ES EN
Vol. 23. Num. 3. - 2014. Pages 209-215

Intimate partner violence during pregnancy: Women’s narratives about their mothering experiences

[Violencia contra la mujer durante el embarazo: Narraciones de mujeres sobre sus experiencias maternales]

Ainhoa Izaguirre1 , Esther Calvete Zumalde1


1Univ. Deusto, España


https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psi.2014.07.010

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue and the most common form of violence against women worldwide. Pregnancy does not protect against this phenomenon, which may cause adverse health outcomes for both the mother and the newborn. The main aim of this study was to assess the impact of IPV on women's pregnancies. Thirty-five Spanish women (mean age = 44.23 years, SD = 10.30)who had suffered IPV were interviewed and asked to explain the violent incidents that they experienced, the mothering skills that they developed toward their children, and the difficulties that they experienced at delivery. The results showed that most of the participants continued to experience psychological and physical abuse during their pregnancy, whereas a few of the participants began to experience sexual abuse. As a consequence of IPV, some mothers suffered negative obstetrical outcomes at delivery. The negative effects of IPV on the women's mothering skills were especially remarkable.

Resumen

La violencia contra la mujer es un problema de salud pública y la manera más común de violencia hacía lamujer a nivel mundial. El embarazo no es un factor de protección ante tal fenómeno, ya que ser víctima de violencia puede generar efectos negativos tanto en la madre como en el recién nacido. El objetivo principalde este estudio fue evaluar el impacto de la violencia en el embarazo de las mujeres. Se entrevistó a 35mujeres (M =44.23 años, DT = 10.30) víctimas de violencia para que narraran los episodios de violencia quesufrieron durante el embarazo y las habilidades maternales que desarrollaron para con sus hijos e hijas yexplicaran las posibles dificultades que padecieron durante el parto. Los resultados muestran que muchasde las participantes siguieron sufriendo violencia psicológica y física durante el embarazo, mientras que unnúmero reducido de mujeres manifestó haber comenzado a experimentar también episodios de violenciasexual. Como consecuencia de la violencia, algunas mujeres padecieron consecuencias negativas al dar aluz. Es de destacar el impacto de la violencia en las habilidades maternales de las mujeres. 

Keywords

Pregnancy
Intimate partner violence
Difficulties at delivery
Mothering skills
Qualitative research

Palabras clave

Embarazo
Violencia contra la mujer
Dificultades durante el parto
Habilidades maternales
Estudio cualitativo
References
 
Altarac and Strobimno, 2002
 
M. Altarac
D. Strobimno
Abuse during pregnancy and stress because of abuse during pregnancy and birthweight
Journal of the American Medical Women's Association
57
2002
208-14
Amor et al., 2009
 
P.J. Amor
E. Echeburúa
I. Loinaz
¿Se puede establecer una clasificación tipológica de los hombres violentos contra su pareja?
International Journal of Clinical Health & Psychology
9
2009
519-39
Ansara et al., 2005
 
D. Ansara
M. Cohen
R. Gallop
R. Kung
B. Schei
Predictors of women's physical health problems after childbirth
Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology
26
2005
115-25
Bacchus et al., 2006
 
L. Bacchus
G. Mezey
S. Bewley
A qualitative exploration of the nature of domestic violence in pregnancy
Violence Against Women
12
2006
588-604
Bailey, 2010
 
B.A. Bailey
Partner violence during pregnancy: Prevalence, effects, screening, and management
International Journal of Women's Health
2
2010
183-97
Berenson et al., 1994
 
A. Berenson
C. Wiemann
G. Wilkinson
W. Jones
G. Anderson
Perinatal morbidity associated with violence experienced by pregnant woman
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
170
1994
1760-9
Bevan, 2014
 
M.T. Bevan
A method of phenomenological interviewing
Qualitative Health Research
24
2014
136-44
Beydoun et al., 2010
 
A. Beydoun
B. Al-Sahab
M. Beydoun
H. Tamin
Intimate partner violence as a risk factor for postpartum depression among Canadian women in the maternity experience survey
Public Health
20
2010
575-83
Bhandari et al., 2011
 
S. Bhandari
L.F.C. Bullock
K.M. Anderson
F.S. Danis
P.W. Sharps
Pregnancy and intimate partner violence: How do rural, low-income women cope?
HealthCareforWomenInternational
32
2011
833-54
Blabey et al., 2009
 
