Generalists or Specialists? Unpacking Crime Trajectories of Intimate Partner Violence Offenders

This study examines the heterogeneity of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) perpetrators by distinguishing IPV specialists, whose violence is limited to partners, from IPV generalists, who also target non-partners, and comparing both to non-IPV violent offenders. Using comprehensive administrative records from Catalonia, we analyzed the complete criminal histories (1990–2019) of all individuals convicted of IPV between 2010 and 2015, alongside a 10 % sample of non-IPV violent offenders. A strict definition classified only one-quarter of IPV offenders as generalists, highlighting the impact of definitional choices on prevalence and offender profiles. Trajectory analyses identified five patterns of violent offending. IPV specialists were concentrated in late-onset, low-rate, short-duration trajectories, consistent with situational, relationship-bound violence. IPV generalists were more likely to follow early-onset, high-rate, long-duration trajectories resembling chronic violent offenders, but increasingly focused on partners with age. Differences in trajectories were only modestly explained by prior non-violent offending, suggesting that antisocial predispositions shape the target of violence more than its developmental pattern. Gender did not influence trajectory prevalence but strongly predicted the likelihood of targeting partners versus others, reflecting the interaction of patriarchal norms, situational factors, and individual predispositions in differentiating IPV specialists and generalists from other violent offenders. Overall, IPV perpetrators are heterogeneous in trajectories, offence patterns, persistence, and gender, underscoring the value of integrating typological and developmental perspectives and informing differentiated, context-sensitive interventions.