Examining Domestic and Family Violence Typologies Using Queensland Police Data: Differences in Risk of Harm

Identifying domestic and family violence (DFV) offender typologies can aid risk assessment and intervention. However, the current body of literature is limited in its inconsistent, resource-intensive methodologies and resultingly small sample sizes. The current study explores Holtzworth-Munroe and colleagues’ intimate partner violence typologies in a large-scale sample of 10,956 male Queensland DFV offenders. We focused on a generality of offending measures, using police records of offending histories. Hierarchical cluster analysis with Ward’s linkage clustered perpetrators based on offending in 16 categories. The four-cluster solution comprised homicidal, generally violent/antisocial (GVA), low-level antisocial (LLA), and family-only offenders. Aligning with previous literature, family-only and GVA offenders presented at opposing ends of a continuum of antisociality. Family-only demonstrated the lowest-level offending, largely restricted to violence within the family. GVA displayed a variety of severe and frequent offending, including intra and extrafamilial violence. LLA clustered between the two, showing a similar yet less severe pattern to GVA. The novel homicidal subtype suggested that offenders who escalate to homicide may not fit within general DFV typologies. A Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test with Dunn’s pairwise comparisons examined differences in harm caused, identifying cluster risk-levels. All clusters differed significantly, with homicidal offenders displaying highest harm levels, followed by GVA, LLA, and family-only, respectively. This showed typologies of differing risks could be identified by police to some degree, with implications for future research and practice. Research focusing on generality of violence could identify typologies at a larger scale more consistently, and provide information applicable to policing. Grouping at a policing level could support identifying high-risk offenders and implementing tailored interventions.