Intimate Partner Violence: A Global Health Perspective

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is a serious violation of human rights and a significant global health problem. As the largest health workforce worldwide, nurses are well positioned to address this health issue. Based on literature from various countries, this article presents a summary of the literature on health consequences, costs, prevalence, risk factors, perceptions, and manifestations of intimate partner violence, and women's responses to it. Next, building on the author's program of research on intimate partner violence, the article highlights a number of implications for nursing: intersectionality; micro, meso, and macro levels; social violence; violence throughout a woman's lifespan; and the migration context and process. Finally, the article presents research and practice recommendations for nurses and proposes North-South collaborations and capacity-building to address the complex nature of this global health problem.