IPV Intervention - Proximal Antecedents-Focused Interventions for Intimate Partner Violence Victims, Perpetrators, and Couples Tailored for Victim and Perpetrator Typologies

IPV Intervention is a Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action funded by the European Union. More information about the project may be found here. 

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent problem with comparably more adverse effects on women. Therefore, the current action aimed to prepare and implement an intervention against IPV with an emphasis on women victims. A psychoeducational approach was targeted. The project’s aim was to prepare three intervention manuals for victims, perpetrators, and couples focusing on proximal antecedents to violent episodes (Objective 1). Only the victims’ manual was planned to be implemented considering the project duration. These manuals were planned to be tailored to the differential needs of victims concerning the findings of the inquiry of victim typologies (Objective 2), perpetrators concerning the existing perpetrator typologies, and couples. The first two objectives were pursued in collaboration with the University of Houston, TX, USA under the supervision of Prof. Julia C. BABCOCK. Findings related to objectives 1 and 2 were theoretically reviewed for suitability to adolescence during the secondment at the Högskolan Väst, Trollhättan, Sweden, under the supervision of Prof. Emma SORBRING. Implementation of the manual for victims was to be held during the (re)integration (Objective 3). Objective 3 was carried out in Istanbul University, Türkiye under the supervision of Prof. H. Özlem SERTEL. Implementations for perpetrators and couples were to take place following the end of the action due to time constraints.

• Objective 1 was canceled through the course of the project since the literature review and the results of the other objectives suggested that it may be too early to carry out an implementation focusing on the link between proximal antecedents and coping, especially with victims. There is more research needed to understand serial relationships between proximal antecedents, coping, and violence keeping in mind the long-term effects of psychological trauma. However, qualitative research is planned to investigate how victim women perceive the meaning and usefulness of coping in the face of IPV.



• The results of the Objective 2 revealed that IPV victim women’s coping against the violence motives of men does not show specific patterns. The only meaningful inference is their coping efforts increase as they perceive that the risk of violence is increasing. This finding provided a comparably narrow explanation than expected about the patterns of coping of IPV victim women.  However, it fully supports the survivor theory.

• A new study was designed to understand the role of proximal antecedents in the violence experiences of the couples. The dyadic relationships between each partner’s antisocial (ASPD) and borderline (BPD) personality traits and the levels of IPV perpetration. The results of the Actor-partner interdependence modeling (APIM) revealed differential effects for women and men. The wife’s IPV perpetration was predicted by the wife’s but not by the husband’s ASPD scores. The husband’s IPV perpetration was predicted by the husband’s but not by the wife’s ASPD scores. The husband’s IPV perpetration was predicted both by the wife’s and the husband’s BPD scores. In contrast, the wife’s IPV perpetration was not predicted either by the wife’s or by the husband’s BPD scores. The results provided support for the self-defense motives of women.

• The discussions of these findings as part of the Objective 3 revealed that there is a need to conceptualize better if a psychoeducational intervention focusing on proximal antecedents with adolescents will be of practical use considering the safety of participants. However, they may create fruitful venues for discussions with the experts and field workers as they may provide a concrete basis for risk assessment.

This project funded the research and writing of one article under review and the other two in preparation. Seminar presentations and meetings with the experts were also supported. (Please check the publications page here). See below for the posters for English, Swedish, and Turkish-speaking experts. They were designed to share the results with the experts and field workers working with adolescents.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 891136.