Intimate Partner Violence, Police Involvement, and Women’s Trauma Symptoms

This study examined whether police involvement in intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents is associated with women’s trauma symptoms. Participants were 95 women recruited from domestic violence shelters. Women reported on their trauma symptoms, the frequency of IPV victimization, the use of a weap...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rancher, Caitlin (Author)
Contributors: Jouriles, Ernest N. ; McDonald, Renee
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
In: Journal of interpersonal violence
Year: 2021, Volume: 36, Issue: 7/8, Pages: NP3510-NP3523
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Keywords:
PTSD
mental health and violence
Domestic Violence
Description
Summary:This study examined whether police involvement in intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents is associated with women’s trauma symptoms. Participants were 95 women recruited from domestic violence shelters. Women reported on their trauma symptoms, the frequency of IPV victimization, the use of a weapon during IPV, and police involvement over the year following shelter departure. Police involvement in IPV was associated with higher levels of reexperiencing trauma symptoms 1 year after shelter departure, even after controlling for baseline trauma symptoms, the frequency of IPV, and the use of a weapon during IPV. Women’s race and ethnicity did not moderate the results. These findings suggest police involvement in IPV incidents may be associated with higher levels of trauma symptoms experienced by women. Further investigation into law enforcement practices and policies to help reduce women’s distress is needed.
ISSN:1552-6518
DOI:10.1177/0886260518780409