The Moderating Role of Centrality on the Association Between Internalized Intimate Partner Violence-Related Stigma and Concealment of Physical IPV

The Intimate Partner Violence Stigmatization Model posits that internalized stigma and centrality of experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) to one's self-concept are two intrapersonal factors that influence concealment of IPV. However, research has yet to empirically examine these relationships. The current study examines whether internalized stigma, centrality, and their interaction are related to how out people are about IPV to others. Participants were 57 men and women who were recruited from a predominately urban Northeast community and indicated that they were concealing experiences of physical IPV from others. Results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed a significant internalized stigma x centrality interaction on general outness about one's experiences of IPV. Centrality was associated with more outness about experiences of IPV when internalized stigma was low, but had no association with general outness when internalized stigma was high. In other words, people low in internalized stigma were more out to others when IPV centrality was high and less out to others when IPV centrality was low. However, people high in internalized stigma were less out to others about their IPV victimization regardless of the centrality of IPV. We did not find evidence that internalized stigma and centrality predict disclosure to specific close others such as one's parents or siblings. Women were more likely than men to be out about experiences of IPV to their mother and closest friend. Findings have implications for understanding when and why people victimized by IPV reveal or conceal their experiences to others.