What determines violent behavior in men? Predicting physical, psychological and sexual violent offending based on classification and regression tree analysis.

Abstract

Despite compelling evidence that victimization and offending co-occur, it remains unclear what types of victimization are linked to specific forms of perpetration. Here we examined the relationship between physical, psychological, and sexual violence with respect to influencing variables including mental health, risk-taking behaviors, and coping strategies. Data from 5,385 men were collected as part of an epidemiological study on violence experience. A classi-fication and regression tree analysis identified the main predictors of violence perpetration and classified violent offending into high- and low risk groups. Results indicate that violence is best predicted by previous exposure to violence and polyvictimization. Physical violence is best predicted by prior exposure to physical violence and this is further influenced by the fre-quency of and the age at which violence was experienced. Drug use was a strong predictor of physical and psychological violence. The latter is best predicted by a history of polyvictimiza-tion, the severity and the originator of violence. Sexual violence is strongly predicted by one´s sexual violence experience. Other factors such as demographic characteristics are less predic-tive. Our results may contribute to the development of early prevention and intervention ap-proaches that account for different risk factors. The significance of violence exposure suggest that intervention measures must focus on victims of early and prolonged experience of vio-lence. On the strength of the link between drug use and violence, exposure to violence should be considered in drug prevention and intervention and vice versa.

Authors 5

1. Delia Vanessa Leiding corresponding Aachen Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Faculty of Medicine

   Federal Ministry of Health · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Bundesministerium für Gesundheit , Grant

   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Faculty of Medicine , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany

   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

2. Franziska Kaiser Aachen Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Faculty of Medicine

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Faculty of Medicine , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany

   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

3. Marion Steffens
   Affiliation as printed

   GESINE Netzwerk Gesundheit.EN/Frauen helfen Frauen EN e.V. , Schwelm , Germany

   GESINE Netzwerk Gesundheit.EN/Frauen helfen Frauen EN e.V., Schwelm, Germany

4. Andrei Alexandru Puiu Aachen Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Faculty of Medicine

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Faculty of Medicine , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany

   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

5. Ute Habel Aachen Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Faculty of Medicine

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Faculty of Medicine , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen 52074 , Germany

   Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance (JARA), Translation Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany