Examining Intimate Partner Violence Types in a Diverse Sample of Court-Referred Parenting Dyads

Abstract

Typology systems hold promise to improve IPV treatment outcomes. Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart's (1994) typology was investigated using cluster analysis to categorize IPV behaviors among 112 partner-violent dyads. IPV types were compared on individual [convictions, physical assault, injury] and dyadic behaviors [symmetry, directionality, and co-occurrence of types]. As hypothesized, three-cluster solutions (Family-Only [FO], Borderline/Dysphoric [B/D], and Generally-Violent/Antisocial [GV/A]) were best-fitting across genders, with no ethnic differences. As hypothesized, FO, B/D, and GV/A subtypes had the lowest, intermediate, and highest rates of self-reported IPV and convictions, respectively. Typology group detected gender differences in predicted directions, mutual violence was the most common IPV type, and partners were most likely to have matching subtypes. Results support assessment at the individual dyadic level.