IPV Survey Definitions

IPV researchers differ in their opinion of what constitutes violence and who is considered an intimate partner.  The Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements for Intimate Partner Violence¹, developed by an expert panel under the auspices of CDC, was used as a guideline for definitions and in questionnaire development.  Thus, the 2000 Kentucky IPV survey includes current and former spouses, boyfriend/girlfriend, cohabiting partners, and dates in its definition of intimate partners.  Both same sex and opposite sex couples are included in the definition.  Emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse and stalking were all included in the definition of intimate partner violence.   

Emotional abuse was defined as one or more of the following behaviors by an intimate partner: “put-downs” or insults; accusations of the respondent’s infidelity; extreme jealousy concerning the respondent; controlling the respondent’s daily activities; forbidding the respondent to have contact with her family and friends; and making the respondent feel uncomfortable during sex.  Extreme emotional abuse included stealing or damaging the respondent’s property, making the respondent afraid or uncomfortable during sex, and harming and/or killing a family pet.  Any respondent who answered yes when asked whether a current or former partner had committed one or more of these behaviors was considered to have suffered emotional abuse by her intimate partner. 

Physical abuse included one or more of the following behaviors by an intimate partner: pushing, grabbing or shoving the respondent; hitting, slapping, kicking or biting the respondent; or throwing objects at the respondent.  Physical abuse also included any threat to hit the respondent or threatening the respondent with a gun or knife.  Actual use of weapons, such as a knife, gun, bottle, blunt instrument, electric cord, rope or scarf, was also considered to be physical abuse.  Women were asked separately about injuries resulting from physical abuse.  Not all physically abusive behaviors caused injuries.  Therefore, a woman who received no injuries from physical abuse was still considered to be an IPV victim. 

Sexual Abuse included two or more of the following behaviors on the part of an intimate partner: any threat to sexually assault, or coercing the respondent to have sex. 

In the analysis of the data, physical abuse and sexual abuse were combined in a category called “physical abuse and/or sexual abuse”.  Any respondent who answered yes when asked whether an intimate partner had committed one or more behavior in any of these categories was considered to have suffered physical abuse and/or sexual abuse by her intimate partner. 

Stalking included one or more of the following behaviors by an intimate partner: making unwanted phone calls to the respondent, spying on or following the respondent, showing up unexpectedly at places the respondent went to, sending unwanted correspondence to the respondent, harassing the respondent at work or at school and leaving unwanted items for the respondent to find.