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Behavioral Sciences
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Intimate Partner Violence: A Focus on Emotion Regulation
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Intimate Partner Violence: A Focus on Emotion Regulation

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatric, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 August 2025 | Viewed by 4578

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Stefania Mannarini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section of Applied Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
Interests: family issues; intimate partner violence; stigma; psychological assessment; emotion regulation and alexithymia
Dr. Federica Taccini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section of Applied Psychology, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
Interests: intimate partner violence; women's health; trauma; post traumatic stress disorder; emotion regulation; stigma; secondary victimization; attachment theory

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) encompasses physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, along with controlling behaviors exerted by one partner towards another (WHO & PAHO, 2012). IPV can have detrimental effects on an individual's physical and psychological well-being. Regarding the latter, it can contribute to symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and suicide attempts. Additionally, IPV can lead to the experience of painful emotions such as guilt, shame, and fear. In this context, emotion regulation, defined as the ability to effectively manage and modulate one's emotional experiences, appears to play a crucial role. Indeed, individuals with greater emotion regulation tend to exhibit higher psychological well-being. Despite this, many research questions remain unanswered. I therefore invite colleagues conducting research on IPV to submit articles addressing emotion regulation and related psychological constructs.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

  • Emotion regulation;
  • Trauma;
  • Mental health issues (PTSD, depression, anxiety, etc.);
  • Alexithymia.

Prof. Dr. Stefania Mannarini
Dr. Federica Taccini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • intimate partner violence
  • trauma
  • abuse
  • emotion regulation
  • post-traumatic stress disorder
  • assessment

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 475 KiB  
Article
Violence in the Family of Origin, Reflective Functioning, and the Perpetration of Isolating Behaviors in Intimate Relationships: A Mediation Model
by Tommaso Trombetta, Maria Noemi Paradiso, Fabrizio Santoniccolo and Luca Rollè
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030288 - 28 Feb 2025
Viewed by 508
Abstract
Background: The intergenerational transmission of violence from the family of origin to couple relationships in adulthood is well-known in the scientific literature. However, the perpetration of isolating behaviors (IBs) is still poorly explored, and additional studies are required to comprehend the mechanisms that [...] Read more.
Background: The intergenerational transmission of violence from the family of origin to couple relationships in adulthood is well-known in the scientific literature. However, the perpetration of isolating behaviors (IBs) is still poorly explored, and additional studies are required to comprehend the mechanisms that intervene in the association between Violence in the family of origin (VFO) and isolating behaviors. Drawing from Fonagy’s mentalization model, which describes reflective functioning as the capacity to conceive mental states as explanations for one’s own and other people’s behavior, the present study aims to examine the mediating role of reflective functioning in the link between VFO and the perpetration of isolating behaviors. Methods: Online self-report questionnaires were completed by 663 Italian participants (66.8% women; Mage = 28.4, SD = 8.5) who were in a couple relationship in the last 12 months. A mediation model was tested to assess the direct and indirect effects of VFO on the perpetration of isolating behaviors through certainty and uncertainty of mentalization. Results: A direct association was found between VFO and the perpetration of isolating behaviors. Furthermore, we found an indirect effect of VFO on the perpetration of the perpetration of isolating behaviors, mediated by the certainty and uncertainty of mentalization. Conclusions: The results demonstrated the mediating role of reflective functioning in the intergenerational transmission of violence and support its implication in the perpetration of isolating behaviors in couple relationships. Although these results are preliminary, they can provide useful data at the theoretical and clinical levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intimate Partner Violence: A Focus on Emotion Regulation)
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21 pages, 870 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Trauma and Substance Use on Emotion Regulation and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration: Implications for Perpetrator Programs
by Cristina Expósito-Álvarez, Manuel Roldán-Pardo, Viviana Vargas, Mina Maeda and Marisol Lila
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(2), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15020156 - 1 Feb 2025
Viewed by 974
Abstract
(1) Background: Alcohol and/or other drug use problems (ADUPs) and trauma are key risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) that should be addressed in perpetrator programs. Participants with ADUPs and trauma histories may display greater difficulties in emotion regulation, which may increase [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Alcohol and/or other drug use problems (ADUPs) and trauma are key risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) that should be addressed in perpetrator programs. Participants with ADUPs and trauma histories may display greater difficulties in emotion regulation, which may increase the likelihood of IPV recidivism. The study aimed to examine differences among participants with trauma, ADUPs, ADUPs and trauma, and without such factors in dropout, IPV, and variables related to emotion regulation at pre- and post-intervention; (2) Methods: A sample of 312 men court-mandated to attend a perpetrator program (Contexto Program) was used. Variables related to emotion regulation difficulties included alexithymia, depressive symptomatology, and clinical syndromes. IPV variables included self-reported physical and psychological IPV and IPV recidivism risk assessed by facilitators. Comparisons between groups were made using one-way ANOVA, chi-square tests, and two-way repeated measures ANOVAs; (3) Results: Participants with ADUPs and trauma presented greater difficulties on variables related to emotion regulation, higher risk of IPV at pre-intervention, and higher dropout rates. At post-intervention, all participants improved their emotion regulation skills and reduced IPV recidivism risk, with participants with ADUPs and trauma maintaining a higher risk of IPV; (4) Conclusions: IPV perpetrators with ADUPs and trauma are high-risk participants. Interventions should target trauma and ADUPs to improve their effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intimate Partner Violence: A Focus on Emotion Regulation)
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13 pages, 973 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Role of Emotion Regulation in the Relationship between Intimate Partner Violence Increases and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Mediation Analysis
by Federica Taccini, Alessandro Alberto Rossi and Stefania Mannarini
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14090799 - 10 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2474
Abstract
(1) Background: Experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) can greatly impact victims’ physical and mental health, often leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Emotion regulation has been identified in the literature as a factor that contributes to the manifestation of PTSD. Consequently, this study [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) can greatly impact victims’ physical and mental health, often leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Emotion regulation has been identified in the literature as a factor that contributes to the manifestation of PTSD. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the relationship among the increase in IPV victimization (i.e., physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence), emotion dysregulation, and PTSD symptoms. It has been hypothesized that emotion dysregulation may mediate the increase in IPV occurrence and PTSD symptoms. (2) Methods: 284 women (Mage = 40.92) exposed to IPV were recruited in Italy. IPV experience was screened using the Revised Conflict Tactic Scale questionnaire. A mediational analysis was performed using Rstudio. (3) Results: The findings corroborated the mediating role of emotion dysregulation: the relationship between the increase in IPV and PTSD symptoms appears to be mediated by emotion dysregulation. (4) Conclusions: These findings bolster the existing literature regarding the association between emotion dysregulation and PTSD, underscoring the important role of emotion dysregulation in trauma symptoms. This highlights the significance of prioritizing the treatment of emotion dysregulation as a focal point for intervention and support for those who have experienced IPV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Intimate Partner Violence: A Focus on Emotion Regulation)
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