Abstract

This study assesses the relationship between threatened/enacted violence against companion animals, intimate partner violence (IPV), fear of lethal violence, and help-seeking in a community sample of IPV survivors in Canada (n = 630). After controlling for socio-demographic covariates, IPV survivors who report animal maltreatment by their partner were significantly more likely to fear for their lives and to seek help from multiple sources of support than survivors who did not report animal maltreatment, with the relationship between animal abuse and help-seeking mediated by survivors’ fear of lethal IPV. Implications for the provision of effective services and supports to this high-risk population of IPV survivors are discussed.

摘要

本研究在加拿大的 IPV 幸存者社区样本 ( n  = 630)中评估了威胁/制定的针对伴侣动物的暴力、亲密伴侣暴力 (IPV)、对致命暴力的恐惧和寻求帮助之间的关系。在控制社会人口学协变量后，与未报告虐待动物的幸存者相比，报告伴侣虐待动物的 IPV 幸存者更可能担心自己的生命并寻求多种支持来源的帮助，这与虐待动物之间的关系幸存者对致命 IPV 的恐惧介导了寻求帮助。讨论了为这一高危 IPV 幸存者群体提供有效服务和支持的意义。