From Silence to Multisector Support: Latent Classes of Help-Seeking After Intimate Partner Violence

Women experiencing intimate partner violence may disclose abuse to personal contacts, approach institutions, or use both. We examined the frequency, correlates, and combinations of these responses in Ecuador. The 2019 National Survey on Family Relationships and Gender-Based Violence against Women provided data on 4475 married or cohabiting women aged 15 years or older reporting current-partner violence. Survey-weighted latent class analysis identified groups with similar combinations of six types of personal and institutional contact among 2346 women who reported at least one type. A separate survey-weighted logistic regression examined characteristics associated with disclosure or institutional contact. Across the full sample, 49.34% reported neither. Latent class analysis suggested three profiles among women who identified a source. Focused informal disclosure (41.09%) usually involved one category of personal contact, while diversified network response (55.41%) involved broader personal networks and some institutional contact. Multisector institutional response (3.49%) combined police or emergency services, justice services, and personal contacts. These percentages describe the latent class sample. The multisector institutional response profile represented 1.74% of the full sample and had the highest prevalence of several violence indicators and consequences. Physical and repeated violence were associated with higher odds of any response, and rural residence with lower odds. In a secondary comparison, institutional contact was more common among separated or divorced women reporting former-partner violence than among women in ongoing unions (22.84% versus 9.69%). The profiles show how personal networks remain involved across different levels of institutional contact. Longitudinal research should examine which combinations sustain assistance and improve safety.