Thesis Statement
Women have been reported to be disadvantaged in intimate relationships given that their rights are frequently violated as compared to those of men. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to provide a detailed study into the effects of violence emanating from intimate partners, to identify possible mechanisms of prevention, and to look into any limitations to the proposed interventions.
Background of the Survey
Cases of violence from people who are closely related in a loving relationship often go unreported and harbor immense negative health outcomes. Intimate partner violence is referred to those behavioral patterns among actively intimate partners which harbor the possibility of causing physiological, reproductive, and psychological harm to the opposite partner (Chernet & Cherie, 2020). Women regardless of age are reported to be the most affected partners in intimate partner violence cases. According to Huecker and Smock (2018), in the United States, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has been reported to affect about ten million individuals annually. Current statics have indicated that out of 4 women, 1 woman has experienced a form of violence whereas, out of 9 men, 1 man has most likely experienced a form of violence from an intimate partner (Huecker and Smock, 2018). Intimate partner-related violence has been linked to harm to an individual’s physiological, psychological, and reproductive wellbeing (Mukamana et al, 2020). The report intends to provide a detailed summary of violence among women with their sexually-related partners. This is because, in most nations, the problems of IPV have been termed as a matter of public health interest. Therefore, the report seeks to provide possible solutions to the problems of sexual abuse among women in intimate relationships.
Summary of the Intimate Partner Violence
The problems related to intimate partner violence cut across all cultures and population groups without regard to gender or age. However, Mukamana et al (2020), report that intimate partner violence occurring from men against their female companions is more pronounced than that occurring from women against men. Therefore, the problem of violence among women in intimate relationships must be addressed as a matter of great interest in public health across the globe.
Of all the common intimate partner problems, physical violence against women has been reported to be the most widespread form of violence. This is a major problem for women as it not only violates their rights to live freely but also affects their psychological and psychosocial wellbeing (Chernet & Cherie, 2020). Further, Chernet and Cherie (2020) argue that women, who undergo reproductive abuse, as well as physiological abuse, have an increased risk of being affected by gynecological problems as well as mental health challenges, especially depression. Therefore, physical violence against women has the potential to cause various body injuries including broken bones and cuts. According to Martin-Fernandez et al. (2019), IPV effects on the reproductive health of women include vaginal bleedings and the risks of contracting diseases related to unsafe sexual practices. Sex offenses against women should therefore be discouraged owing to the disastrous effects that women experience from violent sexual encounters.
Methods or Strategies to Prevent and Treat Victims
Addressing women’s health is a major issue that requires adequate preventive and curative measures in order to address the occurrence and the prevalence of intimate partner violence. Women’s education has been reported to be one of the ways of mitigating IPV cases. Studies indicate that a higher education level amongst the female partners in a marriage reduces the possibilities of physical and reproductive violence for women of all age groups (Sanz-Barbero et al, 2019). In consideration of strategies to treat and manage the IPV victims, care coordination among community health workers and primary care providers such as nurses and doctors will be beneficial in initiating a comprehensive care approach (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020). This will aid in increasing community awareness as an important strategy that bears the potential to increase care experience for the IPV victims, especially women.
Male dominance is one of the underlying factors of concern when addressing the issue so violence against women. Study reports indicate that in some communities, male dominance over women has been cited as a major cause of the increased rates of intimate partner violence (Elghossain, Bott, Akik, & Obermeyer, 2019). Addressing community bias of males dominating women and dictating aspects of their lives through the already existing legislation will help mitigate the effects of IPV. In a study, the findings indicated that addressing socio-economic aspects of IPV prevalent families would go a long way in addressing the challenge (Bhona et al., 2019). This is because most of the problems that lead to violence among intimate partners, especially in under-developed countries, have been linked to poor household economic capabilities. According to WHO (2020), nurses and other healthcare providers such as psychologists and clinicians are expected to provide first-line support to the victims of intimate partner violence. This first-line support includes aspects such as listening, inquiring, validating, enhancing patient safety, and patients’ critical information access.
Summary of Intimate Partner Violence Findings
In this regard, intimate partner violence is a problem that needs to be properly and timely addressed. For instance, the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violent Survey Report (NIPSVR) findings on sexual violence indicate that out of ten women in America, one will experience a form of sexual violence, specifical rape from an intimate partner. According to
Chernet and Cherie, (2020), sexual violence against women in Japan is at 15%and 71% in Africa, besides reports that over half of all married women, including pregnant women, experience a form of violence every day. However, in most cases, studies were limited to exclusive results on the risk factors and treatment strategies of IPV.
Implications for Prevention and Recommendations
The prevention efforts suggested are geared towards strengthening the healthcare system in addressing IPV, community sexual knowledge dissemination, socio-economic aspects strengthening as well as IPV policy implementations. As a recommendation, gender-based violence is an outlawed practice that should not be encouraged in communities. Healthcare institutions should be better equipped to be able to adequately treat and rehabilitate victims of sexual violence. Healthcare providers, with the inclusion of nursing care staff, should be trained so as to provide adequate support to women victimized by IPV. More informed and evidence-based healthcare provider knowledge and awareness of the effects of sexual violence against women should be made available to the general population, as a way of addressing the problem. In conclusion, addressing IPV among women is of greater concern in healthcare delivery and as such, timely interventions and implementations of existing regulations should be supported at the community level.
References
Chernet, A. G., & Cherie, K. T. (2020). Prevalence of intimate partner violence against women and associated factors in Ethiopia. BMC women’s health, 20(1), 22. Web.
Elghossain, T., Bott, S., Akik, C., & Obermeyer, C. M. (2019). Prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in the Arab world: A systematic review. BMC international health and human rights, 19(1), 1-16. Web.
Huecker MR, King KC, Jordan GA, et al. Domestic Violence. [Updated 2021]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. Web.
Bhona, F. M. D. C., Gebara, C. F. D. P., Noto, A. R., Vieira, M. D. T., & Lourenço, L. M. (2019). Socioeconomic factors and intimate partner violence: A household survey. Trends in Psychology, 27(1), 205-218. Web.
Mukamana, J. I. I., Machakanja, P., & Adjei, N. K. (2020). Trends in prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence against women in Zimbabwe, 2005–2015. BMC international health and human rights, 20(1), 1-11. Web.
Sanz-Barbero, B., Barón, N., & Vives-Cases, C. (2019). Prevalence, associated factors, and health impact of intimate partner violence against women in different life stages. PLoS One, 14(10), e0221049. Web.
World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Clinical management of rape and intimate partner violence survivors: developing protocols for use in humanitarian settings. Geneva: WHO; 2019. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO