Responding to intimate partner violence victimisation: effective options for help-seeking

Using data from the International Violence Against Women Survey, this paper examines predictors of help-seeking by intimate partner violence victims and considers whether such responses are influenced by the severity of abuse experienced. It found that victims are more likely to explore formal avenues of support if they are married to the abusive partner, have children who have witnessed incidents of abuse, have used drugs or alcohol to cope with abuse and where the abusive partner has previously received counselling for his behaviour. It was found that in cases where the victim had experienced more severe types of abuse, and/or if they felt their life had been threatened during the most recent incident, there was a significantly increased likelihood of formal help-seeking. The findings can be used to improve responses made by formal providers of support to better accommodate the needs of victims and their children