Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to recent policy initiatives in China advocating the integration of relationship and marriage education into higher education. While these efforts aim to promote respect, responsibility and healthy relational values among young people, existing approaches to intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention remain predominantly grounded in risk reduction and behavioral control. This paper argues that such approaches are insufficient to address the underlying developmental conditions that give rise to IPV. It therefore proposes a shift toward a holistic, development-oriented framework for the primary prevention of IPV among university students. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a conceptual and practice-informed perspective, this paper draws on insights from educational practice and existing literature to propose a holistic developmental framework. It advances a multidimensional model of the self – comprising the Natural Self, Personal Self, Social Self and Transcendent Self – as a foundation for relationship education. Findings Prevailing IPV prevention strategies tend to focus on external risk management and short-term behavioral outcomes. In contrast, a developmental perspective highlights the importance of self-awareness, value formation and relational competence as foundational capacities. Educational interventions delivered prior to and/or alongside the early stage of intimate relationships may help young people develop healthier and more comprehensive understandings of love and relationships, offering greater potential for sustainable prevention. Originality/value This paper reframes IPV prevention as a process of human development rather than problem control. By proposing an integrative framework of the self and a holistic model of relationship education, it offers a novel conceptual pathway for primary prevention and contributes to ongoing discussions in research, education and policy.
PurposeThis study aims to explore the implementation of a gender-transformative intervention (GTI), WiseGuyz, with adolescent boys in a Canadian youth custodial setting. It addresses a critical gap in youth rehabilitation by considering how addressing masculinity norms may be an important consideration in youth justice interventions. Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative design, we conducted semistructured interviews between 2021 and 2023 with 11 youth and 5 staff and facilitators involved with a version of a program called WiseGuyz, adapted for use in criminal justice settings (WiseGuyz-CJY). We used a codebook reliability thematic analysis to identify ideas related to program relevance, implementation and utility. FindingsWe identified two central themes: the relevance of GTIs in youth custodial settings and key implementation considerations. While we found that hegemonic masculinity norms were reinforced by the carceral environment, some youth reported increased awareness of gender diversity, empathy and critical reflection on masculinity following WiseGuyz-CJY. Program structure (e.g. rolling intake, group size) and setting-specific developmental differences (e.g. educational attainment) impacted engagement. Social implicationsIncorporating gender-transformative strategies into youth justice programming to target masculinity norms as a fluid risk factor for delinquency should be explored as a component of rehabilitation within custodial environments. Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first known study to explore a gender-transformative program tailored for justice-involved boys in Canada. It contributes to the emerging literature on developmentally appropriate, gender-focused interventions within youth carceral settings.
Purpose This study aims to evaluate the circumstances and evidentiary grounds underlying false or baseless rape reports. Structured as a continuation of prior machine learning research using the same corpus of rape report narratives, this study uses qualitative content analysis to examine the application of unfounded classifications in rape reports and to generate a more generalizable estimate of false and baseless reporting rates. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a unique, large data set (n = 5,638) of rape report narratives linked to sexual assault kits from one Midwestern US jurisdiction over 24 years. The authors conduct a content analysis on a random subsample (n = 122) of the data set’s unfounded cases (n = 386). Findings A very small proportion of cases met the criteria for false reporting (2.7%) (1.1% involving victim recantations and 1.6% determined false based on evidence). An additional 1.7% were classified as baseless. Lastly, 2.4% lacked sufficient detail to justify the unfounded designation, highlighting concerns regarding premature unfounding and inadequate documentation. Most unfounded narratives consisted of brief statements that questioned credibility or alleged falsehoods, often supported by limited evidence. These findings indicate that conflating false and baseless reports can inflate perceptions that victims fabricate allegations and obscure investigative deficiencies. Originality/value Drawing on a substantially larger, more generalizable sample, this study offers a nuanced understanding of unfounded practices spanning nearly 25 years. It provides more accurate estimates of false reporting and identifies critical areas for enhancing documentation, investigative rigor and compliance with federal guidelines.
