Violence Perpetration Research Articles

Examining Intervention Programs for Perpetrators and Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Review of Contemporary Approaches

A systematic review of the effectiveness of intervention programs for perpetrators and victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) was conducted. Inclusion criteria for studies included publication in a peer-reviewed journal, a representative, community, or clinical sample, written in English, and conducted in the United States. A total of 40 articles were included. Comparisons to a prior review highlight developments in research in the past 10 years. Studies into batterer intervention programs, the predominant form of abuser intervention in the United States, found mixed support for their effectiveness at reducing IPV. Issues with program completion remain a problem. Research into victim–survivor programs proved more promising in both reducing IPV and ameliorating adverse mental health outcomes (i.e., depression and posttraumatic stress disorder). Recommendations for intervention and policy with future directions for IPV research are discussed.

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Adult Attachment Disorganization and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Gender Differences in the Relationship between Adult Attachment Disorganization and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Development and Validation of the Satisfaction with the Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators Scale (SIIPVS)

Abstract Purpose Although research in the intimate partner violence (IPV) field has significantly advanced in recent decades, important challenges remain in intervention effectiveness terms. Some authors point out that satisfaction with intervention could be an indicator of effectiveness. However, this variable has not been thoroughly explored in the scientific literature. This study aimed to develop and validate a scale to measure the satisfaction with the intervention of participants attending an intervention program for IPV perpetrators. Methods A panel of experts developed the Satisfaction with the Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators Scale (SIIPVS) items. A sample of 646 male perpetrators was employed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and a reliability analysis, were conducted. Scale validity was examined in relation to other relevant variables to the intervention, such as recidivism, working alliance, motivation to change and state of change. Results The findings indicate that the factor structure with the best fit consisted of three factors: Satisfaction with the facilitators and program delivery, Satisfaction with the learning-process, and Satisfaction with the peer group. All the factors demonstrated adequate internal consistency. Participant satisfaction with various intervention elements was associated with the key variables of these interventions. Conclusions The validation analysis results indicated that the SIIPVS is a suitable scale to analyze the satisfaction of the participants attending an intervention program for IPV perpetrators due to its adequate psychometric properties. Understanding participant satisfaction could provide a more comprehensive approach to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions.

Нейропсихологические механизмы социальной агрессии

<p style="text-align: justify;">The following article presents an overview of contemporary foreign studies on the neuropsychological status of individuals who have committed socially aggressive actions. It describes the factors that influence the formation of aggressive behaviour and thoroughly analyzes the main theoretical views on the nature of social aggression. Moreover, the article highlights the main research directions on this issue in modern neuropsychology. The analysis of various neuropsychological aspects of aggression is presented, including the features of cognitive and regulatory processes in perpetrators of violence. The article also describes the neuropsychological methods used to study executive functions and their orientation. Furthermore, it critically analyzes empirical neuropsychological studies of perpetrators of violence, including meta-analytical studies, and also challenges the traditional understanding of the dysfunctionality of regulatory processes in aggressive individuals and patients with frontal lobe brain lesions. The article also highlights the difference between the manifestations of regulatory process disorders in persons with frontal lobe injuries in childhood and adulthood. Finally, it conducts a critical analysis of hypotheses on the biological basis of social aggression. The paper addresses controversial issues regarding the causal relationship between brain pathology and social aggression, as well as the hierarchy of relations between regulatory and cognitive deficits. The article describes possible directions for further promising studies of social aggression in neuropsychology.</p>

Az erőszakos szexuális bűncselekmények pszichotraumatológiája

Aim: Traumatic life events result in serious psychological dysfunctions in the life of the victims, which can often be fixed for a life-long period, result in a permanent loss of personality. This is especially true for victims of sexual violence. The memory of the abuse, the traumatic life event experienced, is fixed in the victims, and very often they try to overcome the horrors they experienced with inadequate coping mechanisms. At the same time, these events result in serious mental disorders and personality changes in them, for which both the investigative authorities and health professionals must be prepared. The purpose of this study is to review and summarize these psychotraumatic phenomena in order to know more about the victims of sexual violence, which knowledge will come in handy when working with them. Methodology: Through a review of the literature and a case report, I present the main mental disorders that develop as a result of a traumatic life event. Findings: Sexual violence is a serious trauma. Not only physical, but also psychological. Accordingly, we must treat traumatized persons carefully, but for this we must be aware of the psychodynamic changes that appear in the daily life of the victims. Value: There is a lot of talk about the perpetrators of sexual violence, but not enough about the victims. With this study, I am trying to contribute to getting to know the psychological dynamics of the victims, and I am trying to come up with formulations that can be used during the execution of individual investigative actions.

Differences between Recidivists and Non-recidivists Attending a community-based Domestic Violence Perpetrator Program in the Dominican Republic: A Brief Report

Differences between Recidivists and Non-recidivists Attending a community-based Domestic Violence Perpetrator Program in the Dominican Republic: A Brief Report

Framing victims and perpetrators: Local and international reporting on the International Criminal Court case against Dominic Ongwen

Building on research on victims and perpetrators of political violence and their depiction in the media, this article highlights the conceptual and practical challenge of specifying the process by which individuals acquire a morally ambiguous or ‘complex’ status in conflict. The authors conduct a content analysis of English-language print reporting on Dominic Ongwen’s International Criminal Court case and ambiguous status as a child soldier and victim–perpetrator. They identify important variation in how different news media frame the processes through which an individual becomes a victim–perpetrator and how these depictions relate to understandings of agency as well as transitional justice and post-conflict societal transformations. The article presents a framework for understanding how individuals are seen as ‘turning’ from one category of conflict-affected individual to another category as depicted in the news media.

Are men's gender equality beliefs associated with self-reported intimate partner violence perpetration? A state-level analysis of California men.

To assess the association between gender equality beliefs and self-reported intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among California men. We analyzed men's data (N = 3609) from three waves (2021, 2022, and 2023) of cross-sectional data from a statewide sample of California adults. We assessed gender equality beliefs using a three-item measure adapted from the World Values Survey, with higher scores representing more gender unequal beliefs (e.g., 'On a whole, men make better political leaders than women'). We assessed IPV perpetration in the last year by asking a) whether men committed any form of violence in the last year (physical violence, use or threat of violence with a weapon, sexual violence) and b) among those who reported committing violence, who they committed violence against. Those reporting violence against "a spouse or romantic partner" were categorized as perpetrating past-year IPV. Analyses were weighted to yield population estimates. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models evaluated the association between gender equality beliefs and past-year IPV perpetration. Almost 2% of men-equivalent to more than 280,000 men in California-reported IPV perpetration in the past year [1.9% (95%CI = 1.4-2.5)], and every one-point increase in their gender equality belief scale score [indicative of less gender equitable beliefs] was associated with 2.1 times greater odds of perpetrating past-year IPV (AOR: 2.14, 95%CI 1.61-2.86). Findings support prior research indicating that patriarchal beliefs reinforce men's violence against women in relationships and signal a need for violence prevention efforts focused on boys and men to that can include normative belief shifts related to women's capacities.

The Roles of Empathy and Theory of Mind in Sexual Violence Perpetration: An Integrated Social Information Processing Framework.

Empathy is an aspect of social cognition which has gained much attention to explain sexual violence perpetration, with research resulting in mixed and contradictory findings. Another aspect of social cognition, which has been linked to, and even used synonymously with, cognitive empathy is Theory of Mind (ToM). However, research is severely lacking on the role which ToM may play in sexual violence. Hence, in order to elucidate such issues, following a theoretical discussion of these concepts, we propose an integrated Social Information Processing (SIP) framework to understand how empathy and ToM may be involved in sexual violence perpetration. This framework includes the steps laid out by Crick and Dodge's original SIP model, the emotional processes emphasised by Lemerise and Arsenio, the empathy stages identified by Marshall and colleagues, and our propositions concerning the role played by ToM. In this theoretical article, we argue that ToM and empathy are primarily involved in earlier SIP stages, but may have repercussions on subsequent stages as SIP is cyclical. Nonetheless, greater research is needed to conclusively identify where deficits lie. In terms of clinical implications, we recommend that empathy and ToM be targeted in interventions (primary, secondary and tertiary) using cognitive-behavioural therapy principles which are involved in, and affect, SIP.

Differences between Recidivists and Non-recidivists Attending a community-based Domestic Violence Perpetrator Program in the Dominican Republic: A Brief Report

Abstract Purpose Previous research in Western samples has found differences between recidivists and non- recidivists among individuals who attended intervention programs designed to reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) offending. However, the extent to which similar characteristics differentiate these groups in a non-Western sample is unknown. Methods This brief report includes data collected by psychologists from men referred to a cognitive behavioral program (n = 1,380) in the Dominican Republic. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted on the data. Results Although specific IPV-related factors such as attitudes towards women and jealousy were significantly associated with recidivism at the bivariate level, these effects disappeared when they were controlled by other relevant predictors in the multivariate model. Instead, general criminogenic factors such as employment status, alcohol consumption, relationships with parents and violent offending towards others were the key factors explaining IPV recidivism. Conclusions IPV recidivism is best explained by accounting for those factors which are common to violent re-offending in general. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of theory and program intervention practices.

Implementation Evaluation of Bystander Programs to Reduce Sexual Violence Victimization and Perpetration in College Communities

Implementation Evaluation of Bystander Programs to Reduce Sexual Violence Victimization and Perpetration in College Communities

Examining Differences in Sexual Violence Perpetration Likelihood by Perceived Intoxication Among Sexual and Gender Minority College Students

ABSTRACT Experiences of sexual violence (SV) victimization are pervasive among sexual and gender minority college students, yet few studies have documented rates of SV perpetration within this community. While numerous risk factors, including acute alcohol intoxication, have been posited to increase risk for SV perpetration among cisgender heterosexual men, their relevancy to SGM SV perpetration remains unexamined. Therefore, using Minority Stress Theory as a guiding theoretical framework, the current study examined differences in heterosexist discrimination and impelling risk factors for sexual violence (SV) perpetration likelihood intentions based on perceived intoxication among sexual and gender minority (SGM) college students. SGM college students (N = 234) completed measures assessing their experiences of heterosexist discrimination, attitudes and beliefs supportive of sexism and SV, and perceived likelihood to perpetrate SV. When intoxicated and sober, main effects for impelling risk factors on sexual violence perpetration likelihood intentions were detected, and effect of heterosexist discrimination on SV perpetration likelihood was only observed at high levels of impellance. Results underscore the importance of alcohol use, experiences of heterosexist discrimination, and impelling risk factors as salient markers of risk for SV perpetration among SGM college students.

Sexual violence in the shadows: Private military contractors and the perpetration of sexual violence

How do private military contractors (PMCs) influence the perpetration of sexual violence? In providing the first empirical assessment of PMCs’ impact on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), I argue that, contrary to popular belief, PMC presence is negatively associated with the level of CRSV during armed conflict. Both states and PMCs have incentives to respect human rights. States prefer to avoid international condemnation while PMCs aim to be rehired. Association with human rights abuses damages both parties, leading each party to monitor the other to ensure good behavior. Furthermore, the global conflicts of the last 20 years have changed the face of warfare, producing professionalized warfighters and contractors. This raises the standards for PMCs, and results in more professionalism, especially in American contractors. Using the Private Military Contractors and Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict datasets from 1990 to 2008, I find PMC employment by state militaries is negatively associated with state-perpetrated CRSV. Additionally, both American contractors and contractors in general, employed in the Global War on Terror period are associated with lower levels of CRSV.

Prevalence, consequences, and contributing factors beyond verbal and physical workplace violence against nurses in peripheral hospitals.

Globally, nearly one-third of workplace violence (WPV) occurs in the health sector. Exposure to WPV among Jordanian nurses has been widely speculated to be underreported. Understanding of the factors contributing to WPV among nurses and their consequences is limited. This study aimed to examine the consequences and contributing factors of WPV and explore suggestions for reducing WPV among nurses working in peripheral hospitals. This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 431 Jordanian nurses. Data were collected using a self-report instrument between December 2022 and June 2023. A modified version of the ILO/ICN/WHO/PSI Workplace Violence in the Health Sector Country Case Study Questionnaire developed and validated in 2003 was used. The ages of the participants ranged from 20 to 49 years. A total of 349 nurses (81%) had experienced verbal violence, while 110 (25.5%) had experienced physical violence. Of the 110 nurses who were physically attacked, 44 (40 %) reported that an investigation was conducted to determine the cause of the incident. Approximately 38.2% of incidents involving physical violence in the last 12 months involved the use of weapons. The current study revealed that 59.6% of the nurses reported that verbal incidents were common in their workplace. The highest level of agreement among all participants was leniency in applying penalties to perpetrators of violence inside hospitals. The majority of participants (95.8%) agreed that improving staff-patient communication skills would effectively reduce violence. Creating awareness among healthcare professionals, patients, and the general public regarding the impact of WPV and the importance of respect and professionalism is crucial.

