What Are The Risk Factors For Multiple Violent Relationships Over Time?

What you need to know

• Having multiple violent romantic partners over time is common - between 35-56% of people who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) report having more than one violent partner
• Mental health symptoms after trauma, rather than just the trauma experience itself, are linked to increased risk of having multiple violent partners
• A 10-session group therapy program called the Moms’ Empowerment Program was effective at reducing the likelihood of having additional violent partners over an 8-year period

Background

Understanding why some people experience violence in multiple romantic relationships is important for developing effective prevention and intervention programs. While past research has looked at what puts someone at risk for experiencing partner violence again with the same partner, less is known about what leads to having violent relationships with different partners over time. This study followed 120 mothers who had experienced partner violence for 8 years to learn more about these risk factors.

Types of Partner Violence Matter

The research found that different types of partner violence were linked to different levels of risk:

• Women who experienced more psychological abuse (like threats, insults, and controlling behavior) were more likely to have additional violent partners later
• Those who experienced more sexual violence were less likely to have additional violent partners
• The amount of physical violence experienced wasn’t connected to having more violent partners later

The researchers suggest this might be because some forms of violence, like sexual assault, may be more clearly recognized as abuse. This recognition could help people avoid similar relationships in the future. In contrast, psychological abuse may be harder to identify as violence, making it more difficult to spot warning signs in new relationships.

Mental Health Plays a Key Role

A key finding was that mental health symptoms after experiencing violence were more strongly linked to having multiple violent partners compared to the violent experiences themselves. Specifically:

• Having more trauma-related flashbacks and intrusive memories was linked to having fewer violent partners over time, possibly because these symptoms made people more cautious about new relationships
• Depression-related symptoms influenced risk in different ways:
  • Lower levels of positive emotions were linked to having more violent partners
  • More physical symptoms of depression (like changes in sleep or appetite) were also connected to having more violent partners
  • Feelings of sadness or interpersonal difficulties weren’t significantly related to having additional violent partners

Social and Economic Factors

The study also found that certain life circumstances affected risk:

• Lower income was linked to having more violent partners over time
• Surprisingly, having more stable housing was connected to having more violent partners
• Employment status wasn’t related to having additional violent partners

Treatment Can Help

An important finding was that participating in a 10-session group therapy program called the Moms’ Empowerment Program significantly reduced women’s likelihood of having additional violent partners over the 8-year study period. The program focuses on:

• Building empowerment and safety
• Addressing patterns of violence across generations
• Improving communication
• Developing emotion regulation skills
• Connecting participants with community resources

Conclusions

• The risk of having multiple violent partners appears more connected to how someone copes with trauma rather than just experiencing trauma itself
• Different types of partner violence create different levels of risk for future violent relationships
• Mental health symptoms, particularly depression and trauma-related symptoms, play an important role in risk
• Group therapy focused on empowerment and coping skills can help reduce the risk of having additional violent partners
• Prevention and intervention programs should focus on helping people recognize psychological abuse and address mental health needs alongside safety planning

Notes About the Research

The study had some limitations:

• Many participants dropped out over the 8-year period
• The measurement of violent partners relied on a single question
• Only mothers were included, so findings may not apply to other populations
• Information about the nature of relationships and context of violence wasn’t collected
• Partner violence by both people in the relationship wasn’t measured

Despite these limitations, this long-term study provides valuable insights into what puts someone at risk for multiple violent relationships and how treatment can help reduce this risk.