Partner-violent Men Research Articles

Latent class analysis of the heterogeneity of intimate partner violent men: Implications for research and practice.

Latent class analysis of the heterogeneity of intimate partner violent men: Implications for research and practice.

“It’s Not Just Dad Who’s Got Problems”: Feminist Phenomenology and Young Men’s Violence Against Women

Research on men who have been violent against women has often shown how these men justify or excuse their violence, minimize their responsibility, as well as construct dominant forms of masculinity. However, as attitudes in support of intimate partner violence are declining around the world, we might expect perpetrators to become less self-righteous and more self-critical about their violence. This article reports data from a qualitative interview study with 14 young partner-violent men in Sweden. While our participants sometimes downplayed their responsibility, more often they condemned violence in intimate relationships, and reflected upon the place of violence in their lives. This included experiences of domestic violence as children, as well as their processes of moving away from violence. Drawing on feminist readings of phenomenology, particularly Heidegger, we suggest that phenomenological conceptualizations of embodiment, consciousness and practice are helpful in understanding the experiences of partner-violent men.

Factor structure, psychometric properties, and proposal for a brief-form version of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale: Validation in a court-referred partner-violent men sample

Psychopathy has been widely studied among criminal populations. Most analyses address it in institutionalized populations, however, the present study examines the psychometric properties of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP) in 642 court-referred partner-violent men serving suspended prison sentences. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor structure (primary and secondary psychopathy) of the original scale. The resulting scale was a brief-form version of the LSRP that presents satisfactory data in terms of internal consistency and criterion validity, and significant positive correlations with measures of intimate partner violence (IPV), antisocial personality traits and impulsivity. In terms of known-groups validity, meanwhile, psychopathy was found to decrease with the age of the participants. In this light, the LSRP brief-form offers adequate psychometric reliability as an instrument to measure primary and secondary psychopathy in partner-violent men serving suspended sentences.

Partner Violent Men's Perspectives on the Factors That They Believe Contributed to Their Abusive Behaviors.

While research on perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) is growing, few studies have sought to explore perpetrators' perspectives on their abusive behaviors. Thus, much remains unknown regarding how perpetrators view their abuse. We conducted 34 semistructured, open-ended interviews with men convicted of an IPV crime in which we broadly explored their perspectives on contributors to abuse. A history of exposure to violence as children, experiences with other traumatic events, and other causes (e.g., drug abuse) were the most cited. Our findings highlight areas where intervention efforts need to be tailored to address the unmet needs of men who perpetrate.

Risk factors for intimate partner violence among native and immigrant male partners in Sweden

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the importance of differentiating between partner violent men in terms of immigrant or native Swedish background, when assessing risk for intimate partner violence (IPV) recidivism. A quantitative design was used with a sample of 1263 alleged male perpetrators reported for IPV-related crimes to the Swedish police. Data consisted of police officers’ risk assessments using the Swedish version of the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER). Results showed that risk factors such as 'Violent threats or thoughts', and 'Violent attitudes', were more common for perpetrators with an immigrant background. In contrast, risk factors such as 'General criminality' and 'Substance use problems' were more common among native perpetrators. Furthermore, in relation to the importance of specific risk factors for an elevated risk of IPV recidivism, such risk was elevated for perpetrators with a native background when ‘Violent threats or thoughts’, ‘General criminality’ and ‘Relationship problems’ were present. Corresponding factors for immigrant perpetrators consisted of ‘Escalation’ and ‘General criminality’. These results are essential for the police to recognize and understand since only victims in IPV cases with an elevated assessed risk will be eligible for risk management and protective actions.

Therapeutic Dynamics of Aggression, Readiness to Change, and Recidivism in a Partner Violent Men Typology

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change predicts that patients go through different stages of change prior to changing their problematic behavior. This study aims to evaluate the utility and validity of this model in a sample of 549 court-ordered partner violent men. Three types of perpetrators with respect to their readiness to change were revealed. Those in more advantage stage of change use more processes to change their problem and present with higher levels of intimate partner violence (IPV). Low readiness to change levels and treatment drop-out predict short-term criminal justice recidivism, while treatment drop-out predicts medium and long-term recidivism. Results highlight the applicability of the TTM in IPV and its usefulness in designing behavioral interventions with this population.

Judging the Book by Its Cover: What Comprises a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Program for Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence?

Substantial literature has examined the effectiveness of intimate partner violence (IPV) interventions, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is noted as the second most common approach used in group interventions for partner violent men. However, as little research has examined how CBT principles are operationalized across program curricula, there is currently insufficient information from which to make recommendations for model CBT approaches in IPV interventions. In the current study, we review the literature to determine a set of core elements for comprehensive CBT interventions and use session-level curriculum data from 10 community-based programs to examine the presence of 14 components reflecting 4 CBT factors. Results suggest heterogeneity in the emphasis on CBT elements across programs, despite almost all managers listing CBT as a theoretical approach. Implications are discussed with a call for evaluators and meta-analysts to code for actual curriculum content as opposed to stated program labels.

Using a General Case Management Tool With Partner-violent Men on Community Supervision in Iowa

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is among the most common acts of violence against women worldwide, making it a major global threat to women's health and safety. The assessment and management of IPV offenders are therefore vital tasks in criminal justice systems. The current study examined whether the DRAOR, a general case management tool, was useful for supervising 112 male IPV offenders in Iowa, United States. Several risk factors emerged as potentially important treatment targets for partner-violent men, including poor attachment with others, substance abuse, anger/hostility, opportunity/access to victims, and problematic interpersonal relationships. While further research is needed to improve the utility of the DRAOR for predicting IPV recidivism, it assesses several factors that are relevant for supervising IPV cases (e.g., substance abuse, anger/hostility, victim access). This suggests the DRAOR could potentially be used to guide case management in the presence of a validated IPV tool that focuses on static risk factors, such as the ODARA. The use of the DRAOR with IPV offenders may also be warranted if they are found to be generally violent/antisocial rather than as family only offenders.

How Do Memories of Having Been Parented Relate to the Parenting-Experience of Fathers in Treatment for Intimate Partner Violence? A Phenomenological Analysis

Few studies have examined how men who use intimate partner violence (IPV) experience being a parent. This study describes how Norwegian men in treatment for IPV reflect upon the impact of their childhood experiences on their fathering. We interviewed 11 men in treatment for IPV regarding their fathering experience, and their memories of having been parented. We performed a descriptive phenomenological analysis of the data. We identified two superordinate themes that described the participants’ fathering experience: being a benign versus being a detrimental force in the child’s life and having the intention of not repeating and the actual repetition of harmful parenting. The participants described being conflicted regarding being potentially damaging for their child’s development. They generally described a lack of stable positive relationships, both early in life and in the present. Partner-violent men’s meaning making of their fathering seems to be influenced by their early-life experiences with their parents in several problematic ways. Fathers who use IPV may both accept and reject that they have been harmed by the parenting they received as children. Similarly, they may both acknowledge and discard that their use of violence harms their children. We suggest that therapy should explore these themes and their consequences for the father - child relationship.

Characteristics and recidivism in relation to arrest: differentiating between partner violent perpetrator subtypes

ABSTRACT This study aimed to describe and compare arrested and non-arrested male intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators, in terms of individual characteristics and variables related to the IPV incident, in a sample of 628 perpetrators reported to the Swedish police. We also explored recidivism rates in relation to arrest within the total sample, as well as among subtypes of partner violent men (i.e. generally violent [GV] and partner only [PO] violent). The perpetrators in this longitudinal study were reported to the police for male-to-female perpetrated IPV and subjected to a structured violence risk assessment between 2011 and 2014. The results showed that arrested perpetrators were more likely to be reported for severe forms of IPV, being assessed by the police post-arrest with a higher risk for recidivism, and being more likely to be prosecuted for the reported IPV incident. There was also a significant interaction effect between subtypes and arrest for IPV recidivism within 12 months post-arrest. Among those perpetrators who were arrested, GV perpetrators were more than four times as likely as PO violent perpetrators to recidivate in IPV. The results of this study highlight the importance of differentiating between subtypes when examining the impact of sanctions on IPV recidivism.

Treatment-Induced Changes in Undercontrolled and Overcontrolled Anger Subtypes of Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence and 5-Year Recidivism

This study examines different types of partner-violent males based on anger profiles. A cluster analysis of 483 self-reports completed by partner-violent men using the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2) identified two clusters of Undercontrolled and Overcontrolled anger profiles. The Undercontrolled men presented with higher pre-intervention scores than Overcontrolled men on Borderline Personality Organization, psychopathic traits, impulsiveness, physical aggression, verbal aggression, alcohol use, and partner-abusive behavior. Following completion of a cognitive-behavioral therapy program, there was a significant reduction in intimate partner violence for both subtypes, although Undercontrolled individuals continued to present more frequent psychological aggression and dominant and jealous tactics. Recidivism was predicted by pretreatment levels of hostility and treatment completion. Men with greater pretreatment to posttreatment changes in anger control were less likely to recidivate at 1, 3, and 5 years after treatment. The results suggest that perpetrators with different profiles would benefit from different types of intervention.

Psychometric Properties of a Measure of Borderline Personality Organization in a Spanish Court-Referred Partner-Violent Male Sample.

Borderline personality organization (BPO) is a key personality component of some but not all partner-violent men. The study described in this paper examines the psychometric properties of the borderline personality organization scale (BPO Scale; Oldham et al., 1985) in a Spanish sample of 643 men undergoing court-mandated psychological treatment after conviction for episodes of intimate-partner violence. Three confirmatory factor analyses were carried out first, and the three-factor structure of the BPO scale was then tested. Results for concurrent validity show positive and significant correlations between the subscales and the overall BPO scale, and with other instruments that measure borderline and antisocial personality disorders (ASPDs), and impulsivity. The BPO scale also presents evidence of known-groups validity, since BPO scores decrease with age, and of discriminant validity, as the scale discriminates between participants who do and do not exceed the cutoff point on a borderline personality scale. The BPO Scale is a suitable instrument for evaluating BPO in partner-violent men.

Sensitivity to facial affect in partner-violent men: the role of psychopathic and borderline traits

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the associations among psychopathic and borderline traits, intimate partner violence (IPV) and sensitivity to facial affect. The authors hypothesized that IPV men high in psychopathic traits would exhibit reduced sensitivity to expressions of distress specifically (fear + sadness), while IPV men high in borderline traits would show heightened sensitivity to facial affect more generally.Design/methodology/approachA community sample of 79 IPV men in heterosexual relationships were exposed to slides of facial affect displays while psychophysiological reactions were recorded. Sensitivity to facial affect was operationalized as accuracy in recognizing and skin conductance responses (SCR) while viewing discrete facial expressions.FindingsBorderline personality disorder (BPD) features were positively related to accuracy in labeling fear and surprise while primary psychopathy (Factor 1) was negatively related to accuracy in labeling disgust. Borderline traits were positively associated with SCR while primary psychopathy was negatively associated with SCR while viewing slides of facial affect. Secondary psychopathy (Factor 2) follows the same physiological patterns of BPD traits but the correlates are weaker. Results suggest that IPV men high in traits of primary psychopathy show hypoarousal whereas those high borderline features show hyperarousal to facial emotions.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include a small sample of heterosexual violent community couples. Women’s IPV was not analyzed. Findings suggest that BPD and primary psychopathy traits are diametrically opposite in SCR, making them powerful comparison groups for psychophysiological studies. Findings challenge Blair’s (1995) model of a specific deficit in processing distress cues for individuals high in psychopathic traits. Rather results suggest that IPV men high in traits of primary psychopathy show more pervasive hypoarousal to facial emotion. The hyperarousal of men high in BPD traits across facial expressions supports Linehan’s (1993) emotional vulnerability model of borderline personality disorder.Practical implicationsDifferences in psychophysiological responding to emotions may be clinically relevant in the motivations for violence perpetration. The hypoarousal associated with primary psychopathy may facilitate the perpetration of proactive violence. The hyperarousal associated with BPD and secondary psychopathy may be fundamental in the perpetration of reactive violence. Treatment matching by IPV perpetrators’ personality traits may improve the efficacy of battering intervention programs. Perpetrators high in borderline personality features may benefit from emotional regulation therapies, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy. IPV men high in traits of primary psychopathy may benefit from affective empathy and validation training.Social implicationsCurrently, battering intervention programs show little efficacy in reducing intimate partner recidivism. Experimental psychopathology studies such as this one may inform advocates seeking to develop new, tailored treatment packages for partner violence offenders with different personality disorder traits.Originality/valueMany treatment providers assume that men who batter women have deficits in empathy and emotional intelligence. However, this study suggests that rather than global deficits, deficits depend on personality traits. The current study is the first to assess psychophysiological reactivity in response to facial affect displays among IPV perpetrators. Examining SCR responding to photos of facial affect may be used in future studies of affect sensitivity.

