Risk For Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Research Articles

The impact of childhood adversity on female‐perpetrated intimate partner violence in young adulthood

AbstractPurposeA common conception of intimate partner violence (IPV) is that women rarely use violence against romantic partners, and when they do, this is usually in self‐defence. However, evidence demonstrates that women perpetrate IPV at least as frequently as men, particularly in young adult populations. Despite this, there is still a significant lack of research focusing on women's IPV perpetration, particularly in determining risk markers. The unique relationship between adversity in childhood and IPV perpetration has been recognized in males and it is thought that this relationship may be even more marked in females. The present study aimed to investigate this relationship to see whether experiencing increasing numbers of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) would be associated with higher incidence of female‐perpetrated IPV.MethodsExposure to ACEs and frequency of IPV perpetration was measured through an online survey of young adult females from the general population.ResultsRegression analysis revealed that ACEs did significantly predict the frequency of IPV perpetrated by females. The results showed that the more adversity a female has experienced in childhood, the greater their risk of IPV perpetration in young adulthood.ConclusionsIt is suggested that this relationship potentially exists because adversity in childhood impacts the individual's attachments and processing of social environments, thus resulting in dysfunctional, violent responses to relationship dilemmas throughout life. These results stress the importance of tailoring treatment strategies for female perpetrators to address potential childhood adversity in which their violence may be rooted.

Elucidating Intimate Partner Violence Rate Disparities Between Same- and Opposite-Sex Couples: A Demographic Approach.

Studies on intimate partner violence (IPV) rates typically find higher rates for same-sex couples than opposite-sex couples. Regardless of sexual orientation, the risk for IPV perpetration is concentrated among young adults. Given that the HIV/AIDS epidemic significantly lowered the life expectancy of sexual minority men and that recent social movements have encouraged more youths to "come out," population age differences may contribute to the observed differences in IPV rates between same- and opposite-sex couples. The present study applies direct age standardization and decomposition techniques to data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System and the American Community Survey to examine this possibility across 2,584 same-sex male, 4,029 same-sex female, and 284,614 opposite-sex physical IPV incidents. The results of the direct standardization procedures indicate physical IPV rates for same-sex male and same-sex female households would be 11.8% and 27.3% lower, respectively, if they had the same population age structure as opposite-sex households. The results of the decompositions indicate that differences in population age structure contribute 48% and 44% of the elevation in IPV rates in same-sex male and same-sex female households, respectively, compared to opposite-sex households. These findings demonstrate the promise of demographic methods to explain differences in offending rates between groups. These results suggest the need for prevention and intervention strategies aimed at youths. Future studies should be conducted with data on sexual orientation and gender identity to better elucidate the contribution of population age structure among various sexual and gender minority groups. Research comparing trends among sexual minority populations to the heterosexual population in particular should account for age where possible.

Male intake of omega-3 fatty acids and risk of intimate partner violence perpetration: a nationwide birth cohort - the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has favourable effects on reducing aggressive and violent behaviours, but its association with perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) is not known. We aimed to determine the association between male intake of omega-3 PUFAs and risk of IPV perpetration. Participants were male-female pairs in the Japan Environment and Children's Study, in which first pregnant women and then their partners were enrolled (analytic sample: n = 48 065). Male intake of omega-3 PUFAs during the past year (preconception to mid/late pregnancy) was determined using a food frequency questionnaire. IPV (physical violence and emotional abuse) during pregnancy was measured using a self-reported questionnaire completed by pregnant women in mid/late pregnancy. Generalised additive mixed-model analysis was used to examine the non-linear association between energy-adjusted male omega-3 PUFA intake and the adjusted prevalence of male IPV perpetration. A sharply decreasing regression curve was plotted for physical violence, with prevalence starting at 1.35% at the lowest intake level and decreasing to a minimum value of 0.76% at intake of 2.20 g/day (71.7th percentile). However, prevalence largely remained flat from there onward, with the upper limit of the error range not reaching the initial lower limit of the error range until intake exceeded 5.21 g/day (99.77th percentile). For emotional abuse, on the other hand, there was a distorted U- or V-shaped regression curve that rose slightly after reaching a minimum. The prevalence declined from 17.69% initially, reached a minimum at 12.44% at 2.13 g/day (68.3th percentile), and then rose slightly. The lower limit of the error range reached the minimum upper limit at 4.17 g/day (99.1th percentile), and the upper limit finally reached the maximum lower limit value at 4.56 g/day (99.5th percentile). In this nationwide birth cohort study, higher male intake of omega-3 PUFAs was associated with lower risk of physical violence and emotional abuse perpetration except for extremely high intake. Our results indicate the potential applicability of omega-3 PUFAs in reducing aggressive and violent behaviours in IPV.Trial registration: UMIN000030786.

