Project Description Narrative:
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem affecting women across the lifespan and increasing the risk for a number of adverse health outcomes, including depression and adverse birth outcomes. Nearly one-third of American and Wisconsin women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. This means that nearly 714,000 women in Wisconsin have been victims of IPV.
Women in rural or farm settings face unique challenges when suffering from IPV, including geographic and social isolation, lack of privacy, limited resource access, and economic dependence. Recent research has indicated that social networks are a key point of intervention for IPV survivors, and a mechanism by which their health and safety can be improved. Social support is known to have significant benefits for women who are abused, including assisting them in safely separating from violent relationships and reducing the health impacts of violence.
Through this award, project partners will build upon an existing social network of rural Wisconsin women and target programming designed to support women's wellness and self-care.
Additional community partners: Harbor House Domestic Abuse Program; Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection - Farm & Rural Services
Additional MCW academic partner: Amy Kistner, MS, LPC, Family and Community Medicine; Marie Wolff, PhD, Family and Community Medicine