Fatores associados à notificação de violência entre adolescentes brasileiros, uma análise do SINAN

Abstract This study aims to analyze the trend of the notified violence committed against adolescents from 2015 to 2022 and the association between the victim’s characteristics, abuse, and the perpetrators of violence against adolescents in 2022. It used data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Around 400,000 cases of violence against adolescents were reported. The notifications have been on the rise, except in pandemic years (2020 and 2021). The most frequent victims were girls, the principal place of occurrence was at home, and physical violence was the most common type. Correspondence analysis showed an association between female victims, home as a place of occurrence, psychological violence and threat among male victims, violence on public roads committed by strangers, and use of sharp objects. SINAN becomes a vital instrument for allowing visibility to the topic. Preventing youth violence requires an intersectoral approach.

Factors Related to Parents' Sensitivity to Violence Against Child in Türkiye: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACTThe literature indicates that parents can also be perpetrators of violence against children, which is influenced by various factors. This study investigated the relationships between parents' prosocial behaviour, educational status and adverse childhood experiences on their tendency to engage in physical violence against children. A quantitative research design and convenience sampling were utilized, with 500 parents residing in Türkiye, who had children under 18 years of age. The statistical significance level was set at p < 0.05, with a reliability interval of 95%. The data were evaluated using a moderated moderation analysis method. The results of the study indicated that the asssociation of parents' adverse childhood experiences on prosocial behaviour and sensitivity to child‐directed violence varies depending on their level of education. The interaction between adverse childhood experiences and educational level was found to have a significant association with the relationship between parents' prosocial behaviour and sensitivity to child‐directed violence. Various recommendations were made at the end of the study.

An umbrella review of health outcomes following traumatic brain injury

While numerous reviews have assessed the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and various mental and physical health outcomes, a comprehensive evaluation of the scope, validity, and quality of evidence is lacking. Here we present an umbrella review of a wide range of health outcomes following TBI and outline outcome risks across subpopulations. On 17 May 2023, we searched Embase, Medline, Global Health, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We compared risk ratios across different outcomes for risks compared with people without TBI and examined study quality, including heterogeneity, publication bias, and prediction intervals. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023432255). We identified 24 systematic reviews and meta-analyses covering 24 health outcomes in 31,397,958 participants. The current evidence base indicates an increased risk of multiple mental and physical health outcomes, including psychotic disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, suicide, and depression. Three outcomes—dementia, violence perpetration, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—had meta-analytical evidence of at least moderate quality, which suggest targets for more personalized assessment. Health-care services should review how to prevent adverse long-term outcomes in TBI.

Assessing Links Between Alcohol Exposure and Firearm Violence: A Scoping Review Update.

