Pink or blue... black and blue? Examining pregnancy as a predictor of intimate partner violence and femicide

Abstract

This study explores the effect of pregnancy on women's risk of IPV victimization. Previous studies have produced conflicting findings and have been limited by comparing only two categories of IPV. The current study included analyses of the effect of pregnancy on three statuses of IPV: no abuse, nonlethal abuse, and lethal abuse. The data used for this project are taken from the first phase of the Chicago Women's Health Risk Study (CWHRS). Findings suggest that both nonlethal and lethal abuse statuses differ significantly from no abuse in that women's risk of IPV victimization may decrease during pregnancy. © The Author(s) 2009.