Are We Comparing Apples and Oranges?: Exploring Trauma Experienced by Victims of IPV and Court-involved Women Who Have Used Force in Relationships

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Due to the enactment of mandatory and pro-arrest policies, there has been a sharp increase in the number of women arrested for use of force against an intimate partner. Many of these arrested women are also victims of intimate partner violence and experience high levels of trauma and PTSD. The current research asks:
What do trauma measures tell us about women who voluntarily seek IPV victim support groups and about women who have been arrested for use of force against an intimate partner/ex-partner and court-mandated to a treatment program? Using measures of Adverse Childhood Experiences, PTSD, and Danger Assessments, we explore these two groups. Our findings demonstrate how both groups of women report significantly higher levels of ACEs, PTSD, and Danger assessments compared to the general population, indicating that women who experience IPV or women who use force in relationships may have more similarities than differences. Additionally, we explore the ways in which different relationship characteristics and treatment trajectories might help explain the differences present between these two groups of women.

Authors

• Patricia Becker, University of Delaware

• Susan L. Miller, University of Delaware