Predictors and consequences of intimate partner violence impacting Korean women
type: CreativeWork
description: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an ongoing health issue in South Korea. IPV has significant adverse effects on women’s lives and causes irreparable injuries. This dissertation sought to examine the physical and mental consequences of IPV and identify which predictors within the intimate relationship develop into actual violence. First, we reviewed the context of intimate partner femicide (IPF), the most serious form of IPV, and factors affecting IPF in South Korea. Findings indicate that Koreans’ relatively low public awareness of IPF compared to its seriousness is partly due to the influence of traditional Korean culture. Societal factors such as a Confucian culture emphasizing traditional Korean women’s roles, patriarchal family structure, and passive police officers have had a tremendous influence on the other factors. Second, we focused on how behavior considered to be romantic in intimate relationships develops into IPV. We found that one partner’s control over the other plays an important role in the progression to IPV perpetration and the insecurity of the adult attachments in this progression. As a result, control over a partner can be considered a warning sign for more severe forms of IPV, including physical, psychological, and sexual violence. Therefore, it is necessary to raise awareness in Korean society and develop sensitivity to recognize dominance over others as unsafe and unhealthy behavior, not as a way for men to express love toward women. Last, using the concept of gender-role stress, we sought to examine how traditional cultural values affect Korean women’s depressive symptoms related to IPV. In addition, we explored how personal resources such as self-esteem and life satisfaction factor into those symptoms. The results showed that gender-role stress was positively related to IPV severity and depressive symptoms and negatively associated with self-esteem and life satisfaction. In summary, findings indicate the importance of accessible and time…
abstract: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an ongoing health issue in South Korea. IPV has significant adverse effects on women’s lives and causes irreparable injuries. This dissertation sought to examine the physical and mental consequences of IPV and identify which predictors within the intimate relationship develop into actual violence. First, we reviewed the context of intimate partner femicide (IPF), the most serious form of IPV, and factors affecting IPF in South Korea. Findings indicate that Koreans’ relatively low public awareness of IPF compared to its seriousness is partly due to the influence of traditional Korean culture. Societal factors such as a Confucian culture emphasizing traditional Korean women’s roles, patriarchal family structure, and passive police officers have had a tremendous influence on the other factors. Second, we focused on how behavior considered to be romantic in intimate relationships develops into IPV. We found that one partner’s control over the other plays an important role in the progression to IPV perpetration and the insecurity of the adult attachments in this progression. As a result, control over a partner can be considered a warning sign for more severe forms of IPV, including physical, psychological, and sexual violence. Therefore, it is necessary to raise awareness in Korean society and develop sensitivity to recognize dominance over others as unsafe and unhealthy behavior, not as a way for men to express love toward women. Last, using the concept of gender-role stress, we sought to examine how traditional cultural values affect Korean women’s depressive symptoms related to IPV. In addition, we explored how personal resources such as self-esteem and life satisfaction factor into those symptoms. The results showed that gender-role stress was positively related to IPV severity and depressive symptoms and negatively associated with self-esteem and life satisfaction. In summary, findings indicate the importance of accessible and time…
author: Kim, Soojeong, Ph. D.
keywords: Intimate partner violence, South Korea, Mental health, Women's health
date published: 2022-08-14
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:00:56Z
provider: University of Texas
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The University of Texas at Austin

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/2152/116445

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.26153/tsw/43340