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Risk factors are associated with a greater
likelihood of IPV/DV victimization or perpetration. Risk factors
are not necessarily direct causes of IPV/DV, but are contributing
factors to IPV/DV (CDC, 2008a). Not everyone who is identified
as "at risk" becomes involved in violence.
Some risk factors for IPV/DV victimization
and perpetration are the same. In addition, some risk factors
for victimization and perpetration are associated with one
another; for example, childhood physical or sexual victimization
is a risk factor for future IPV/DV perpetration and victimization
(CDC, 2008a).
The public health approach aims to moderate
and mediate those contributing factors that are preventable,
and to increase protective factors, which reduce risk of victimization
and perpetration (CDC, 2008a).
A combination of individual, relational,
community, and societal factors contribute to the risk of
being a victim or perpetrator of IPV. Understanding these
multilevel factors can help identify various points of prevention
intervention (CDC, 2008a).
Risk Factors for
Victimization
Multiple factors influence the risk of victimization
(CDC, 2008a; Crandall, et al., 2004; Heise & Garcia-Moreno,
2002; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000a)
Individual Factors:
- Prior history of DV/IPV
- Being female
- Young age
- Heavy alcohol and drug use
- High-risk sexual behavior
- Witnessing or experiencing violence as a child
- Being less educated
- Unemployment
- For men, having a different ethnicity from their partner's
- For women, having a greater education level than their
partner's
- For women, being American Indian/Alaska Native or African
American
- For women, having a verbally abusive, jealous, or possessive
partner
Relationship Factors
- Couples with income, educational, or job status disparities
- Dominance and control of the relationship by one partner
Community Factors
- Poverty and associated factors (e.g., overcrowding)
- Low social capital-lack of institutions, relationships,
and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a community's
social interactions
- Weak community sanctions against DV/IPV (e.g., police
unwilling to intervene)
Societal
Factors
- Patriarchal gender norms (e.g., women should stay at home,
not enter workforce, should be submissive)
Risk Factors for Perpetration of
Violence
Multiple factors influence the risk of perpetrating IPV/DV
(CDC, 2008a; Garcia-Moreno, 2002; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000a):
- Low self-esteem
- Low income
- Low academic achievement
- Young age
- Involvement in aggressive or delinquent behavior as a
youth
- Heavy alcohol and drug use
- Depression
- Anger and hostility
- Personality disorders
- Prior history of being physically abusive
- Having few friends and being isolated from other people
- Unemployment
- Economic stress
- Emotional dependence and insecurity
- Belief in strict gender roles (e.g., male dominance and
aggression in relationships)
- Desire for power and control in relationships
- Being a victim of physical or psychological abuse (consistently
one of the strongest predictors of perpetration)
- History of experiencing poor parenting as a child
- History of experiencing physical discipline as a child
Relationship Factors
- Marital conflict-fights, tension, and other struggles
- Marital instability-divorces and separations
- Dominance and control of the relationship by the male
- Economic stress
- Unhealthy family relationships and interactions
Community Factors
- Poverty and associated factors (e.g., overcrowding)
- Low social capital-lack of institutions, relationships,
and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a community's
social interactions
- Weak community sanctions against IPV (e.g., unwillingness
of neighbors to intervene in situations where they witness
violence
Societal Factors
- Patriarchal gender norms (e.g., women should stay at home,
not enter workforce, should be submissive to their male
relatives, etc.)
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