Poster #37
Sexual Coercion, Intimate Partner Violence, and Homicide: A Scoping Literature Review
By: Emily Smith. Co-authored by Beth A. Bailey, and M. Ariel Cascio
Abstract:
Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with an increased risk of sexual coercion that can lead to unintended pregnancy, and intimate partner homicide (IPH) is frequently reported as a leading cause of death among pregnant women in the United States. These trends suggest a relationship between sexual coercion and IPH as well as avenues for IPH prevention. However, the specific relationship between sexual coercion and IPH is poorly understood.
Objective: This scoping literature review serves to summarize the current understanding of three main themes: sexual coercion, IPV during pregnancy, and IPH, and to build a conceptual model that explores how these forms of violence interrelate. We evaluate the applicability of this model in the context of IPHs in Colorado reported through the National Violent Deaths Reporting System (NVDRS) during the Colorado Family Planning Initiative (CFPI), a large-scale program aimed at reducing unintended pregnancy by increasing access to contraception.
Methods: We completed a scoping literature review from June 2020-December 2020 to identify studies exploring the three themes and performed a descriptive secondary analysis of IPHs in Colorado during the duration of CFPI using the NVDRS to assess correlation between unintended pregnancy and IPHs over the same timespan.
Results: We identified 101 studies that met eligibility criteria and proposed a conceptual model which suggests unintended pregnancies may serve as both a risk factor and a productive of IPV which may escalate to lethal violence. Moreover, IPHs in Colorado declined by 62% during the first 4 years of CFPI alongside a 26% drop in statewide unintended pregnancies.
Conclusion: Sexual coercion, IPV during pregnancy, and IPH are interwoven forms of abuse that may be viewed as unique avenues for intervention to reduce community violence. Through this model, reducing unintended pregnancy may be a useful approach for intervention to reduce both lethal and nonlethal IPV.
emily smith
Emily Smith is a third-year medical student planning to pursue the field of psychiatry. Prior to medical school, Emily completed coursework during her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan in gender-based violence and began volunteering at a local domestic violence shelter. Upon graduation, she accepted a full-time position as a shelter advocate where she managed a case load of families experiencing homelessness due to violence and provided crisis counseling, intimate partner violence education, and worked to empower families with the necessary resources to move forward. Emily has continued to volunteer at a local DV shelter as a crisis line volunteer during medical school and has performed research focused on abusive healthcare experiences among college students, and spearheaded research exploring sexual coercion and intimate partner homicide. She has been involved in this field for the past 5 years and looks forward to continuing this work in her future career.