Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Commons^™

Domestic Violence In The Mountain West, 2026, Isabelle G. Graham, Olivia K. Cheche, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Criminal Justice

This fact sheet presents 2026 data on domestic violence in the five Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The World Population Review report, “Domestic Violence by State 2026,” reports data on the percentage of women and men in each state who report experiences of domestic violence in their lifetime.This fact sheet highlights state-level data on different forms of domestic violence reported across the Mountain West.

The Impact Of Intimate Partner Violence On Young Mother's Mental Health, Claudia Chavez, Clariana Vitória Ramos De Oliveira

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Intimate partner violence (IPV) rates are notably higher among adolescents who are pregnant or have experienced a pregnancy, with physical IPV reaching up to 62%, and psychological abuse being even more common. IPV has serious mental health consequences for adolescent mothers, leading to increased rates of depression and anxiety which can impair caregiving. IPV negatively affects children, increasing the risks of poor maternal bonding, and low birth weight. This study investigates how IPV contributes to adverse mental health outcomes in Brazilian adolescent mothers. A cross-sectional approach was used with data collected between August 2023 to 2024. The study participants were …

Torture And Its Sequelae Among Prostituted Women In The United States, Melissa Farley, M. Alexis Kennedy

Criminal Justice Faculty Research

Background: Extreme violence and psychological abuse have been extensively documented and are pervasive in prostitution. Survivors of prostitution report high levels of posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociation, depression, and self-loathing. These are the same sequelae reported by torture survivors.

Objective: Severe forms of violence have been categorized as torture by experts. The authors note that torture is commonly suffered during prostitution and should be appropriately named.

Method: Using standardized measures and including a new measure of torture, we interviewed 45 women in the United States about their torture experiences in prostitution and their symptoms of PTSD, dissociation, childhood trauma, health status …

The Hidden Struggle: Challenges Older Women Face In Nevada, Annie Vong

Student Research

In 2020, almost one in five Nevadans was over the age of 65.[1] However, within this age group, women outnumber men due to longer life expectancies[2] and migration patterns. Women over 65 years of age make up an estimated 18.1% of the female population in Nevada.[3] Of the male population in Nevada, 15.1% are over 65 years of age.[4] Older women are less likely to be married, are less likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree, are more likely to drop out of the labor force, and are more likely to be living in poverty in …

"We Could And Should Be Doing More": Domestic Violence Advocates' Perceptions Of Agency Training, Elia Del Carmen Solano-Patricio, Shon M. Reed

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Domestic violence advocates are an under-represented part of the criminal justice system. Because of the role that advocates play in supporting diverse populations of victims/survivors, it is important that they be given the opportunity to express their needs regarding onboarding and supplemental trainings. The current study gathers qualitative data from domestic violence advocates around the United States and explores advocates' recommendations for future trainings. Participants generally expressed the need for increased training regarding various victim sub-populations (e.g., LGBTQ+). Future policy implications and avenues of research will be presented.

Women's Safety In Nevada, Tsion Mekonnen, Aika Dietz

Research Briefs

43.8% of Nevadan women experience domestic violence in their lifetime (2020).

Longitudinal Curricular Assessment Of Knowledge And Awareness Of Intimate Partner Violence Among First-Year Dental Students, Charles Buchanan, Karl Kingsley, Rhonda J. Everett

Dental Medicine Faculty Research

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) has previously been recognized as a major public health issue. Oral healthcare providers, such as dentists, are crucial to the screening and identifying of individuals experiencing IPV, since most injuries occur in the head and neck region. A lack of knowledge and awareness regarding teaching and learning about IPV in dental school curricula has been identified. Based upon the overall lack of knowledge, the objective of this study was to conduct a longitudinal assessment of knowledge, awareness, and beliefs regarding IPV among dental students in their first year of education. Methods: All students (n = …

Is Intimate Partner Violence A Risk Factor For Cardiovascular Disease In Women? A Review Of The Preponderance Of The Evidence, Rose Eva Constantino, Alona D. Angosta, Andrew Thomas Reyes, Brayden Kameg, Linden Wu, Jordan Cobb, Vivian Hui, Daisy Palompon, Reema Safadi, Mayada Daibes, Elizabeth Schlenk

Nursing Faculty Research

This paper examines the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) experience in women and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and determines if there is a preponderance of literature evidence. Research is reviewed dealing with the different biopsychosocial factors affecting the relationship between IPV and CVD. As a result of our review, we propose a framework on the biopsychosocial pathway of IPV as a risk factor of CVD of women. Our proposed framework portrays how IPV experiences contribute to long-term biopsychosocial changes that increase the risk of CVD among female victims of IPV. These biopsychosocial changes include chronic inflammation and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction, …

Barbie Doesn't Have Bruises: Gendered Images Of Anxiety And Avoidant Attachment Relationships In Film, Claudia G. Chiang-Lopez

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Viewers’ interpretations of romantic relationships portrayed between those with anxious and avoidant attachments can affect their opinions on what constitutes appropriate relationship behavior. I conducted a literature review on media impacts and offer an interpretation of the implications of the language used to describe characters, relationships and characters’ ends. The films studied - Sunset Boulevard, Sid and Nancy, and The Hustler - showed a pattern where in a relationship between an anxious and an avoidant character, the anxious character was punished, absorbed by their relationship, abandoned, trapped in their life, and cut off from the world. Viewers watch films to …

Relationship Between Child Behavior Problems, Parental Stress, Child Abuse Potential, And Substance Use Among Mothers In The Child Welfare System, Kendra Tracy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Substance abuse, elevated levels of child behavior problems, and high stress are common among mothers who maltreat their children. However, there is a dearth of research that investigates variables associated with specific types of maltreatment, such as child neglect. Complicating matters, contradictory results between studies have been found among the available research. The present study extends research in this area by investigating the relationships between substance abuse, child behavior problems, parental stress, and child abuse potential in a sample of neglectful mothers with co-occurring substance use disorders. A model is proposed in which parental stress mediates the relationship between child …

Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Teens, Tamieka Meadows, Alexis Kennedy

McNair Poster Presentations

This research explores whether commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC) abuse drugs or face greater histories of abuse than their delinquent peers. This research will evaluate whether girls who are CSEC victims experience more abuse of drugs or experience more physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. The study also explores whether CSEC victims witnessed more abuse than non-CSEC victims. A survey of needs and issues facing delinquent girls was given to 130 girls between the ages of 13 to 18. Questions asked about their drug use, abuse history, and whether they witnessed abuse. This research found that many girls who are CSEC …