Detecting Aggression and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Risk in Unknown Men: Predicting Women's Accuracy

This study examined college women's ability to detect aggression and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration risk in unknown men's dating profiles across three samples. Across studies, women accurately distinguished profiles characterized by high, moderate, and low levels of aggression, but showed greater difficulty differentiating between moderate and low levels of IPV perpetration risk. Women's IPV victimization histories and childhood maltreatment exposure were each independently associated with greater accuracy in identifying both aggression and IPV risk. These findings align with trauma-informed frameworks of risk perception, which propose that lifetime interpersonal adversity may shape sensitivity to relational danger cues in early impression-formation contexts. Together, results highlight the complexity of early risk detection in online dating environments and underscore the importance of prevention and education efforts that support women's recognition of both overt and subtle indicators of risk.