M. Blabey
E.R. Locke
Y.W. Goldsmith
K.A. Perham-Hester
Experience of a controlling or threatening partner among mothers with persistent symptoms of depression
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
201
2009
1-9
Boyatzis, 1998
 
R.E. Boyatzis
Transforming qualitative data: Thematic analysis and code development
1998
Bowlby, 1977
 
J. Bowlby
The making and breaking of affectional bonds I. Aetiology and psychopathology in the light of attachment theory. An expanded version of the Fiftieth Maudsley Lecture, delivered before the Royal College of Psychiatrists, 19 November 1976
The British Journal of Psychiatry
130
1977
201-10
Bowling, 1997
 
A. Bowling
Research methods in health: Investigating health and health services
1997
Burnard, 1998
 
P. Burnard
Qualitative data analysis: Using a word processor to categorize qualitative data in social science research
Social Sciences in Health
4
1998
55-61
Calvete, 2008
 
E. Calvete
Características de salud mental de los hombres que maltratan a su pareja
Revista Española de Sanidad Penitenciaria
10
2
2008
26-33
Campbell and Lewandowski, 1997
 
J.C. Campbell
L. Lewandowski
Mental and physical health effects of intimate violence on women and their children
Psychiatric Clinics of North America
20
1997
353-74
Campbell et al., 2000
 
J.C. Campbell
K.E. Moracco
L.E. Saltzman
Future directions for violence against women and reproductive health: Science, prevention and action
Maternal and Child Health Journal
4
2000
149-54
Campbell et al., 1993
 
J.C. Campbell
C. Oliver
L. Bullock
Why battering during pregnancy?
AWHONN'S Clinical Issues in Perinatal and Women's Health Nursing
4
1993
343-9
Campbell et al., 1992
 
J.C. Campbell
M. Polland
J. Waller
J. Ager
Correlates of battering during pregnancy
Research in Nursing & Health
15
1992
219-26
Chambliss, 2008
 
L.R. Chambliss
 
Intimate partner violence and its implications for pregnancy Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology
51
2008
385-97
Coggins and Bullock, 2003
 
M. Coggins
L.F.C. Bullock
The wavering line in the sand: The effects of domestic violence and sexual coercion
Mental Health Nursing
24
2003
723-38
Coker et al., 2004
 
A.L. Coker
M. Sanderson
B. Dong
Partner violence during pregnancy and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes
Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
18
2004
260-9
Cooper et al., 2009
 
C.E. Cooper
S.S. McLanahan
S.O. Meadows
J. Brooks-Gunn
Family structure transitions and maternal parenting stress
Journal of Marriage and Family
71
2009
558-74
Cox et al., 2003
 
C. Cox
J. Kotch
M. Everson
A longitudinal study of modifying influences in the relationship between domestic violence and child maltreatment
Journal of Family Violence
18
2003
5-17
Davis and Srinivasan, 1994
 
L.V. Davis
M. Srinivasan
Feminist Research within a battered women's shelter
Qualitative Research in Social Work
Columbia University Press
London
1994
347-57
DeSantis and Ugarriza, 2000
 
L. DeSantis
D.N. Ugarriza
The concept of theme as used in qualitative nursing research
Western Journal of Nursing Research
22
2000
351-72
Dutton and Goodman, 2005
 
M.A. Dutton
L.A. Goodman
Coercion in intimate partner violence: Toward a new conceptualization
Sex Roles
52
2005
743-56
Echeburúa et al., 2009
 
E. Echeburúa
J. Fernández-Montalvo
P. de Corral
J.J. López-Goñi
Assessing risk markers in intimate partner femicide and severe violence: A new assessment instrument
JournalofInterpersonalViolence
24
2009
925-39
Edin et al., 2010
 
K.E. Edin
L. Dahlgren
A. Lalos
U. Hogberg
“Keeping up a front”: Narratives about IPV, pregnancy, and antenatal care
Violence Against Women
16
2010
189-206
El Kady et al., 2005
 
D. El Kady
W. Gilbert
G. Xing
L. Smith
Maternal and neonatal outcomes of assaults during pregnancy
Obstetrics and Gynecology
105
2005
357-63
Ellsberg et al., 2008
 
