Intimate Partner Violence

The Injury Prevention Service has conducted programs and projects that deal with intimate partner violence and violence against women. The purpose of these programs is to estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Oklahoma, determine the extent of fatal and nonfatal injuries, identify factors that contribute to intimate partner violence, identify strategies and policies needed to reduce violence against women, and provide training to medical and other service professionals in order to enhance and improve victim services.

Intimate partner violence is defined as violence that occurs between current or former marital and non-marital partners, including dating and courtship relationships and same-sex partners. Intimate partner violence occurs among all ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic groups. It is most prevalent among women of childbearing age. According to the 1995 National Violence Against Women Survey, 1.3 million women are assaulted and 200,000 women are raped by intimate partners annually.

In 1999, the Injury Prevention Service received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct intimate partner violence surveillance. The purpose of the grant was to estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Oklahoma, determine the extent of injuries treated in hospitals and resulting in death, and provide training to health care providers on recognizing and referring patients who are abused. Data on intimate partner violence was collected in two separate venues. Data was collected in all Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area hospitals from July 2000 – December 2001. In 2002, data was collected in a statewide random sample of Oklahoma hospitals.

The data sources included the Oklahoma Women’s Health Survey (a random-digit self-report telephone survey), hospital emergency department and inpatient medical records, and medical examiner reports. In Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area hospitals, 1,151 persons were treated for IPV injuries during the 18-month period of data collection; 96% of persons were treated and released in the emergency department and 4% were hospitalized. Ninety percent of persons were females and 10% were males. Females, 25-34 years of age had the highest rate of intimate partner violence injuries and a disproportionate number of African Americans were treated in emergency departments for intimate partner violence injuries. Similar results were obtained from statewide data collected in 2002.

• Summary of Reportable Injuries: Intimate Partner Violence in Oklahoma (Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, 7/2000 -12/2001)
• Summary of Reportable Injuries: Intimate Partner Violence in Oklahoma (Statewide, 2002)

Related Reports

• Injury Update: Assaults in the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area (54k .pdf)
• Injury Update: Oklahoma Women and Sexual Violence - Beliefs, Opinions, and Victimization: Results from a Random Telephone Survey (46k .pdf)
• Fact sheet about Sexual Violence (31k .pdf)

Training in Domestic Violence

On August 10, 11, and 12, 2004, Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell, Ph.D, RN, FAAN, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, presented three consecutive trainings on domestic violence at Norman Regional Hospital. A pamphlet for health care providers to conduct a brief medical intervention and the presentations from these trainings are posted here in pdf format.

• Medical Intervention (pdf 159 kb) (August 10, 2004) focuses on medical assessments and interventions for domestic violence to improve the medical response to victims of abuse including issues of screening, identification, referrals, and medical documentation.
• Lethality Assessment (pdf 664 kb) (August 11, 2004) focuses on factors associated with intimate partner homicides and the use of lethality assessment instruments.
• Children First Domestic Violence Workshop (pdf 138 kb) (August 12, 2004) focuses on domestic violence issues from the home visitor perspective with recommendations for nurse home visitation programs.