Open research questions in Intimate Partner and Family Violence

What the literature leaves open

• The paper identifies the challenge of hIDVAs being exposed to acute and severe physical injuries of people who have experienced domestic abuse. The study notes the challenge of vicarious trauma experienced by hIDVAs. The paper highlights the challenge of competing priorities for professionals in a hospital setting, including the need to respond to immediate physical health needs of patients.

  Implementation of health independent Domestic Violence Advisors (hIDVA): a qualitative study in five NHS Trusts · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the identification and response to domestic abuse in healthcare settings. The study highlights the need for healthcare staff to be trained to identify and respond to domestic abuse. The paper notes that domestic abuse is often not identified in healthcare settings, and people who have experienced domestic abuse frequently access healthcare services.

  Implementation of health independent Domestic Violence Advisors (hIDVA): a qualitative study in five NHS Trusts · 2026 · DOI

• Workforce instability poses particular challenges to achieving and sustaining culture change. The absence of family voices in model development and implementation perpetuates professional-centric approaches. Critical gaps exist between assessment capabilities and intervention availability.

  A necessary but not sufficient intervention: Implementing safe and together across Scottish and English sites · 2026 · DOI

• Examining the impact of S&T on client-level benefits, - Investigating the effectiveness of S&T in different organizational contexts, - Developing strategies to address the critical gaps between assessment capabilities and intervention availability

  A necessary but not sufficient intervention: Implementing safe and together across Scottish and English sites · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of validity in risk assessment tools for predicting lethal/near lethal FIPV. The methodological flaws in prior research, including the use of case-control designs. The need for a prospective longitudinal cohort design to examine the validity of predicting lethal/near lethal FIPV.

  The Limits of Predicting Near Lethal and Lethal Family and Intimate Partner Violence · 2026 · DOI

• The gap in evidence on the associations between women's empowerment, community contexts, and IPV risk. The limited understanding of the complex relationships between women's empowerment, community socioeconomic conditions, and IPV. The need for studies that examine the community-level factors that contribute to IPV.

  Linking Women’s Empowerment and Community Contexts To Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Ten West African Countries · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies could examine the relationship between visual memory performance and everyday functioning. Future studies could investigate the practical and clinical significance of the finding that a greater number of IPV-related mild BIs was associated with lower Visual Memory scores. Future studies could replicate the present finding to determine its reliability.

  Examining Associations Between Intimate Partner Violence-Related Brain Injury, Psychological Abuse, and Cognitive Functioning in Community Women · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in recruiting participants from diverse cultural backgrounds. The study had to balance the need for exhaustive coverage of scenarios with the risk of participant fatigue. The study had to ensure the cultural relevance and sensitivity of the materials used.

  Sociocultural Influences on Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Study Across British and Chinese Contexts · 2026 · DOI

• Further research is needed to examine DIPV in other cultural contexts, - Research should investigate how to effectively engage local values and informal controls in prevention efforts

  Sociocultural Influences on Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence: A Qualitative Study Across British and Chinese Contexts · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies challenges related to parenting in congregate shelter environments, including the lack of privacy, autonomy, and surveillance. The study also highlights the challenges of childcare without additional social supports and the burden of constant togetherness. The study notes the limitations of the sample, including the potential for social desirability bias and the lack of representation of Latina or other ethnically diverse mothers.

  Surveillance or Support? Mothers’ Experiences of Parenting in U.S. Intimate Partner Violence Shelters · 2026 · DOI

• Much less is known about how the physical and social structure of IPV shelters shapes the day-to-day realities of mothering. There is a need to understand the emotional, social, and practical dynamics of parenting in shelter environments. The study aims to address this gap by exploring the daily environment of IPV shelters and its impact on maternal bonding and parenting.

  Surveillance or Support? Mothers’ Experiences of Parenting in U.S. Intimate Partner Violence Shelters · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies should investigate the long-term effects of IPF on orphans, - Future studies should examine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing trauma-related symptoms in orphans of IPF, - Future studies should investigate the impact of IPF on orphans' mental health outcomes in different cultural contexts, - Future studies should examine the role of social support in mitigating the effects of IPF on orphans, - Future studies should investigate the potential interaction between sex and presence during the fatal event in predicting post-IPF psychological and behavioral symptoms

  Witnessing the Murder of their Mother: Sex Differences and Psychological and Behavioral Consequences in Orphans from Intimate Partner Femicide · 2026 · DOI

• The impact of grief and trauma on orphans of IPF is not well understood. There is a lack of research on the interactive effect of individual and contextual risk factors on the development of psychological and behavioral symptoms among orphans of IPF.

  Witnessing the Murder of their Mother: Sex Differences and Psychological and Behavioral Consequences in Orphans from Intimate Partner Femicide · 2026 · DOI

• Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the adapted program, - Studies should investigate the long-term impact of the program on VAW and VAC

  Could a Parenting Program be Adapted to Address Both Violence Against Children and Against Women? Views from Stakeholders in Zimbabwe · 2026 · DOI

• The need for a program that explicitly targets both violence against women and children. The importance of engaging fathers in the adaptation process. The lack of a gender-transformative approach in existing programs.

