Answer: Participation in Counseling or Therapy (Option B)
Participation in counseling or therapy is NOT a risk factor for intimate partner violence victimization—rather, it is a protective intervention that reduces IPV exposure and associated harms. 1
Evidence Supporting Counseling as Protective, Not a Risk Factor
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines demonstrate that behavioral counseling interventions significantly reduce IPV victimization rather than increase risk:
Prenatal and postpartum behavioral counseling reduced recurrent IPV episodes during pregnancy and postpartum (adjusted OR 0.48,95% CI 0.29-0.80), showing counseling actively protects against victimization 1
Mentoring support programs significantly reduced abuse scores in women who disclosed IPV compared to usual care 1
Counseling interventions for pregnancy coercion helped women discontinue unsafe relationships and decreased pregnancy coercion among those with baseline IPV 1
Psychological therapies probably reduce depression (SMD -0.24,95% CI -0.47 to -0.01) and may reduce anxiety (SMD -0.96,95% CI -1.29 to -0.63) in IPV survivors, with no evidence of harm 2
Actual Risk Factors for IPV Victimization
In contrast, the other options represent established risk factors:
Lower Education Levels (Option A) - CONFIRMED RISK FACTOR
- Having parents with less than high-school education is a significant risk factor (OR 1.55,95% CI 1.10-2.17) 3
- Low maternal education is consistently associated with IPV victimization 1
History of Abuse (Option C) - CONFIRMED RISK FACTOR
- History of childhood sexual and/or physical abuse is an established risk factor for adult IPV victimization 1
- Prior victimization creates high risk for revictimization 4
Infidelity (Option D) - CONFIRMED RISK FACTOR
- While not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence, relationship factors including separated/divorced status are documented risk factors 1
- Relationship dynamics and partner behaviors contribute to IPV risk in the socioecologic model 1
Clinical Implications
Counseling should be actively offered, not avoided, as it represents evidence-based intervention rather than risk:
- Screening followed by counseling interventions shows moderate net benefit with harms no greater than small 1
- Multiple intervention modalities (home visitation, mentoring, safety planning, cognitive-behavioral therapy) all demonstrate protective effects 1, 2
- No trials reported adverse events from psychological therapies or participation in counseling interventions 2
Common pitfall: Survivors may be reluctant to disclose mental health treatment or counseling participation due to fears of stigmatization in legal proceedings, but this reflects systemic bias rather than counseling being a risk factor 1