Firearm violence remains a leading cause of death and injury in the United States. Prior research supports that alcohol exposures, including individual-level alcohol use and alcohol control policies, are modifiable risk factors for firearm violence, yet additional research is needed to support prevention efforts. This scoping review aims to update a prior 2016 systematic review on the links between alcohol exposure and firearm violence to examine whether current studies indicate causal links between alcohol use, alcohol interventions, and firearm violence-related outcomes. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, a comprehensive search of published studies was conducted, replicating the search strategy of the prior review but focusing on studies published since 2015. The review included published studies of humans, conducted in general populations of any age, gender, or racial/ethnic group, that examined the relationship between an alcohol-related exposure and an outcome involving firearm violence or risks for firearm violence. Excluded were small studies restricted to special populations, forensic or other technical studies, non-original research articles such as reviews, and studies that relied solely on descriptive statistics or did not adjust for confounders. The review included published studies indexed in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Eligible articles were published on or after January 1, 2015. The latest search was conducted on December 15, 2023. Using a structured data collection instrument, data were extracted on the characteristics of each study, including the dimension of alcohol exposure, the dimension of firearm violence, study population, study design, statistical analysis, source of funding, main findings, and whether effect measure modification was assessed and, if so, along what dimensions. Two authors independently conducted title/abstract screening, full-text screening, and data extraction until achieving 95% agreement, with discrepancies resolved through discussion. The search yielded 797 studies. Of these, 754 were excluded and 43 met the final inclusion criteria. Studies addressed a range of alcohol exposures and firearm violence-related outcomes, primarily with cross-sectional study designs; 40% considered effect measure modification by any population characteristic. Findings from the 21 studies examining the relationship of individual-level alcohol use or alcohol use disorder (AUD) with firearm ownership, access, unsafe storage, or carrying indicated a strong and consistent positive association. Seven studies examined associations of individual-level alcohol use or AUD with firearm injury or death; these also indicated a pattern of positive associations, but the magnitude and precision of the estimates varied. Eight studies examined the impact of neighborhood proximity or density of alcohol outlets and found mixed results that were context- and study design-dependent. Two studies linked prior alcohol-related offenses to increased risk of firearm suicide and perpetration of violent firearm crimes among a large cohort of people who purchased handguns, and two studies linked policies prohibiting firearm access among individuals with a history of alcohol-related offenses to reductions in firearm homicide and suicide. Finally, four studies examined alcohol control policies and found that greater restrictiveness was generally associated with reductions in firearm homicide or firearm suicide. Findings from this scoping review continue to support a causal relationship between alcohol exposures and firearm violence that extends beyond acute alcohol use to include AUD and alcohol-related policies. Policies controlling the availability of alcohol and prohibiting firearm access among individuals with alcohol-related offense histories show promise for the prevention of firearm violence. Additional research examining differential impacts by population subgroup, alcohol use among perpetrators of firearm violence, policies restricting alcohol outlet density, and randomized or quasi-experimental study designs with longitudinal follow-up would further support inferences to inform prevention efforts.

Healthy lifestyle factors and male perpetration of intimate partner violence: a cross-sectional study in Mwanza, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Background In Tanzania, nearly half of ever-married women have experienced some form of intimate partner violence (IPV), yet little knowledge of IPV from the male perspective exists. Objective To explore the role of essential healthy lifestyle factors, diet, sleep, and exercise, and their potential role in IPV perpetration. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,002 young men (ages 18–24), 754 of which were in an intimate relationship in the previous year. The study took place in Mwanza, Tanzania and used multivariable logistic regression models to explore associations between male perpetration of IPV and diet, sleep, and exercise. Results Six types of IPV perpetration were investigated separately and the prevalence of controlling behaviours (79.4%), economic abuse (30.6%), emotional abuse (47.3%), physical violence (16.4%), sexual violence (23.3%), and combined physical and/or sexual violence (32.1%) were obtained. Regular exercise demonstrated a protective effect for economic abuse perpetration; the chance of mildly active individuals perpetrating economic abuse was 38% less than their inactive counterparts (p = 0.003). Associations with sleep were varied and did not show a clear directional relationship. Diet, defined as poor food variety, was positively associated with every IPV type except physical violence and was significant in sexual violence perpetration (aOR:1.57, 95%CI:1.21–2.05). Conclusions The results from this study indicate that considering healthy lifestyle behaviours – diet, sleep, and exercise – in the design of intervention programmes may be beneficial in reducing IPV perpetration in Tanzania, and that they should be considered alongside previously established evidence-based risk factors.

A Systematic Review of the Existing Evidence on Early Year Interventions for Trauma and Violence Prevention.

Exposure to violence in early childhood is considered a public health issue and is a significant predictor of becoming a victim or perpetrator of violence later in life. There has been a significant increase in violence intervention and prevention programs that are available for children and young people; however, there are few evidence-based interventions for younger children. This review systematically explores the existing impact evidence for available intervention and prevention programs targeted at young children (ages 3-8) across the United States and United Kingdom. It also explores the feasibility and methodological issues faced with school-based prevention work. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, six electronic databases were systematically searched. Of the initial 766 articles, 13 met the final inclusion criteria. The findings showed that early intervention programs for vulnerable children can promote prosocial behaviors and protective factors. Outcomes included improved academic achievement, implementation of Social Emotional Learning-based learning, decrease in violence and criminal justice-related outcomes, and increased resiliency and emotional development among children. Evidence also showed that trauma-informed training for staff and teachers can increase teacher awareness of trauma and the importance of trauma-informed practices. Most programs showed a positive change in children as a result of early intervention programs. We discuss important issues for policy and practice in early years teaching, particularly for high-risk populations, and the importance of trauma-informed practices in the long-term, public health approach to violence prevention and reduction. We also highlight important areas for future research on violence prevention programs.