Different Types of Intimate Partner Violence Among Latinx Women: A Call for Expanded Measurement, Screening, and Safety Planning

Background and Purpose: Despite growing attention on the specific types of IPV experienced by Latinx women, there is limited examination of economic abuse, reproductive coercion, technology-facilitated abuse, and institutional-related threats alongside more traditionally measured types of abuse (e.g., physical, sexual abuse). The available literature relies on comparing findings across studies, limiting our understanding of the overlap and degree to which Latinx women experience different types of IPV. This is particularly concerning because the different and overlapping types of abusive behaviors result in compounded negative outcomes and have implications for safety planning. In response, this paper examines the prevalence of- and relationship between different co-occurring types of IPV among the same sample of Latinx women.

Methods: 38 Latinx women, recruited from a community-based organization, were enrolled into a pilot study focused on assessing the feasibility and acceptability of an integrated screening session for IPV and concurrent risks. Participants completed a demographic survey and attended a one-time facilitated screening session where they reported their experiences with multiple types of IPV. Data reported here are drawn from both the demographic survey and screening. Adapted, validated IPV measures, and community-derived IPV questions were used. Descriptive statistics were conducted to characterize the sample and report lifetime IPV prevalence, followed by chi-square tests to examine the correlation between different types of IPV.

Results: 68.42% (n=26) of the sample were between 18-49 years old, 26.32% (n=10) reported speaking some English at home, and about half (52.63%; n=20) reported having completed a high school or equivalent degree. Ninety-two percent (n=35) of the sample reported some lifetime IPV. Examining specific types of IPV, 89% (n=34) of the participants reported emotional IPV, 66% (n=25) reported physical IPV, 39% (n=15) reported sexual IPV, 47% (n=18) reported reproductive coercion, 63% (n=24) reported economic abuse, 42% (n=16) reported institutional-related threats (immigrant or child welfare), and 26% (n=10) reported technology-facilitated abuse.

Examining correlations between IPV types, two IPV pairs were strong: sexual abuse and reproductive coercion (χ2: 0.64; p<0.001) and sexual abuse and technology-based abuse (χ2: 0.50; p<0.01). Most of the other correlations were moderate, with nine correlations having a p-value of <0.05. There were three weak correlations with p-values of <0.10, and the majority of these did not reach significance; all of the correlations that did not meet statistical significance included either physical abuse or technology-based abuse. Conversely, sexual abuse was the single type of IPV that was most consistently associated with other types of IPV.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings indicate significant correlations between several types of abuse (including sexual abuse, reproductive coercion, technology-facilitated abuse, and institutional-related threats). Overall, the findings suggest the need for additional and consistent measurement of a wide range of IPV types. Findings also suggest a number of practical implications, including expansion of screening assessments and increased attention to goal and safety planning in response to these varied risks. Finally, the results from this study highlight a need to more closely examine and address Latinx women’s ability to obtain and maintain safety, including reproductive health, among others.