This article critically reviews 62 empirical studies that examine the prevalence of female perpetrated intimate partner violence across three distinct populations (adolescents, college students, and adults). All studies were published between 1996 and 2006 and reported prevalence rates of physical, emotional, and/or sexual violence perpetrated by females in heterosexual intimate relationships. The highest rates were found for emotional violence, followed by physical and sexual violence. Prevalence rates varied widely within each population, most likely due to methodological and sampling differences across studies. Few longitudinal studies existed, limiting the extent to which we could identify developmental patterns associated with female perpetrated intimate partner violence. Differences and similarities across populations are highlighted. Methodological difficulties of this area of inquiry as well as implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.
Keywordsintimate partner violence; female perpetration; adolescents; college students; adults; prevalence Intimate partner violence (IPV), defined as physical, sexual, psychological, or emotional abuse, or threat of abuse, by a current or former spouse or partner is a critical public health concern (Saltzman, Fanslow, McMahon, & Shelly, 2002). Nearly one-quarter of U.S. women and 7.6% of men report having been raped and/or physically assaulted at some point in their lifetime by a current or past spouse, cohabitating partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, or date (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). Women who experience IPV are significantly more likely to experience adverse health outcomes compared to those who have not experienced IPV (Bonomi, Anderson, Rivara, & Thompson, 2007). Health consequences of IPV include chronic gynecological, central nervous system, and stress-related health problems Kernic et al., 2002) as well as depression, post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and suicidality (Campbell, 2002;Dutton et al., 2006;Woods et al., 2005).To date, most studies on IPV have focused on the victimization of women and girls rather than their male counterparts. This is due to the fact that a greater proportion of women report experiencing IPV; women are victimized at about five times the rate of men (Rennison & Corresponding Author: Jessica Roberts Williams, PhD, MPH, RN, The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 46834 Willowood Place, Sterling, VA 20165, phone: 410-243-3910, fax: 410-502-5481, email: jrober65@son.jhmi Recent evidence has shown that IPV is not limited to adult populations, but, unfortunately, is also quite common among adolescents and young adults. Exposure to intimate partner violence is now being documented at younger and younger ages. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have estimated that between 12% and 20%, or nearly one-fifth, of middle and high school students experience physical or psychological abuse in dating relationships (CDC, 2006). The prevalence of dating violence among adolescent samples has ...