Measuring Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Development and Validation of the A-IPVAW Scale

Abstract: Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a major social and public health problem of global proportions. Public attitudes toward IPVAW shape the social environment in which such violence takes place, and attitudes of acceptability of IPVAW are considered a risk factor to actual IPVAW. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a scale measuring acceptability of IPVAW (A-IPVAW). To this end, a sample of 1,800 respondents was recruited via social media. A second sample of 50 IPVAW offenders was used for concurrent validity analyses. Following a cross-validation approach and using item response theory analyses, we found that the latent structure of the scale was one-…

Differential cognitive profiles of intimate partner violence perpetrators based on alcohol consumption.

Despite extensive evidence of heterogeneity in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrator profiles, there has been little research into neuropsychological deficits that might help us understand differences within this violent population. Moreover, studies on this topic have not paid much attention to the role of alcohol abuse in neuropsychological domains of IPV perpetrators. Hence, the current study was designed to examine neuropsychological differences among individuals who have committed domestic violence with high (n = 28, HA) and low (n = 35, LA) levels of alcohol consumption, and non-violent individuals (n = 37) to establish differential neuropsychological profiles. An exhaustive neu…

Neighborhood Social Disorder and Attitudes Toward Partner Violence Against Women: Evidence from Latin-American Immigrants in Spain

This study analyzes the relationship between neighborhood social disorder, and attitudes toward partner vio- lence against women among immigrants. To test hypotheses, a sample of Latin-American immigrants living in Spain was used. Relationships between perceived neighborhood disorder and the following sets of attitudes toward partner violence against women were explored: perceived severity of incidents, the acceptability of partner violence, and victim-blaming attitudes. Residents perceiving high levels of neighborhood social disorder were more exposed to incidents of partner vio- lence against women, as they reported knowing more victims. Results showed that high levels of perceived neighb…

Risk Factors and treatment needs of batterer intervention program participants with substance abuse problems

espanolEl objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los principales factores de riesgo y necesidades de tratamiento de los participantes en un programa de intervencion con maltratadores (BIP) con problemas de abuso de alcohol y/o drogas (ADAP), mas alla de sus problemas de abuso de substancias, teniendo en cuenta cuatro conjuntos de variables: sociodemograficas (i.e., edad, nivel educativo, ingresos, empleo y estatus de inmigrante), trastornos de personalidad y ajuste psicologico (i.e., sintomatologia clinica, trastornos de personalidad, ira, impulsividad y autoestima), variables socio-relacionales (i.e., apoyo comunitario, apoyo intimo, eventos vitales estresantes y rechazo social percibido…

Public responses to intimate partner violence against women: the influence of perceived severity and personal responsibility.

This paper explored public willingness to act when exposed to cases of intimate partner violence against women, by analyzing the influence of perceived severity and personal responsibility on two types of responses: mediating and reporting to the police. Results (N = 419) yielded main effects of personal responsibility for both types of responses. No main effects of perceived severity were found. A significant interaction between perceived severity and personal responsibility was found only for reporting responses. Results are discussed in light of the helping behavior research tradition. Implications for public education and advocacy programs are also considered. Marisol.lila@uv.es; Enriqu…

Neighborhood characteristics and violence behind closed doors: The spatial overlap of child maltreatment and intimate partner violence

In this study, we analyze first whether there is a common spatial distribution of child maltreatment (CM) and intimate partner violence (IPV), and second, whether the risks of CM and IPV are influenced by the same neighborhood characteristics, and if these risks spatially overlap. To this end we used geocoded data of CM referrals (N = 588) and IPV incidents (N = 1450) in the city of Valencia (Spain). As neighborhood proxies, we used 552 census block groups. Neighborhood characteristics analyzed at the aggregated level (census block groups) were: Neighborhood concentrated disadvantage (neighborhood economic status, neighborhood education level, and policing activity), immigrant concentration…

Towards understanding the Nordic paradox: A review of qualitative interview studies on intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a major public health problem in countries around the world, including the Nordic region. Contrary to what would be expected, as the Nordic countries are rated among the most gender equal in the world, survey data suggests that the lifetime prevalence rates of IPVAW in Sweden and neighboring Nordic countries are among the highest in the EU. This phenomenon, which has been termed the Nordic paradox, requires elucidation. The aim of this review is to explore what previous qualitative studies, based on interviews with or field observations of victims, perpetrators, or professionals working in the area, primarily in Sweden, have to teach us abo…

¿Se benefician de los programas de intervención que no tratan específicamente el consumo de alcohol los maltratadores con problemas de consumo abusivo?

ResumenEn el ámbito de la intervención con maltratadores y de la investigación en torno a la mejora de la efectividad de estas intervenciones el consumo abusivo de alcohol ha sido uno de los factores de riesgo que ha recibido especial atención. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la relación entre el consumo abusivo de alcohol, el proceso de cambio debido a la intervención y el abandono prematuro. Para ello se utilizó una muestra de 86 hombres consumidores de riesgo y 80 hombres no consumidores de riesgo, todos ellos condenados por violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja y participando en un programa de intervención en medio comunitario que no trata específicamente el prob…

Contextual Factors Related to Alcohol Abuse Among Intimate Partner Violence Offenders.

The association between alcohol consumption and intimate partner violence (IPV) has been reiterated in numerous studies. Some authors have found higher levels of risk factors in intimate partner violence offenders (IPVOs) with alcohol problems than in IPVOs without such problems.The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship of contextual variables with harmful alcohol use in a sample of IPVOs.This cross-sectional research analyzes data from 231 IPVOs. In addition to demographic data, information was collected on alcohol use, ethnicity, accumulation of stressful life events and perceived social support and rejection. The sample was divided into hazardous and nonhazardous alcohol users…

Testosterone/cortisol ratio in response to acute stress: a possible marker of risk for marital violence.

Testosterone to cortisol (T/C) ratios could be associated with feelings and expression of anger as high testosterone and low cortisol levels indicate a predisposition to violence. The basal T/C ratio has recently been proposed as a marker for proneness to social aggression; so far, however, only its value as an indicator of state anger or violence has been investigated. Given this, we aimed to establish whether the T/C ratio response to acute stress was a specific psychobiological feature in individuals with a history of violence, namely, perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). T/C ratio and anger responses were compared in men jailed for IPV and controls using the Trier Social Str…

The Willingness to Intervene in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women (WI-IPVAW) Scale: Development and Validation of the Long and Short Versions

Willingness to intervene when one becomes aware of a case of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) reflects the level of tolerance and acceptance of this type of violence in society. Increasing the likelihood of intervention to help victims of IPVAW is also a target for prevention strategies aiming to increase informal social control of IPVAW. In this study, we present the development and validation of the Willingness to Intervene in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence (WI-IPVAW) scale. We report data for both the long and short versions of the scale. We analyzed the latent structure, the reliability and validity of the WI-IPVAW across four samples (N = 1648). Factor analyses suppo…

Editorial. Investigación e Intervención en Violencia contra la Mujer en las Relaciones de Pareja

Cultural Differences in Personality and Aggressive Behavior in Intimate Partner Violence Offenders

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a ubiquitous and serious problem, the prevalence of which varies greatly around the world. Previous research shows that cultural factors interact with personality and that this interaction influences cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors that are related to personal and individual styles of resolving conflicts. In relation to this, the present study has three aims: comparing the self-reported IPV (physical, psychological and sexual) of English and Spanish offenders, comparing the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III) scores of the two groups, and examining the association between country of origin, psychopathology, and IPV. The sample consist…

Cognitive flexibility and reaction time improvements after cognitive training designed for men perpetrators of intimate partner violence: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial

AbstractPurpose Current interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators are designed to reduce IPV recidivism by treating risk factors and increasing protective factors. However, these interventions pay less attention to cognitive functioning in IPV perpetrators and how these variables interfere with the future risk of recidivism. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to compare the effectiveness of Standard Intervention Programs for men who perpetrate IPV [SIP] + cognitive training vs SIP + placebo training in promoting cognitive improvements and reducing recidivism. Furthermore, we also aimed to assess whether changes in the risk of recidivism would be related …

Can Attention and Working Memory Impairments of Intimate Partner Perpetrators Explain Their Risky Decision Making?

