Women who receive traumatic brain injuries (TBI) from intimate partner violence (IPV) are gaining attention; however, research studies are lacking in this area. A review of literature conducted on TBI from IPV found prevalence of 60% to 92% of abused women obtaining a TBI directly correlated with IPV. Adverse overlapping health outcomes are associated with both TBI and IPV. Genetic predisposition and epigenetic changes can occur after TBI and add increased vulnerability to receiving and inflicting a TBI. Health care providers and community health workers need awareness of the link between IPV/TBI to provide appropriate treatment and improve the health of women and families.

There is increasing evidence that women are receiving a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during episodes of intimate partner violence (IPV), but little qualitative research exists around how surviving this experience impacts the lives of women. Primary and secondary data ( N = 19) were used with a constructivist grounded theory approach to explore the lives of women aged 18 to 44 years, who were living with a TBI from IPV. Women described multiple aspects of living in fear that shaped their daily lives and ability to seek help and access resources. The central process of prioritizing safety emerged, with salient dimensions of maintaining a present orientation, exhibiting hyperprotection of children, invoking isolation as protection, and calculating risk of death. These findings add to the growing body of knowledge that women living with IPV are at high risk for receiving a TBI and are therefore a subgroup in need of more prevention and treatment resources.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to understand the social context of the lives of women who experienced a head injury from intimate partner violence. Background: Sixty percent to 92% of survivors of intimate partner violence receive head trauma during the abuse. Little research exists regarding the episodes of abuse when women receive a head injury, or the reasons women might not seek medical care for the head injury or the abuse. Method: Twenty-one interviews from nine women who self-reported passing out from being hit in the head were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: Themes of extreme control and manipulation from abusers emerged, and women described living with instability from cycles of incarceration, drug and alcohol use, and fear of losing their children. Women did not receive medical care for head injury because the abusers often used forced sex immediately after the head injury to instill fear and authority. Implications for Forensic Nursing: Hitting women in the head is not only about physical abuse, but also about exerting dominance and creating an environment of extreme control. Forensic nurses are uniquely positioned to screen for head injuries during initial assessments and follow-up visits and connect women with appropriate resources.

Initial conceptualizations of violence and trauma in forensic nursing have remained relatively narrowly defined since the specialty's inception. The advent of trauma-informed care has been important but has limitations that obfuscate social and structural determinants of health, equity, and social justice. As forensic nursing practice becomes more complex, narrow definitions of violence and trauma limit the effectiveness of trauma-informed care in its current incarnation. In keeping with the nursing model of holistic care, we need ways to teach, practice, and conduct research that can accommodate these increasing levels of complexity, including expanding our conceptualizations of violence and trauma to advance health equity and social justice. The objective of this article is to introduce the concepts of structural violence and trauma- and violence-informed care as equity-oriented critical paradigms to embrace the increasing complexity and health inequities facing forensic nursing practice.

Nurses care for women experiencing non-fatal strangulation and acquired brain injuries whether or not it is disclosed. Situational analysis was used to analyze 23 interviews from Northern New England with survivors, healthcare workers, and violence/legal advocates to explore overlapping relationships between violence, acquired brain injuries, non-fatal strangulation, and seeking care. Findings included the concepts of paying social consequences and the normalization of violence. Non-fatal strangulation was described as increasingly related to violence and other areas. Repetitive acquired brain injuries can impair functioning needed to address violence and healthcare providers and advocates are generally unaware of the impact of acquired brain injuries. A lack of resources, training, and tools for acquired brain injury screening were barriers in recognizing and responding to it, causing hidden symptoms. This study adds to the literature examining intimate partner violence in rural areas; specifically intimate partner violence-related acquired brain injuries in rural areas.

The RMP home-visiting intervention can lead to improved self-esteem scores in teens, particularly in Hispanic teens. Improved self-esteem has been shown to lead to better parenting.

Non‐fatal strangulation associated with sexual assault is a public health problem affecting female survivors, especially those assaulted by current/former partners or strangers.