Symptomatology in Intimate Partner Violence Offenders and Victims

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) consists of any action that holds the intention to inflict physical, sexual and/or psychological damages to the offending person’s partner. This study aims to identify the psychopathological symptoms in IPV offenders and victims. Our sample consisted of 59 offenders and 63 IPV victims for whom the assessment was requested by a court order. The information on the evaluation was obtained through the database of the Forensic Psychology Office—Egas Moniz. The results show significative differences in five of the nine symptom dimensions, namely somatization, obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, phobic anxiety, and psychoticism, and victims have a complex presentation of symptoms. The impact of victimization is revealed in the negative repercussions at the level of global functioning in IPV victims rather than in IPV offenders.

Keywords

• intimate partner violence
• psychopathology
• offenders
• victims