From collective to interpersonal violence: a study of intimate partner violence among North Korean refugees exposed to human rights violations in North Korea

Background: To examine prevalence and patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment among recently displaced North Korean refugee population and their association with exposure to human rights violations in North Korea. Little is known about the experience of IPV and child maltreatment among this population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, cross sectional survey among 383 recently displaced North Korean refugees through respondent driven sampling in South Korea in 2014-2015. Respondents were asked about exposure to any types of IPV, including physical, emotional, sexual violence by the partners in last 1 year, their experience as perpetrator toward intimate partner or children. Also attitudes toward intimate partner violence and child maltreatment were measured using Revised Attitudes towards violence scale. Full range of human rights violations in North Korea were collected by human rights violation inventory (HRVI-NK) along with resilience, traumatic experience and other factors related to forced migration and resettlement. Results: The study provided detailed data on high prevalence of exposure to intimate partner violence (56.5%, CI 51.5-61.5) in both male (66.7%) and female (52.6%) in last 1 year with emotional violence being the most common. 15.7% (CI 12.3-19.8) of respondents reported they were engaged in IPV, and 25.9% (CI 21.7-30.7) in child maltreatment. Experience of IPV and child maltreatment is statistically associated with Attitude toward violence, poor mental health and previous exposure to human rights violations, especially related to political and civil rights in North Korea Conclusions: High prevalence of IPV and child maltreatment among North Korean refugees are associated with previous exposure to human rights violation in North Korea, and need urgent attention of public health researcher and practitioners.