Preventing Maltreatment at Home: A Meta-Analysis Examining Outcomes From Online Programs

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) related to stay-at-home orders, as well as the financial and emotional stress many individuals are experiencing. With limitations on group gatherings, typical in-person prevention and intervention resources, such as anger management groups or batterer intervention programs, may be inaccessible to people in need of resources. Method: In order to understand effective options for reducing risk when face-to-face interventions are not feasible, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effects of online programs aimed at improving participants’ well-being and reducing IPV risk. Six studies were identified in databases using key search terms. Results: Change score comparisons revealed that online programs reduced participants’ anger, depression, emotional IPV perpetration, and physical IPV perpetration significantly more than control groups. Discussion: Findings suggest that online resources can help motivated individuals struggling with anger and/or at risk for IPV perpetration.

Concept Mapping: Engaging Urban Men to Understand Community Influences on Partner Violence Perpetration.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant health concern rooted in community experiences and other social determinants. The purpose of this study is to understand community-based risk and protective factors of IPV perpetration through participatory research that engages men who use IPV. Secondarily, we assess the relative influence, as measured by ranking, of these factors regarding risk of IPV perpetration and stress. We conducted concept mapping with Baltimore men (n = 28), ages 18 and older, enrolled in an abuse intervention program (AIP), through partnership with a domestic violence agency. Concept mapping, a three-phase participatory process, generates ideas around an issue then visually presents impactful domains via multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering. Most participants were Black (87.5%) and 20-39years old (75%). Seven key domains, or clusters, were established. "No hope for the future" was the greatest contributor to IPV perpetration. "Socioeconomic struggles" (i.e., lack of employment) and "life in Baltimore" (i.e., homicide) were most likely to result in stress. Emergent domains related to IPV perpetration and stress were ranked similarly, but with some nuance. Having good support systems (i.e., family, community centers) were felt to prevent IPV and reduce stress. This participant-driven process among a primarily young, Black sample of Baltimore men speaks to the influence of perceived social disempowerment and underlying trauma on intimate relationships and the potential for mitigation. Few studies have engaged men who use IPV through participatory research to understand the comprehensive dynamics of an impoverished, urban environment. Results provide direction for community-based intervention and prevention programming to increase self-efficacy, particularly among younger men, and to enact trauma-informed violence prevention policy from the perspectives of male IPV perpetrators.

Physical Abuse in Childhood as a Predictor of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Dating Couples: The Role of Negative Affect During Conflict

Adult victims of child physical abuse (CPA) are more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV) than are nonvictims. However, not all CPA victims go on to become violent toward their partners, suggesting that other factors moderate risk for IPV perpetration. Drawing on the background-situational model (Riggs & O’Leary, 1989, 1996), this study examines the independent and interactive effects of CPA history and negative affect arising during conflict with an intimate partner in predicting physical IPV perpetration. Fifty-three heterosexual dating couples completed questionnaires assessing CPA history and perpetration of physical IPV. Couples discussed the largest source of conflict in their relationship for 10 min. Videos of these discussions were coded for negative affect. Using an actor partner interdependence model approach to account for the dyadic interdependence of the data, findings revealed that at average levels of negative affect, CPA severity predicted greater IPV perpetration for both men and women. However, at average levels of CPA, negative affect during conflict was positively predictive of IPV perpetration for men only. Findings further revealed an interaction such that for men, the positive association between CPA severity and IPV perpetration became stronger as their negative affect during conflict increased.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression in Men and Women Who Perpetrate Intimate Partner Violence.