PurposeIntimate partner violence (IPV) is an area of international concern across social, health and justice settings. Reducing such has been an ongoing part of government strategy in the UK. As well as putting in measures to protect victims, part of the strategy to reduce this problem is around working with perpetrators to reduce the risk they present to intimate partners. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors associated with male IPV perpetrators who screened into the offender personality disorder (OPD) pathway in Wales, and to identify the treatment needs of this cohort. Design/methodology/approachThe authors analysed the formulation documents of 235 men who had committed IPV and who had been assessed as posing a high risk of harm to the public. All men had complex needs linked to their personality functioning. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. FindingsTwenty-eight treatment needs were identified for this cohort, the most common of which were emotion dysregulation (identified in 96.2% of cases), relationship problems (93.6%) and substance misuse (90.2%). High levels of trauma and mental health problems were also identified. Practical implicationsIndividuals who screened into the OPD pathway required support and intervention regarding emotional regulation/stabilisation, processing trauma, substance misuse and mental health. The authors emphasise the importance of individualised treatment based on collaborative assessment and formulation to determine the type of intervention needed, as well as the timing and sequencing of interventions. Approaching treatment in this way could help to maximise engagement, and the benefit obtained from work completed, including risk-reduction work. Originality/valueThe OPD pathway is a large-scale initiative that plays an important role in the justice system of England and Wales. To date, relatively little research has been published regarding the needs of the IPV perpetrators who are eligible for support from the OPD pathway. As well as this, there is currently somewhat limited research on the treatment needs of IPV perpetrators with difficulties linked to their complex personality presentations. This study aimed to address these gaps in the evidence base.
PurposeDue to the prevalence and severity of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW), there is a growing literature focused on understanding the risk factors for perpetrating it. The purpose of this study is to analyse whether exposure to IPVAW in the family of origin, experiencing childhood maltreatment, perpetrating and/or experiencing bullying, as well as being involved in antisocial behaviours during childhood and adolescence, increase the risk of male IPVAW perpetration in adulthood.Design/methodology/approachData were extracted from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The sample consisted of 1,011 men from the general population, categorised into two groups: those who engaged in any form of IPVAW (psychological, physical and/or sexual violence) (n = 163) and those who reported no violent behaviour (n = 848) at 21.5 years old.FindingsPrevalence of IPVAW perpetration was estimated, and the percentages of the variables of interest among male IPVAW perpetrators were reported. The results showed that exposure to IPVAW in the family of origin, experiencing childhood maltreatment, perpetrating bullying, as well as being involved in antisocial behaviours during childhood and adolescence, increased the risk of IPVAW perpetration in adulthood.Originality/valueThe findings could be useful in prevention programmes. Additionally, they highlight the importance of including childhood and adolescent experiences of violence in intervention programmes for male IPVAW perpetrators.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how German police students evaluate a female rape complainant’s testimony, focusing on the interplay of students’ acceptance of modern myths about sexual aggression (AMMSA), their factual knowledge about sexual violence and the complainant’s emotional expression. Design/methodology/approach In a cross-sectional sample of 347 students from three study years, participants viewed a standardized interview video showing a rape complainant displaying a sad, neutral or angry emotional expression. Measures included the AMMSA three-dimensional (3D) scale consisting of the subscales women lie, blaming the woman and minimization, a knowledge test on sexual violence and evaluations of the complainant’s testimony such as ratings of complainant credibility, perpetrator blame and perceived offense severity. Findings The results of this study indicated that AMMSA scores were lower and knowledge scores were higher with more years of study. Perceived credibility was highest for the sad and lowest for the angry emotional expression. AMMSA-3D – but not knowledge – negatively predicted credibility. The AMMSA-3D subscales showed modest discriminant validity in predicting police students’ evaluations of the complainant’s testimony. Originality/value The findings of this study suggest that training is associated with lower AMMSA and greater knowledge regarding sexual violence. Nonetheless, police students remain influenced by emotional stereotypes and myth-based biases, which highlights the need for interventions combining factual knowledge with bias-reduction strategies to support victim-centered policing.
