Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118074

Eve M. Waltermaurer, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, School of Public Health, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, 518-402-0372, ew2048@albany.edu

Understanding the effects of residential change is very important in understanding the trajectory of female intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization. The typical stress and potential isolation associated with changing residence may alone influence a woman's risk of IPV. However, if a woman moves to escape IPV she may be placing herself at risk of continuing IPV victimization if this move is perceived as threatening his power over her and if she has not, in fact, “escaped” her offender. A linked longitudinal National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) dataset provided a unique insight of the risk of IPV following a woman's recent move into a new household. Focusing primarily on women aged 18 – 44 (n=23,768), the risk of “any IPV” victimization was approximately four times greater for women who recently moved compared with women who were not new movers. When examining IPV by a past offender, the influence of moving increased a woman's risk of IPV to potentially six times that of non-movers. The relevance of these findings is furthered by the likely higher threshold of IPV typically reported in the NCVS; over 50% of the reported IPV victimization resulted in injury. To date, this is the first study that has examined the effect of moving related to a woman's subsequent risk of IPV. This analysis also contributes to a growing debate of the unique nature of IPV as a gender-based victimization distinguishing it from the other victimizations, such as those perpetrated by strangers.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this presentation, participants will be able to

• Describe one important implication of residential change on subsequent risk of IPV;
• Differentiate the impact moving has on IPV by a new offender from IPV by a past offender;
• Identify one or more consideration needed before advising an IPV victim to move;
• Describe one relevant difference between IPV and violence perpetrated by a stranger.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.