Recent Publication: Suicide and Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence

Too many boys and men die from suicide. Sadly, many of these boys and men also harm others. For these reasons we looked at all the Queensland Suicide Register cases from 2000 to 2017 involving histories of intimate partner violence. Overall, 629 individuals, representing 14.7% of suicides, had perpetrated or were alleged to have perpetrated IPV. Most were men (92.7%), and Indigenous peoples were overrepresented (18.3%). Many had communicated suicidal intent (61.4%) or sought mental healthcare before death (43.9%). Autopsies commonly showed substance misuse, including alcohol, prescription, and illicit drugs. Key antecedents included domestic violence orders, receiving legal documents, and relationship conflict or separation. You can read the paper and see ways we, as a community, can focus our efforts to reduce both suicide and intimate partner violence.

Factor analysis identified three themes:

• Chronic mental illness

• Youth with untreated drug use

• Legal proceeding with long-term separation

Read the research paper here:

Smith, K., Kebbell, M. R., & Howard, R. A. (2026). Suicide and perpetrators of intimate partner violence: Insights from the Queensland Suicide Register 2000-2017. Violence Against Women. Advance online publication.https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012261443479

Prof Mark Kebbell