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  • The Influence of Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence on the Parent-child Relationship
    Publication . Vasconcelos, Diana; Machado, Andreia; Caridade, Sónia; Cunha, Olga
    Purpose Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health issue and a human rights violation. Recent studies have revealed that most IPV is bidirectional rather than unidirectional, which can result in serious consequences for those involved. However, the impact of bidirectional violence (BV) on parenting, and more specifically on the parent-child relationship, is understudied. Thus, this study aims to understand the impact of BV on the parent-child relationship and analyze the differences in the perceptions about the quality of the parent-child relationship between parents involved in unidirectional IPV, parents involved in bidirectional IPV, and parents without IPV. Methods The sample comprised 138 participants of both sexes, aged 18 years or over, and with underage children. The study was conducted online, and data were collected through a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Inventory of Marital Violence, and the Inventory of Parent-Child Relationship. Results Parents (male and female) involved in bidirectional IPV reported that the communication dimension was the most impacted and presented perceptions of lower quality in the relationship with their children than parents involved in unidirectional IPV perpetration. Conclusions These results suggest that individuals involved in BV might transpose the dynamics they establish in their marital relationship to their relationship with their children, resulting in less positive parent-child relationships. A new perspective on victim and perpetrator profiles emerges from this study, which should be considered regarding parenting intervention.
  • Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence and COVID-19-Related Anxiety During the Second Lockdown in Portugal: The Mediating Role of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress
    Publication . Cunha, Olga; Caridade, Sónia; De Castro Rodrigues, Andreia; Cruz, Ana Rita; Peixoto, Maria Manuela
    Abstract Purpose The restrictions imposed during lockdown by COVID-19 pandemic entailed increased risks for the perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV). Widespread fear and uncertainty related to the virus and the policies adopted to contain it have been linked to a set of social, emotional, and economic stressors that can increase the risk of IPV. The present study aims to assess the association between COVID-19-related anxiety, psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress), and IPV perpetration in the community, as well as to assess the mediating role of psychological distress and depression, anxiety, and stress in the relationship between COVID-19-related anxiety and the perpetration of IPV. Methods A sample of 336 participants (282 females, Mage = 34.91, SD = 11.72) was recruited from the Portuguese population through an online self-report questionnaire, completed after the second lockdown (from April and July 2021). Results High rates of IPV perpetration during the confinement, in particular psychological and physical IPV, were found. COVID-19-related anxiety and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) were related to higher levels of IPV perpetration. Psychological distress and stress mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related anxiety and total IPV perpetration and psychological distress and depression mediated the relationship between COVID-19-related anxiety and psychological IPV perpetration. Conclusions This study highlights the mediating role of psychological distress on IPV perpetration. Practical implications for intervention policies in IPV perpetration will be discussed.
  • Effectiveness of the Motivational Interviewing Techniques with Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence: A Non-Randomized Clinical Trial
    Publication . Cunha, Olga; Almeida, Telma Catarina; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa; Caridade, Sónia
    The effectiveness of perpetrators’ intervention programs (PIPs) remains controversial. Readiness and motivation for change are associated with treatment success among intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. In this study, we aimed to verify whether adding Motivational Interviewing Techniques (MIT) during the intake phase of a standard PIP (SPIP) increases treatment adherence. We also sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the MIT plus SPIP concerning an SPIP alone. In this non-randomized clinical trial, 50 participants were assigned to one of the two conditions SPIP alone or MIT plus SPIP. Data were collected at baseline and the end of the intervention. Proximal outcomes (dropout, intervention dose, motivation, attitudes toward IPV, problem-solving skills) and final outcomes (IPV perpetration, risk of IPV) were assessed. The Reliable Change Index (RCI) was also computed. Results indicated that SPIP plus MIT participants concluded the curriculum in a more advanced stage of change, revealed more readiness to change, evidenced greater clinical improvements, and displayed higher reductions in attitudes toward IPV, IPV perpetration, and recidivism risk than SPIP participants. These findings point to MIT’s ability to promote readiness to change and progression into the stages of change, enhancing intervention efficacy with IPV perpetrators. (NCT05484440).