1.1 Psychological Intimate Partner Violence

Acknowledging the need for building consensus and consistency in defining, measuring and analyzing psychological IPV, the Joint Programme responded to this critical need by steering the revision of research methodologies on this form of violence, including through extensive consultations with experts. Items in the World Health Organization (WHO) Multi-Country Study instrument were re-worded and similar revisions were suggested to the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) module on domestic violence, including through the DHS Questionnaire Review Consultation. Critical recommendations included focusing on women’s experiences rather than perpetrator intent, and standardizing abuse frequency measures, timeframes and item stems for all psychological IPV items. In 2020, the WHO is conducting/commissioning analyses of microdata from publicly available datasets (e.g. DHS and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights- FRA), the WHO Multi-Country Study and data from national VAW surveys provided by National Statistical Offices (NSOs), that will inform discussions to agree on an operational definition and threshold above which an act or series of acts can be considered psychological IPV (compared to emotional abuse or acts that can be considered unkind or insulting), and derive clear recommendations to countries on how to measure and report psychological IPV.