Intimate partner violence: What it is, who is at risk and who does it affect?

Family and domestic violence (FDV) is a complex social issue with significant public health implications.
Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence (IPV), is the most common form of FDV.

IPV is a violation of human rights that limits survivors’ participation in society and damages their health and well-being.

IPV can happen to anyone regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, and ethnic or cultural background.

While men do experience IPV, the overwhelming burden of IPV is borne by women. The World Health Organization estimates that one in three women globally experience IPV in their lifetime. In Australia, around 25% of women and 5% of men experience IPV.

IPV has short‐term and long‐term, far-reaching negative impacts on physical and mental health, not only for the individual experiencing it but also for other family members, particularly children.

In addition to trauma-related injuries, those experiencing IPV often have poor physical health including chronic health problems, and ‘functional disorders’ or ‘stress-related conditions’.

This module provides an overview of IPV in the Australian context for nurses. Nurses regularly encounter people experiencing IPV. However, the survivors may not disclose, and nurses may not recognise IPV.