M. Ellsberg
H. Janse
L. Heise
C.H. Watts
C. García-Moreno
Intimate partner violence and women's physical and mental health in the WHO multi- country study on women's health and domestic violence: An observational study
Lancet
317
2008
1165-72
Faasnacht and Woods, 2009
 
C. Faasnacht
D. Woods
 
Transana 2.40 University of Wisconsin System: Wisconsin Center for Education Research
2009
García-Moreno et al., 1283
 
García-Moreno, C., Heise, L., Jansen, H.A., Ellsberg, M., & Watts, C. (2005, November) Public health. Violence Against Women. Science, 310, 1282-1283.
Gazmararian et al., 1996
 
J.A. Gazmararian
S. Lazorick
A.M. Spitz
T.J. Ballard
L.E. Saltzman
J.S. Marks
Prevalence of violence against pregnant women
Journal of the American Medical Association
275
1996
1915-20
Gottlieb, 2008
 
A.S. Gottlieb
Intimate partner violence: A clinical review of screening and intervention
Journal of Women's Health
4
2008
529-39
Haight et al., 2007
 
W.L. Haight
W.S. Shim
L.M. Linn
L. Swinford
Mothers’ strategies for protecting children from batterers: The perspectives of battered women involved in child protective services
Child Welfare
86
4
2007
41-61
Hay et al., 2003
 
D.F. Hay
S. Pawlby
A. Angold
G.T. Harold
D. Sharp
Pathways to violence in the children of mothers who were depressed postpartum
Developmental Psychology
39
2003
1083-94
Hazen et al., 2006
 
A.L. Hazen
C.D. Connelly
K.J. Kelleher
R.P. Barth
J.A. Landsverk
Female caregivers experiences with intimate partner violence and behavior problems in children investigated as victims of maltreatment
Pediatrics
117
2006
99-109
Heding, 2000
 
L.W. Heding
Postpartum, also a risk period for domestic violence
European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
89
2000
41-5
Heise et al., 1999
 
L. Heise
M. Ellsberg
M. Gottemoeller
Ending violence against women Baltimore: John Hopkins University School of Public Health
Population Information Program
1999
Helto and Snodgrass, 1987
 
A. Helto
F. Snodgrass
Battering during pregnancy: intervention strategies
Birth
14
1987
142-7
Helton et al., 1987
 
A.S. Helton
J. McFarlane
E.T. Anderson
Battered and pregnant: a prevalence study
American Journal of Public Health
77
1987
1337-9
Holtzworth-Munroe, 2000
 
A. Holtzworth-Munroe
A typology of men who are violent toward their female partners: Making sense of the heterogeneity in husband violence
Current Directions in Psychological Science
9
2000
140-3
Holtzworth-Munroe et al., 2000
 
A. Holtzworth-Munroe
J.C. Meehan
K. Herron
U. Rehman
G.L. Stuart
Testing the Holtzworth-munroe and Stuart (1994) batterer typology
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
68
2000
1000-19
Holtzworth-Munroe et al., 1997
 
A. Holtzworth-Munroe
G.L. Stuart
G. Hutchinson
Violent versus nonviolent husbands: Differences in attachment patterns, dependency, and jealousy
Journal of Family Psychology
11
1997
314-31
Humphreys and Campbell, 2004
 
J. Humphreys
J.C. Campbell
Family violence and nursing practice
2004
Hussain and Khan, 2008
 
R. Hussain
A. Khan
Women's perceptions and experiences of sexual violence in marital relationships and its effects on reproductive health
Health Care for Women International
29
2008
468-83
Huth-Bocks et al., 2002
 
A.C. Huth-Bocks
A.A. Levendosky
G.A. Bogat
The effects of domestic violence during pregnancy on maternal and infant health
Violence and Victims
17
2002
169-85
Huth-Bocks et al., 2004
 
A.C. Huth-Bocks
A.A. Levendosky
S.A. Theran
G.A. Bogat
The impact of domestic violence on mother's prenatal representations of their infants
Infant Mental Health Journal
25
2004
79-89
Janssen et al., 2003
 
P.A. Janssen
V.L. Holt
N.K. Sugg
I. Emanuel
C.M. Critchlow
A.D. Henderson
Intimate partner violence and adverse pregnancy outcomes: A population- bases study
American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
188
2003
1341-7
Jeanjot et al., 2008
 
I. Jeanjot
P. Barlow
S. Rozenberg
Domestic violence during pregnancy: Survey of patients and healthcare providers
Journal of Women's Health
17
2008
557-67
Krug et al., 2002
 
E. Krug
L. Dalhberg
J. Mercy
A. Zwi
R. Lozano
Word report on violence and health
2002
Lapierre, 2010
 
S. Lapierre
Striving to be “good” mothers: Abused women's experiences of mothering
Child Abuse Review
19
2010
342-57
Leone et al., 2010
 
J.M. Leone
S.D. Lane
E.H. Koumans
K. DeMott
M.A. Wojtowycz
J. Jensen
R.H. Aubry
Effects of Intimate Partner Violence on Pregnancy Trauma and Placental Abruption
Journal of Women's Health
19
2010
1501-9
Letourneau et al., 2007
 
N.L. Letourneau
C.B. Fedick
J.D. Willms
Mothering and domestic violence: A longitudinal analysis
Journal of Family Violence
22
2007
649-59
Levendosky and Graham-Bermann, 2000
 
A.A. Levendosky
S.A. Graham-Bermann
Behavioral observations of parenting in battered women
Journal of Family Psychology
14
2000
80-94
Levendosky et al., 2003
 
A.A. Levendosky
A. Huth-Bocks
D. Shapiro
M. Semel
The impact of domestic violence on the maternal-child relationship and preschool age children's functioning
Journal of Family Psychology
17
2003
275-87
Levendosky et al., 2000
 
A.A. Levendosky
S.M. Lynch
S.A. Graham-Bermann
Mother's perceptions of the impact of women abuse on their parenting
Violence Against Women
6
2000
247-71
Lewis, 2005
 
Lewis, G. (Ed.) (2007). Saving Mothers’ Lives: reviewing maternal deaths to make to make motherhood safer 2004- 2005 . The Seventh Report of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom. Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH). London: CEMACH.
Lipsky et al., 2003
 
S. Lipsky
V.L. Holt
T.R. Easterling
C.W. Critchlow
Impact of police- reported intimate partner violence during pregnancy on birth outcomes
Obstetrics and Gynecology
102
2003
557-64
Lipsky et al., 2004
 
S. Lipsky
V.L. Holt
T.R. Easterling
C.W. Critchlow
Police-reported intimate partner violence during pregnancy and risk of antenatal hospitalization
Maternal and Child Health Journal
8
2004
55-63
Ludermir et al., 2010
 
A. Ludermir
G. Lewis
S. Valongueiro
de Araujo Araya
Violence against women by their intimate partner during pregnancy and postnatal depression: a prospective cohort study
Lancet
376
2010
903-10
Lyons-Ruth et al., 2002
 
K. Lyons-Ruth
R. Wolfe
A. Lyubehik
R. Steingard
Depressive symptoms in parents of children under age 3: Sociodemographic predictors, current correlates, and associated parenting behaviors
Child rearing in America: Challenges facing parents with young children
Cambridge University Press
New York
2002
217-59
Martin et al., 2004
 
S.L. Martin
A. Harris-Britt
Y. Li
K.E. Moracco
L.L. Kupper
J.C. Campbell
Changes in intimate partner violence during pregnancy
Journal of Family Violence
19
2004
201-10
Martin et al., 2001
 
S.L. Martin
L. Mackie
L.L. Kupper
P.A. Buescher
K.E. Moracco
Physical abuse of women before, during, and after pregnancy
Journal of American Medical Association
285
2001
1581-4
Mattson and Rodriguez, 1999
 
S. Mattson
E. Rodriguez
Battering in pregnant Latinas
Mental Health Nursing
20
1999
405-22
Maynard, 1994
 
M. Maynard
Methods, practice and epistemology: The debate about feminism and research
Researching Women's Lives from a Feminist Perspective
Taylor and Francis
London
1994
10-26
McMahon and Armstrong, 2012
 
S. McMahon
D.Y. Armstrong
Intimate partner during pregnancy: Best practices for social workers
Health & Social Work
37
2012
9-17
Moraes et al., 2006
 
C.L. Moraes
A.R. Amorim
M.E. Reichenheim
Gestational weight gain differentials in the presence of intimate partner violence
International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
95
2006
254-60
Morse and Field, 1995
 
J.M. Morse
P.A. Field
Qualitative research methods for health professionals
1995
Peled and Gil, 2011
 
E. Peled
B. Gil
The mothering perceptions of women abused by their partner
Violence Against Women
17
2011
457-79
Pianta and Egeland, 1990
 
