Abstract
Purpose Current interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators are designed to reduce IPV recidivism by treating risk factors and increasing protective factors. However, these interventions pay less attention to cognitive functioning in IPV perpetrators and how these variables interfere with the future risk of recidivism. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to compare the effectiveness of Standard Intervention Programs for men who perpetrate IPV [SIP] + cognitive training vs SIP + placebo training in promoting cognitive improvements and reducing recidivism. Furthermore, we also aimed to assess whether changes in the risk of recidivism would be related to cognitive changes after the intervention. Method IPV perpetrators who agreed to participate were randomly allocated to receive SIP + cognitive training or SIP + placebo training. Several cognitive variables were assessed before and after the interventions with a complete battery of neuropsychological tests assessing processing speed, memory, attention, executive functions, and emotion decoding abilities. Moreover, we also assessed the risk of recidivism. Results Our data pointed out that only the IPV perpetrators who received the SIP + cognitive training improved their processing speed and cognitive flexibility after this intervention. Furthermore, these participants presented the lowest risk of recidivism after the intervention. Nonetheless, cognitive improvements and reductions in the risk of recidivism after the intervention were unrelated. Conclusions Our study reinforces the importance of implementing cognitive training to reduce risk of recidivism after SIP. Hence, these results might encourage professionals to incorporate neuropsychological variables in IPV intervention programs.
Highlights
30% of women worldwide have experienced some type of physical or sexual violence from their male partners at some point in their lives, whereas the percentage of males who have received physical violence from their female partners is around 15% (Cooper & Smith, 2012; Kellermann & Mercy, 1992; Rollè et al, 2018; Swan et al, 2008; World Health Organization, 2020)
Current interventions and previous research in this field have paid less attention to cognitive functioning in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators and how these variables influence the future risk of recidivism
After intensive cognitive training programs, these patients could present an enhancement of their cognitive functioning that would allow them to benefit more from the knowledge offered in psychotherapy
Summary
30% of women worldwide have experienced some type of physical or sexual violence from their male partners at some point in their lives, whereas the percentage of males who have received physical violence from their female partners is around 15% (Cooper & Smith, 2012; Kellermann & Mercy, 1992; Rollè et al, 2018; Swan et al, 2008; World Health Organization, 2020). The Current interventions for IPV perpetrators are designed to reduce IPV recidivism by treating risk factors and increasing protective factors (Eckhardt et al, 2013; Lila et al, 2019; Murphy et al, 2017; Santirso et al, 2020). Most of these interventions mainly focus on reducing alcohol and/ or drug misuse, attitudes toward violence and/or women, impulsivity, and anger (state and trait), among others. Only a small percentage of IPV perpetrators suffer from schizophrenia (Yu et al, 2019), it could be important to develop cognitive training programs for aggressive individuals with different cognitive deficits and/or alterations, reinforcing patients’ adherence to psychotherapeutic treatment and reduce the future risk of recidivism
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