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators commonly exhibit deficits in a wide range of cognitive domains, such as attention, memory, and executive functions. Executive dysfunctions tend to be related to a preference for disadvantageous decisions, which could be explained by a pattern of focusing on positive outcomes (gains) while disregarding negative ones. Nonetheless, it is less clear whether risk-taking and decision-making problems should be attributed to motivational and/or emotional causes or to cognitive deficits in attention and/or working memory. The main goal of the present study was to examine whether IPV perpetrators can be distinguished from non-violent controls based on the…

Psychological intimate partner violence against women in the European Union: a cross-national invariance study

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a worldwide public health problem. One of the most frequent forms of this type of violence in western societies is psychological IPVAW. According to the European Union (EU) Fundamental Rights Association (FRA) the prevalence of psychological IPVAW in the EU is 43%. However, the measurement invariance of the measure addressing psychological IPVAW in this survey has not yet been assessed. Methods The aim of this study is to ensure the cross-national comparability of this measure, by evaluating its measurement invariance across the 28 EU countries in a sample of 37,724 women, and to examine how the levels of this type of vi…

Mapping child maltreatment risk: a 12-year spatio-temporal analysis of neighborhood influences.

Abstract Background ‘Place’ matters in understanding prevalence variations and inequalities in child maltreatment risk. However, most studies examining ecological variations in child maltreatment risk fail to take into account the implications of the spatial and temporal dimensions of neighborhoods. In this study, we conduct a high-resolution small-area study to analyze the influence of neighborhood characteristics on the spatio-temporal epidemiology of child maltreatment risk. Methods We conducted a 12-year (2004–2015) small-area Bayesian spatio-temporal epidemiological study with all families with child maltreatment protection measures in the city of Valencia, Spain. As neighborhood units…

Exploring Neighborhood Influences on Small-Area Variations in Intimate Partner Violence Risk: A Bayesian Random-Effects Modeling Approach

This paper uses spatial data of cases of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) to examine neighborhood-level influences on small-area variations in IPVAW risk in a police district of the city of Valencia (Spain). To analyze area variations in IPVAW risk and its association with neighborhood-level explanatory variables we use a Bayesian spatial random-effects modeling approach, as well as disease mapping methods to represent risk probabilities in each area. Analyses show that IPVAW cases are more likely in areas of high immigrant concentration, high public disorder and crime, and high physical disorder. Results also show a spatial component indicating remaining variability attribut…

Male Police Officers’ Law Enforcement Preferences In Cases of Intimate Partner Violence Versus Non-Intimate Interpersonal Violence

This article explores male police officers’ law enforcement preferences across different scenarios of interpersonal violence, involving intimate (partner violence against women) and non-intimate relationships (between- and within-gender). The influence of police officers’ sexist attitudes and empathy on their law enforcement preferences was also analyzed within and across these scenarios. The sample consisted of 308 male police officers. Results showed that police officers prefer a stronger and unconditional law enforcement approach in cases of violence against women, both in intimate and non-intimate relationships. Benevolent sexism was linked to a preference for a more conditional law en…

Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the European Union: A Systematic Review

Abstract. Attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) are increasingly recognized as central to understanding of this major social and public health problem, and guide the development of more effective prevention efforts. However, to date this area of research is underdeveloped in western societies, and in particular in the EU. The present study aims to provide a systematic review of quantitative studies addressing attitudes toward IPVAW conducted in the EU. The review was conducted through Web of Science, PsychINFO, Medline, EMBASE, PUBMED, and the Cochrane Library, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reco…

The importance of impulsivity and attention switching deficits in perpetrators convicted for intimate partner violence.

It has been stated that Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increases the likelihood of risky behavior such as intimate partner violence (IPV), but the cognitive mechanisms that facilitate or underlie these types of behavior remain unexplained. In this regard, several authors have established that impulsivity and inattentive symptoms might affect basic processes such as emotional decoding and set-shifting abilities, which are important processes for emotional and behavioral regulation. Hence, these symptoms entail a reduction in sensitivity to key contextual stimuli. Accordingly, the main aim of this study was to examine the involvement of impulsivity (assessed by self-reports) …

Sympathetic Nervous System Predominance in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators After Coping With Acute Stress

It has been suggested that intimate partner violence (IPV) against women perpetrators present emotional dysregulations when dealing with acute stress, which in turn could help to explain their proneness to violence. Emotional regulation can be objectively measured by means of psychophysiological parameters/variables/indicators of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, such as cardiorespiratory (heart rate [HR], pre-ejection period [PEP] and respiratory sinus arrythmia [RSA]) and electrodermal (skin conductance levels [SCL]) signals. Therefore, this study aims to assess whether IPV perpetrators ( n = 107) present differential psychophysiological and psychological state changes when coping…

High testosterone levels and sensitivity to acute stress in perpetrators of domestic violence with low cognitive flexibility and impairments in their emotional decoding process: A preliminary study

Hormonal and neuropsychological impairment in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators could play a role in domestic violence. For characterizing whether there is a specific psychobiological response to stress, participants who had previously been jailed for IPV and controls were compared for testosterone and cortisol levels, tested for 2D:4D ratio (as an indicator of masculinization), and given several trait questionnaires and neuropsychological tests related to executive functions and theory of mind. After performing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), IPV perpetrators experienced decreases in salivary testosterone (T) levels, a moderate worsening of mood, slight anxiety, and a saliv…

Preliminary evaluation of an analog procedure to assess acceptability of intimate partner violence against women: The Partner Violence Acceptability Movie Task (PVAM)

Acceptability of partner violence against women is a risk factor linked to its perpetration, and to public, professionals’ and victims’ responses to this behavior. Research on the acceptability of violence in intimate partner relationships is, however, limited by reliance solely on self-reports that often provide distorted or socially desirable accounts that may misrepresent respondents’ true attitudes. This study presents data on the development and initial validation of a new analog task assessing respondents’ acceptability of physical violence toward women in intimate relationships: the Partner Violence Acceptability Movie task (PVAM). This new analog task is intended to provide a more i…

Una Experiencia de Investigación, Formación e Intervención con Hombres Penados por Violencia contra la Mujer en la Universidad de Valencia: Programa Contexto

En España, a partir de la entrada en vigor de la Ley Orgánica 1/2004 de Medidas de Protección Integral contra la Violencia de Género, los programas de intervención para maltratadores se han convertido en un recurso necesario para el cumplimiento de las suspensiones de condena condicionadas, en casos de violencia de género. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar el trabajo realizado desde el Programa Contexto (Universidad de Valencia) en el ámbito de la investigación, formación e intervención con penados por violencia de género. En primer lugar, se describen las principales características y líneas directrices de la intervención en el Programa junto con la estructura y fases de la misma. …

Representation of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Swedish News Media: A Discourse Analysis.

Despite being rated as some of the world’s most gender equal countries, Sweden and neighboring Nordic nations show high rates of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). As the news media contribute to the shaping of public attitudes, this article pursues a two-step discourse analysis of how IPVAW was represented in seven Swedish newspapers during 2018. Although an individualistic discourse on IPVAW was found to be most prevalent, articles where perpetrators were presented as non-Swedish more frequently contained a structural framing of IPVAW. This confirms previously noted tendencies toward individualization and othering of IPVAW in Sweden.

La innovación educativa desde la metodología: Mejora de las actitudes y competencias científicas de los alumnos (Educational innovation in research methodology: Improving students' scientific skills and attitudes)

A programme of educational innovation was implemented to improve the attitude toward research methods for psychology students. Students used real data to test their own hypotheses using different statistical methods. Specifically, they implemented two key methodological principles in research methods: sample size and ordinal claims (Frick, 1996). Students had to work in teams, using Internet data bases for developing the theoretical background of the study, the definition of the objectives, the definition of variables, data analysis, and discussion of results. We assessed the attitudes towards research methods before and after the study. Results showed that: 1) the students improved their s…

Neighborhood Characteristics, Alcohol Outlet Density, and Alcohol-Related Calls-for-Service: A Spatiotemporal Analysis in a Wet Drinking Country

Alcohol outlets have been associated with different social problems, such as crime, violence, intimate partner violence, and child maltreatment. The spatial analysis of neighborhood availability of alcohol outlets is key for better understanding of these influences. Most studies on the spatial distribution of alcohol outlets in the community have been conducted in U.S. cities, but few studies have assessed this spatial distribution in other countries where the drinking culture may differ. The aim of this study was to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of alcohol outlets in the city of Valencia, Spain, and its relationship with neighborhood-level characteristics, as well as to examine t…

Assessing Victim-Blaming Attitudes in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence against Women: Development and Validation of the VB-IPVAW Scale

ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is the most common form of violence suffered by women and constitutes a serious public health problem of global proportions. Public attitudes towards IPVAW are key to understanding the social context in which this type of violence occurs. Victim-blaming attitudes are among those that reflect public tolerance and acceptability of IPVAW and are often used to explain or justify IPVAW. In this study we develop and validate a new instrument to assess victim-blaming attitudes in cases of IPVAW. A sample of 1,800 participants was recruited through social media and a second sample of 50 IPVAW offenders was used for validation purposes. Throug…

