Addressing aggression in intimate partner violence: preliminary findings from a multimodal intervention for male perpetrators

Research suggests that multimodal programs may support positive outcomes among perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV), extending beyond recidivism reduction to improvements in emotional regulation and relationship skills. However, few studies have examined their impact on underlying factors associated with IPV perpetration, such as aggression. This study aims to explore the impact of the Promotion and Intervention Program with Batterers (PPRIAC) on aggression and its components (i.e., physical and verbal aggression, anger, and hostility). A sample of 55 male IPV perpetrators in Portugal was assigned to one of two conditions: the intervention condition (IC; n=38) and the waiting list control condition (WLCC; n =17). Self-reported aggression was assessed at baseline, post-test, and at a 6-month follow-up. Participants in the IC showed clinically significant reductions in overall aggression and all aggression components from baseline to post-test. These gains were maintained at the 6-month follow-up, with a further reduction in physical aggression. Moreover, the IC demonstrated significantly greater reductions in aggression than the WLCC at both pos-test and follow-up. These findings emphasize the effectiveness of the multimodal intervention program in reducing aggression among IPV perpetrators and influencing specific factors associated with IPV.
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was conducted at CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; UID/01662/2023: Centro de Investigação em Psicologia) through national funds. This study was also funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology—FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education), under HEI-Lab R&D Unit (UIDB/05380/2020, https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/05380/2020) and project UID/4585/2025 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UID/04585/2025). It was also supported by FCT Grant SFRH/ BD/66110/2009, awarded to the first author.