Domestic violence convictions in Norway: prevalence, perpetrators, and trends

• In Event: Trends in Domestic abuse

Abstract

Background
The health and social implications of domestic violence are many and severe both on an individual and societal level. Gaining knowledge about those committing domestic violence is important for developing effective interventions for both victims and those committing violence. This study aims to describe demographic and crime-related characteristics of those convicted for domestic violence; to explore the prevalence of convictions related to domestic violence and how this has changed over time in Norway.

Methods
Data from the Norwegian Prison Release Study (nPRIS) (which includes all people imprisoned or community sentenced in Norway between 2000 and 2022) were linked with the Norwegian police register and Statistics Norway to explore conviction prevalence, demographics and conviction history among persons convicted for domestic violence in Norway in the period 2006-2021. Data on individual level characteristics were retrieved from nPRIS and Statistics Norway. Data related to criminal cases were retrieved from the police register.

Results
During the study period, 2,694 individuals had been convicted for domestic violence. Over the 16-years period, these individuals had altogether 5,153 convictions for domestic violence specifically, and 39,620 convictions when including all types of crime. The types of offences were diverse, with the largest categories comprising of 16.5% drug-related crime, 13% domestic violence, 8% driving without a license, and 4% battery. From 2006 to 2021, convictions related to domestic violence increased from 110 to 588 pr 100,000 of all convictions.

Conclusion
The high conviction rates and the variation of types of crimes highlight the complexity of the population. Additionally, the frequency of drug-related crimes suggests a population with an accumulation of social and behavioral problems beyond violent behaviors. This may indicate the need for intervention and prevention strategies that address not only domestic violence, but also other criminal behaviors and underlying social marginalization.

Authors

• Øystein Bruun Ericson, Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress

• Marianne Riksheim Stavseth, University of Oslo

• Ingeborg Skjærvø, Norwegian Centre for violence and traumatic stress studies

• Torill Tverborgvik, Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, University of Oslo

• Ane-Marthe Solheim Skar, Norwegian Centre for violence and traumatic stress studies

• Anne Bukten, University of Oslo