Risk factors for male perpetration of intimate partner violence: A review

Abstract

Despite the growing body of evidence on IPV perpetration, most have focused on interventions for women and on screening and referral strategies by physicians and other non-physician primary health care workers. The objective of this paper is a review of the literature on male perpetration of intimate partner violence. The databases of PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences were searched for the years of 1980 up to August 30, 2020. 135 articles were screened, and 87 articles were reviewed based on a modified PRISMA method. Common risk factors for both the perpetration of IPV and male interpersonal violence include substance abuse; growing up in a violent home/witnessing violence at an early age; gendered motivations to aggressive behavior, socioeconomic norms and conditioning; and access to firearms. Intimate partner violence is a complex interplay of individual, community based, social and policy factors. Determining the risk factors for male perpetration of IPV may influence screening and referral strategies among physicians and non-physician health care workers with a special emphasis on males in adolescence and into adulthood.