Exploring the Relationship Between Recurring Intimate Partner Victimization and Psychopathy: Are There Biological Sex Differences?

• In Event: Current Research on Poly Victims and Repeat Victims of Violence

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is often experienced by victims multiple times. In fact, estimates using the National Crime Victimization survey reveal that 15% of households experience multiple family violence incidents. Although research has explored risk factors related to IPV victimization, less attention has been paid to individual-level attributes that may be tied to elevated recurring IPV victimization risk and whether these risk factors are invariant across sex. Further, personality disorders have been largely overlooked in the IPV victimization literature, and wholly excluded from the recurring IPV victimization research base. Using the Pathways to Desistance Data, the potential link between psychopathy and IPV recurring victimization are explored. Further, we evaluate whether psychopathy relates to IPV recurring victimization differently for males and females. Findings show that psychopathy and IPV recurring victimization are significantly associated, with different domains of psychopathy predicting differential IPV recurring victimization risk based on biological sex. Future research and policy implications are discussed.

Authors

• Michelle N. Harris, University of Texas at Dallas

• Leah Daigle, Georgia State University

• Travis Chafin, Georgia State University

• Dennis E. Reidy, Georgia State University

• Nicholas Thomson, Virginia Commonwealth University