A Population-Based Study of the Prevalence and Distinctiveness of Battering, Physical Assault, and Sexual Assault in Intimate Relationships

The types of violence subsumed under the term intimate partner violence includephysical assault, sexual assault, psychological abuse, and battering. This study is thefirst to estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence by type (battering, physicalassaults, and sexual assaults) in a population-based sample of women aged 18 to 45. Theauthors describe the prevalence of partner violence by type as well as the demographic,health behavior, and health status correlates of intimate partner violence by type. Findingssupport the empirical distinction of battering and assault. Battering as measured bythe Women's Experiences With Battering (WEB) Scale provided the most comprehensivemeasure of intimate partner violence.