Purpose
Recent research has identified different psychobiological mechanisms underlying Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). However, vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), a measure of parasympathetic activity, has been scarcely studied in IPV perpetrators. Low vmHRV activity has been found to be associated with maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and negative affect, whereas high vmHRV functioning has been related to higher social engagement, positive affect, prosocial behavior and compassion.
Methods
The present study examined vmHRV, mood state and prosocial behavior in a Compassion-eliciting Task, through a virtual reality paradigm, in 39 IPV offenders, compared to 42 general offenders (GO) and 43 non-forensic control participants. Additionally, it explored whether phasic vmHRV could explain the mood change in response to the Compassion Task.
Results
IPV offenders showed lower vmHRV activity during the task when compared to non-forensic participants. No significant differences were obtained between IPV and GO. Furthermore, higher vmHRV partially explained lower negative affect after the Compassion Task for the entire sample.
Conclusions
Findings suggest that IPV offenders experience difficulties connecting with others’ suffering. It also highlights that the use of biomarkers, such as vmHRV, in the study of criminogenic factors may provide a broader understanding that could promote more effective interventions.

Research on female offenders’ emotional sphere remains limited, with fewer studies being conducted compared to male offenders. However, investigations have identified psychobiological mechanisms in non-forensic women underlying emotional processing. One such mechanism is the activity of the autonomic nervous system. Increased parasympathetic activity has been associated with higher emotional self-regulation, social engagement, and compassion. Therefore, the present study examined heart rate (HR), vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), mood correlations, and prosocial behavior during a compassion-eliciting task using a virtual reality paradigm in female offenders (n = 31) compared to non-forensic individuals (n = 35). The primary findings showed that offenders exhibited reduced vmHRV when engaging with others’ suffering. Additionally, during the period of compassionate motivation (prosocial task), offenders revealed lower HR levels. In contrast, non-forensic individuals showed the opposite pattern. However, there were no significant mood differences observed. Finally, lower vmHRV was associated with higher donation rates only within the non-forensic group. The results suggest that offenders may encounter challenges experiencing compassion, particularly when connecting with others’ suffering and when facing compassionate motivation, as reflected by diminished parasympathetic flexibility. Furthermore, this study highlights the potential for using biomarkers when examining criminogenic needs, offering a multidisciplinary understanding of socio-affective functions, paving the way for more effective interventions.