This study investigates passive aggression as a latent form of psychological violence within the framework of domestic abuse, with a focus on its criminological and penal implications in marital relationships. Unlike overt manifestations of aggression, passive-aggressive behavior operates through indirect mechanisms such as intentional procrastination, emotional neglect, non- responsiveness, and subtle defiance resulting in profound and cumulative psychological harm to the victim. Despite its destructive potential, passive aggression remains marginally addressed in the Iranian criminal justice system, largely due to its non-physical and ambiguous nature .Through an interdisciplinary approach integrating criminal psychology, victimology, and penal theory, this article seeks to conceptualize passive aggression not merely as a behavioral deviation but as a criminogenic dynamic with identifiable patterns and consequences. It critically examines the limitations of Iran’s penal framework in recognizing and prosecuting non-tangible forms of domestic violence, and it contrasts these gaps with progressive legal systems that have developed coercive control doctrines and psychological abuse statutes .The research further explores the etiology of passive-aggressive behavior using established criminological paradigms such as strain theory, psychodynamic models, and control theories to demonstrate its role as both a symptom and a catalyst of criminal conduct within intimate settings. The article also investigates the phenomenon of secondary victimization resulting from institutional inaction, and the psycho-legal invisibility that often surrounds the experiences of victims subjected to covert abuse. Ultimately, the study calls for a paradigm shift in domestic violence jurisprudence, advocating for the codification of psychological harm as a distinct category of prosecutable conduct and the incorporation of forensic psychological expertise in legal proceedings. Enhanced interdisciplinary cooperation and policy innovation are essential to bridge the existing normative and procedural gaps, ensure substantive justice for victims, and expand the scope of criminal law to encompass the silent devastations of passive aggression.