Authors: Wells, L., Fyie, K., Kneebone, R., & Davidson, R.

Date: September 2026

This policy brief examines patterns of police contact among 3,846 adult men who received their first criminal charge for domestic violence against a female intimate partner in Calgary between 2020 and 2023. Building on three previous studies in this research series, the report uses an expanded longitudinal dataset from the Calgary Police Service to examine whether previously identified perpetrator typologies and trajectories remain consistent across multiple years.

The research finds that domestic violence is often preceded by observable patterns of police contact that develop over several years. Over 60% of men in the study had prior police contact before their first domestic violence charge, including repeated non-criminal domestic encounters. The consistency of these trajectories across cohorts strengthens the case for earlier intervention, highlighting opportunities for police, community-based services and governments to identify elevated risk, connect men with appropriate supports, and intervene before violence escalates.

This is the fourth paper in a research series examining male perpetration and opportunities for prevention. You can access the first paper in this series here, the second paper here, and the third paper here.