Abusers' perceptions of the effect of their intimate partner violence on children

Little is known about how intimate partner violence (IPV) abusers perceive the effect of their violence on their children. Analyzing the attitudes and behavioral intentions of 464 partner-abusive fathers, biological fathers were found to be more likely than social fathers to express concern about the effects of their abuse on their children. However, biological fathers were no more likely than social fathers to report intentions to stop their violence or otherwise take action to mitigate the harm of IPV exposure to their children. The findings suggest that fathers' statements of concern may be poor indicators of their intentions to refrain from abusive behavior.