A retrospective descriptive study of male perpetrators of intimate partner violence referred by judicial authorities: an example from Turkey

Abstract

Purpose Our study examines the socio-demographic, forensic psychiatric, and childhood trauma exposure (CTE) data of Turkish intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators and draws comparisons with the violence data. Methods Data of male perpetrators referred to the domestic violence outpatient clinic by judicial authorities between November 2019 and June 2022 were retrospectively examined, with a focus on CTE data. Results The mean age of the male perpetrators examined in the study was 37.1 years. Among the overall sample, 16.2% (n = 17) had experienced violence at school in childhood, and 22.9% (n = 24) had experienced CTE. Regarding the frequency of domestic violence in their households, of the perpetrators admitted to the clinic for IPV, 40% (n = 42) reported rarely, 43.8% (n = 46) sometimes, and 16.2% (n = 17) often engaged in violent acts. There is a significant relationship between the frequency of IPV and the level of CTE (χ2: 13.052, SD: 2, p = 0.001, Cramer’s V: 0.353). Similarly, individuals who witnessed domestic violence during childhood were found to commit partner violence more frequently (χ2: 8.157, SD: 2, p = 0.017, Cramer’s V: 0.279). Conclusions In this study, we found a strong relationship between CTE and IPV. To the best of our knowledge, our study is only example that investigates the relationship between CTE and IPV in a Turkish sample.