Intimate Partner Violence, Employment,and The Workplace

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the literature on violence against women and employment. After a brief discussion of the definition and consequences of intimate partner violence, the article reviews the research and related literatures to describe the (a) types of job interference tactics used by abusers, (b) employee-level consequences of partner violence, (c) victimized employee responses to intimate partner violence, (d) organizational-level consequences of partner violence, and (e) employer responses to intimate partner violence. Future research directions and workplace implications are discussed.

Workplace Homicides Among U.S. Women: The Role of Intimate Partner Violence

“…However, mandating reporting of IPV is complicated. Despite documentation of positive outcomes resulting from violence disclosure to someone at work, many barriers exist including victim's fears of retaliation by the employer (e.g., dismissal) and a lack of training on the part of most workplace management for dealing with IPV (38,39). The context of each individual situation also needs to be considered; for some women, disclosing IPV to their supervisor may increase her risk of imminent danger.…”

Workplace Violence: A Primer for Critical Care Nurses

“…In Case 5, the health care agency could face tort liability because the offender was able to reach the victim during work hours and because the agency failed to take appropriate security precautions [40]. In addition to zero-tolerance, policies about IPV in the workplace should focus on prevention, protection, and assistance [38]. Procedures for confidentially reporting incidents as well as education about IPV and the resources available to a victim are essential to maintain a safe work environment.…”

“…In Case 5, nurse colleagues may have been able to recognize early warning signs of IPV [37][38][39]. Early signs and symptoms of a victim of IPV include a change in personality (eg, becoming more quiet and withdrawn or more anxious and hypervigilant), frequent unexplained injuries or bruises (eg, contusions, abrasions, minor lacerations), inappropriate clothing (eg, sunglasses or long sleeves on a hot day) to cover injuries, frequent vague complaints of stress-related disorders, such as headaches, backaches, sleep and appetite disturbances, and increased use of drugs or alcohol.…”

Does psychological violence contribute to partner violence research? A historical, conceptual and critical review

“…The authors argued that measurement items were aggregated into six conceptually coherent domains of partner violence based on theoretically derived models of partner violence or found in the partner violence literature (Figueredo & McCloskey, 1993;Follingstad & DeHart, 2000;M. P. Johnson, 2006;Kelly & Johnson, 2008;Stark, 2007;Straus, 1990;Swanberg, Macke, & Logan, 2007). These six subscales included 6 questions measuring "Psychological Abuse" (e.g., "Insulted or shamed me in front of others"); 10 measuring "Coercive Control" (e.g., "Controlled how much money I could have or how I spent it"); 5 measuring "Physical Abuse" (e.g., "Pushed or shoved me around"); 12 measuring "Threatened and Escalated Physical Violence" (e.g., "Broke one or more of my bones"; "Acted like h/she would like to kill me"); and 7 measuring "Sexual Assault, Intimidation, and Coercion" (e.g., "Insisted on sex whether I wanted it or not").…”