Poor mental health is a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Literature suggests that gender differences play a role in this association. The aims of this study were to examine the: 1) prevalence of IPV perpetrated by men and women; and 2) association between symptoms of depression or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and IPV perpetration among men and women. A convenience sample of 210 people living in three peri-urban areas in South Africa completed self-report questionnaires that assessed symptoms of common mental health disorders and IPV. Gender differences were not found with regard to perpetrating physical assault and psychological aggression, although men were more likely than women to report perpetration of sexual coercion (42.9% vs. 23.8%). Men who reported higher symptoms of PTSD were 3 times (OR = 2.63, p = .023) more likely to report perpetrating sexual coercion, when controlling for demographic characteristics and symptoms of depression, than men who reported lower levels of PTSD. Women who reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression were 4 times (OR = 3.9, p = .01) more likely to report perpetrating physical assault, when controlling for demographic characteristics and symptoms of PTSD, than women who reported minimal to mild symptoms of depression. Findings add further support for differences in rates of IPV perpetration, and poor mental health as a risk for IPV perpetration. Interventions aimed at reducing IPV perpetration in the South African setting will only be marginally effective if gender-specific interventions are not developed that consider co-occurring symptoms of PTSD and depression.

Risk Factors for Hispanic Male Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration.

The literature review analyzed 24 studies that explored male intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration risk factors among men, in particular Hispanics, using the socioecological model framework composed of four socioecological levels for violence prevention. Six databases were reviewed within the EBSCO search engine for articles published from 2000 to 2014. Articles reviewed were specific to risk factors for IPV perpetration among Hispanic men, focusing particularly on Mexican American men. Many key factors have previously been associated with risk for IPV perpetration; however, certain determinants are unique to Hispanics such as acculturation, acculturation stress, and delineated gender roles that include Machismo and Marianismo. These risk factors should be incorporated in future targeted prevention strategies and efforts and capitalize on the positive aspects of each to serve as protective factors.

A new piece to understanding the intimate partner violence puzzle: what role do genetics play?

Numerous factors prompt intimate partner violence (IPV). Stuart and colleagues examined whether variations in two theoretically relevant genetic variants predispose some people toward perpetrating psychological aggression, physical aggression, and violence that causes the victim serious physical injury. This commentary discusses the importance of considering how the observed genetic risk factors for IPV may be best understood within the context of their interaction with environmental risk factors. By focusing on gene-environment interactions, future work may help identify not only who is at risk for IPV perpetration but also who may be buffered from it.

Preliminary Investigation of the Roles of Military Background and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Frequency and Recidivism of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Court-Referred Men

Significant rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration have been identified among men with military backgrounds. Research indicates posttraumatic stress symptoms place military men at increased risk for IPV perpetration, but may be negatively associated with IPV among nonmilitary samples. However, no previous studies have directly compared court-referred IPV offenders with and without military experience, which may have clinical implications if posttraumatic stress symptoms are differentially associated with IPV perpetration across these two samples. Twenty court-referred IPV offenders with military background were demographically matched with 40 court-referred IPV offenders without military background. As anticipated, self- and partner-report of physically assaultive acts and injurious acts during baseline assessment showed significantly greater physical assault and injury perpetrated by offenders with military background. However, 1-year follow-up data on convictions indicated a significantly lower rate of recidivism among offenders with military background than among nonmilitary offenders. As hypothesized, symptoms of posttraumatic stress at intake showed a significant positive correlation with IPV perpetration among offenders with military background; however, this relationship showed a negative correlation among offenders without military background. Clinical implications are discussed including treatment avenues, such as Veterans Courts and other incarceration diversion programs, which may be particularly appropriate for offenders with military backgrounds.

Adulthood Stressors, History of Childhood Adversity, and Risk of Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence

More than half a million U.S. women and more than 100,000 men are treated for injuries from intimate partner violence (IPV) annually, making IPV perpetration a major public health problem. However, little is known about causes of perpetration across the life course. This paper examines the role of "stress sensitization," whereby adult stressors increase risk for IPV perpetration most strongly in people with a history of childhood adversity. The study investigated a possible interaction effect between adulthood stressors and childhood adversities in risk of IPV perpetration, specifically, whether the difference in risk of IPV perpetration associated with past-year stressors varied by history of exposure to childhood adversity. Analyses were conducted in 2010 using de-identified data from 34,653 U.S. adults from the 2004-2005 follow-up wave of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. There was a significant stress sensitization effect. For men with high-level childhood adversity, past-year stressors were associated with an 8.8 percentage point (pp) increased risk of perpetrating compared to a 2.3 pp increased risk among men with low-level adversity. Women with high-level childhood adversity had a 14.3 pp increased risk compared with a 2.5 pp increased risk in the low-level adversity group. Individuals with recent stressors and histories of childhood adversity are at particularly elevated risk of IPV perpetration; therefore, prevention efforts should target this population. Treatment programs for IPV perpetrators, which have not been effective in reducing risk of perpetrating, may benefit from further investigating the role of stress and stress reactivity in perpetration.