NCJ Number
232525
Journal
Victims & Offenders Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2009 Pages: 215-229
Date Published
July 2009
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined childhood factors that could act as an influence on men who commit intimate partner violence.
Abstract
Various studies have shown high rates of child abuse and childhood exposure to domestic violence among men who abuse their female partners. This study sought to explore these as possible predisposing factors for 31 men who killed their intimate partners as well as 20 men who attempted to kill their partners. Data about perpetrators' upbringings was collected as part of a larger study about intimate partner homicides that included in-depth interviews with killers as well as victims of attempted homicide. The study found high rates of child abuse and spouse abuse for both sets of perpetrators; predominantly their fathers were the abusing parent. The findings support social learning theory, which holds that violence is learned through modeling from parents, but also psychodynamic theories that view violence as a defensive adaptation to childhood trauma and other adverse conditions. (Published Abstract)