Self-Protective Behaviors and Injury in Domestic Violence Situations: Does it Hurt to Fight Back?

Abstract

Routine activities theory has different implications regarding situational crime prevention when applied to domestic violence. Indeed, it is often impossible for the victim to make herself a less suitable target or increase capable guardians. Therefore, women sometimes engage in their own form of situational crime prevention; self-protective behaviors. However, relatively little is known empirically about self-protective behaviors, their prevalence, context, and link to victim injury. Using both quantitative and qualitative data from the Women's Experience of Violence (WEV) funded NCOVR project, I explored the phenomenon of self-protective behaviors in domestic violence situations to examine whether the use of self-protective behaviors impacts the probability and severity of subsequent injury. I found that forceful physical behaviors increase injury whereas both forceful and nonforceful verbal behaviors actually served as a protective factor against subsequent injury.