Normative Misperceptions of Abuse Among Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence

• Published in: Violence against women Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 370 - 386
• Main Authors: Neighbors, Clayton, Walker, Denise D., Mbilinyi, Lyungai F., O'Rourke, Allison, Edleson, Jeffrey L., Zegree, Joan, Roffman, Roger A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.04.2010; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Abuse; Attitude; Behavioural sciences; Domestic violence; Female; Humans; Interpersonal relations; Intervention; Interviews; Interviews as Topic; Intimate partner violence; Male; Males; Men; Motivation; Offenders; Partner Abuse; Perpetrators; Prevalence; Sexual Partners; Social Behavior; Social norms; Spouse Abuse - psychology; Spouse Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telephone; motivational interviewing; domestic violence; social norms
• ISSN: 1077-8012; 1552-8448
• DOI: 10.1177/1077801210363608

This research was designed to evaluate the applicability of social norms approaches to interventions with male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants included 124 nonadjudicated IPV perpetrating men recruited from the general population who completed assessment of their own IPV behaviors via telephone interviews and estimated the prevalence of behaviors in other men. Results indicated that IPV perpetrators consistently overestimated the percentage of men who engaged in IPV and that their estimates were associated with violence toward their partner over the past 90 days. Findings provide preliminary support for incorporating social norms approaches into clinical applications.