  Could a Parenting Program be Adapted to Address Both Violence Against Children and Against Women? Views from Stakeholders in Zimbabwe · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies the challenge of providing services and referrals to survivors of intimate partner violence in informal settlements. The research highlights the need for a survivor-centered approach and linkage among various stakeholders. The study notes the challenge of addressing intimate partner violence in a context of chronic poverty and inadequate living conditions.

  An Exploration of Pathways to Care and Referral Systems for Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence in Informal Settlements of Nairobi, Kenya: A Qualitative Study · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need for more research on the services and referrals available to survivors of intimate partner violence in informal settlements. Prior work has focused on the prevalence of intimate partner violence, but there is a gap in understanding the ecological framework of intimate partner violence.

  An Exploration of Pathways to Care and Referral Systems for Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence in Informal Settlements of Nairobi, Kenya: A Qualitative Study · 2026 · DOI

• FDSV research, policy and advocacy should incorporate structural analyses of sexuality

  What About the Straights? The Absence of Heteronormativity and the Erasure of Heterosexuality in Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Policy · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies the gap in FDSV policy as the failure to consider the structural implications of heteronormativity. It argues that heteronormativity is not only an LGBTQ+ issue but also a system that constrains and harms heterosexual people.

  What About the Straights? The Absence of Heteronormativity and the Erasure of Heterosexuality in Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence Policy · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies are needed to establish the robustness of this pattern, - Research to explore the impact of the initial pandemic lockdown on rates of self-reported experiences of IPV among pregnant women, - Studies to control for seasonal trends in IPV, - Investigations into the use of retrospective reports regarding experiences of IPV at different time-points

  Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence Amongst Pregnant Women in Northern Ireland · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of studies examining the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on IPV amongst pregnant women. Prior studies have methodological limitations, such as the use of retrospective reports and small sample sizes.

  Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence Amongst Pregnant Women in Northern Ireland · 2026 · DOI

• The challenges include the lack of consensus definition and measurement issues. The study faced difficulties in obtaining participant consent and ensuring data confidentiality. The paper mentions the need for a favourable report from the University of Deusto Ethics Committee.

  Cyber Child-to-Parent Violence: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Adolescents, Parental Figures and Professionals · 2026 · DOI

• Small sample size, - Limited to adolescents, parental figures, and professionals in CPV situations, - Lack of a consensus definition of the CPV construct

  Cyber Child-to-Parent Violence: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Adolescents, Parental Figures and Professionals · 2026 · DOI

• The challenge of identifying and analyzing the disclosure of IPV on social media. The challenge of examining the nature and extent of evidence related to research, practice, and policy. The challenge of situating the study against prior work and identifying gaps in the literature.

  Digital Disclosure of Intimate Partner Violence on Social Media: A Scoping Review · 2026 · DOI

• Further research is needed to explore the intersection of IPV with other social and economic inequalities, - Future studies could investigate the effectiveness of social media interventions in reducing IPV

  Digital Disclosure of Intimate Partner Violence on Social Media: A Scoping Review · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Intimate Partner and Family Violence

• Measuring Intrafamily Conflict and Violence: The Conflict Tactics (CT) Scales · Journal of Marriage and the Family · 1979 · 4,401 citations
• Health consequences of intimate partner violence · The Lancet · 2002 · 2,962 citations
• Prevalence of intimate partner violence: findings from the WHO multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence · The Lancet · 2006 · 2,407 citations
• Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review. · Psychological Bulletin · 2000 · 1,712 citations
• Physical and mental health effects of intimate partner violence for men and women · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · 2002 · 1,681 citations
• Patriarchal Terrorism and Common Couple Violence: Two Forms of Violence against Women · Journal of Marriage and the Family · 1995 · 1,475 citations
• 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 · The Lancet · 2008 · 1,467 citations
• A Systematic Review of Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence · Partner Abuse · 2012 · 1,455 citations
• Intimate partner violence: causes and prevention · The Lancet · 2002 · 1,374 citations
• Intimate Partner Violence as a Risk Factor for Mental Disorders: A Meta-Analysis · Journal of Family Violence · 1999 · 1,361 citations

Most recent work

• Global burden of disease from intimate partner violence against women and sexual violence against children: a call to action · The Lancet · 2026
• The Limits of Predicting Near Lethal and Lethal Family and Intimate Partner Violence · Journal of Family Violence · 2026
• Trapped in Motherhood: Parenthood Regret and Mental Health Among Mothers Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · 2026
• Disability, disclosure, and missed opportunities: a qualitative study of perinatal intimate partner violence screening · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · 2026
• Relationship satisfaction among plurisexual young adults: Understanding the unique role of identity abuse. · Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity · 2026
• “You wish that you had been beaten…”: Women’s experiences of spousal emotional abuse in Jordan: Risk factors and consequences · Health Care For Women International · 2026
• Barriers to domestic violence disclosure in healthcare settings: a scoping review of victim and provider perspectives · BMC Health Services Research · 2026
• Interventions for Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews · Aggressive Behavior · 2026
• The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Victims’ Mental, Physical, and Economic Well-Being: A Comprehensive Literature Review (2012–2022) · Partner Abuse · 2026
• Associations between male child marriage and intimate partner violence across low- and middle-income countries · Nature Health · 2026

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