Different scripts, different casts: A crime script analysis indicating intimate partner violence is not all the same

Abstract

This article applies crime script analysis to examine diversity within intimate partner violence. Using qualitative thematic analysis of police administrative data from Queensland, Australia, the study develops an intimate partner violence protoscript and then applies quantitative cluster analysis to identify variations across incidents.<br><br>

The findings identify four distinct script tracks—“escalating jealousy,” “persistently possessive,” “controlling victim agency,” and “enduring argument”—demonstrating that intimate partner violence is not a uniform phenomenon. The study highlights how offender actions, victim responses, and situational factors interact across different stages of violence.<br><br>

These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of domestic, family and sexual violence, with implications for situational crime prevention and tailored intervention strategies. <br><br> This article uses police administrative data and the Domestic Violence – Protective Assessment Framework (DV-PAF) to analyse patterns in intimate partner violence. It identifies multiple distinct pathways (“script tracks”), reinforcing that domestic and family violence is heterogeneous and requires tailored responses.