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Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy and 1-Year Post-Partum

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Abstract

Using data on a nationally representative cohort of pregnant women in US cities, this study examines the prevalence and correlates of interpersonal violence (IPV)—physical, emotional, and coercion-control—during pregnancy and 1 year after birth. Overall, 33% of mothers and 40% of fathers experience some form of IPV during or after pregnancy. Hispanic women and those no longer romantically involved with their children’s fathers were most likely to experience IPV during pregnancy. Less educated women, women who reported that they or their spouses used substances (i.e., alcohol or illicit drugs), and women who reported that their pregnancy was unwanted were at high risk of IPV both during and after their pregnancy. Violence during pregnancy strongly predicted violence after pregnancy. Recent immigrants were among the least likely to leave a violent relationship 1-year post-partum. US-born women who were employed during their pregnancy were among the most likely to leave an abusive relationship 1-year post-partum.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Foundation for Child Development for their financial support. This research uses data from the Fragile Families Study, a study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD36916) and a consortium of private foundations. Persons interested in obtaining Fragile Families data should contact the Center for Research on Child Wellbeing, Princeton University, NJ, 08544 http://crcw.princeton.edu/fragilefamilies/index.asp).

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Correspondence to Krista M. Perreira.

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Charles, P., Perreira, K.M. Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy and 1-Year Post-Partum. J Fam Viol 22, 609–619 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-007-9112-0

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