PurposeThe dark personality or D is a bourgeoning research area in psychopathology, but its application to youth is largely unknown. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the D5 and D10 very short measures among male and female Portuguese youth.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional sample of male and female Portuguese youth (n = 559 youth, M = 16.51 years, SD = 1.07, range = 14-20 years) was used.FindingsThe proposed one-dimensional latent structures obtained good fits. Internal consistency as measured by the alpha and omega reliability estimators was mostly good. Significant associations were found with psychometric measures of relevant constructs (e.g. self-control, psychopathic traits and criminogenic cognitions) and external criterion-related variables (e.g. engaging in illegal activities, alcohol use and drug abuse). Cross-gender measurement invariance was established, with male youth scoring significantly higher on D5 and D10.Practical implicationsThe findings support the use of D5 and D10 as valid and reliable very short measures of dark traits of personality among youth.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the psychometric properties of the D5 and D10 very short measures of the dark core of personality in youth.
PurposeBurglary has become one of the few crimes that can be behaviourally investigated through simulating the offence in virtual reality (VR). No research on burglary has yet examined the role of offence-related social cognitions on the behaviours exhibited during the offence. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relationship between the behaviours conducted in a virtual burglary and burglary-related cognitive distortions, empathy, proclivity, emotional reactivity, immersion and task difficulty.Design/methodology/approachFifty participants were recruited from the general community to simulate a virtual burglary offence in VR. The simulation was of a house that participants could burgle freely, containing an array of items to simulate a real-life home. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires on burglary-related cognitions and then undertake the virtual burglary, after which they completed questionnaires on their experience of the VR.FindingsThe results showed that both cognitive and affective empathy were related to the number of items taken. Additionally, cognitive distortions were related to the number of items taken. None of the other variables had a significant relationship with the behaviours enacted during the virtual burglary.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first research paper to highlight that there is a link between antisocial cognitions and affect with simulated burglary behaviours. These results form the initial foundation of a larger perspective on identifying the potential risk factors related to burglary offending. Further research is now needed to deepen this understanding and begin developing meaningful interventions and therapeutic strategies for forensic practice.
PurposeAlthough crime location is known to matter in sexual homicides, it remains unclear whether predictors of the victim-offender relationship differ between indoor and outdoor settings. This exploratory study aims to examine whether these predictors distinguishing stranger and offenders known to the victim vary across crime scene locations.Design/methodology/approachThe sample included 440 solved adult sexual homicides (victim ages 16-65) from France and Canada. Chi-squared tests assessed the relationships between variables and the victim-offender relationship (stranger = 1, known = 0) across three groups: all cases (n = 440), indoor cases (n = 289) and outdoor cases (n = 151). Statistically significant predictors with sufficient case counts were then entered into logistic regression models for further analysis.FindingsStrangers were more likely to bring a weapon, have the victim perform fellatio, and remove items from the scene. Offenders known to the victim were more likely to target specific victims and engage in overkill. When analyses were stratified by crime scene location, the indoor model results were similar to the overall findings; however, when the offender moved the victim's body post crime, the offender was more likely to be someone known to the victim. However, fewer behaviors significantly distinguished stranger and known offenders in outdoor sexual homicides.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to examine behaviors predicting the victim-offender relationship separately for indoor and outdoor crime scenes, highlighting the importance of context when interpreting offender behavior.
Purpose Antagonistic personality traits such as those captured in Dark Tetrad measures (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism) are an emerging area in the study of aversive and antisocial personality. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) among male and female Portuguese youth (n = 559 youth, M = 16.51 years, SD = 1.07 and range = 14–20 years). Design/methodology/approach The proposed four-factor model composed by the Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy and sadism subscales obtained a good fit. Cross-gender measurement invariance was established, with males scoring significantly higher on all factors. Internal consistency as measured by the alpha and omega reliability estimators was mostly good. Significant associations were found with psychometric measures of relevant constructs (e.g. self-control, psychopathic traits and criminogenic cognitions) and external criterion-related variables (e.g. engaging in illegal activities, alcohol use and drug abuse), although limited discriminant validity for the Machiavellianism, psychopathy and sadism scale was noted. Findings The findings of this study support the use of the SD4 as a valid and reliable measure of antagonistic personality traits among youth. Originality/value To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first validation of the SD4 among a youth sample.
