Is there an association between air pollution and Domestic Violence against women in NJ?

• In Event: Intimate Partner Violence Victimization

Abstract

There has been an increasing appreciation for the role of environmental pollution as a risk factor for mental illness. Mental illness is known to increase the risk of a person being a victim as well as a perpetrator of domestic violence (IPV). The contribution of environmental pollutants to domestic violence rates at the population level, however, is unclear. Therefore, this project explores the potential relationship between air pollution and domestic violence in New Jersey. We will explore the associations between domestic violence on women and particulate matter (PM) (e.g., PM2.5 and PM10). In addition, we will also explore the relationships between how socioeconomic factors and PM are related to domestic violence among women. A spatial approach will be used to estimate PM at every municipality. The impact of estimated PM levels on IPV rates will be explored through various techniques, including regression analysis, machine learning, and cartographic methods that allow us to evaluate PM as an independent risk factor and its contribution to IPV relative to other confounding variables.

Authors

• Morgan Peltier, Hackensack Meridian Health

• Paradorn Wongchanapai, Montclair State University

• Cyril S. Ku, William Paterson University

• Robert Green, Rutgers University

• Sheetal Ranjan, Montclair State University