A Review of Motives for Perpetrating Physical Intimate Partner Violence: Partner Abuse State of Knowledge Project Revisited

Key Points

• Perpetrating intimate partner violence is linked to various underlying emotional and psychological motives.
• Key factors influencing perpetration include personal history of violence and relationship dynamics—both emotional and situational.
• Observational analysis of existing literature on partner abuse identifies risk factors prevalent across different demographics.
• Understanding these motives may help in developing better prevention strategies against intimate partner violence.