R.C. Pianta
B. Egeland
Life stress and parenting outcomes in a disadvantage sample: Results of the mother-child interaction project
Journal of Clinical Child Psychology
19
1990
329-36
Raj et al., 2011
 
A. Raj
S. Sabarwal
M.R. Decker
S. Nair
M. Jethva
S. Krishnan
J.G. Silverman
Abuse from in-laws during pregnancy and post-partum: Qualitative and quantitative findings from low-income mothers of infants in Mumbay, India
Maternal and Child Health Journal
15
2011
700-12
Reinharz, 1992
 
S. Reinharz
Feminist Methods in Social Research
1992
Rolfe, 2006
 
G. Rolfe
Validity, trustworthiness and rigour: Quality and the idea of qualitative research
Journal of Advanced Nursing
53
2006
304-10
Rose et al., 2010
 
L. Rose
J. Alhusen
S. Bhandari
K. Soeken
K. Marcantonio
L. Bullock
P. Sharps
Impact of intimate partner violence on pregnant women's mental health: Mental distress and mental strength
Issues in Mental Health Nursing
31
2010
103-11
Sarkar, 2008
 
N.N. Sarkar
The impact of intimate partner violence on women's reproductive health and pregnancy outcome
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
28
2008
266-71
Seeman et al., 2013
 
I. Seeman
J.L. Jasinski
A. Bubriski-McKenzie
Subjection, subjectivity, and agency: The power, meaning, and practice of mothering among women experiencing intimate partner abuse
Violence Against Women
19
2013
69-88
Shah and Shah, 2010
 
P.S. Shah
J. Shah
Maternal exposure to domestic violence and pregnancy and birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analyses
Journal of Women's Health
19
2010
2017-31
Skinner et al., 2005
 
T. Skinner
M. Hester
E. Malos
Methodology, feminism and gender violence
Researching Gender Violence. Feminist Methodology in Action
Cullompton
Willem
2005
1-22
Suárez-Relinque et al., 2013
 
C. Suárez-Relinque
G. del Moral-Arroyo
M.T. González-Fernández
Consejos prácticos para escribir un artículo cualitativo publicable en Psicología
Psychosocial Intervention
22
2013
71-9
Taylor et al., 2009
 
C.A. Taylor
N.B. Guterman
S.J. Lee
P.J. Rathouz
Intimate partner violence, maternal stress, nativity, and risk for maternal maltreatment of young children
American Journal of Public Health
99
1
2009
175-83
Thexton, 2003
 
W. Thexton
Introducing qualitative research in psychology
2003
Tiwari et al., 2008
 
A. Tiwari
K.L. Chan
W. Leung
D. Brownridge
H. Lam
B. Wong
P.C. Ho
The impact of psychological abuse by an intimate partner on the mental health of pregnant women
Psychosexual Health
115
2008
377-84
Valles, 1997
 
M.S. Valles
Técnicas cualitativas de investigación social: Reflexión metodológica y práctica profesional
Madrid: Síntesis
1997
Weinber and Tronick, 1998
 
M.K. Weinber
E.Z. Tronick
Emotional characteristics of infants associated with maternal depression and anxiety
Pediatrics
102
1998
1298-304
Whiteside-Mansell et al., 2009
 
L. Whiteside-Mansell
R.H. Bradley
L. McKelvey
J.J. Fussell
Parenting: Linking impacts of interpartner conflict to preschool children's social behavior
Journal of Pediatric Nursing
24
2009
389-400
Williams and Brackley, 2009
 
G.B. Williams
M.H. Brackley
Intimate partner violence, pregnancy and the decision for abortion
Mental Health Nursing
30
2009
272-8
World Health Organization, 2005
 
World Health Organization
 
World report on violence and health: Summary Geneva
2005
Yost et al., 2005
 
N.P. Yost
S.L. Bloom
D.D. McIntire
K.J. Leveno
A prospective observational study of domestic violence during pregnancy
Obstetrics & Gynecology
106
2005
61-5

Copyright © 2024. Colegio Oficial de la Psicología de Madrid

© Copyright 2024. Colegio Oficial de la Psicología de Madrid ContactPrivacy PolicyCookies Policy

We use our own and third­party cookies. The data we compile is analysed to improve the website and to offer more personalized services. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more information, see our cookies policy

Aceptar