Role of verbal aggression in perceptions of intimate partner violence: A qualitative research study

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem. Both, physical and non-physical forms of IPV have been linked to increased risk for poor mental and physical health outcomes. Black and Hispanic women and women who live in neighborhoods with very low median income are at higher risk of death or injury due to IPV. Women's perceptions of non-physical forms of violence are rarely studied. This mixed methods study used primarily qualitative and ethnographic methods, and a sociocultural-ecological model of health literacy and discourse analysis to explore verbal aggression as discussed by 9 inner-city female residents from East Harlem and the Bronx, ages 18-35. Participants responded to in-depth interviews that included open-ended questions and a series of view and respond exercises on definitions of IPV and categorization of verbal aggression. Almost all, 8 out of 9 women said that partner violence was a very serious public health problem when compared to diseases like obesity and asthma. Verbal aggression and emotional abuse were perceived to be very damaging to a woman's mental and physical health. Verbally abusive behaviors were rated as being more harmful than other emotionally abusive acts. Women also acknowledged that emotional and physical abuse were both abuse, emotional abuse ultimately being categorized as worse than physical abuse. More than half of the participants repeatedly called attention to verbally abusive behaviors as being a sign for consequent physical abuse. Verbal aggression is an important contributing factor to women‘s perceptions of abuse in intimate relationships.