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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article

Does leaving an abusive partner lead to a decline in victimization?

Authors: Zohre Ahmadabadi, Jackob M. Najman, Gail M. Williams, Alexandra M. Clavarino, Peter d’Abbs, Nargess Saiepour

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Background

This paper investigates gender differences in persistence of intimate partner violence (IPV), for those remaining or leaving an abusive relationship. We followed a sample of males and females to examine whether leaving an abusive partner may alter the continuity of victimization.

Methods

Data were taken from the 21 and 30-year follow-ups of the Mater Hospital and University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) in Australia. A cohort of 1265 respondents, including 874 females and 391 males, completed a 21-item version of the Composite Abuse Scale.

Results

We found proportionally similar rates of IPV victimization for males and females at both the 21 and 30 year follow-ups. Females who reported they had an abusive partner at the 21 year follow-up were more likely to subsequently change their partner than did males. Harassment and then emotional abuse appeared to have a stronger association for females leaving a partner. For males, a reported history of IPV was not significantly associated with leaving the partner. There was no significant association between leaving (or not) a previous abusive relationship and later victimization, either for male or female respondents.

Conclusion

Changing a partner does not interrupt the continuity of victimization either for male or female respondents, and previous IPV victimization remained a determining factor of re-abuse, despite re-partnering.
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Metadata
Title
Does leaving an abusive partner lead to a decline in victimization?
Authors
Zohre Ahmadabadi
Jackob M. Najman
Gail M. Williams
Alexandra M. Clavarino
Peter d’Abbs
Nargess Saiepour
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5330-z

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