Do Partners Agree about the Occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence?

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health concern, and thus it is necessary to obtain accurate estimates of IPV. National surveys use two main methods of data collection: the proxy method and/or a method that obtains information from both members of the couple. There is controversy as to whether couples agree about the occurrence of IPV. Determining the extent to which partners agree about this is essential for gaining accurate prevalence rates. This article reviews literature on agreement within this field. The authors surveyed the major studies that have reported couple-level data. Agreement between the couples has been assessed in all of the reviewed research, with varying results. The majority of studies under consideration suggest that there is disagreement between partners about IPV. The authors propose that agreement levels should be high (indicated by several indexes) if the proxy method is to be used to assess prevalence rates.