Traumatic Brain Injury in Victims of Domestic Violence

Strengthening the Connection Between Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and Family Violence: The Importance of Ongoing Monitoring, Research and Inclusive Terminology

“…This tool appears to be largely adopted across the United States, although it was recently independently tested in North-West England on 124 participants where COVR was reported to lack in demonstration of significant validity in predicting future violence (Doyle et al, 2010 ). Lifshitz and et al ( 2019 ) also recommended post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessment and associated affective symptoms as another component when considering male perpetrators and attempting to identify their risks for violence. Smirl et al ( 2019 ), conducted their research using Valera and Berenbaum’s ( 2003 ) Brain Injury Severity Assessment (BISA) tool designed to elicit the number, severity and time-course of potential TBI incidences which resulted in alterations to consciousness (e.g.…”

“…Medical and scientific researchers stress that ongoing and severe abuse can worsen over time with victims being subjected to a higher risk of repeated violence while allowing the ABI to “remain hidden until neurological function degrades into a constellation of cognitive, emotional, and somatic symptoms” (Lifshitz et al, 2019 , p. 656; Hunnicutt et al, 2017 ; Murray et al, 2016 ; Zieman et al, 2017 ). Lifshitz et al ( 2019 , p. 656) further stress that “without awareness of the neurological signs and symptoms associated with TBI, individuals with a history of domestic violence and their support network may incompletely comprehend the lasting impact of abuse and trauma” as long-term symptoms have been found to worsen up to 18 months after initial assessment (Iverson et al, 2019 ), thus derailing support and promotion of overall welfare for victim-survivors. Others have further suggested that “just living in a battering relationship may account for changes in one’s cognition and psychological functioning” (Hunnicutt, 2017 , p. 475).…”

“…Most perpetrators have been found with histories of brain injury and trauma that has diverted typical cognitive, emotional, and somatic development (Brain Injury Australia, 2018 ; Lifshitz et al, 2019 ; St. Ivany & Schminkey, 2019 ). Brain injury has also been linked to aggression (Buckley et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Studies continue to report strong relation between brain injury and family violence (also commonly referred to as domestic violence DV, intimate partner violence IPV), as well as persistent and significant gaps, miss-recognition, and under-recognised forms of violence-related brain injury in service responses (Brain Injury Australia, 2018 ; Lifshitz et al, 2019 ; Nemeth et al, 2019 ). These “unseen” and “invisible” impacts on victim-survivors” neurological and cognitive systems not only make women more likely to experience greater rates and additional forms of gender-based violence (Maher et al, 2018 ; see Nemeth et al, 2019 for long-lasting unrecognised impacts, Iverson et al, 2019 , p. 19 for “silent injury”; see also Lifshitz et al, 2019 for under-recognition and under-representation of TBI for IPV and DV victims compared to brain injury and concussions on athletes and military servicemen), but also harder to successfully escape long-term abusive relationships due to the impact of traumatic brain injury (Donkelaar, 2018 ).…”

“…Intersectionality and compounding impacts of family violence and IPV incidences interact and produce health inequalities (Bowleg, 2012 ; St Ivany et al, 2018 ), with repeated cycles of abuse as a significant qualitative finding when instability and structural violence is taken into account as a result of childhood trauma and historical state intervention/control (St. Ivany & Schminkey, 2019 ). However, research does not include the study of survivors who have not accessed services but are living with mild but recurrent brain injury with a frequency and intensity that may never be captured, and likely exceed reports for soldiers and athletes (Lifshitz et al, 2019 ; Nemeth et al, 2019 ; Prince & Bruhns, 2017 ). Further studies also stress that limitation in adult studies on lifetime trauma neglect assessment and consideration of impacts from childhood trauma (Smirl et al, 2019 ).…”