Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been identified as a significant issue for pregnant and parenting adolescents. This study thematically analyzed data from focus groups with service providers (n = 43) who work with pregnant and parenting adolescents to learn about barriers and strategies for addressing IPV. Service providers described four primary barriers to addressing IPV with their adolescent clients: adolescent clients’ definitions of love, intergenerational relationship patterns, cultural norms about gender and violence, and developmental-contextual considerations. Service providers also indicated that they respond to adolescents’ IPV related concerns by taking steps to identify IPV, building working relationships, and taking appropriate follow-up action. Results suggest that providers can benefit from increased training and skill development in working with IPV, as well as working in interdisciplinary, collaborative teams to increase effectiveness with challenging cases. Programs should consider integrating IPV prevention initiatives that target broader social norms. Future research should pilot and test the effectiveness of targeted IPV training and programmatic interventions with service providers who work with this population.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benson, M. L., Fox, G. L., DeMaris, A., & van Wyk, J. (2003). Neighborhood disadvantage, individual economic distress and violence against women in intimate relationships. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 19(3), 207–235. doi:10.1023/a:1024930208331.
Berg, B. L. (2004). Qualitative research methods for the social sciences (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Brown, L., Puster, K., Vazquez, E., Hunter, H., & Lescano, C. (2007). Screening practices for adolescent dating violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22(4), 456–464.
Burton, C. W., Halpern-Felsher, B., Rankin, S. H., Rehm, R. S., & Humphreys, J. C. (2010). Relationships and betrayal among young women: theoretical perspectives on adolescent dating abuse. Journal of advanced nursing, 67(6) 1393–1405.
Caetano, R., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & Harris, T. (2008). Drinking, alcohol problems and intimate partner violence among white and Hispanic couples in the U.S.: Longitudinal associations. Journal of Family Violence, 23(1), 37–45.
Campbell, J. C., Woods, A. B., Chouaf, K. L., & Parker, B. (2000). Reproductive health consequences of intimate partner violence: a nursing research review. Clinical Nursing Research, 9(3), 217–237.
Campbell, J., Jones, A. S., Dienemann, J., Kub, J., Schollenberger, J., O’Campo, P., et al. (2002). Intimate partner violence and physical health consequences. Archives of Internal Medicine, 162(10), 1157.
CDC. (2000). Healthy People 2010: Volume II. http://www.healthypeople.gov/document/HTML/Volume2/15Injury.htm#_Toc490549392, November 2000.
Chang, J. C., Decker, M. R., Moracco, K. E., Martin, S. L., Petersen, R., & Frasier, P. Y. (2005). Asking about intimate partner violence: advice from female survivors to health care providers. Patient Education and Counseling, 59, 141–147.
Charmaz, K. C. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Coble, Y. D., Estes, E. H., Head, C. A., Karlan, M. S., Kennedy, W. R., Numann, P. J., et al. (1993). Adolescents as victims of family violence. JAMA, 270(15), 1850–1856.
Colarossi, L., Breitbart, V., & Betancourt, G. (2010). Barriers to screening for intimate partner violence: a mixed-methods study of providers in family planning clinics. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 42, 4. doi:10.1080/03630242.2010.498751.
Covington, D. L., Justason, B. J., & Wright, L. N. (2001). Severity, manifestations, and consequences of violence among pregnant adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 28(1), 55–61. doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(00)00154-3.
Curry, M. A., Perrin, N., & Wall, E. (1998). Effects of abuse on maternal complications and birth weight in adult and adolescent women. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 4(1), 530–534. doi:10.1016/S0029-7844(98)00258-0.
del Valle, J. F., Bravo, A., & Lopez, M. (2010). Parents and peers as providers of support in adolescents’ social network: a developmental perspective. Journal of Community Psychology, 38(1), 16–27.
Dutton, M. A., Green, B. L., Kaltman, S. I., Roesch, D. M., Zeffiro, T. A., & Krause, E. D. (2006). Intimate partner violence, PTSD, and adverse health outcomes. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(7), 955–968.
Edelson, M. G., Hokoda, A., & Ramos-Lira, L. (2007). Differences in effects of domestic violence between Latina and non-Latina women. Journal of Family Violence, 22(1), 1–10.
Gessner, B. D., & Perham-Hester, K. A. (1998). Experience of violence among teenage mothers in Alaska. Journal of Adolescent Health, 22(5), 383–388. doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(97)00257-7.
Goodman, L. A., & Epstein, D. (2009). Listening to Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach to Advocacy, Mental Health, and Justice. Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association Press.
Hokoda, A., Galvan, D. B., Malcarne, V. L., Castaneda, D. M., & Ulloa, E. C. (2007). An exploratory study examining teen dating violence, acculturation and acculturative stress in Mexican-American adolescents. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 14(3), 33–49. doi:10.1300/J146v14n03_03.
Ismail, F., Berman, H., & Ward-Griffin, C. (2010). Dating violence and health of young women: a feminist narrative study. Health Care for Women International, 28(5), 453–477.
Jasinski, J. L. (2004). Pregnancy and domestic violence: a review of the literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 5(1), 47–64.
Kennedy, A. C., & Bennett, L. (2006). Urban adolescent mothers exposed to community, family, and partner violence: is cumulative violence exposure a barrier to school performance and participation? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(6), 750–773.
Kitzinger, J. (1995). Qualitative research: introducing focus groups. British Medical Journal, 311(7000), 311–329.
Kulkarni, S. (2006). Interpersonal violence at the crossroads between adolescence and adulthood: learning about partner violence from young mothers. Violence Against Women, 12(2), 187–207.
Kulkarni, S. (2007). Romance narrative, feminine ideals and developmental detours for young mothers. Affilia, 22(1), 9–22.
Kulkarni, S., Bell, H., & Wylie, L. (2010). Why don’t they follow through? Intimate partner survivors’ challenges in accessing health and social services. Family & Community Health, 33(2), 94–105.
Larson, N. C. (2004). Parenting stress among adolescent mothers in the transition to adulthood. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 21(5), 457–476. doi:10.1023/B:CASW.0000043359.38426.b4.
Leadbeater, B. J., Way, N., & Harmon, T. (2001). Relationships that hurt: Escaping domestic violence. Growing up fast: Transitions to early adulthood of inner-city adolescent mothers (pp. 116–137). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Leaman, S., & Gee, C. (2008). Intimate partner violence among adolescent and young adult mothers. Journal of Family Violence, 23(6), 519–528. doi:10.1007/s10896-008-9179-2.
Lewis, J. M., West, B., Bautista, L., Greenberg, A. M., & Done-Perez, I. (2005). Service providers and community members on intimate partner violence within a latino community. Health Education and Behavior, 32(1), 69–83
Milan, S., Lewis, J., Ethier, K., Kershaw, T., & Ickovics, J. R. (2005). Relationship violence among adolescent mothers: frequency, dyadic nature, and implications for relationship dissolution and mental health. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29(3), 302–312. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.2005.00224.x.
Miller, E., Jordan, B., Levenson, R., & Silverman, J. G. (2010). Reproductive coercion: connecting the dots between partner violence and unintended pregnancy. Contraception, 81(6), 457–459. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2010.02.023.
Newman, B. S. & Campbell, C. (2010). Intimate partner violence among pregnant and parenting Latina adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Published online before print. December 13, 2010, doi:10.1177/0886260510388281.
Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (2006). Violence in the lives of adolescent mothers (Conference presentation). Adolescent Family Life Conference. Washington, D.C., January 16–18, 2006.
Rowlands, S. (2010). Social predictors of repeat adolescent pregnancy and focused strategies. Best Practice & Research. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 24(5), 605–616. doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2010.02.016.
Saltzman, L. E., Fanslow, J. L., McMahon, P. M., & Shelley, G. A. (2002). Intimate partner violence surveillance: Uniform definitions and recommended data elements. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/ipv_surveillance/intimate.htm.
Silverman, J. G., Raj, A., Mucci, L. A., & Hathaway, J. E. (2001). Dating violence against adolescent girls and associated substance use, unhealthy weight control, sexual risk behavior, pregnancy, and suicidality. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 286(5), 572–579. doi:10.1001/jama.286.5.572.
Tolman, R. M., & Raphael, J. (2000). A review of research on welfare and domestic violence. Journal of Social Issues, 56(4).
Waalen, J., Goodwin, M. M., Spitz, A. M., Petersen, R., & Saltzman, L. E. (2000). Screening for intimate partner violence by health care providers. Barriers and interventions. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 19(4), 230–237.
Weisz, A. N., & Black, B. M. (2009). Programs to reduce teen dating violence and sexual assault: Perspectives on what works. New York: Columbia University Press.
Wiemann, C. M., Agurcia, C. A., Berenson, A. B., Volk, R. J., & Rickert, V. I. (2000). Pregnant adolescents: experiences and behaviors associated with physical assault by an intimate partner. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 4(2), 93–101. doi:10.1023/A:1009518220331.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kulkarni, S.J., Lewis, C.M. & Rhodes, D.M. Clinical Challenges in Addressing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) with Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents. J Fam Viol 26, 565–574 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-011-9393-1
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-011-9393-1