NCJ Number
130607
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1991) Pages: 131-147
Date Published
1991
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Personality and family-of-origin differences were investigated among three groups of domestically violent men and a nonviolent comparison group that was matched for age and education.
Abstract
The domestic violence groups consisted of male batterers referred for treatment (agency identified batterers) who were alcoholic (n = 38) or nonalcoholic (n = 61) and a third group who were identified through community sampling as maritally violent (n = 28) community batterers. Multivariate analyses of variance of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI), a 175-item personality inventory, revealed that alcoholic and nonalcoholic batterers, compared to nonviolent controls, showed higher levels of borderline characteristics. Community-identified batterers showed no predicted significant differences from the nonviolent controls. On measures of family-of-origin pathology and disruption, only alcoholic batterers differed significantly from nonbatterers on reports of both experienced and witnessed abuse victimization. 3 tables and 31 references (Author abstract modified)