A Preliminary Exploration of the Influence of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization on Perceptions of Others' Intimate Partner Violence Experiences

Purpose: Psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) will impact almost half of US adults throughout the lifespan and as many as 80% of undergraduate college students; however, psychological IPV remains understudied. Examining perceptions of IPV can aid in the identification of potential barriers to treatment seeking and advance intervention efforts. The current study intended to determine how myths and stigmatizing beliefs about IPV affected the minimization (i.e., neutralization) of IPV acts and how history of psychological IPV victimization could moderate the aforementioned associations. Methods: Participants were undergraduate students in the southeastern United States (N = 52) who were currently, or had previously been, in a relationship for at least 1 month. Data were collected regarding IPV victimization and perpetration and perceptions of IPV, including stigmatizing beliefs, myth endorsement, and neutralizing beliefs. Results: Findings indicated that those reporting higher levels of psychological IPV victimization endorsed more neutralizing beliefs about IPV more stigmatizing beliefs about females experiencing IPV victimization, compared to those reporting fewer stigmatizing beliefs towards females experiencing IPV. That is, individuals who have experienced psychological IPV and also stigmatize females experiencing IPV victimization may tend to normalize IPV. Conclusions: Findings illuminate how perceptions and personal experiences of IPV can minimize someone's views of the severity of others' IPV victimization. This research has implications for highlighting barriers to help-seeking behaviors for individuals experiencing IPV and informing future studies about help-seeking in undergraduate populations.