Clinical Features of Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence Victims With Escalating Injury Severity

Anna Wai-Man CHOI; Barbara Chuen-Yee LO; Janet Yuen-Ha WONG; Ruby Tsz-Fung LO; Phyllis Cheuk-Wing CHAU; John Kit-Shing WONG; Chu-Leung LAU; Chak-Wah KAM

doi:10.1177/0886260519850539

Clinical Features of Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence Victims With Escalating Injury Severity

Anna Wai-Man CHOI, Barbara Chuen-Yee LO, Janet Yuen-Ha WONG, Ruby Tsz-Fung LO, Phyllis Cheuk-Wing CHAU, John Kit-Shing WONG, Chu-Leung LAU, Chak-Wah KAM

Lingnan University

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is largely recognized to have a cyclical pattern and violence escalation in terms of frequency and intensity over time. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation of the profiles of victims and quantification of the patterns of injury of the victims associated with the first time versus repeated violence episodes. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by medical chart review of 878 victims in a 5-year period from 2010 to 2014 in Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of two public general hospitals in Hong Kong. The differences in injury patterns between the first IPV episode (FE) and recurrent IPV episodes (REs) experienced by male and female victims in heterosexual relationship were evaluated. The results indicated the violence escalation occurred in recurrent IPV in both genders. In female victims, there was significant increase in the number of injury locations (mean [M] = 2.0 vs. 2.2, p < .05), number of causes of injury (M = 1.7 vs. 2.2, p < .001) and police escort (15.2% vs. 22.1%, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In male victims, however, only the increase in the number of causes of injury was significant (M = 1.6 vs. 2.1, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In summary, our results highlight the escalation in the severity of harm of IPV victims in heterosexual relationship, and the gender differences in severity aggression and injury and help-seeking behavior change in recurrent IPV. Preventive measures are indicated to intervene the IPV occurrence and recurrence with rising morbidity and a potential of mortality.

Original language	English
Article number	886260519850539
Pages (from-to)	8585-8605
Journal	Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Volume	36
Issue number	17-18
Early online date	29 May 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260519850539
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

The authors would like to thank nurses in AEDs, Mr. Kelvin Chu, Ms. Liz Wong, and Ms. Mary See for their efforts and assistance.

Funding

The work described in this paper was supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. HKU 759213). This study was supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. HKU 759213). The funding source had no role in study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data; writing the manuscript; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Keywords

abused women
escalation of violence
injury
intimate partner violence
male victims
spouse abuse

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1177/0886260519850539

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0886260519850539

Cite this

@article{de05a7c2854f4bdea5da19b6fbdfa3d7,

title = "Clinical Features of Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence Victims With Escalating Injury Severity",

abstract = "Intimate partner violence (IPV) is largely recognized to have a cyclical pattern and violence escalation in terms of frequency and intensity over time. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation of the profiles of victims and quantification of the patterns of injury of the victims associated with the first time versus repeated violence episodes. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by medical chart review of 878 victims in a 5-year period from 2010 to 2014 in Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of two public general hospitals in Hong Kong. The differences in injury patterns between the first IPV episode (FE) and recurrent IPV episodes (REs) experienced by male and female victims in heterosexual relationship were evaluated. The results indicated the violence escalation occurred in recurrent IPV in both genders. In female victims, there was significant increase in the number of injury locations (mean [M] = 2.0 vs. 2.2, p < .05), number of causes of injury (M = 1.7 vs. 2.2, p < .001) and police escort (15.2% vs. 22.1%, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In male victims, however, only the increase in the number of causes of injury was significant (M = 1.6 vs. 2.1, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In summary, our results highlight the escalation in the severity of harm of IPV victims in heterosexual relationship, and the gender differences in severity aggression and injury and help-seeking behavior change in recurrent IPV. Preventive measures are indicated to intervene the IPV occurrence and recurrence with rising morbidity and a potential of mortality.",

keywords = "abused women, escalation of violence, injury, intimate partner violence, male victims, spouse abuse",

author = "CHOI, {Anna Wai-Man} and LO, {Barbara Chuen-Yee} and WONG, {Janet Yuen-Ha} and LO, {Ruby Tsz-Fung} and CHAU, {Phyllis Cheuk-Wing} and WONG, {John Kit-Shing} and Chu-Leung LAU and Chak-Wah KAM",

note = "The authors would like to thank nurses in AEDs, Mr. Kelvin Chu, Ms. Liz Wong, and Ms. Mary See for their efforts and assistance.",

year = "2021",

month = sep,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1177/0886260519850539",

language = "English",

volume = "36",

pages = "8585--8605",

journal = "Journal of Interpersonal Violence",

issn = "0886-2605",

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T1 - Clinical Features of Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence Victims With Escalating Injury Severity

