Intimate Partner Violence

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Reaction Paper: 2 In their article titled, Differentiation Among Types of Intimate Partner Violence: Research Update and Implications for Interventions, Kelly and Johnson (2008) explore how empirical research has sought to discredit the understanding of intimate partner violence (IPV) as a unitary phenomenon. That is, types of partner violence can be differentiated with respect to partner dynamics, context, and consequences (Kelly & Johnson, 2008). Expanding from this, four patterns of violence are described in depth: Coercive Controlling Violence, Violent Resistance, Situational Couple Violence, and Separation-Instigated Violence. In using these patterns of violence, Kelly and Johnson (2008) go on to deconstruct the notion of gender symmetry …show more content…

Pattern in this sense, is the operative word. The article discusses that many women’s advocates use the term domestic violence for this type of patterned violence, and that wife beating, battering, and spousal abuse would construct a similar understanding. However, as the article maintains, I would suggest that IPV is a more inclusive term that captures the reality of violence in multiple contexts. Domestic violence broadly encompasses people who share familial relationships: parents, children, and/or siblings (Johnson & Dawson, 2011). I would contest that domestic violence elicits an understanding that is narrowly conceptualized by the listener. However, IPV encompasses violence that is perpetrated between current or former spouses, dating partners and sexual partners. Additionally, IPV is a favourable term for me because it can be used to explore violence in non-heterosexual relationships, and is inclusive of folks that are gender non-conforming as well as a variety of gender …show more content…

As the name suggest, this type of violence is context specific, and is also the most common type of violence (Kelly & Johnson, 2008). Situational couple violence is reactionary and is an inappropriate response to an argument or situation (Kelly & Johnson, 2008). Separation Instigated Violence occurs in the context of a separation or divorce and is triggered by the realization of separation or traumatic news, which causes the partner being left to react uncharacteristically violent (Kelly & Johnson,

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