time. The victims of intimate-partner violence are usually women, but intimate-partner violence is also a significant problem for gay couples and for the disabled and elderly of both sexes. This review discusses the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, and prevention of intimate-partner violence. Risk factors for experiencing violence, risk factors for perpetrating violence, and consequences of abuse are also analyzed. This review contains 5 figures, 14 tables, and 30 references. Keywords: Domestic abuse, intimate-partner violence, elder abuse, child abuse, batterer, sexual abuse, physical abuse