Psychological Predictors of Recidivism for Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators: A Systematic Scoping Review

Abstract

Theoretical accounts of recidivistic intimate partner violence (IPV) continue to differ considerably in relation to the relative weight given to psychological risk factors. A systematic overview of studies that have established psychological predictors of reoffending is currently lacking. This study aimed to identify and provide an overview of studies examining various psychological factors associated with IPV perpetration patterns. A systematic search of research conducted from 1945 to 2024 was carried out on PsycINFO, PubMed, and PILOTS. The inclusion criteria were that studies must not use self-reported reoffending data only, must use a criminal justice sample, must be longitudinal, participants must be over 17 years of age, and that studies must be published in the English language and peer reviewed. A total of 25 longitudinal studies examining individual psychological factors, proposed as potential predictors of IPV reoffending, were eligible. The identified factors were grouped into five categories: personality, anger and hostility, beliefs, attitudes and motivation, neurocognitive deficits and trauma (i.e., family of origin abuse/post-traumatic stress disorder). The current systematic scoping review found that the most-researched psychological predictor of IPV recidivism was personality. While studies vary in relation to the personality traits or disorders that contribute most to the likelihood of reoffending, in general, personality assessment appears to be a promising tool in predicting reoffending. Anger, childhood maltreatment, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), implicit attitudes, and neurocognitive deficits were also identified as predictors of IPV recidivism. Methodological issues were found to be present across studies.