Risk Markers Associated with Intimate Partner Violence

This chapter provides an update of the latest research on risk markers for IPV (Stith, Smith, Penn, Ward, & Tritt, 2004). Although the science of predicting who will and who will not be violent to their partners is quite inexact, professionals are frequently called upon to make informal assessments of future violence. The clinician may want to help the victim understand the level of danger in his or her relationship. The court may ask the clinician for an opinion about how dangerous the offender could be. The use of risk markers in predicting future violence is, of course, important. However, the real value of knowing about risk markers is not to predict who will be violent, but to guide prevention efforts. Knowing about risk markers for intimate partner violence (IPV) is necessary for targeted prevention and intervention efforts. For example, we know that relationship conflict is a significant marker for IPV. Therefore prevention efforts can target reduction of conflict among non-violent couples. When other risk factors are present, such as stalking or escalating violence, the importance of providing for victim safety to prevent future violence is highlighted. In any case, if the goal is to prevent future violence, it is critical to know which factors increase concern for victim safety and which factors should be targets of intervention, either in the community, the couple, or the individual.

Reference Information:

Stith, S. M. & McMonigle, C. (2009). Risk markers for intimate partner violence. In D. Whitaker & J. Lutzker, Preventing Partner Violence: Foundations, Interventions, Issues American Psychological Association.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 15th, 2010. It is filed under Family Studies and Human Services and is tagged with assessment, domestic violence, risk marker, spouse abuse.