The Future of Research on Intimate Partner Violence: Person-Oriented and Variable-Oriented Perspectives

This article uses the distinction between the person and the variable orientations as a frame for structuring (1) research on IPV, (2) results of this research, and (3) an agenda for future research. The main tenet of this agenda is that causes, processes, and effects of IPV are person and context specific; therefore, results that relate variables to each other are of limited value if it can be shown that the processes that take place, the meaning of the variables, the profile of the transgressors and the women who experience IPV depend on time, environment, and research design. Examples of valuable variable-oriented research are given; examples of the growing contribution made by person-oriented research are given as well. Sample theories are sketched out, for the variable-oriented, the person-oriented, and the theoretical research arenas, the need for future research is derived from inconsistencies and shortcomings in both current research and theory. Sample research questions are proposed. The contributions made by the authors of this Special Section are embedded within the discussion of research and theory of IPV. It is shown that each of the contributions is valuable within a particular segment of the research landscape.