Evaluación de la disminución del riesgo de recaida en los programas de intervención con maltratadores: indicador clave en la evaluación de la eficacia del programa

The evidence available on the efficacy of batterer intervention programs is still limited. The aim of the present study is twofold: (1) to analyze change in a set of intervention targets and their association with reconviction in a batterer intervention program implemented in Spain, and (2) to analyze pre-treatment participants' characteristics linked with an increased likelihood of change. The research design was a prospective longitudinal study with measures obtained in two points in time (pre-treatment and post-treatment). Self-report measures, trained program staff assessment, and reconviction official records were used. Participants consisted of 212 offenders participating in a court-m…

Percepciones y Actitudes hacia la Violencia de Pareja contra la Mujer en Inmigrantes Latinoamericanos en España

Este trabajo analiza, en primer lugar, las percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer de los inmigrantes latinoamericanos y de la población española y, en segundo lugar, explora los correlatos de las actitudes hacia la denuncia de casos de violencia de pareja contra la mujer en una muestra de inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Para ello, se utilizan 3 fuentes de datos que incorporan dos muestras representativas de la población española y un muestra de inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas entre españoles e inmigrantes en las percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer. Los análisis también muestran qu…

Adaptation and validation of the Victim-Blaming Attitudes in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women (VB-IPVAW) Scale in Ecuadorian population

Resumen La violencia de pareja contra la mujer (VPM) constituye un grave problema de salud pública con importantes consecuencias para la salud física y psicológica de las mujeres. Las ac titudes de culpabilización de la víctima pueden contribuir a crear un clima de aceptación social en el que la VPM se perciba como una conducta normativa, influyendo en las respuestas de los individuos, comunidades, e instituciones frente a este problema. Ecuador es uno de los países de Latinoamérica donde la prevalencia de VPM es más alta, y las investigaciones sobre esta temática son todavía escasas. El objetivo de este estudio es adaptar y validar la Escala Española de Actitudes de Culpabilización de la V…

Educational innovation in research methodology: Improving students' scientific skills and attitudes

Se aplicó un programa de innovación educativa para mejorar las actitudes hacia la metodología de los estudiantes de las asignaturas de las ciencias del comportamiento. Los estudiantes utilizaron datos reales para contrastar sus propias hipótesis utilizando diferentes análisis estadísticos, aplicando dos principios metodológicos claves para el contraste: el tamaño de la muestra y los enunciados ordinales (Frick, 1996). Esta investigación de los estudiantes implicó el trabajo en grupo, emplear bases de datos en Internet para el desarrollo del marco teórico, definición de los objetivos del estudio, definición de variables, estrategias para el análisis y discusión de los resultados. Cuando term…

¿Se benefician de los programas de intervención que no tratan específicamente el consumo de alcohol los maltratadores con problemas de consumo abusivo?

En el ámbito de la intervención con maltratadores y de la investigación en torno a la mejora de la efectividad de estas intervenciones el consumo abusivo de alcohol ha sido uno de los factores de riesgo que ha recibido especial atención. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la relación entre el consumo abusivo de alcohol, el proceso de cambio debido a la intervención y el abandono prematuro. Para ello se utilizó una muestra de 86 hombres consumidores de riesgo y 80 hombres no consumidores de riesgo, todos ellos condenados por violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja y participando en un programa de intervención en medio comunitario que no trata específicamente el problema de…

La medida de la aceptabilidad de la violencia de pareja contra la mujer: desarrollo y validación de la escala A-IPVAW

Abstract: Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a major social and public health problem of global proportions. Public attitudes toward IPVAW shape the social environment in which such violence takes place, and attitudes of acceptability of IPVAW are considered a risk factor to actual IPVAW. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a scale measuring acceptability of IPVAW (A-IPVAW). To this end, a sample of 1,800 respondents was recruited via social media. A second sample of 50 IPVAW offenders was used for concurrent validity analyses. Following a cross-validation approach and using item response theory analyses, we found that the latent structure of the scale was one-…

Alexithymia as a Predictor of Arousal and Affect Dysregulations when Batterers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Cope with Acute Stress

Empirical research has stated that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) might underlie intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) perpetration. Even though there is a clear relationship between these two variables, it is still unknown how ADHD facilitates violence proneness. In this regard, psychophysiological variables such as skin conductance levels (SCL) might offer information about emotional regulation when individuals cope with stress. Furthermore, alexithymia traits might be a strong candidate in explaining the above-mentioned emotional dysregulations. Hence, we compared the SCL response to acute cognitive stress in IPVAW perpetrators with and without ADHD symptoms to…

Consumo de alcohol en hombres penados por violencia contra la pareja: factores individuales y contextuales

El consumo de alcohol ha sido relacionado de manera recurrente con la violencia contra la mujer. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las rela- ciones entre consumo de alcohol y otras variables relevantes en la inter- vencion con hombres condenados por delito de violencia de genero, en los ambitos individual y contextual. Se evalua Sintomatologia clinica, Abuso de drogas, Impulsividad, Autoestima, Asuncion de responsabilidad, Percepcion de apoyo intimo, Percepcion de rechazo social, Acumulacion de eventos vitales estresantes, Percepcion de ingresos economicos y Apoyo social comunitario en una muestra de 291 participantes de un programa de intervencion para hombres penados por violencia c…

Ajuste psicológico y culpabilización de la víctima en maltratadores: el papel del apoyo social y los eventos vitales estresantes

Intimate partner violence offenders often use victim-blaming attributions to explain their own violent behavior. These attributions represent an important challenge for intervention programs for intimate-partner violence offenders. The main objectives of this study were to analyze both the influence of social support and stressful life events on the psychological adjustment (self-esteem and depressive symptomatology) of intimate partner violence offenders and the relationship between offenders' psychological adjustment and their victim-blaming attributions. The sample consists of 314 men convicted of intimate partner violence who were referred to a community-based intervention program. Resu…

Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence among Male Offenders: The Role of Set-Shifting and Emotion Decoding Dysfunctions as Cognitive Risk Factors.

Attitudes towards the acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) contribute to an increased risk of IPVAW perpetration, and these attitudes are common among IPVAW offenders. Research suggests that IPVAW offenders present cognitive deficits related to information processing. Little is known, however, about how these deficits are related to the acceptability of IPVAW. The main aim of this study was to explore the relationship between specific cognitive deficits (i.e., deficits in attention switching, set-shifting, and emotion decoding abilities) and the acceptability of IPVAW in a sample of 84 IPVAW offenders. Results revealed that IPVAW offenders with deficits in attent…

Valoración del riesgo de reincidencia en violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja: importancia del apoyo social

ResumenUna de las estrategias preventivas recomendadas en el ambito de la violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja, es la valoracion del riesgo de reincidencia. Sin embargo, es escasa la investigacion en torno a que variables se relacionan con la valoracion de riesgo realizada por los profesionales. En este trabajo, a partir de la informacion obtenida de 291 hombres penados por violencia de genero, se analizaron las relaciones de diversas variables psicologicas, actitudinales y sociales, con dos medidas posibles de valoracion de riesgo que pueden obtenerse a partir del SARA (Spousal Assault Risk Assessment); el Sumatorio de Factores de Riesgo de Reincidencia y la Valoracion Glo…

Actitudes de la policía ante la intervención en casos de violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja: influencia del sexismo y la empatia

This study analyzed the influence of sexism (benevolent and hostile) and empathy on police attitudes towards intervening in partner violence against women (preferences to enforce the law depending on whether the victim is willing to press charges against the offender). The sample was 409 police officers. Results from a 2x2x2 factorial design yielded main effects of benevolent sexism, and a significant interaction between hostile sexism and empathy. Implications for training and selection of police officers working in the area of partner violence against women are considered.

Prevalence of intimate partner violence against women in Sweden and Spain: A psychometric study of the 'Nordic paradox'.

