Journal article
It’s Not all or Nothing: Women’s Differential Use of Help-Seeking Strategies in Response to Intimate Partner Violence
Journal of family violence, Vol.41(1), pp.57-74
01/2026
DOI: 10.1007/s10896-024-00717-9
Abstract
Purpose
Although the intimate partner violence (IPV) help-seeking literature has expanded, limited research examines help-seeking patterns utilizing a broad range of strategies. We examined classes of help-seeking strategies using the Intimate Partner Violence Strategy Index, which includes 39 help-seeking strategies in six categories: formal (e.g., stayed in shelter, called a hotline) and informal networks (e.g., talked to family, friends), legal assistance (e.g., called police, filed charges), safety planning behaviors (e.g., hid money or keys), and resistance (e.g., fought back, ended the relationship) and placating (e.g., tried to keep things quiet, avoided him) tactics.
Methods
The sample included 150 women who experienced IPV and sought civil legal services. We used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify strategy use classes and examined differences in class membership by sociodemographics and IPV experiences.
Results
The LCA identified four classes: High Strategy Use (36% of the sample), Moderate Strategy Use-Resistance Focused (25%), Moderate Strategy Use-Placating Focused (25%), and Low Strategy Use (14%). Women in the High Strategy Use class used an average of 27.35 strategies across all six categories. Women in each Moderate Use class reported high strategy use in one category (i.e., resistance or placating). Women in the Low Strategy Use class used an average of 11.67 strategies with very few safety planning strategies. Class membership was not associated with sociodemographic variables. Women in the High Use Strategy class reported the most frequent and severe IPV.
Conclusions
Examining help-seeking patterns provides comprehensive views of how women cope with violence and can yield tailored interventions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- It’s Not all or Nothing: Women’s Differential Use of Help-Seeking Strategies in Response to Intimate Partner Violence
- Creators
- Lynette M. RennerCarolyn Copps HartleyKnute D. Carter
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of family violence, Vol.41(1), pp.57-74
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10896-024-00717-9
- ISSN
- 0885-7482
- eISSN
- 1573-2851
- Publisher
- SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
- Grant note
We thank Iowa Legal Aid and their AmeriCorps workers for their support and contributions to the project. We also thank the research assistants and interviewers who devoted so much time and effort to the project. Finally, we thank the courageous women who participated in this project. We hope this content accurately represents their voices and experiences.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 09/02/2024
- Date published
- 01/2026
- Academic Unit
- Biostatistics; School of Social Work
- Record Identifier
- 9984701558602771
Metrics
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