Content: Approximately half of all victims of intimate partner violence are injured (Truman & Morgan, 2014). There are several different sociodemographic and incident related factors that increase the likelihood of victims being injured such as being a woman, having children present, and the perpetrator being under the influence of alcohol. In the current presentation, we will look at results from a study of police reports of intimate partner violence incidents in South Carolina during a one-year period. In this project, the aim was to use information from police reports to predict visible injuries in victims of intimate partner violence. A range of sociodemographic as well as situation-specific factors was explored as possibly affecting the likelihood of a victim being injured. Specific recommendations will be discussed in regards to documentation of intimate partner violence in police reports.

Presenters: Marie Karlsson, PhD, Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology, Murray State University