To Örebro University

Subtyping male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) based ontheir generality of violence could facilitate the difficult task of matchingperpetrator subtype with efficient risk management strategies. As such, theaim of the present study was to compare antisocial and family-only maleperpetrators of interpersonal violence in terms of (a) demographic andlegal characteristics, (b) risk factors for violence, and (c) assessed risk andthe importance of specific risk factors for violence. A quantitative designwas used in this retrospective register study on data obtained from theSwedish police. Risk assessments performed with the Swedish version ofthe Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER) andpolice registers were used. A sample of 657 male alleged IPV perpetratorswere classified as antisocial (n = 341) or family-only (n = 316) based on theirgenerality of violence. The results showed that the antisocial perpetratorswere significantly younger, as well as more psychologically abusive. Antisocialperpetrators also had significantly more present risk factors for IPV, and wereassessed with a significantly higher risk for acute and severe or deadly IPV, compared with the family-only perpetrators. The subtypes also evidencedunique risk factors with a significant impact on elevated risk for acute andsevere or deadly such violence. Key findings in the present study concernedthe subtypes evidencing unique risk factors increasing the risk for acute andsevere or deadly IPV. Major implications of this study include the findings ofsuch unique “red flag” risk factors for each subtype. To prevent future IPV,it is vital for the risk assessor to be aware of these red flags when makingdecisions about risk, as well as risk management strategies.

Background: Self-injury and institutional violence are well-known characteristics of female forensic psychiatric patients, but research on patients' experiences of these behaviours is limited.

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate how female forensic psychiatric patients describe their self-injury and aggression.

Methods: The authors performed qualitative in-depth interviews with 13 female forensic psychiatric inpatients. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: The analysis resulted in three themes describing the process of handling negative thoughts and emotions by using self-injury or aggression towards others and thereby experiencing satisfaction. Both self-injury and aggression were experienced as strategies for emotional regulation. The forensic psychiatric care was perceived as important for the women in developing less harmful strategies for coping with negative thoughts and emotions instead of injuring themselves or others.

Conclusions: Self-injury and aggression are often risk-assessed separately, but results from the present study suggest that these behaviours need a more holistic approach.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has serious consequences for victims and high recidivism rates. In an effort to reduce these issues much focus has been placed on the assessment and management of IPV. Within the IPV literature distinctions have been made around age. For instance, a debate has arisen regarding whether IPV against a senior victim is elder abuse or IPV grown old? As a result some studies include all violence against a victim over 60 as elder abuse while others argue that IPV grown old may result in different management than other IPV, but maintains the same dynamics and risk factors as IPV. This debate has important implications for how IPV against senior victims is assessed and managed. Data was collected in Sweden from IPV police files wherein officers used theBrief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk(B-SAFER; Kropp, Hart, & Belfrage, 2010). B-SAFER assessments, management plans, demographic information and recidivism data were collected. The sample included 723 cases, 688 (95%) cases with victims 59 or younger, and 35 cases with victims over 60 (5%). Data collection is ongoing. Comparisons will be made across offense type, B-SAFER risk factors, overall risk ratings, recommended management strategies and recidivism. Preliminary results reveal no statistical difference in overall risk ratings between groups, c2 (2,N=682) = .448,p= .799. Should results remain non-significant this will lend support to the argument that IPV against elderly victims should be assessed as IPV not elder abuse.

Childhood maltreatment and school-related problems are both related to psychopathy among juvenile delinquents and prisoners. Whether maltreatment and school-related problems are associated or not with psychopathy among forensic psychiatric patients is unclear. Therefore, our aim was to investigate a) the prevalence of childhood maltreatment and school-related problems among offenders admitted to forensic psychiatric care, and b) how both childhood maltreatment and school-related problems were associated with psychopathy among these offenders. We conducted a register study on 21 female and 96 male offenders who had been admitted to forensic psychiatric care and then been discharged from the high-security hospital. Psychopathy assessments were conducted with the PCL:SV. Data on childhood maltreatment and school-related problems were collected from forensic psychiatric investigations. The results showed that neglect or abuse was experienced by 50% of the female and 40% of the male offenders. Childhood sexual abuse was more prevalent among female offenders with psychopathic traits than without (67% vs 14%). Male offenders with psychopathic traits had experienced emotional abuse more prevalent than male offenders without such traits (40% vs 14%). More male offenders had some type of school-related problems (learning problems, behaviour problems, remedial class and/or being bullied at school) than the female offenders (79% vs 45%). The school-related problems were more preva-lent among male offenders with psychopathic traits than among offenders without (93% vs 66%). Behaviour problems at school were more prevalent among both female and male offenders with psychopathic traits compared to those without. In line with previous research on male offenders, childhood maltreatment was also related to psychopathy among forensic psychiatric patients. Our results, like others, speak for gender differences in the development and manifestation of psychopathy among male and female offenders admitted to forensic psychiatric care.

There are two primary motives for violence; instrumental violence is goal-directed and committed with a motive to obtain money, social status or territory, whereas reactive violence is impulsive, a reaction to frustration, insults or dangerous situations. In a meta-analysis by Blais et al. (2014) psychopathy was moderately related to instrumental as well as reactive violence. Most studies have been performed within male prison populations; only a few have been done with forensic psychiatric patients. Our aim was to study motive of violent offences by forensic psychiatric patients and how the motive was related to gender and psychopathy. Data were collected from verdicts and medical records for 100 (15 female, 85 male) offenders admitted to forensic psychiatric care. Psychopathy was assessed with the PCL:SV. The offenders’ violent index offence was rated as instrumental or reactive according to the coding guide by Cornell (1996). The results showed that 7% of the female and 25% of the male offenders had committed an instrumental offence, whereas 33% of the females and 49% of the males committed a reactive offence. Female offenders had more frequently committed offences characterised as being both instrumental and reactive compared to male offenders (60% vs 27%). PCL:SV total scores were not significantly related to motives. When broken down into four facets, as per the four-factor model, results showed that offenders who committed an instrumental offence scored higher on facet 4, the anti social facet. Factors related to violent offences such as level of provocation, relationship with the victim, intoxication, and presence of psychotic symptoms, were not associated with offence motive, however level of arousal was associated with offence motive. Therefore, we suggest that further studies on emotional regulation in relation to motive and psychopathy should be conducted.