Emotional Reactivity of Partner Violent Men with Personality Disorder during Conflict

This study addresses negative affect, psychophysiological reactivity, and antecedents to psychological aggression within the context of intimate partner violence. One hundred and thirty-nine partner violent men were administered the SCID-II and participated in verbal conflict with their partner in a laboratory setting, during which time observed affect and psychophysiological indices were continuously recorded. Relative to men with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), men with borderline personality disorder (BPD) exhibited longer periods of anger (p = .03) and lower skin conductance reactivity (p = .04). Relative to men with no diagnosis, men with BPD exhibited less frequent distress (p = .04) and longer periods of anger (p = .02); men with ASPD exhibited shorter periods of anger (p = .03) and greater heart rate reactivity (p = .04). In men with ASPD, psychological aggression was likely to be preceded by partner positive/neutral affect. Treatment and research implications are discussed.

A randomized clinical trial of motivational enhancement therapy for alcohol problems in partner violent men

This study examined the efficacy of brief alcohol intervention in the context of community-based treatment for partner violence. In a randomized clinical trial, 228 partner-violent men with hazardous or problem drinking were recruited at three Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) treatment agencies and randomly assigned to receive one of two 4-session alcohol interventions: Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET: N = 110) or Alcohol Education (AE: N = 118). After completing alcohol intervention, participants received standard agency counseling services for IPV. Participants completed assessments of alcohol use, drug use, and IPV at pre-treatment, post-alcohol intervention, and quarterly follow-ups for 12 months. At the end of the 4-session alcohol intervention, MET participants displayed greater acknowledgment of problems with alcohol than AE participants (Partial ή2 = 0.039, p = 0.006). Significant changes from baseline across treatment conditions (at p < 0.001) were observed for percent days of alcohol abstinence [95% empirical CI for Partial ή2 =0.226, 0.296], heavy drinking [0.292, 0.349], illicit drug use [0.096, 0.156] and partner violence [0.282, 0.334]. No significant condition differences (treatment by time interactions) were found for alcohol abstinence [95% empirical CI for Partial ή2 = 0.007, 0.036], heavy drinking [0.016, 0.055], illicit drug use [0.005, 0.035] or partner violence [0.001, 0.004]. Results encourage continued use of brief alcohol interventions in community IPV services, but do not provide evidence of a unique benefit of MET in reducing alcohol use in this population.

Understanding Empathy, Self-Esteem, and Adult Attachment in Sexual Offenders and Partner-Violent Men.

The assessment and treatment of emotional variables is a priority in the rehabilitation of offenders. Although theoretical proposals suggest a clear relationship between violence and self-esteem, attachment, and empathy, the research carried out to date has reached contradictory results due mainly to differences in the measurements used, the reliability of self-reports, or even to problems with the definition of the constructs. The present study analyzed these three variables in a prison sample of sexual offenders (n = 48) and partner-violent men (n = 68), using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Rape Empathy Measure, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire. Results confirmed the low utility of nonspecific empathy, the predominance of high self-esteem, and the difficulty of identifying an insecure attachment. The implications of the use of these variables in the treatment of offenders, and the need to improve the assessment tools, are discussed.

Psychophysiological Reactivity Profiles of Partner-Violent Men With Borderline or Psychopathic Personality Features: The Role of Empathy.

