The Predictive Validity of Intimate Partner Violence Warning Signs

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is harmful and prevalent, but leaving abusive partners is often challenging due to investments (e.g., time, cohabitation). Identifying warning signs of abuse is one primary prevention strategy to help people avoid abusive relationships. The present research sought to identify thoughts, feelings, and behaviors which are not considered abusive (Study 1), appear before abuse occurs in relationships (Study 2), and predict abuse (Studies 3 and 4). Study 1 distinguished potential warning signs of abuse from abusive behaviors using the ratings of professionals with experience in IPV. Study 2 established a timeline of when violent behaviors and possible warning signs first occur in romantic relationships and demonstrated that potential warning signs typically appear prior to abuse. Using participants in the first year of their relationship and random forests analyses, Studies 3 and 4 identified warning signs and protective factors that predicted overall, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse cross-sectionally (Study 3) and prospectively over the span of six months (Study 4). Importantly, abuse also occurred in early stages of some relationships, and was the best predictor of future abuse. Studies 3 and 4 further demonstrated that the number of warning signs a person experienced and the frequency with which they experienced those warning signs predicted overall abuse. Seven warning signs emerged as predictors in both studies (e.g., “My partner acted arrogant or entitled”), suggesting these are particularly important for identifying potentially abusive relationships. Some warning signs and risk factors identified in this research also align with multiple theories of IPV (e.g., feminist theories, social learning theories), which suggests that integrating multiple theories explaining IPV (“theory knitting”) may be an effective strategy in IPV prevention. The warning signs identified in this research can be used in education efforts such as educational programs or informational websites. Making these warning signs publicly available is a key step in empowering people to seek support or leave their partners before becoming heavily invested in a relationship and before experiencing abuse. Ultimately, this research provides a greater understanding of precursors of intimate partner violence with implications for prevention efforts in academic and public contexts