Mittuniversitetet

Introduction

. Perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) are considered a heterogeneous group of men. This has resulted in several attempts to classify IPV perpetrators into subtypes. Although a well-explored topic, the existing IPV typologies are not suitable for the police due to its reliance on clinical information. The present study aimed at constructing a typology of IPV perpetrators, based on information available to the police. Method. Data from 235 risk assessments conducted by police officers in Sweden, using the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment guide: Short Version (SARA:SV), was analyzed through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Results. Three subtypes of IPV perpetrators were identified: the generally violent/antisocial (GV/A) perpetrator, the family only (FO) perpetrator, and the high risk (HR) perpetrator. Also, a fourth subtype emerged reflecting a victim profile, labeled the rational victim (RV). Discussion. Besides validating previously found IPV subtypes, we also identified two subtypes not previously described in the literature. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that clinical information concerning the perpetrator's mental health was not decisive in identifying the perpetrators constituting the highest risk for IPV. Noteworthy, the importance of considering victim vulnerability factors in an IPV risk assessment context was supported by the identification of the RV. However, the proposed typology needs to be validated in subsequent research.

Keywords:

intimate partner violence, perpetrator typologies, SARA:SV, risk assessment