Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is behaviour by a current or former intimate partner that causes, or is intended to cause, physical, sexual, psychological, economic, or technological harm. It includes coercive control, stalking, threats, forced sexual activity, surveillance of a phone or social-media account, restriction of money or transportation, and cyber-violence. A single assault qualifies; visible injury is not required. The clinical pattern is often about power and control rather than an isolated argument. A partner may control access to identification, medication, money, a vehicle, a phone, or the health-care team. This control can make a client appear hesitant, inconsistent, or unable to make an immediate decision. Those behaviours should prompt a private assessment, not a judgment that the client is unreliable. The familiar “tension, assault, reconciliation” cycle does not describe every abusive relationship and should never be used to decide whether IPV is present. Periods of affection, apology, or calm can coexist with serious danger. Fear of retaliation, financial dependence, concern for children or pets, immigration-related threats, disability-related dependence, and social isolation may all affect what a client is able...