Domestic Violence: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

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Domestic abuse which is also recognized as intimate partner violence or family violence is a repetition of behaviors that involve violence or other forms of abuse by one individual against another in a family setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. Particularly, intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as violence by a spouse or partner against the other spouse or partner in an intimate relationship. Intimate partner violence and domestic abuse can occur in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, and often includes violence against the children in the family. Hansen (2008) points out that domestic abuse can take a number of forms including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, and sexual abuse. The latter can vary from subtle …show more content…

Surprisingly, since 1995, statistics from the Air Force have not been published for spouse abuse and child mistreatment (Rentz et al., 2006). The amount of family violence information published in peer-reviewed journals varies, with no data reflecting an overall picture of family violence in the military. Because each branch is responsible for its own data collection and analyses, it is difficult to compare statistics from each branch of the military. Finally, the statistics presented in recent published studies generally focus on substantiated cases of abuse from the DOD, neglect cases entered into central registries, do not include cases that are never reported to the authorities, and those that are unsubstantiated (Rentz et al., …show more content…

Studies should also explore the simultaneous occurrence of child maltreatment, spouse abuse, and co-occurring mental illnesses. In addition, the risks that military spouses encounter need to be examined in greater detail. Lohr (2011) reports that many military wives share symptoms of their husbands’ work related stress in the form of lost sleep, digestive disorders, and irritability because they often assume more household responsibilities in their husbands’ absences. Separation may also add pressure and transform the family by creating new roles and responsibilities for family members left behind, uncertainty about the safety of the soldier, disruption to the family routine, and the inability to plan for the future. By identifying patterns of maltreatment in military families and making comparisons with family violence in civilian populations, health care providers will be able to make informed future decisions with respect to the allocation of services to its military personnel. In my opinion early detection and prevention of abuse within military families will lessen the expenses associated with family violence and increase the overall readiness of military

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