A LITERATURE REVIEW OF STRATEGIES FOR THE PREVENTION OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE DURING THE CHILDBEARING YEARS

This narrative literature review examines the peer-reviewed research in English on the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) during the childbearing years, published between January 2000 and January 2015. It shows that in the 43 articles that were located there is a disproportionate emphasis on making females responsible for not becoming victims of IPV, especially if they are mothers, who are made responsible for ensuring not only their own but also their children's safety. Also noted is a striking lack of research on the prevention of IPV perpetration in males, particularly fathers. Even the current IPV research that focuses on interventions with males, notes the absence of interventions specifically designed for fathers and calls for both a better understanding of the underlying factors that contribute to male violence and a focus on interventions tailored to preparing men for the challenges of fatherhood. Two such programs are described in the final section of this review.