Analysis of the Prevalence and Predictors of Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence in Germany

Combating domestic violence and intimate partner violence (IPV) is an essential part of human rights and is - among other legislative frameworks - regulated in Europe by the Istanbul Convention. The convention obliges its member countries to conduct regular prevalence studies on domestic violence. Despite this obligation, Germany, as a member state, lacks comprehensive and up-to-date data on parts of the topic. Previous German studies have largely focused on women as victims and men as perpetrators of IPV. This study is one of the first to comprehensively map the epidemiology of IPV perpetration in Germany in general and the perpetration of its subtypes. In a secondary analysis, the prevalence rates of IPV perpetration were calculated for a nationwide representative randomized sample of n = 2,503, gender differences were analyzed, and predictors' impact was identified using logistic regression. Almost every second participant reported being an IPV perpetrator throughout his/her life. The most common subtype perpetrated was psychological IPV (47.7%), followed by sexual (8.3%), economical (5.9%), and physical (4.0%) IPV. Lifetime experiences of violence (adverse childhood experiences, witnessing IPV, and own IPV victimization) and demographic variables (gender, age, unemployment, and poverty) were used to predict perpetration: male respondents were significantly more likely to be perpetrators of sexual and psychological violence. All types of experiences of violence predicted IPV perpetration, with IPV victimization emerging as the strongest predictor. Experiencing or witnessing violence during childhood was the only predictor for regularly repeated perpetration. The significant connection between experiencing violence in childhood and later IPV perpetration further highlights that prevention of violence in childhood will not only diminish individual suffering but also help to interrupt cycles of violence.