Prevalence and risk factors for intimate partner violence victimization among Arab women in Israel.

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization among Arab women in Israel. This study used social-ecological theory and attachment theory as frameworks to predict the likelihood of women's IPV victimization. In addition, the study examined several sociodemographic factors, adult romantic attachment, and two forms of childhood maltreatment (i.e., experiencing parental violence and witnessing interparental violence) as possible predictors of women's IPV victimization. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a community sample of 303 married Arab women (M_age = 31.8, SD = 6.1) using a self-administered questionnaire. During their marriage, approximately 75% of women reported experiencing some form of IPV victimization, while 65.7% indicated such experiences in the year leading up to the study. The findings from the multivariate logistic regression analyses indicate that women's higher level of education was associated with a lower risk of IPV victimization. The results also revealed a lower risk for psychological IPV victimization among women with employed husbands. Furthermore, low household income was significantly associated with women's physical IPV but not psychological IPV victimization. Conversely, women's attachment insecurities and experiences of childhood maltreatment increased the risk of IPV victimization. These findings emphasize the need to proactively address IPV victimization and its associated risk factors among Arab women across various cultural contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).