A Systematic Review of Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence

• Published in: Partner abuse Vol. 3; no. 2; pp. 231 - 280
• Main Authors: Capaldi, Deborah M., Knoble, Naomi B., Shortt, Joann Wu, Kim, Hyoun K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Publishing Company 01.04.2012
• Subjects: Abusive relationships; Adolescents; Behavioral Sciences; Cognition; Cognitive Development; Confounding factors; Counseling; Demographic aspects; Family Relations; Intervention; Marriage and Family Counselling; Neighborhoods; Partner Abuse; Policy, Social Justice, and Human Rights; Response rate; Risk Factors; Sexual violence; Social Work; Sociodemographic Factors; Systematic review; Theory, Practice, and Skills; intimate partner violence; risk factors; systematic review; men; policy; women
• ISSN: 1946-6560; 1946-6579
• DOI: 10.1891/1946-6560.3.2.231

A systematic review of risk factors for intimate partner violence IPV was conducted. Inclusion criteria included publication in a peer-reviewed journal, a representative community sample or a clinical sample with a control group comparison, a response rate of at least 50%, use of a physical or sexual violence outcome measure, and control of confounding factors in the analyses. A total of 228 articles were included (170 articles with adult and 58 with adolescent samples). Organized by levels of a dynamic developmental systems perspective, risk factors included (a) contextual characteristics of partners (demographic, neighborhood, community, and school factors), (b) developmental characteristics and behaviors of the partners (e.g., family, peer, psychological/behavioral, and cognitive factors), and (c) relationship influences and interactional patterns. Comparisons to a prior review highlight developments in the field in the past 10 years. Recommendations for intervention and policy along with future directions for IPV risk factor research are presented.