Purpose This study aims to evaluate the impact of a training course focused on investigative mindset and interview planning among police officers by analysing whether such training could mitigate confirmation bias and enhance the quality of suspect interview planning, including the formulation of investigative hypotheses, interview objectives, topics and questions. Design/methodology/approach Following a pre–post design, participants completed structured interview planning tasks before and after an 8-h training course. These tasks involved generating investigative hypotheses, defining interview objectives, identifying relevant topics and formulating questions. Responses were compared using non-parametric statistical tests to assess training effects. Findings Results showed that trained officers generated significantly more alternative hypotheses, planned more open-ended questions and demonstrated reduced reliance on closed-minded objectives and inappropriate questions. However, training effects on hypotheses generation were less pronounced in a case where the suspect’s guilt seemed more evident, suggesting that perceived strength of evidence can hinder hypotheses generation. Practical implications The findings support the inclusion of modules focused on planning and investigative mindset in police training programs. It also highlights the need for interventions that combine theoretical knowledge with practical, reflective learning. Originality/value This is the first empirical study to isolate and evaluate the effects of training focused specifically on investigative mindset and interview planning. It suggests that focused training can enhance interview planning quality, mitigate confirmation bias and foster more ethical and effective investigative practices.
Purpose This study aims to identify subtypes of male perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) through latent class analysis (LCA), and to examine whether executive functioning (EF) contributes to differentiating these subtypes. Design/methodology/approach The sample comprised 996 men convicted of IPVAW in Spain. First, LCA was conducted using psychological and violence-related variables proposed by Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart (1994). Subsequently, latent class regression (LCR) analyses were performed to assess the associations between EF variables and class membership. Findings Four perpetrator classes were identified: moderate antisocial (MA), low-risk family-only (LRFO), severely violent antisocial and a novel situational family (SF) group. LCR results indicated that EF variables were not strong predictors of class membership. The only exception was cognitive flexibility: lower attentional cost – reflecting better flexibility – was associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the LRFO group compared to the MA group. Practical implications These findings highlight the heterogeneity of male IPVAW perpetrators and introduce a new profile, the SF subtype. Although most EF variables were not differentially associated with class membership, the observed link with cognitive flexibility suggests that neuropsychological assessment may provide added value for tailoring intervention strategies to perpetrators’ individual cognitive profiles. Originality/value This study contributes novel insights by assessing whether executive functioning (EF) – working memory, inhibition, decision-making and cognitive flexibility – predicts class membership among IPVAW perpetrators within a LCR framework, based on the Holtzworth-Munroe typology. While previous research relied on psychological and violence-related indicators, this is the first to evaluate EF as a predictor. Although EF variables did not consistently predict class membership, cognitive flexibility showed a small but significant association. Moreover, replicating the original typology revealed a previously unreported class – SF – highlighting overlooked perpetrator profiles and supporting the relevance of integrating cognitive dimensions into typological models.
PurposeThis study aims to enhance the understanding of psychopathic personality traits, as defined by the psychopathic personality traits model, within UK incarcerated individuals, including organised crime group members. This study sought to replicate and expand previous latent profile analyses (LPAs) to investigate psychopathic trait intensity, manifestations and their association with organised crime membership and violent offending.Design/methodology/approachA total of 477 male adult inmates from a UK prison, including 120 members of organised crime groups, participated. Psychopathic traits were assessed using the self-reported 28-item psychopathic personality traits scale - revised (PPTS-R). LPA identified homogeneous groups based on four PPTS-R dimensions. Multinomial logistic regression then examined the association between identified latent classes, organised crime group membership and violent offending.Findings LPA revealed a four-class solution as the best fit, showing a gradient of psychopathic trait severity: "non-psychopathy group" (38%), "low psychopathy group" (30%), "moderate psychopathy group" (21%) and "high psychopathy group" (6%). The "high psychopathy group" prevalence was consistent with US and Polish inmate findings. Multinomial logistic regression showed prisoners in the "high psychopathy group", in comparison to "non-psychopathy group", were 4.5 times more likely to be organised crime members. No significant association was found between psychopathy classes and violent offending.Originality/valueThis study demonstrated that psychopathic traits are manifested consistently across incarcerated populations. It highlights a significant association between higher psychopathic traits and organised crime group membership, suggesting these traits may facilitate involvement in complex criminal enterprises. Importantly, findings decouple psychopathy from a universal prediction of violent offending, emphasising the need for nuanced risk assessments and targeted interventions.
