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Abstract
Due to prevalence and impairs, intimate-partner-violence (IPV) against women is considered as a problem of high public relevance. IPV causes serious health, social and economic consequences for victims themselves as well as for the whole society. By now a network of advocacy, counselling and shelters is established in Germany informing and supporting victims of IPV. Although the support possibilities are well known, a mere part of women seek help.
Research Questions To explore the circumstances which lead women to search actively for support, defined as addressing oneself to the health sector, the police or the counselling/advocacy, the study will be guided by the question: Which factors have an increasing or decreasing influence on victims behaviour: high personal or social resources, demographic factors, by violence affected children, lack of knowledge about support, a history of abuse (multiple violation) and substance abuse?
Material and Methods Data of the representative survey Health, Well-Being and Personal Safety of Women in Germany (2004), which includes interviews of more than 10.000 randomly sampled women, aged 16 to 85, will be analysed. Secondary data analysis focuses on victims help-seeking-behaviour. The constructs demographics, personal sources, social resources, health status and violence history will be examined in a regression and variance model to determine their influence on the outcome variable active help-seeking. Using a SEM, possible pathways between the constructs and their influence on the behaviour of victims will be described. Study design and first findings will be presented.