forensic chapter 13

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

Violence between intimate partners, including physical, sexual, emotional, and financial abuse

Domestic violence

Violence occurring between family members

Physical abuse

Use of force such as hitting, kicking, or choking

Sexual abuse

Forcing or coercing a partner into sexual activity

Emotional abuse

Non-physical harm such as insults, threats, and isolation

Financial abuse

Controlling or restricting a partner’s access to money

Conflict Tactics Scale 2 (CTS2)

A tool used to measure IPV through self-reported behaviours

Negotiation scale

CTS2 component measuring constructive conflict resolution

Psychological aggression scale

CTS2 component measuring verbal and emotional abuse

Physical assault scale

CTS2 component measuring acts of physical violence

Sexual coercion scale

CTS2 component measuring forced sexual behaviour

Injury scale

CTS2 component measuring harm caused by violence

Criticism of CTS2 (consequences)

It does not account for different impacts of violence on victims

Criticism of CTS2 (motives)

It does not distinguish between initiating and responding to violence

Underreporting

Tendency for individuals (especially men) to report less violence than actually occurs

Severity difference

Men tend to commit more severe violence than women

Same-sex IPV

Intimate partner violence occurring in same-sex relationships

Police bias in IPV

Differences in how police respond to male vs female offenders

Prevalence of IPV

The rate at which IPV occurs in a population

Dutton’s theory of IPV

A social learning model explaining abuse through observation, triggers, and consequences

Observational learning

Learning abusive behaviour by witnessing it in others

Aversive instigators

Events that create anger and increase likelihood of aggression

Incentive instigators

Rewards that reinforce abusive behaviour

External punishment

Consequences like arrest that may reduce abuse

Self-punishment

Internal consequences like guilt that may reduce abuse

Buss and Duntley theory

Evolutionary theory explaining IPV as a way to maintain access to resources

Resource threat

Perceived risk of losing benefits from a relationship

Emotional abuse (resource control)

Use of insults or threats to maintain control over a partner

Physical abuse (resource control)

Use of violence to prevent loss of relationship benefits

Cycle of abuse

A repeating pattern of tension-building, abuse, and reconciliation

Tension-building phase

Period where conflict increases and victim attempts to appease abuser

Acting-out phase

The stage where abuse occurs

Honeymoon phase

Period of apology and affection following abuse

Learned helplessness

A state where victims feel unable to escape abuse

Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS)

A condition involving PTSD-like symptoms from repeated abuse

Myth: victims are to blame

False belief that victims cause or deserve abuse

Family-only batterer

Type of abuser who is only violent within the home

Borderline batterer

Abuser with emotional instability and moderate to severe violence

Antisocial batterer

Most violent abuser with criminal behaviour and personality disorders

Mandatory charging policies

Laws requiring police to lay charges when IPV is suspected

Dual arrest

When both partners are arrested due to unclear aggressor