Borderline and psychopathic features have been linked to unique psychophysiological reactivity profiles. Studies have suggested that levels of psychophysiological reactivity for partner-violent men cannot be attributed to personality features alone. This study tested cognitive and affective empathy as moderators of relations between borderline personality, Factor 1 psychopathy, and psychophysiological reactivity using a community sample of 135 male participants and their female partners. Cognitive empathy moderated the relation between borderline personality features and heart rate reactivity. Affective empathy moderated the relation between Factor 1 psychopathy features and heart rate reactivity. However, directions of these interactions were contrary to original predictions. Understanding unique empathy deficits may be beneficial for identifying ways to minimize relationship conflict, manage arousal, and decrease violence.

Trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and dissociative experiences during men's intimate partner violence perpetration.

Research with partner-violent men has found that a subset of this population reports dissociative experiences during their violence (e.g., inability to remember violence [despite admission that it had occurred]; flashbacks during violence). However, the literature examining this phenomenon has been primarily limited to clinical observations and case studies, and there is a need for more thorough empirical investigation regarding the prevalence and correlates of dissociative violence among individuals in intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention programs. The primary goals of this study were to provide descriptive information about the rates of endorsement of dissociative experiences during IPV perpetration and to examine their associations with trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Participants were 302 men presenting for services at a community-based IPV intervention program. All variables were assessed via self-report and clinician interview at program intake. Results indicated that 22.2% of participants reported 1 or more dissociative experiences during partner violence perpetration. Additionally, frequency of dissociative IPV perpetration showed significant positive correlations with the total number of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) reported and PTSD symptoms, with effect sizes in the small and medium ranges of magnitude, respectively. Finally, PTSD symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between total number of PTEs and dissociative IPV perpetration. Findings indicate a potentially meaningful relationship between trauma, PTSD symptoms, and dissociative experiences during IPV perpetration. Further qualitative and quantitative investigation is needed to better understand this phenomenon and how it can be addressed in IPV treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record

Using Reoffenders' Experiences and Perspectives to Improve Intimate Partner Violence Treatment.

A substantial proportion of partner-violent men reoffend subsequent to completing intimate partner violence (IPV) treatment. A critical step in enhancing treatment for IPV perpetration is to understand reoffense among those who recidivate following treatment completion. Investigating reoffenders' own perceptions regarding potential directions for treatment modification may improve overall treatment outcomes. Qualitative research examining the experiences of participants who utilize IPV treatment is limited. In the present study, we examined implications for treatment from an exploration of reoffenders' interpretation of their recidivist events and their beliefs regarding treatment effectiveness. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to generate theory regarding behavior change, treatment perceptions, and recidivist processes among men who experience difficulty staying nonviolent. Emergent qualitative themes revealed reoffenders' perceptions of treatment and suggestions for treatment modification. Reoffenders identified program factors that they believed would have enhanced program effectiveness for themselves, and thus may have prevented their recidivist incidents. Treatment implications that emerged from reoffenders' narratives are organized along three key dimensions: modality-specific variables, which were relevant to treatment approach and effectiveness of group therapy; content-specific variables, which were relevant to skill acquisition and skill application; and participant-specific variables, which were relevant to intrapersonal characteristics of the participants themselves. Recommendations for treatment enhancement are discussed.

Are Men With a History of Head Injury Less Responsive to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Intimate Partner Violence?

Head injury is highly prevalent among intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders. This study investigates responsiveness to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for partnerviolent men with and without a history of head injury using archival data on 310 males seeking IPV counseling at a community domestic violence agency. Participants reported on their history of head injury, age at injury, and length of time unconscious in a structured interview at program intake. Criminal justice outcomes were assessed for the 2-year period after scheduled completion of treatment using a publicly available state database. A significantly greater percentage of men with a history of head injury (N = 84) than those without (N = 226) had criminal involvement for incidents of partner abuse during the follow-up period. In addition, men with a history of moderate-to-severe head injury (n = 25) had more criminal involvement for general violence than those with no history of head injury. The findings highlight the need to screen partner-violent men for head injury and to develop and investigate intervention enhancements for those individuals.