Intimate Partner Violence: Perceptions and Attributions of Male Perpetrators

Abstract

There are many reasons to perpetrate intimate partner violence (IPV). This study analyzes the attributions and perceptions of Portuguese men who perpetrate IPV to understand their justifications for violence against their female partners. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven male perpetrators. Through thematic analysis, three main categories emerged: self, partner, and situational factors. Perpetrators identified self attributes as justifications to abuse, such as individual characteristics, emotional disturbances, and jealousy; partner attributes, such as partners' characteristics and the use of violence against them; and situational factors, such as alcohol abuse and relational stressors. Perpetrators' narratives evidenced a tendency to conceive violence as an unintentional and unplanned action, attributing violence to uncontrollable factors, and an attitude of non-accountability for their behaviors/actions. A deeper understanding of perpetrators' perceptions and attributions for IPV will help to develop more effective intervention programs with offenders or to improve the existent ones, for example, in terms of dropout prevention, to reduce violence against women.

La responsabilisation des auteurs de violence conjugale

“…Si la responsabilisation occupe une telle place dans l'intervention auprès des AV, c'est que ces derniers rejettent souvent leur responsabilité ou l'attribuent à des facteurs externes. Le déni, la minimisation, la justification et le blâme des victimes sont fréquemment observés dans les études menées auprès d'eux (Cunha et al, 2022).…”

Causal attributions of impulsive and compulsive behaviors

“…The complexity of the explanatory variables of GBV has sparked particular interest in variables related to attributions ( 20 , 21 ), motivations ( 18 , 22 , 23 ), and alcohol and/or drug use ( 17 , 19 , 24 ) among people who have committed GBV crimes and exhibit alcohol and/or drug use.…”

“…Regarding causal attributions, it has been found ( 20 ) that individuals who committed GBV crimes transferred responsibility for their behavior, especially to the victim. That is, they presented external attributions of guilt and minimized or denied the criminal behavior.…”

“…Specifically, the limitations of studies on GBV relate, firstly, to the excessive use of quantitative methodologies ( 13 ). Secondly, the few qualitative studies conducted with those who have committed GBV crimes have been carried out with unrepresentative samples, preventing the generalization of the results ( 20 , 27 ). Thirdly, the perceptions of this population regarding the type of violence exerted, for example, physical or verbal, have not been analyzed ( 18 ).…”

Bidirectional Violence in Intimate Relationships: A Systematic Review

“…Not considering the context of violence or the motives behind the use of violence in a relationship may also impact how victims and perpetrators allocate the labels of victim, perpetrator, or victim-perpetrator to themselves. For example, it is known that perpetrators of IPV tend to attribute their violent behavior to uncontrollable factors, namely partner use of violence against them (Cunha et al, 2022).…”