Short summary of Hanna Feige’s research:

Research on intimate partner violence (IPV) has predominantly centred around heterosexual IPV involving a male perpetrator and a female victim – often regarded as the “typical” case. Cases involving a female perpetrator and a male victim, as well as same-sex IPV, are regarded as “atypical” because the public and scientific discourse fails to adequately address them. Consequently, same-sex IPV is often perceived as less severe than the “typical” case, and incidents involving a male victim and a female perpetrator are considered the least severe. Previous research aimed at explaining these differences in perception has produced inconsistent findings and the content of IPV prototypes has yet to be assessed. My study aims to address these inconsistencies by identifying IPV prototypes and examining the roles of properties assumed to shape IPV perceptions, such as differences in physical size, as well as previously unexplored properties. Taking this first step in understanding the cognitive underpinnings of IPV perceptions may pave the way for more precise theories and hypotheses. Furthermore, the findings are expected to benefit law enforcement, service providers and other professionals working with IPV, raising awareness of biases that may arise due to their IPV prototypes.