Risk Factors for Domestic Violence

Certain factors are associated with increased or decreased risk of domestic violence and abuse. However, it is vital for health providers to recognise that DVA knows no boundaries and can affect any individual irrespective of gender, sexual identity, ethnicity, socio-economic status or cultural heritage.

Unplanned pregnancy is one of the most important risk factors for domestic violence and abuse.

Activity

Let’s consider risk for DVA in terms of a range of factors spanning the personal to the socio-cultural levels.

On the Risk factors padlet wall, list factors under each heading that you believe are associated with DVA victimisation. The headings are:

• Individual
• Interpersonal
• Community
• Socio-cultural

When you have finished, review the CDC’s list of risk factors.

We’ll look at environmental risk factors in the next step.

References

_{Yakubovich, A. R., Stöckl, H., Murray, J., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Steinert, J. I., Glavin, C. E. Y., & Humphreys, D. K. (2018). Risk and protective factors for intimate partner violence against women: Systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective-longitudinal studies. American Journal of Public Health. 108(7), e1-e11. DOI link}