The aim of this dissertation is to explore the stories of women who have been trapped in abusive relationships (victims of intimate partner violence (IPV)) and the process of how they moved on from these relationships to non-abusive relationships, thereby becoming survivors. The primary research question guiding the study is; How do the women describe their experiences of the processes that they underwent in leaving an abusive relationship and entering into a new, non-abusive, relationship? The study generates a rich description of their experiences, exploring what it is that makes these women unique in changing their identities from victim of abuse to survivor. This is done by taking an in-depth look at each participant’s story and uncovering the personal meanings that they ascribed to these experiences. Literature from past studies is also explored as various authors describe IPV, factors related to IPV and how their illustrations coincide or differ from the findings of this study. A narrative research approach is used in this study. Narrative research falls under the umbrella of postmodernism and is conducted with a social constructionist outlook. The narrative approach views knowledge as generated by exploring subjective experience and how the individual makes meaning with emphasis on context. This study, therefore, focuses on how the participant’s identities are constructed over time as a result of making meaning from their experiences, through self-exploration, social processes and through interactions with others. Data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews. The tool used for analysis of the stories was the Three-Dimensional Space Approach, the specific tools being; analysis of situation, interaction and continuity. This approach allows for the data to be analysed, not as a given truth but rather, as meaning is generated from the unique perspective of each individual participant in the context, as well as how it was interpreted by myself, the researcher. The results explore this process through the themes of a message from each participant: commitment as it preceded the abuse, identity, control and manipulation at the hands of the perpetrator, and everyone needs someone to help. These themes were then integrated with the literature. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Psychology / unrestricted

Bakgrund: Våld i nära relationer är ett folkhälsoproblem och en kränkning av de mänskliga rättigheterna som leder till att offrets välbefinnande hotas. Detta kan drabba både kvinnor och män, trots detta är det oftast kvinnor som utsätts för systematiskt våld där män är förövare. Våldet kan vara fysiskt, psykiskt eller sexuellt men kan också utföras genom social eller ekonomisk utsatthet. Sjuksköterskans roll i omvårdnadsarbetet med våldsutsatta kvinnor är att skapa en omgivning där hennes hälsa främjas. Syfte:Syftet var att beskriva sjuksköterskors erfarenheter av att vårda kvinnor som utsatts för våld i nära relationer. Metod: En beskrivande litteraturstudie som innefattade 11 kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar som sökts fram genom databaserna Cinahl och Medline via Pubmed. Resultat: Sjuksköterskorna beskrev negativ och positiv påverkan som uppkom i mötet. De beskrev även vilka svårigheter och möjligheter som fanns för att hjälpa kvinnan återskapa ett hälsosamt liv. Sjuksköterskor hade delade uppfattningar om vilket ansvar de hade i omvårdnadsarbetet samt att det fanns en kunskapsbrist gällande dessa situationer. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor har beskrivit känslor, möjligheter och svårigheter som uppstått i mötet. Sjuksköterskor beskrev osäkerhet angående hur de ska hantera de känslor som uppstår, vilket ansvar de har i omvårdnadsarbetet samt hur de ska gå vidare för att ge kvinnan god omvårdnad. Sjuksköterskor påvisade ett behov av stöd för att kunna hantera dessa möten professionellt utan påverkan på privatlivet. Tydligare riktlinjer och utökad undervisning under grundutbildningen ger sjuksköterskor ökad förståelse för dessa situationer vilket kan leda till att vården för våldsutsatta kvinnor förbättras.

IntroductionHealth care is important for identifying IPV (intimate partner violence). Screening variesbetween clinics. By supporting the victim, chances for cooperation in the investigationincreases and thus the conviction rate. Health care needs to identify and support IPV victimswhen reporting crimes.AimThe overall aim of this study was twofold; first to examine to what extent Swedish health carefacilities screen for IPV, and second to investigate the relations between cooperation in thecriminal investigation and conviction rate.MethodThis was a pilot study. First national, regional and local health care facilities and agencieswere approached by conducting telephone interviews. Second, data from a longitudinal studyon policing IPV were used to be able to compare conviction rate if the victim participated inthe legal process or not.ResultsOut of five organisations, only one agency had statistics of routinely screening for IPV,provided statistics for maternal care. Where the screening rate was 90%. In the longitudinalstudy including 564 perpetrators, we found that if the victim cooperated in the investigation, itwas twice as likely (Odds Ratio=2.66) that the perpetrator was convicted for the crime.ConclusionHealth care is important for identifying IPV in order to support victims to report crimes to thepolice, although only the maternal care screens for it routinely. More hospitals and differentunits need to insert routines to screen for IPV. By doing so, the women will get more supportin the legal process, which could increase the chance of conviction.

The most recent research in police domestic violence has shown that officers may perpetrate domestic violence at a higher rate than the general population, 28% versus 16%, respectively (Sgambelluri, 2000). Traditional police sub-culture has been identified, in several studies, as contributing to higher work stress, and using force on the job (Alexander et al., 1993; Drummond, 1976; Johnson et al, 2005; Kop and Euwema, 2001; Sgambelluri, 2000; Wetendorf, 2000). This research, however, has not fully examined the link between adherence to the traditional police sub-culture and officer involvement in domestic violence. This study attempts to identify whether officers who adhere to the aspects of the traditional police sub-culture are more likely to use violence against their intimate partner using two types of domestic violence-physical assault and psychological violence-as well as examine gender's moderating influence on police domestic violence and traditional police sub-culture. Using a survey created from existing scales, 250 officers were contacted within several departments in Central Florida, of these, 90 officers responded. Using Tobit and Logistic Regression the study found that officers who adhere to aspects of the traditional police subculture are more likely to engage in psychological domestic violence. There was no relationship found between traditional police culture and physical domestic violence. A thorough discussion of the results and future research directions is also included.

Bakgrund: Kvinnors utsatthet för våld i nära relationer är ett globalt problem som påverkar kvinnans fysiska och psykiska hälsa på både kort och lång sikt. Eftersom våldsutsatta kvinnor ofta söker hjälp hos sjukvården i första hand behöver sjuksköterskan ha en beredskap för att kunna möta kvinnans specifika behov av vård och stöd. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva effekterna av olika omvårdnadsåtgärder med avseende på våldsutsatta kvinnors hälsa och/eller lidande. Metod: I arbetet användes en beskrivande design och litteraturstudie med analys av kvantitativ forskning som metod. En systematisk sökning gjordes i databasen PubMed och artiklarna kvalitetsgranskades enligt protokoll av Willman och medarbetare (2015). Resultat: Studiens resultat baseras på tio vetenskapliga originalartiklar vilka totalt inkluderade 3993 deltagare. De omvårdnadsåtgärder som utvärderats inkluderade information, stöd och rådgivning om våld, säkerhet och resurser, hänvisning till kvinnojourer eller andra samhällstjänster samt empowerment-interventioner. Dessa åtgärder genererade olika effekter på våldsutsatta kvinnors fortsatta utsatthet för fysiskt, psykiskt och sexuellt våld, deras fysiska hälsa, livskvalité och psykiska välbefinnande, depression, PTSD samt säkerhetsplanering och användning av säkerhetsstrategier. Även om flera av resultaten var inte statistiskt signifikanta, sågs ofta tendens till förbättringar i både interventions- och kontrollgrupperna. Slutsats: Avsaknaden av statistiskt signifikanta skillnader mellan studiegrupperna implicerar att det finns svag evidens för att undersökta omvårdnadsåtgärder leder till bättre hälsa och minskat lidande för våldsutsatta kvinnor. Sjuksköterskor kan dock spela en stödjande roll för att hjälpa denna patientgrupp. / Background: Women's exposure to intimate partner violence is a global problem that affects women's physical and mental health in both short and long term. Since women exposed to violence often seek help from healthcare providers, the nurse needs to be able to meet the woman's specific needs for care and support. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the effects of nursing interventions with regards to health and/or distress in women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Method: We applied a descriptive design and made a literature review with analysis of quantitative research. A systematic search was made in the PubMed database and the articles were quality checked in accordance with a protocol by Willman et al. (2015). Results: The results of the study are based on ten original scientific articles which included a total of 3993 participants. The nursing measures evaluated included information, support and counseling on violence, security and resources, assisted referrals to women's shelters or other community services, and empowerment interventions. These measures generated different effects on abused women's continued exposure to physical, mental and sexual violence, their physical health, quality of life and mental well-being, depression, PTSD and safety planning and use of safety strategies. Although several of the results were not statistically significant, improvements were often seen in both the intervention and control groups. Conclusion: The lack of statistically significant differences between the study groups implies that there is little evidence that the studied nursing measures lead to better health and reduced suffering among abused women. However, nurses can play a supportive role in assisting this patient group.

Despite decades of research on intimate-partner violence (IPV), debates and unanswered questions abound in the literature, to which many disciplines—psychology, sociology, criminal justice, law, and public health—have contributed. One long-standing and particularly contentious debate regards gender symmetry, or whether women are as violent in intimate relationships as men. This essay begins with a historical overview of IPV research; it then summarizes recent work on gender and IPV and discusses how estimates of the prevalence and gender distribution of IPV vary depending on its definition and measurement. Reviewing the literature on the heterogeneity of IPV, this essay notes that better understanding of different IPV types may resolve some discrepancies in research. The essay also considers how gender norms may shape IPV and reviews research on experiences of sexual minorities and of those of different races, immigration statuses, and cultures. The final section identifies topics in need of further exploration over the next decade.

Bakgrund: År 2019 anmäldes 10 500 fall av partnervåld i Sverige. Av offren var 84 % kvinnor och resterande 16 % män och samtliga offer var vid tidpunkten 18 år eller äldre. Det finns flertalet faktorer, utifrån både patienters och sjuksköterskors perspektiv, som kan hindra eller främja att utsatthet för partnervåld uppdagas. Att ställa frågor om våld möjliggör identifiering och uppmärksammande av våldsutsatthet. Däremot anser många sjuksköterskor att de inte är tillräckligt kunniga och erfarna inom ämnet partnervåld för att tillgodose utsatta patienters behov av vård och omsorg.  Syfte: Att beskriva hur personer, som blivit utsatta för våld av en partner, upplever sjuksköterskors bemötande under vårdmötet då våldet uppdagas. Metod: Detta examensarbete är en litteraturöversikt med kvalitativ ansats. Databaserna PubMed, Cinahl och PsychInfo användes och kvalitetsgranskning utfördes. Det resulterade i 13 studier där deltagarna utgjordes av både män och kvinnor. Slutligen utfördes en innehållsanalys.  Resultat: Följande fyra teman identifierades: Empati och respekt, Information och stöd, Närvaro och prioritet samt Skuld och ifrågasättande.  Slutsats: Resultatet påvisade flertalet både positiva och negativa bemötanden från sjukvårdspersonal och sjuksköterskor. Däremot är upplevelser av bemötande subjektiva termer som är svåra att dra generella slutsatser om. Vidare har arbetet bidragit med insikter om önskvärda bemötanden av våldsutsatthet och hantering av ämnet partnervåld. Det här arbetet belyser att små handlingar, exempelvis i form av leende eller beröring, kan bekräfta patienter samt visa medkänsla. Sådana gester är sällan tidskrävande men kan ha avgörande betydelse för patienters upplevelser av sjuksköterskors bemötande. / Background: In 2019, 10,500 cases of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) were reported in Sweden. All victims were 18 years or older at the time of the abuse and 84 % of the victims were women and the remaining 16 % men. There are several factors, from the perspective of both patients and nurses, that can prevent or promote disclosure of IPV. Asking questions about violence draws attention to and enables identification of IPV. On the other hand, many nurses believe that they lack knowledge and experience of IPV to meet the needs of vulnerable patients. Aim: To describe how people, who have been exposed to IPV, experience nurses' approach when the violence is disclosed in a health care setting. Method: This degree project is a literature review with a qualitative approach. The databases PubMed, Cinahl and PsychInfo were used and a review of quality was performed. This resulted in 13 studies and the participants consisted of both men and women. Finally, a content analysis was performed. The participants consisted of both men and women. Result: The following four themes were identified: Empathy and respect, Information and support, Presence and priority and Blaming and questioning. Conclusion: The results showed several examples of both positive and negative attitudes from healthcare professionals and nurses. However, experiences of approach are subjective terms that are difficult to draw general conclusions of.Furthermore, insights of desirable approaches of nurses to victims of IPV were noticed. Small actions, such as a smile or touch, are seldom time-consuming but can show compassion and be crucial to patients’ experiences of nurses’ approach.

One incidence of intimate partner non-fatal strangulation (NFS) significantly increases the risk of homicide by asphyxiation (i.e., deprivation of oxygen resulting in death). The implications of NFS are well examined but the prevalence and dyadic influences of asphyxiation are less understood. This study examined various relationship types to determine if those defined by longevity and intimacy (e.g., dating and spousal) demonstrated the highest risk for NFS/asphyxiation, and evaluated the prevalence of other types of force at the time of the assault (e.g., firearms, personal weapons). Data for this project were obtained from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s online incident-based reporting system. There were 34,448 reported cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) in 2019 included in the analysis. Independent variables included the survivor-offender relationship, (dating, marital, acquaintance) the force involved at the time of the assault, including the use of a firearm, NFS, asphyxiation, dangerous weapons (knife/cutting instrument, blunt object), or personal weapons, (hands, fist, feet, arms, teeth) and the location of the assault. The dependent variable was classified by the offense type (aggravated assault, simple assault, homicide, and forcible rape). Data were first cleaned using KuTools for Excel, 23.00 and then analyzed in SPSS Version 25. Regarding homicide, the most lethal type of force involved was not asphyxiation (6.5%; n = 3), but instead the use of a firearm (56.5%; n = 26), followed by dangerous weapons, (23.9%; n =11). The majority of NFS cases were classified as aggravated assaults (95.3%; n = 528) and mainly occurred at the survivor/victim’s residence (85.1%; n = 441). Regarding dyadic influences, the majority of incidents of NFS/asphyxiation occurred in dating (boyfriend/girlfriends; 63.9%; n = 354) and spousal (19.5%; n = 108;) relationships with homicides mainly occurring against spouses (50.0%; n = 21). A multinomial logistic regression model examining relationship type on the effect of force involved was significant, χ2(12, N =34,448) = 261.533, p < .001, Nagelkerke’s R2= .011. Only those in boyfriend/girlfriend (OR = .019; CI = .017-.021) and ex-boyfriend/girlfriend (OR = .024; CI = .019-.031) relationships significantly increased the likelihood of experiencing NFS or asphyxiation compared to the use of personal weapons. Those in acquaintance (OR = 3.447; CI = 2.618-4.539) and ex-boyfriend/girlfriend (OR = 2.266; CI = 1.927-2.664) relationships demonstrated the highest likelihood of a firearm being used at the time of assault. Findings indicated that dating and spousal relationships demonstrated the highest risk and prevalence of NFS and asphyxiation, but most cases of homicide involved a firearm. Proper screening by clinicians and medical personnel should assess for the current relationship type, past instances of NFS, and the presence of a firearm within the home. Further options for screening will be presented.

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