The high prevalence of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in countries with high levels of gender equality has been defined as the "Nordic paradox". In this study we compared physical and sexual IPVAW prevalence data in two countries exemplifying the Nordic paradox: Sweden (N = 1483) and Spain (N = 1447). Data was drawn from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Survey on violence against women. To ascertain whether differences between these two countries reflect true differences in IPVAW prevalence, and to rule out the possibility of measurement bias, we conducted a set of analyses to ensure measurement equivalence, a precondition for appropriate and valid cross-cul…

The Spatial Overlap of Police Calls Reporting Street-Level and Behind-Closed-Doors Crime: A Bayesian Modeling Approach

Traditionally, intimate-partner violence has been considered a special type of crime that occurs behind closed doors, with different characteristics from street-level crime. The aim of this study is to analyze the spatial overlap of police calls reporting street-level and behind-closed-doors crime. We analyzed geocoded police calls in the 552 census-block groups of the city of Valencia, Spain, related to street-level crime (N = 26,624) and to intimate-partner violence against women (N = 11,673). A Bayesian joint model was run to analyze the spatial overlap. In addition, two Bayesian hierarchical models controlled for different neighborhood characteristics to analyze the relative risks. Resu…

Long-Term Drug Misuse Increases the Risk of Cognitive Dysfunctions in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators: Key Intervention Targets for Reducing Dropout and Reoffending

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a major public health problem, with an important mortality rate in women across the world. In this regard, it has been well-established that drug misuse explains (at least in part) an increased risk of IPVAW perpetration. Even though alcohol is the most widely studied drug underlying IPVAW, other drugs, such as cannabis and cocaine also seem to be significant indicators of this type of violence. Nonetheless, little is known about mediators, such as cognitive domains that facilitate proneness to violence after drug consumption. Therefore, the primary objective of the present study was to compare drug misuse patterns and cognitive performance…

Responsive versus Treatment-Resistant Perpetrators in Batterer Intervention Programs: Personal Characteristics and Stages of Change.

This article aims to identify different personal characteristics in treatment-responsive and treatment-resistant perpetrators of intimate partner violence who completed a batterer intervention program (BIP). The sample consists of 105 perpetrators of intimate partner violence who were court-mandated to a community-based cognitive behavioral program. Perpetrators were classified by professionals as resistant or responsive to treatment based on the stage of change they reached upon completion of the program. The results show that before starting the intervention program, treatment-resistant perpetrators scored higher than treatment-responsive perpetrators in external responsibility attributio…

Dropout from Court-Mandated Intervention Programs for Intimate Partner Violence Offenders: The Relevance of Alcohol Misuse and Cognitive Impairments

There is considerable interest in offering insight into the mechanisms that might explain why certain perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) drop out of interventions. Although several socio-demographic variables and attitudes towards IPVAW have been proposed as risk factors for IPVAW perpetrators&rsquo

Police attitudes toward policing partner violence against women: do they correspond to different psychosocial profiles?

This study analyzed whether police attitudes toward policing partner violence against women corresponded with different psychosocial profiles. Two attitudes toward policing partner violence were considered—one reflecting a general preference for a conditional law enforcement (depending on the willingness of the victim to press charges against the offender) and the other reflecting a general preference for unconditional law enforcement (regardless of the victim’s willingness to press charges against the offender). Results from a sample of 378 police officers showed that those police officers who expressed a general preference for unconditional law enforcement scored higher in other-oriented…

La mediació intercultural a Espanya. Definició i perfil professional

Alcohol Abuse Mediates the Association between Baseline T/C Ratio and Anger Expression in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators.

The imbalance between testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) levels has been proposed as a possible marker of risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). Moreover, it could be related to a high probability of adopting risky behaviors such as alcohol abuse which, in turn, promotes the onset of IPV. This study tested the potential mediating effect of alcohol consumption on the relationship between baseline T/C ratio and anger expression in IPV perpetrators and non-violent controls. Alcohol consumption was higher in the former than controls. A high baseline T/C ratio was only associated with high anger expression in IPV perpetrators, and this association was mediated by high alcohol consumption. Thus…

Transformational Leadership in the Local Police in Spain: a Leader-Follower Distance Approach

AbstractBased on the transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985), the aim of the present study was to analyze the differences in leadership styles according to the various leading ranks and the organizational follower-leader distance reported by a representative sample of 975 local police members (828 male and 147 female) from Valencian Community (Spain). Results showed differences by rank (p< .01), and by rank distance (p< .05). The general intendents showed the most optimal profile of leadership in all the variables examined (transformational-leadership behaviors, transactional-leadership behaviors,laissez-fairebehaviors, satisfaction with the leader, extra effort by follower, a…

Does country-level gender equality explain individual risk of intimate partner violence against women? A multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (MAIHDA) in the European Union

Abstract Background Gender equality is widely accepted as an important explanatory factor for the occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. However, the relationship is not straightforward, as high country-level gender equality is not always associated with lower IPV prevalence. We apply ‘multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy’ (MAIHDA) to (i) quantify the extent to which the country of residence determines individual risk of IPV and (ii) investigate the association between country-level gender equality and individual experience of IPV, and to which extent this association explains the observed between-country differences. Methods Usin…

Evaluación de las actitudes de culpabilización de la víctima en casos de violencia de pareja contra la mujer: desarrollo y validación de la escala VB-IPVAW

ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is the most common form of violence suffered by women and constitutes a serious public health problem of global proportions. Public attitudes towards IPVAW are key to understanding the social context in which this type of violence occurs. Victim-blaming attitudes are among those that reflect public tolerance and acceptability of IPVAW and are often used to explain or justify IPVAW. In this study we develop and validate a new instrument to assess victim-blaming attitudes in cases of IPVAW. A sample of 1,800 participants was recruited through social media and a second sample of 50 IPVAW offenders was used for validation purposes. Throug…

More Likely to Dropout, but What if They Don’t? Partner Violence Offenders With Alcohol Abuse Problems Completing Batterer Intervention Programs

There is general consensus that alcohol abuse is a risk factor to be considered in batterer intervention programs. Intimate partner violence perpetrators with alcohol abuse problems are more likely to dropout of batterer intervention programs. However, there is little research on intimate partner violence perpetrators with alcohol abuse problems completing batterer intervention programs. In this study, we analyze drop-out rates among perpetrators with alcohol abuse problems and explore whether perpetrators with alcohol abuse problems completing a batterer intervention program differ from those who do not have alcohol abuse problems in a number of outcomes. The sample was 286 males convicte…

Do cultural differences influence batterer intervention program outcomes?: a study with Spanish and Latin American offenders

En este estudio se analiza, en primer lugar, si existen diferencias entre hombres latinoamericanos inmigrantes y españoles condenados por violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja, en relación a sus actitudes hacia la violencia (i.e., gravedad percibida, culpabilización de la víctima y aceptabilidad de la violencia), atribución de responsabilidad, sexismo y riesgo de reincidencia al inicio de un programa de intervención con maltratadores. En segundo lugar, se comprueba si existen diferencias al finalizar la intervención en los resultados del programa entre inmigrantes latinoamericanos y nativos. Para ello se utiliza una muestra de 278 participantes que han finalizado un programa…

Autoconcepto y consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia

Este estudio analiza la relacion entre el autoconcepto evaluado con una medida multidimensional, el cuestionario Autoconcepto Forma 5 (AF5), y el consumo de sustancias en los adolescentes. A partir de las respuestas de 632 adolescentes (47,5% mujeres), entre 12 y 17 anos (M = 14,88 anos, DT = 1,71 anos), los resultados mostraron relaciones negativas entre el autoconcepto familiar, academico y fisico, y el consumo de sustancias. Si bien se encontraron aparentes relaciones positivas con la dimension social del autoconcepto, estas relaciones desaparecieron al controlar el efecto estadistico del sexo y la edad de los adolescentes. Ademas, se incluyen otros indices de ajuste (psicologico, compet…

Immunoglobulin A response to acute stress in intimate partner violence perpetrators: the role of anger expression-out and testosterone.

Aggressive behavior and immune activity are shown to be positively associated in perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). This relationship follows an inverted-U curve, with the most violent individuals showing lower levels of immunocompetence than those with a history of moderate violence. Moreover, the activational and organizational effects of testosterone (T) may indirectly stimulate the immune response. Given this, we used the Trier Social Stress Test to establish whether the salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) response to acute stress was a specific psychobiological feature in perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV perpetrators showed higher sIgA levels than control…

Improving empathy with motivational strategies in batterer intervention programmes: Results of a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES Empathy (i.e., the ability to decode emotions, as well as cognitive and emotional empathy) is involved in moral reasoning, prosocial behaviour, social and emotional adequacy, mood and behaviour regulation. Hence, alterations in these functions could reduce behaviour control and the adoption of specific types of violence such as intimate partner violence (IPV). Although interventions for IPV perpetrators focus on reducing IPV risk factors and increasing protective factors to prevent this kind of violence, the study of the effectiveness of these programmes in promoting changes in empathy (cognitive and emotional) has been neglected. DESIGN Hence, the main aim of this study was to c…

The Contribution of Childhood Parental Rejection and Early Androgen Exposure to Impairments in Socio-Cognitive Skills in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators with High Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol consumption, a larger history of childhood parental rejection, and high prenatal androgen exposure have been linked with facilitation and high risk of recidivism in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. Participants were distributed into two groups according to their alcohol consumption scores as high (HA) and low (LA). HA presented a higher history of childhood parental rejection, prenatal masculinization (smaller 2D:4D ratio), and violence-related scores than LA IPV perpetrators. Nonetheless, the former showed poor socio-cognitive skills performance (cognitive flexibility, emotional recognition and cognitive empathy). Particularly in HA IPV perpetrators, the history of chi…

Motivational strategies, working alliance, and protherapeutic behaviors in batterer intervention programs: A randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Motivational strategies are among the most promising approaches to improve the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs (BIPs). An individualized motivational plan (IMP) is one of these motivational strategies. The present study aimed to explore whether adding an IMP to a standard BIP improved the participant-facilitator working alliance and participants' protherapeutic behaviors. To this end a randomized controlled trial was conducted. One hundred fifty-three men convicted of intimate partner violence were randomly assigned to either a standard BIP (control condition, n = 79) or a standard BIP plus IMP (experimental condition, n = 74). Working alliance (i.e., general workin…

El consumo abusivo de alcohol en inmigrantes latinoamericanos que participan en programas de intervención para maltratadores: importancia de la adherencia al tratamiento

En este estudio se analizan las tasas de abandono del tratamiento en hombres inmigrantes latinoamericanos con problemas de consumo de alcohol (PCA) derivados a programas de intervención con maltratadores y se explora si aquellos que consiguen finalizar la intervención se diferencian de los que no tienen PCA en variables resultado de la intervención. La muestra la componen 107 hombres latinoamericanos condenados por violencia contra la mujer. Al contrario de lo esperado, no se confirman mayores tasas de abandono entre los participantes con PCA. Independientemente de tener o no PCA, los participantes que finalizaron el programa mostraron mejoría en todas las variables objetivo de la intervenc…

Measuring Perceived Severity of Intimate Partner Violence against Women (IPVAW) among the General Population and IPVAW Offenders

ABSTRACT Public perceptions of the severity of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) incidents are an important factor that has been linked to key issues regarding this type of violence, such as acceptability or tolerance, personal sense of responsibility, attitudes toward intervention, and the public's, professionals', and victims' responses to IPVAW. The aim of the present study was to provide further validity evidence for the perceived severity of IPVAW scale (PS-IPVAW), by assessing its measurement invariance between gender and age groups, and between men from the general population and male IPVAW offenders. Item response theory was also used to assess the discrimination of th…

Validation of the Working Alliance Inventory–Observer Short Version with male intimate partner violence offenders

The working alliance is a key element to increase intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders' motivation, adherence to treatment, and active participation in batterer intervention programs (BIPs). The objective of the present study is to assess the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Working Alliance Inventory-Observer Short Version (WAI-O-S) with a sample of IPV offenders. The sample was 140 men convicted for IPV and court-mandated to a community-based BIP. Inter-rater agreement and reliability were evaluated by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient. To test the latent structure a Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis approach was used. To test criterion-related v…

La innovación educativa desde la metodología: Mejora de las actitudes y competencias científicas de los alumnos

Se aplicó un programa de innovación educativa para mejorar las actitudes hacia la metodología de los estudiantes de las asignaturas de las ciencias del comportamiento. Los estudiantes utilizaron datos reales para contrastar sus propias hipótesis utilizando diferentes análisis estadísticos, aplicando dos principios metodológicos claves para el contraste: el tamaño de la muestra y los enunciados ordinales (Frick, 1996). Esta investigación de los estudiantes implicó el trabajo en grupo, emplear bases de datos en Internet para el desarrollo del marco teórico, definición de los objetivos del estudio, definición de variables, estrategias para el análisis y discusión de los resultados. Cuando term…

Differences in treatment adherence, program completion, and recidivism among batterer subtypes

Abstract The present study aimed to cross-validate Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart's typology in a Spanish sample of court-referred intimate partner violence batterers. The study also analyzed the typology's capability to predict treatment attendance, completion, and IPV recidivism two years after the treatment. The sample consisted of 210 batterers court referred to a batterer intervention program. Using cluster analysis, three batterer subtypes were identified in accordance with the original typology: family-only batterers, borderline/dysphoric, and generally violent-antisocial. The typology predicted program attendance, completion, and recidivism. Batterers from the generally violent-antiso…

Empathy Impairments in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators With Antisocial and Borderline Traits: A Key Factor in the Risk of Recidivism.

Antisocial, borderline, and narcissistic personality traits have been described as characteristics of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. Furthermore, deficits in cognitive empathy and impairments in emotional decoding processes may at least partially explain conduct disorders and social dysfunction in general. However, previous research has not explored potential associations between empathy deficits and the aforementioned traits or whether they are reflected in recidivism in IPV perpetrators. Accordingly, the main aim of this study was to explore associations between empathy deficits, antisocial, borderline, and narcissistic traits and the risk of recidivism in this population. …

High testosterone levels and sensitivity to acute stress in perpetrators of domestic violence with low cognitive flexibility and impairments in their emotional decoding process: a preliminary study.

Hormonal and neuropsychological impairment in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators could play a role in domestic violence. For characterising whether there is a specific psychobiological response to stress, participants who had previously been jailed for IPV and controls were compared for testosterone and cortisol levels, tested for 2D:4D ratios (as an indicator of masculinisation), and given several trait questionnaires and neuropsychological tests related to executive functions and theory of mind. After performing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), IPV perpetrators experienced decreases in salivary testosterone (T) levels, a moderate worsening of mood, slight anxiety, and a sali…

The Intimate Partner Violence Responsibility Attribution Scale (IPVRAS)

The aim of this study is to present a psychometrically sound instrument to assess intimate partner violence offenders’ responsibility attributions: the Intimate Partner Violence Responsibility Attribution Scale. The scale was administrated to 423 adult male intimate partner violence offenders court-mandated to a community-based intervention program. A three factor structure (responsibility attribution to the legal system, responsibility attribution to the victim, and responsibility attribution to the offender personal context) was supported using confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability of the scales in this study was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha, ρ and greatest lower bound. The Intima…

Could Alcohol Abuse Drive Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators’ Psychophysiological Response to Acute Stress?

Proactively aggressive individuals have been shown to present a different pattern of autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation from that of individuals characterized by reactive violence. Although attempts have been made to classify intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators based on ANS reactivity to acute stress, subsequent studies have failed to replicate this classification. Notably, the proposed classification neglected the role of chronic alcohol abuse in ANS dysregulation and the fact that this dysregulation entails an abnormal stress response. The aim of the present study was to analyze the response profile (psychological state and ANS response) of groups of IPV perpetrators wi…

Alexithymic traits are closely related to impulsivity and cognitive and empathic dysfunctions in intimate partner violence perpetrators: New targets for intervention.

Clinical psychologists are interested in studying factors that interfere with the behavioral regulation of perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW), as well as the way these factors affect the risk of future recidivism after interventions that are designed for them are completed. Although several variables have been proposed as risk factors for IPVAW, the role of alexithymia and its relationships with other cognitive and empathic variables in IPVAW perpetrators has been neglected. Thus, the main aim of this study was to compare the alexithymic and cognitive and empathic traits in a carefully selected sample of IPVAW perpetrators (

Explaining Method Effects Associated With Negatively Worded Items in Trait and State Global and Domain-Specific Self-Esteem Scales

Several investigators have interpreted method effects associated with negatively worded items in a substantive way. This research extends those studies in different ways: (a) it establishes the presence of methods effects in further populations and particular scales, and (b) it examines the possible relations between a method factor associated with negatively worded items and several covariates. Two samples were assessed: 592 high school students from Valencia (Spain), and 285 batterers from the same city. The self-esteem scales used were Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, the State Self-Esteem Scale, and Self-Esteem 17. Anxiety was also assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and gend…

The Nordic Paradox. Professionals’ Discussions about Gender Equality and Intimate Partner Violence against Women in Sweden

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is a global public health issue often assumed to be associated with gender inequality. The so-called Nordic Paradox, the apparently contradictory co-existence of high levels of IPVAW and of gender equality in Nordic countries, has not been adequately explained. This study explores discussions about how this apparent paradox can be understood among 30 IPVAW professionals working in southern Sweden, through a thematic analysis of focus groups and individual and paired interviews. The analysis highlights complexities of gender (in)equality and its links with IPVAW in Sweden, of relevance for the addressing and prevention of IPVAW.

Hormonal differences in intimate partner violence perpetrators when they cope with acute stress: A pilot study

Background: Only a few studies have paid attention to the ability of perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPVAW) against women to cope with acute stress, including hormonal pa-rameters. In fact, previous studies assessed how salivary testosterone (Tsal) and cortisol (Csal) changed after coping with an acute emotional stressor (directly related to IPVAW), and they con-cluded that an imbalance between the two hormones might be characteristic of these men. Never-theless, they neglected to examine the role of other hormones, such as salivary oxytocin (OXsal), which also seemed to play an important role in behavioral regulation, and whether this response could be generalized to other types…

Testosterone and attention deficits as possible mechanisms underlying impaired emotion recognition in intimate partner violence perpetrators

Several studies have reported impairments in decoding emotional facial expressions in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. However, the mechanisms that underlie these impaired skills are not well known. Given this gap in the literature, we aimed to establish whether IPV perpetrators (n = 18) differ in their emotion decoding process, attentional skills, and testosterone (T), cortisol (C) levels and T/C ratio in comparison with controls (n = 20), and also to examine the moderating role of the group and hormonal parameters in the relationship between attention skills and the emotion decoding process. Our results demonstrated that IPV perpetrators showed poorer emotion recognition and …

The 2D:4D Ratio as a Predictor of the Risk of Recidivism after Court-mandated Intervention Program for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators.

Differences in aggressive behavior could be partially explained by differential prenatal exposure to testosterone (T). A peripheral marker of prenatal T exposure is the 2D:4D ratio, which has shown a negative correlation with self-reported aggression in violent men. This study tested the direct association of the 2D:4D ratio with anger expression and the risk of recidivism in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators after psychotherapeutic intervention program. The sample consisted of IPV perpetrators, whose 2D:4D ratio was measured before the intervention. Moreover, after the intervention, anger expression and risk of recidivism in IPV were assessed. Smaller 2D:4D ratio, especially of …

Perceived paternal and maternal acceptance and children's outcomes in Colombia

The relationship between perceived paternal and maternal acceptance and children's adjustment was analyzed. The sample consisted of 234 children and 234 parental figures (mother or primary female caregiver, and father or primary male caregiver) living in two-parent nuclear families in Colombia. The children's age range was 7 to 13 (M = 9.7). Children completed the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (Child PARQ mother and father versions; Rohner, 1990), and the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ; Rohner, 1990). Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983). The analyses revealed that perceived paternal and maternal acceptance were both…

La intervención con hombres condenados por violencia de pareja contra la mujer en España: Investigación y avances en intervención

sj-pdf-1-asm-10.1177_10731911211000110 – Supplemental material for A Short Measure of Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Development and Validation of the A-IPVAW-8 Scale

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-asm-10.1177_10731911211000110 for A Short Measure of Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Development and Validation of the A-IPVAW-8 Scale by Manuel Martín-Fernández, Enrique Gracia and Marisol Lila in Assessment

Los predictores clave de la reincidencia en participantes en un programa de intervención para agresores de pareja: un análisis de supervivencia

ABSTRACT Strategies to reduce intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) can be targeted at different levels. Batterer intervention programs (BIPs) are among the main treatment approaches for IPVAW offenders. The most common outcome used in the evaluation of BIP effectiveness is recidivism. Efforts to increase BIP effectiveness in reducing recidivism should focus on key predictive variables of this outcome. The aim of this study was to identify key predictors of official recidivism from a large set of variables drawn from a sample of IPVAW offenders court-mandated to a community-based BIP (N = 393), with a follow-up period of between 0 and 69 months. To this end, a survival analysis wa…

The testosterone/cortisol ratio moderates the proneness to anger expression in antisocial and borderline intimate partner violence perpetrators

AbstractSeveral studies have provided evidence that antisocial, borderline and narcissistic personality traits of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators significantly increase proneness to violence. In addition, an imbalance between testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) levels has been observed in this population, making individuals prone to violence. We aimed to establish whether IPV perpetrators differ in personality traits, T/C ratio and anger expression from controls, and also to examine the moderating role of the T/C ratio in the relationship between personality traits and anger expression. The sample consisted of 16 IPV perpetrators and 20 controls. T/C ratio was obtained as the quo…

The Nordic Paradox and intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden: A background overview

The global public health problem of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) is typically tied to gender inequality. Contrary to what would be expected, however, a 2012 survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) showed lifetime prevalence rates of IPVAW in the Nordic countries which were among the highest of the 28 EU member states, despite these countries being rated as some of the most gender‐equal in the world. The aim of this article is to enable a furthered understanding of this Nordic Paradox through providing an overview of knowledge about IPVAW in Sweden in relation to the apparent paradox. It assembles information on IPVAW prevalence, on Swede…

Recidivism risk reduction assessment in batterer intervention programs: A keyindicator for program efficacy evaluation

AbstractThe evidence available on the efficacy of batterer intervention programs is still limited. The aim of the present study is twofold: (1) to analyze change in a set of intervention targets and their association with reconviction in a batterer intervention program implemented in Spain, and (2) to analyze pre-treatment participants’ characteristics linked with an increased likelihood of change. The research design was a prospective longitudinal study with measures obtained in two points in time (pre-treatment and post-treatment). Self-report measures, trained program staff assessment, and reconviction official records were used. Participants consisted of 212 offenders participating in a…

Ambivalent sexism, empathy and law enforcement attitudes towards partner violence against women among male police officers

Police attitudes towards partner violence against women (PVAW) can play an important role in their evaluation and responses to this type of violence. The present study aims to examine ambivalent sexism and empathy as determinants of male police officers' law enforcement attitudes towards PVAW. The study sample was composed by 404 male police officers. Results suggested that male police officers scoring low in benevolent sexism expressed a general preference for unconditional law enforcement (i.e. regardless of the victim's willingness to press charges against the offender), whereas those scoring high in benevolent sexism expressed a preference for conditional law enforcement (i.e. depending…

The Importance of Considering Alexithymia during Initial Stages of Intimate Partner Violence Interventions to Design Adjuvant Treatments

Empirical evidence supports that individuals with alexithymia might be prone to certain types of violence, such as intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW). Moreover, considering that alexithymia is directly involved in behavior regulation, problems due to identifying and regulating emotional states might be postulated as responsible, at least in part, for the success of psychotherapeutic treatments designed for decreasing the future risk of reoffending. Therefore, we assessed whether alexithymia was a good predictor of the discontinuation of treatment (dropout) and the risk of recidivism during the initial stages of intervention in a sample of men convicted of IPVAW perpetration (n …

Psychological adjustment and victim-blaming among intimate partner violence offenders: The role of social support and stressful life events

AbstractIntimate partner violence offenders often use victim-blaming attributions to explain their own violent behavior. These attributions represent an important challenge for intervention programs for intimatepartner violence offenders. The main objectives of this study were to analyze both the influence of social support and stressful life events on the psychological adjustment (self-esteem and depressive symptomatology) of intimate partner violence offenders and the relationship between offenders’ psychological adjustment and their victim-blaming attributions. The sample consists of 314 men convicted of intimate partner violence who were referred to a community-based intervention progra…

A Short Measure of Acceptability of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Development and Validation of the A-IPVAW-8 Scale

Attitudes of acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) are considered one of the main risk factors of this type of violence. The aim of this study is to develop and validate a short version of the acceptability of IPVAW scale, the A-IPVAW-8, for large scale studies where space and time are limited. A panel of experts were asked to assess item content validity. Two samples were recruited to assemble an 8-item short version of the scale using automated test assembly, and to reassess the psychometric properties of the A-IPVAW-8 in an independent sample. Results showed that the A-IPVAW-8 had adequate internal consistency (α = .72-.76, ω = .73-.81), a stable one-factor la…

PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD VIOLENCE, PARENTING STYLES, AND DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES AMONG SPANISH ADOLESCENTS

This article analyzed perceptions of neighborhood violence of Spanish adolescents (N = 1,015) from authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful families, and its association with three sets of developmental outcomes (psychological, behavioral, and academic). Tests of main and interactive effects were conducted to answer research questions regarding the potential moderating role of perceived neighborhood violence on the relationship between parenting styles and developmental outcomes. Results yielded only main effects of parenting styles and perceived neighborhood violence on developmental outcomes, as well as an interaction between gender and perceived neighborhood violence. Pare…

Los profesionales de la salud y la prevención de la violencia doméstica contra la mujer

Domestic violence against women is an important public health problem that cannot be ignored. Health professionals need to take part in the prevention, detection and treatment processes, acting in a coordinate way with other professionals and institutions. This paper analyzes the consequences of domestic violence against women, and underscores the fact that health professionals are part of the social circle surrounding the victims, playing an important role in its detection and prevention. Several response strategies from the health services are examined and, finally, the paper considers screening as a mechanism for early detection of domestic violence, paying special attention to the impor…

Motivational strategies in interventions for intimate partner violence offenders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

ABSTRACT Previous research suggests that the inclusion of motivational strategies in interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders could increase their effectiveness. This review evaluated the effectiveness of interventions for IPV offenders that includes motivational strategies to reduce physical and psychological IPV, treatment dropout, official recidivism to IPV offending, and to increase intervention attendance dose. The present systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using PRISMA guidelines. The following databases were searched from 1983 to 2018 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions for IPV offenders that incorporated motivational strategies…

Police involvement in cases of intimate partner violence against women: the influence of perceived severity and personal responsibility.

The influence of perceived severity and sense of personal responsibility of police officers on their level of involvement in cases of intimate partner violence against women is analyzed. Three levels of police involvement are considered: low, medium, and high. The sample consists of 143 Spanish police officers. A 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design is conducted to test hypotheses. Effects of perceived severity and personal responsibility are found only at the highest level of police involvement. For low and medium levels of involvement, no differences in perceived severity and personal responsibility of police officers are found.

Las estrategias motivacionales, la alianza de trabajo y la conducta proterapéutica en los programas de intervención con maltratadores: un ensayo clínico aleatorizado

ABSTRACT Motivational strategies are among the most promising approaches to improve the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs (BIPs). An individualized motivational plan (IMP) is one of these motivational strategies. The present study aimed to explore whether adding an IMP to a standard BIP improved the participant-facilitator working alliance and participants' protherapeutic behaviors. To this end a randomized controlled trial was conducted. One hundred fifty-three men convicted of intimate partner violence were randomly assigned to either a standard BIP (control condition, n = 79) or a standard BIP plus IMP (experimental condition, n = 74). Working alliance (i.e., general workin…

High Immunoglobulin A Levels Mediate the Association Between High Anger Expression and Low Somatic Symptoms in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators.

It has been hypothesized that anger expression may be associated with increased salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels, which is associated with decreased somatic symptoms, and therefore anger expression may be associated with reduced somatic symptoms in intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators. This study tested the potential mediating effect of sIgA levels on the relationship between anger expression and respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms in IPV perpetrators and non-violent controls. The sample consisted of IPV perpetrators ( n = 19) and controls ( n = 21). Saliva samples were collected for assessing sIgA levels. The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory–2 was used to assess…

¿Influyen las diferencias culturales en los resultados de los programas de intervención con maltratadores? Un estudio con agresores españoles y latinoamericanos

ResumenEn este estudio se analiza, en primer lugar, si existen diferencias entre hombres latinoamericanos inmigrantes y españoles condenados por violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja, en relación a sus actitudes hacia la violencia (i.e., gravedad percibida, culpabilización de la víctima y aceptabilidad de la violencia), atribución de responsabilidad, sexismo y riesgo de reincidencia al inicio de un programa de intervención con maltratadores. En segundo lugar, se comprueba si existen diferencias al finalizar la intervención en los resultados del programa entre inmigrantes latinoamericanos y nativos. Para ello se utiliza una muestra de 278 participantes que han finalizado un p…

Multimethod prediction of child abuse risk in an at-risk sample of male intimate partner violence offenders

Abstract The vast majority of research on child abuse potential has concentrated on women demonstrating varying levels of risk of perpetrating physical child abuse. In contrast, the current study considered factors predictive of physical child abuse potential in a group of 70 male intimate partner violence offenders, a group that would represent a likely high risk group. Elements of Social Information Processing theory were evaluated, including pre-existing schemas of empathy, anger, and attitudes approving of parent-child aggression considered as potential moderators of negative attributions of child behavior. To lend methodological rigor, the study also utilized multiple measures and mult…

Alcohol Abuse in Latin American Immigrants Participating in Intervention Programs for Abusers: the Import ance of Adherence to Treatment

En este estudio, se analizan las tasas de abandono del tratamiento en hombres inmigrantes latinoamericanos con problemas de consumo de alcohol (PCA) derivados a programas de intervención con maltratadores, y se explora si aquellos que consiguen finalizar la intervención se diferencian de los que no tienen PCA en variables resultado de la intervención. La muestra la componen 107 hombres latinoamericanos condenados por violencia contra la mujer. Al contrario de lo esperado, no se confirman mayores tasas de abandono entre los participantes con PCA. Independientemente de tener o no PCA, los participantes que finalizaron el programa mostraron mejoría en todas las variables objetivo de la interve…

Españoles e Inmigrantes Latinoamericanos condenados por violencia de género: ¿Existe un perfil diferencial?

Resumen Diversas investigaciones destacan el rol de las diferen­cias culturales y de los factores relacionados con la inmi­gracion en la violencia contra la pareja. El objetivo de este trabajo era analizar si existe un perfil diferencial en­tre hombres maltratadores espanoles ( n  = 400) e inmi­grantes latinoamericanos ( n  = 117). Para ello se seleccio­naron variables segun el modelo ecologico y se contrasta­ron ambos grupos mediante ANOVAs, MANOVAs y Chi-cuadrados. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron dife­rencias significativas a nivel individual y contextual entre maltratadores espanoles e inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Se discuten las implicaciones de estas diferencias en la prevencion de…

Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Suicide-Related Emergency Calls

Considerable effort has been devoted to incorporate temporal trends in disease mapping. In this line, this work describes the importance of including the effect of the seasonality in a particular setting related with suicides. In particular, the number of suicide-related emergency calls is modeled by means of an autoregressive approach to spatio-temporal disease mapping that allows for incorporating the possible interaction between both temporal and spatial effects. Results show the importance of including seasonality effect, as there are differences between the number of suicide-related emergency calls between the four seasons of each year.

Identifying Key Predictors of Recidivism among Offenders Attending a Batterer Intervention Program: A Survival Analysis

espanolLas estrategias para reducir la violencia contra la mujer en las relaciones de pareja pueden dirigirse a diferentes objetivos. Los programas de intervencion para agresores de pareja son uno de los principales acercamientos para su tratamiento. El resultado mas utilizado para la evaluacion de la efectividad de estos programas es la reincidencia. Los esfuerzos para incrementar la efectividad de los programas de intervencion para agresores de pareja en reducir la reincidencia deberian centrarse en las variables predictoras clave de este resultado. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar los predictores clave de la reincidencia oficial a partir de un amplio conjunto de variables obte…

Social disorder, social integration, and subjective well-being among Latin-American immigrants in Spain

Social integration has consistently shown its positive effects on both physical and psychological well-being. The study of the influence of residential characteristics on both social integration and well-being, however, has been traditionally neglected. The present study analyzes the joint influence of both social disorder and social integration on the subjective well-being of 260 Latin-American immigrants living in the Valencian Community (Spain). Results show that levels of social disorder negatively influence both social integration and subjective well-being. These findings might orientate public policies that seek to improve the well-being of especially disadvantaged groups at risk of s…

Chronic high risk of intimate partner violence against women in disadvantaged neighborhoods: An eight-year space-time analysis

Abstract We conducted a small-area ecological longitudinal study to analyze neighborhood contextual influences on the spatio-temporal variations in intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) risk in a southern European city over an eight-year period. We used geocoded data of IPVAW cases with associated protection orders (n = 5867) in the city of Valencia, Spain (2011–2018). The city's 552 census block groups were used as the neighborhood units. Neighborhood-level covariates were: income, education, immigrant concentration, residential instability, alcohol outlet density, and criminality. We used a Bayesian autoregressive approach to spatio-temporal disease mapping. Neighborhoods with l…

Skin conductance rises in preparation and recovery to psychosocial stress and its relationship with impulsivity and testosterone in intimate partner violence perpetrators.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators were categorized into 2 groups using Gottman et al.'s (1995) typology depending on their skin conductance (SC) reactivity to stress. Overall, type I perpetrators tend to show autonomic underarousal, whereas type II perpetrators present a preparatory hyperreactivity to confront stress. Moreover, impulsivity traits and testosterone (T) levels may modulate SC responses to increase the risk of proneness to violence. In this study, SC response to stress was assessed by comparing IPV perpetrators with non-violent controls while performing a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Subjects with a history of IPV demonstrated higher non-s…

Generally Antisocial Batterers with High Neuropsychological Deficits Present Lower Treatment Compliance and Higher Recidivism

Objective: No studies have considered whether neuropsychological performance moderates the relationship between Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart's intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) offender typologies and treatment compliance and recidivism. Therefore, we first aimed to assess whether the typologies show differences in specific neuropsychological variables such as cognitive flexibility and emotion decoding processes. Second, we also assessed whether there are differences in treatment compliance and recidivism between the IPVAW offender typologies, based on their neuropsychological performance. Method: We administered a set of neuropsychological tests (e.g., Wisconsin card sorting …

Self-Determined Goals of Male Participants Attending an Intervention Program for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators: A Thematic Analysis

Treatment adherence and motivation to change are among the main challenges in intervention programs for Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) perpetrators. Motivational strategies have shown promising results in increasing the effectiveness of intervention programs for IPV perpetrators. One of these motivational strategies is goal setting. The aim of this study was to analyze and categorize the self-determined goals ( n = 204) of 227 male participants attending an intervention program for IPV perpetrators. Findings of the thematic analysis suggested three levels of analysis: 4 core categories, 12 categories, and 35 codes. The four core categories were “interpersonal relationships” (39.7%), “pers…

The male abuser's profile telltale biology?

Professionals' Views on the Comparatively Low Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Spain.

The aim of this study was to understand the reasons why Spain has one of the lowest prevalence rates of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in the European Union. Using a qualitative and inductive research approach, a total of five focus groups ( n = 19) and 10 unstructured interviews with key informants were conducted. Three main categories were identified as possible explanations of the relatively low prevalence of IPVAW in Spain: law and policy, social awareness, and cultural patterns. Lessons learned and implications to improve future macrolevel intervention and prevention strategies are discussed.

Ensuring the comparability of cross-national survey data on intimate partner violence against women: a cross-sectional, population-based study in the European Union

Objectives To ensure the cross-national comparability of the set of questions addressing physical and sexual intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) included in the European Union (EU) Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) survey. Once the measurement invariance of these measures is established, we aim to make appropriate and valid comparisons of the levels of physical and sexual IPVAW across the EU countries. Design Cross-sectional, population-based study. Participants Data were drawn from the survey conducted by the FRA on violence against women, including the responses of 42 002 adult women from the 28 countries of the EU. Main outcome measures The set of questions addressing lifet…

What calls for service tell us about suicide: A 7-year spatio-temporal analysis of neighborhood correlates of suicide-related calls.

AbstractPrevious research has shown that neighborhood-level variables such as social deprivation, social fragmentation or rurality are related to suicide risk, but most of these studies have been conducted in the U.S. or northern European countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the spatio-temporal distribution of suicide in a southern European city (Valencia, Spain), and determine whether this distribution was related to a set of neighborhood-level characteristics. We used suicide-related calls for service as an indicator of suicide cases (n = 6,537), and analyzed the relationship of the outcome variable with several neighborhood-level variables: economic status, education level, po…

El perfil del maltractador masclista. Què ens diu la seua biologia?

La consideracio dels marcadors psicobiologics de predisposicio a la violencia dels homes que maltracten les dones obre una porta a la prevencio i la intervencio en el camp de la violencia contra les dones. Actualment no disposem de farmacs efectius per al tractament de la violencia contra les dones, pero el desenvolupament de programes d’intervencio psicoterapeutica i de rehabilitacio neuropsicologica marca una via d’esperanca.

Percepciones y Actitudes hacia la Violencia de Pareja contra la Mujer en Inmigrantes Latinoamericanos en España

Este trabajo analiza, en primer lugar, las percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer de los inmigrantes latinoamericanos y de la poblacion espanola y, en segundo lugar, explora los correlatos de las actitudes hacia la denuncia de casos de violencia de pareja contra la mujer en una muestra de inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Para ello, se utilizan 3 fuentes de datos que incorporan dos muestras representativas de la poblacion espanola y un muestra de inmigrantes latinoamericanos. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas entre espanoles e inmigrantes en las percepciones y actitudes hacia la violencia de pareja contra la mujer. Los analisis tambien muestran qu…

Cardiovascular reactivity to a marital conflict version of the Trier social stress test in intimate partner violence perpetrators

Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators have been categorized into two groups based on their heart rate (HR) reactivity to stress following Gottman's studies. Overall, type I perpetrators tend to show autonomic underarousal, whereas type II or reactive perpetrators present a hyper-reactivity in anticipation of stress. In this study, changes in HR, pre-ejection period (PEP), vagal ratio as well as psychological state variables (anxiety and anger) in response to stress were assessed, comparing a group of type II IPV perpetrators (based on violence reports and psychological assessment; n = 17; mean age = 37) with non-violent controls (n = 17; mean age = 35) using modified version of the T…

Los estilos de liderazgo de la Policía Local de la Comunidad Valenciana: Una aproximación desde la Teoría del Liderazgo Transformacional

Tomando como base la Teoría de Liderazgo Transformacional (Bass, 1985), se estudian las conductas que componen los estilos de liderazgo y su relación con tres variables de resultado: la eficacia del líder, la satisfacción con el líder y el esfuerzo extra de los subordinados; así como el aumento de los efectos (augmentation effect) del liderazgo transaccional cuando además se utiliza el liderazgo transformacional. La muestra es representativa del universo de policías locales de la Comunidad Valenciana (España) y está compuesta por 975 policías locales (828 hombres y 147 mujeres) pertenecientes a las plantillas de 42 localidades y que son dirigidos por 42 jefes. Los resultados muestran jefes …

Improvements in Empathy and Cognitive Flexibility after Court-Mandated Intervention Program in Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators: The Role of Alcohol Abuse.

Research assessing the effectiveness of intervention programs for intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators has increased considerably in recent years. However, most of it has been focused on the analysis of psychological domains, neglecting neuropsychological variables and the effects of alcohol consumption on these variables. This study evaluated potential neuropsychological changes (emotional decoding, perspective taking, emotional empathy and cognitive flexibility) and their relationship with alcohol consumption in a mandatory intervention program for IPV perpetrators, as well as how these variables affect the risk of IPV recidivism. The sample was composed of 116 individuals with hi…

The Brain Resting-State Functional Connectivity Underlying Violence Proneness: Is It a Reliable Marker for Neurocriminology? A Systematic Review

Introduction: There is growing scientific interest in understanding the biological mechanisms affecting and/or underlying violent behaviors in order to develop effective treatment and prevention programs. In recent years, neuroscientific research has tried to demonstrate whether the intrinsic activity within the brain at rest in the absence of any external stimulation (resting-state functional connectivity; RSFC) could be employed as a reliable marker for several cognitive abilities and personality traits that are important in behavior regulation, particularly, proneness to violence. Aims: This review aims to highlight the association between the RSFC among specific brain structures and the…

Hormonal changes of intimate partner violence perpetrators in response to brief social contact with women

This study investigated whether men with a history of real-life aggressive, dominant behavior show increases in testosterone and cortisol levels after brief social contact with women. Furthermore, we tested the prediction that such changes in hormones would be larger than those observed previously in young male students. Sixty-seven male participants convicted of intimate partner violence (IPV) either had brief social contact with a female confederate (experimental condition) or a male confederate (control condition). We also performed meta-analyses to investigate whether IPV perpetrators' hormonal responses were larger than the typical responses of young male students in prior studies. All…

Evaluating Attribution of Responsibility and Minimization by Male Batterers: Implications for Batterer Programs

Men arrested and condemned for intimate partner violence assaults tend to use external attributions to justify their behavior and tend to minimize the severity of their violent acts. Responsibility assumption is one of the main goals in many batterer programs because it could facilitate behavioral changes and reduce the dropout rate. In the current study, first we aim to create two scales to assess attribution of responsibility and minimization of incidents of partner violence, and second, to classify batterers based on their levels of minimization and their attributions of responsibility. Participants were 119 male batterers attending to the first assessment session of a court mandated bat…

Acceptability of Family Violence: Underlying Ties Between Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse

Intimate partner violence (IPV) and child abuse (CA) are two forms of family violence with shared qualities and risk factors, and are forms of violence that tend to overlap. Acceptability of violence in partner relationships is a known risk factor in IPV just as acceptability of parent–child aggression is a risk factor in CA. We hypothesized that these acceptability attitudes may be linked and represent the expression of a general, underlying nonspecific acceptance of violence in close family relationships. The sample involved 164 male IPV offenders participating in a batterer intervention program. Implicit measures, which assess constructs covertly to minimize response distortions, were a…

MOESM1 of Psychological intimate partner violence against women in the European Union: a cross-national invariance study

Additional file 1. Psychological IPVAW comparisons between countries.

Rúbrica para la evaluación del Trabajo Grupal Tutorizado de la asignatura PISC

Este documento muestra la rúbrica empleada en la evaluación del del Trabajo Grupal Tutorizado de la asignatura Psicología de la Intervención Social y Comunitaria en castellano.