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Women's experiences with violence: a national study.
Womens Health Issues. 2007 Jan-Feb; 17(1):3-12.WH

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Violence against women (VAW) is widespread and linked to negative public health and social outcomes. Research on VAW, however, has largely been limited to convenience samples and on variable definitions of violence, hindering our ability to fully characterize this important problem nationally and among subgroups of women.

METHODS

Using a population-based national sample of noninstitutionalized women ages > or =18 (n = 1,800), we conducted a telephone survey on women's experiences with 6 types of violence, including being followed and repeatedly contacted, as well as physical and sexual assault by intimate partners and others. We calculated adult lifetime and prior year prevalence of violent experiences, examined bivariate differences in experiences among groups of women, and employed logistic regression to model the odds of adult lifetime and prior year victimization.

RESULTS

Sixty percent of the respondents experienced at least 1 form of violence since age 18; 10% reported violence in the previous year. Adult lifetime and prior-year prevalence varied widely by types of violence, and by respondents' sociodemographic characteristics. Women under age 55, those receiving public assistance, and lesbian/bisexual women were at higher risk of experiencing violence in their adult lifetimes. Women age 18-24 had increased risks of victimization in the previous year.

CONCLUSIONS

To accurately reflect the chronic nature of partner violence, point estimates should be supplemented with adult lifetime estimates of victimization, including stalking behaviors. Ensuring adequate numbers of women from diverse backgrounds and developing measures that more completely assess the patterns and consequences of women's experiences with violence are important next steps.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Moracco KE
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA. moracco@pire.org
Runyan CW
No affiliation info available
Bowling JM
No affiliation info available
Earp JA
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AdultAge FactorsAnalysis of VarianceBattered WomenCrime VictimsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedPrevalenceQuality of LifeRisk FactorsSexual PartnersSexualitySocioeconomic FactorsSpouse AbuseSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited StatesWomen's Health

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Language

eng

PubMed ID

17321942

Citation

Moracco, Kathryn E., et al. "Women's Experiences With Violence: a National Study." Women's Health Issues : Official Publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, vol. 17, no. 1, 2007, pp. 3-12.
Moracco KE, Runyan CW, Bowling JM, et al. Women's experiences with violence: a national study. Womens Health Issues. 2007;17(1):3-12.
Moracco, K. E., Runyan, C. W., Bowling, J. M., & Earp, J. A. (2007). Women's experiences with violence: a national study. Women's Health Issues : Official Publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, 17(1), 3-12.
Moracco KE, et al. Women's Experiences With Violence: a National Study. Womens Health Issues. 2007 Jan-Feb;17(1):3-12. PubMed PMID: 17321942.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Women's experiences with violence: a national study. AU - Moracco,Kathryn E, AU - Runyan,Carol W, AU - Bowling,J Michael, AU - Earp,Jo Anne L, PY - 2006/01/10/received PY - 2006/03/16/accepted PY - 2007/2/27/pubmed PY - 2007/4/12/medline PY - 2007/2/27/entrez SP - 3 EP - 12 JF - Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health JO - Womens Health Issues VL - 17 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Violence against women (VAW) is widespread and linked to negative public health and social outcomes. Research on VAW, however, has largely been limited to convenience samples and on variable definitions of violence, hindering our ability to fully characterize this important problem nationally and among subgroups of women. METHODS: Using a population-based national sample of noninstitutionalized women ages > or =18 (n = 1,800), we conducted a telephone survey on women's experiences with 6 types of violence, including being followed and repeatedly contacted, as well as physical and sexual assault by intimate partners and others. We calculated adult lifetime and prior year prevalence of violent experiences, examined bivariate differences in experiences among groups of women, and employed logistic regression to model the odds of adult lifetime and prior year victimization. RESULTS: Sixty percent of the respondents experienced at least 1 form of violence since age 18; 10% reported violence in the previous year. Adult lifetime and prior-year prevalence varied widely by types of violence, and by respondents' sociodemographic characteristics. Women under age 55, those receiving public assistance, and lesbian/bisexual women were at higher risk of experiencing violence in their adult lifetimes. Women age 18-24 had increased risks of victimization in the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: To accurately reflect the chronic nature of partner violence, point estimates should be supplemented with adult lifetime estimates of victimization, including stalking behaviors. Ensuring adequate numbers of women from diverse backgrounds and developing measures that more completely assess the patterns and consequences of women's experiences with violence are important next steps. SN - 1049-3867 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/17321942/Women's_experiences_with_violence:_a_national_study_ L2 - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1049-3867(06)00109-5 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -