Identifying groups of young intimate partner violence offenders, using a longitudinal perspective.

• In Event: Social relationships and crime: From social institutions to intimate partners

Abstract

Research on young intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders remains limited, particularly regarding their patterns of IPV behavior. Treating young IPV offenders as a homogeneous group may hinder effective prevention efforts. Identifying different offender groups can improve interventions by tailoring them to the specific behavioral patterns of each group.
This study explores the possibility of distinguishing subgroups of young IPV perpetrators based on violence frequency and severity over time. Sex differences in IPV offending are also examined.

Longitudinal data from five waves of the Peterborough Adolescent and Young Adult Developmental Study, covering ages 16–24 (N = 397, 59.4% female), was analyzed using cluster analysis, where three offender groups emerged: (1) a low/no violence group (58.7%), with little to no IPV offending, (2) a low-frequency offender group (33.8%), engaging in both psychological and physical IPV at a low frequency; and (3) a high frequency offender group (7.6%), engaging frequently in both psychological and physical violence. Significant sex differences were found in specific types of physical IPV offending, where females were overrepresented. However, no sex differences emerged for psychological violence or the most severe physical violence.

These findings highlight the importance of considering different IPV offending patterns in young people to inform more effective, targeted prevention strategies.

Authors

• Linnea Schumacher, Malmö University

• Marie Torstensson Levander, Malmö University

• Klara Svalin, Malmö University

• Anna-Karin Ivert, Malmö University