AU - CHOI, Anna Wai-Man

AU - LO, Barbara Chuen-Yee

AU - WONG, Janet Yuen-Ha

AU - LO, Ruby Tsz-Fung

AU - CHAU, Phyllis Cheuk-Wing

AU - WONG, John Kit-Shing

AU - LAU, Chu-Leung

AU - KAM, Chak-Wah

N1 - The authors would like to thank nurses in AEDs, Mr. Kelvin Chu, Ms. Liz Wong, and Ms. Mary See for their efforts and assistance.

PY - 2021/9/1

Y1 - 2021/9/1

N2 - Intimate partner violence (IPV) is largely recognized to have a cyclical pattern and violence escalation in terms of frequency and intensity over time. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation of the profiles of victims and quantification of the patterns of injury of the victims associated with the first time versus repeated violence episodes. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by medical chart review of 878 victims in a 5-year period from 2010 to 2014 in Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of two public general hospitals in Hong Kong. The differences in injury patterns between the first IPV episode (FE) and recurrent IPV episodes (REs) experienced by male and female victims in heterosexual relationship were evaluated. The results indicated the violence escalation occurred in recurrent IPV in both genders. In female victims, there was significant increase in the number of injury locations (mean [M] = 2.0 vs. 2.2, p < .05), number of causes of injury (M = 1.7 vs. 2.2, p < .001) and police escort (15.2% vs. 22.1%, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In male victims, however, only the increase in the number of causes of injury was significant (M = 1.6 vs. 2.1, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In summary, our results highlight the escalation in the severity of harm of IPV victims in heterosexual relationship, and the gender differences in severity aggression and injury and help-seeking behavior change in recurrent IPV. Preventive measures are indicated to intervene the IPV occurrence and recurrence with rising morbidity and a potential of mortality.

AB - Intimate partner violence (IPV) is largely recognized to have a cyclical pattern and violence escalation in terms of frequency and intensity over time. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation of the profiles of victims and quantification of the patterns of injury of the victims associated with the first time versus repeated violence episodes. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by medical chart review of 878 victims in a 5-year period from 2010 to 2014 in Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of two public general hospitals in Hong Kong. The differences in injury patterns between the first IPV episode (FE) and recurrent IPV episodes (REs) experienced by male and female victims in heterosexual relationship were evaluated. The results indicated the violence escalation occurred in recurrent IPV in both genders. In female victims, there was significant increase in the number of injury locations (mean [M] = 2.0 vs. 2.2, p < .05), number of causes of injury (M = 1.7 vs. 2.2, p < .001) and police escort (15.2% vs. 22.1%, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In male victims, however, only the increase in the number of causes of injury was significant (M = 1.6 vs. 2.1, p < .05) in RE compared to FE. In summary, our results highlight the escalation in the severity of harm of IPV victims in heterosexual relationship, and the gender differences in severity aggression and injury and help-seeking behavior change in recurrent IPV. Preventive measures are indicated to intervene the IPV occurrence and recurrence with rising morbidity and a potential of mortality.

KW - abused women

KW - escalation of violence

KW - injury

KW - intimate partner violence

KW - male victims

KW - spouse abuse

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DO - 10.1177/0886260519850539

M3 - Journal Article (refereed)

C2 - 31140351

SN - 0886-2605

VL - 36

SP - 8585

EP - 8605

JO - Journal of Interpersonal Violence

JF - Journal of Interpersonal Violence

IS - 17-18

M1 - 886260519850539

ER -

Clinical Features of Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence Victims With Escalating Injury Severity

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this