Risk factors for intimate partner violence against women in St. Petersburg, Russia.

This exploratory study examines which risk factors are associated with intimate partner violence against women in St. Petersburg, Russia. Women attending two crisis centers and a birthing house constituted the study sample. The male partner's frequent alcohol consumption and seeing his father hit his mother in childhood were associated with an increased risk of violence, whereas living in a communal apartment reduced the risk of intimate partner violence. The importance of crisis centers in Russia is highlighted by the study, as the women who turn to them are likely to have experienced more severe forms of violence.