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Published Online: 10 March 2014

The Role of Violence Against Women Act in Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: A Public Health Issue

Publication: Journal of Women's Health
Volume 23, Issue Number 3

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as violence committed by a current or former boyfriend or girlfriend, spouse or ex-spouse. Each year, 1.3 to 5.3 million women in the United States experience IPV. The large number of individuals affected, the enormous healthcare costs, and the need for a multidisciplinary approach make IPV an important healthcare issue. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) addresses domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It emphasizes development of coordinated community care among law enforcement, prosecutors, victim services, and attorneys. VAWA was not reauthorized in 2012 because it lacked bipartisan support. VAWA 2013 contains much needed new provisions for Native Americans; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gay, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals; and victims of human trafficking but does not address the large amount of intimate partner violence in America's immigrant population. There are important remaining issues regarding intimate partner violence that need to be addressed by future legislation. This review examines the role of legislation and addresses proposals for helping victims of IPV.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Journal of Women's Health
Journal of Women's Health
Volume 23Issue Number 3March 2014
Pages: 253 - 259
PubMed: 24299159

History

Published online: 10 March 2014
Published in print: March 2014
Published ahead of print: 3 December 2013

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Authors

Affiliations

Monica N. Modi
Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Sheallah Palmer
Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida.
Alicia Armstrong
Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

Notes

Address correspondence to:Alicia Armstrong, MD, MHSCRNational Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of Health6100 Executive BoulevardRockville, MD 20852E-mail: [email protected]

Author Disclosure Statement

No competing financial interests exist.

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