Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) deals with

sexual violence Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted Human sexual activity, sexual act, an attempt to obtain a sexual act through violence or coercion, or an act directed against a person's sexuality without their consent, by any individual regardless of ...

within the context of

domestic violence Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

. Intimate partner sexual violence is defined by any unwanted sexual contact or activity by an intimate partner in order to control an individual through fear, threats, or violence. Women are the primary victims of this type of violence.

Domestic violence and sexual abuse

Domestic

, such as forced sex or marital

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...

, may follow or be part of physical abuse, but is not always the case. In

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, studies estimate that 40–52% of women experiencing physical violence by an intimate partner have also been sexually coerced by that partner. Sexual violence may occur without physical violence. In the Indian state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

, in a representative sample of over 6000 men, 7% reported having sexually and physically abused their wives, 22% reported using sexual violence without physical violence and 17% reported that they had used physical violence alone. The percentage of women who are victims of physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner is around thirty.

Types of coercion

Aggressors can use different techniques to sexually abuse their partner.

Emotional coercion

Emotional coercion can be seen through the use of threats, manipulation, harassment, and neglect. A study shows that the harm done through this type of coercion is comparable to that done by rape.

Threats to a third party

Threats to a third party involve threatening the victim to do what the abuser wants or else they will inflict pain on people the victim cherishes.

Threats of harm to the victim

Threats of harm to the victim imply threatening to inflict pain on the victim, whether by the intimate partner or by outsiders.

Physical force

Physical force is the use of objects, substances, and/or one's own body to obtain sex. Homicide committed by an intimate partner is often preceded by sexual acts obtained through physical force.

Health effects

Intimate partner sexual violence is linked to sexual, physical, psychological, and reproductive damage. The effects can vary in duration. Women who are victims of intimate partner sexual violence are at high risk of getting HIV and STIs. One reason for this is that men who are violent in this manner usually have dangerous habits like engaging in sexual acts with many individuals. Victims of intimate partner sexual violence are also at risk of having undesirable pregnancies,

abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion, is an end to pregnancy resulting in the loss and expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb before it can fetal viability, survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks ...

s, and

stillbirth Stillbirth is typically defined as fetus, fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without vital signs, signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt (emotio ...

Infertility In biology, infertility is the inability of a male and female organism to Sexual reproduction, reproduce. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy organism that has reached sexual maturity, so children who have not undergone puberty, whi ...

is another possible consequence of this violence on women. Young victims of intimate partner sexual violence can come to adopt unhealthy behaviors such as the use of alcohol and drugs. Children who have seen intimate partner sexual violence are profoundly affected psychologically. They can experience

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...

, depression, and

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

. Children are likely to incorporate what they see into their belief systems because they are accustomed to it.

Incidence by country

Studies indicate that sexual assault by an intimate partner is neither rare nor unique to any particular region of the world. For instance, 23% of women in North

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, reported having been the victim of either an attempted or completed rape by a partner in their lifetime. Similar figures have been reported for

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...

(23.0%),

León, Nicaragua León () is the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. Founded by the Spanish as Santiago de los Caballeros de León, it is the capital and largest city of León Department. , the municipality of León has an estimated population of ...

, (21.7%),

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

(22.5%), and for the Midlands Province in

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

(25.0%). The prevalence of women sexually assaulted by an intimate partner in their lifetime (including attempted assaults) has also been estimated in a few national surveys (for example,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

8.0%,

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

(combined) 14.2%,

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

5.9%,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

11.6% and the

7.7%, Nigeria 22.3). in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

According to estimates, 220,000 women are victims of violence, 94,000 are raped each year and at least 100 were killed by their partners in 2021. Around 30% of sexual violence offenders were found to have committed violence before, 29% of complaints cases failed to move from police to the judiciary and 80% are closed without getting justice. The table below summarizes some available data on the prevalence of sexual coercion by intimate partners.

References

External links

National organizations

MenCanStopRape.org

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
the United States' largest anti-sexual assault organization.
Sexual Assault Care Centre Scarborough
An extensive resource for victims/survivors of sexual assault.

Support organizations

Casualspace
online support group with forums, mobile ready chat rooms, and blogs. Resources and information on several categories pertaining to abuse.
After Silence
online support group and forums and chat room for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, and their supporters.
Pandora's Aquarium
an online support group, message board, and chat room for sexual assault survivors and their supporters.
Support for Victims and Their Family
Support for Victims and Their Family

Research and information

Award Winning Documentary on Sexual Assault and Healing

Rape Crisis Information Pathfinder- research on sexual assault

U.S. Army Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Program
{{Sex Medical emergencies Intimate partner violence Gender and society Sexism Criminology Rape Sexual violence ar:إعتداء جنسي ca:Agressió sexual de:Sexuelle Nötigung he:תקיפה מינית nl:Aanranding ja:性的暴行