Differential Exposure to Severe Intimate Partner Violence: Prevalence and Correlates in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Sample of Immigrant Women

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a critical public health issue, with immigrant women identified as being at heightened risk for severe and near-lethal IPV. This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of physical, sexual, and psychological IPV among immigrant women in the United States. Further, using the socio-ecological model, it explored the correlates of frequent and severe physical and sexual IPV, near-lethal IPV, and IPV-related injuries at the individual, relationship, and societal/cultural levels. Data were collected from 1,265 immigrant women survivors of IPV from diverse regions in the United States. Results revealed that the majority of women exposed to IPV had a history of childhood victimization (80.5%). Psychological abuse was the most prevalent form of IPV (82.2%), followed by physical (73.0%) and sexual IPV (62.4%). More than half (61.0%) sustained IPV-related injuries, and 21.7% experienced near-lethal IPV. Additionally, multiple individual-level, relationship-level, and societal/cultural-level factors were significantly associated with increased IPV severity, including lifetime cumulative trauma exposures, frequent financial stress, Posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, the presence of more children in the family, adherence to traditional gender norms, and everyday discrimination and immigration-related stress. These findings highlight the role of structural and cultural forces that shape IPV risk among immigrant families and emphasize the need for culturally informed prevention and intervention strategies.