Men’s Self-Reported Descriptions and Precipitants of Domestic Violence Perpetration as Reported in Intake Evaluations

Abstract

This study examines descriptions and precipitants of domestic violence events, as reported by 24 males in intake interviews for a domestic violence treatment program. Six categories were derived for men’s descriptions/explanations of violent incidents and 11 categories were derived for precipitants of violence. Men’s accounts of their violent interactions reveal a wider range of descriptions than those often discussed in the literature, including direct acknowledgment and remorse. The most frequently reported precipitants were arguments regarding children/pets, violence of partner, alcohol use, overwhelming emotions, and arguments regarding jealousy; these were consistent with previously identified precipitants. Kappas indicated that rates of interrater agreement for descriptions and precipitants reached acceptable reliability. Results extend the widely-cited findings on men’s self-appraisals of intimate partner violence and support past work on proximal factors that elicit violent partner responses. We propose a taxonomy of proximal antecedents of intimate partner violence to integrate present findings with previous research.