Scoping Review on the Benefits of Nature for IPV Survivors and Their Children

Background and Purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global public health crisis affecting 30% of the population that can impact the physical and mental well-being of survivors and their children. Research demonstrates that spending time in nature can have physical and emotional benefits for adults and children who have experienced trauma. A recent scoping review focused on nature-based interventions in trauma recovery found promising outcomes, indicating that nature experiences alleviate symptoms, increase and improve social connections, and support positive intrapersonal outcomes (Stevens & Truong, 2024). Thus, it is likely that nature could be particularly beneficial for survivors of IPV, but there is no summary of the literature available at this time. This study aims to fill this gap through a scoping review summarizing the literature investigating how the natural environment can be used to support survivors of IPV and their children.

Methods: Guided by Arskey and O’Malley’s (2005) method, studies were included if they were a) peer-reviewed articles, dissertations, or theses, (b) written in English, and (c) quantitative, qualitative, or conceptual. The team searched 18 databases, and Covidence software was utilized for data management and extraction. This scoping review was conducted in March of 2025. The search yielded 261 articles, which were screened at the title and abstract level; a final sample of 17 was reviewed at the full-text level.

Results: This scoping review included six articles published from 1999 to 2024. Study locations included the United States (n=1), Canada (n=1), Denmark (n=3), and The Netherlands (n=1). Samples mainly were IPV shelter staff (n=5) and the studies were primarily qualitative (n=4). Nature was contextualized into three categories: outdoor shelter space, nature in a community setting, or nature intervention. Most studies (n=4) focused on outdoor environments (OE) in crisis shelters, highlighting the importance of contact with nature and its utilization as a therapeutic setting for survivors and their children. Findings from all studies indicate that OEs and nature settings in the community provide respite and leisure space to support social connectedness, parenting, and psychological well-being. Time spent in OEs was particularly beneficial to children exposed to IPV, allowing for metaphorical experiences, expression of emotions, and increased cooperative interactions with other children.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings from this scoping review demonstrate that nature can support the healing of IPV survivors and their children. IPV service providers should consider ways they could incorporate nature into traditional IPV services to support the well-being of survivors and their children, such as meeting for therapy in outdoor environments and conducting mindfulness activities in green spaces. However, future research should include more perspectives of survivors and their children. More research is needed to understand nature's benefits for survivors and their children in the U.S., other parts of Europe, Asia, and Latin America.