Abstract
Previous research has examined the influence of the abusive personality (Dutton, 1994a,b) on relationship dynamics. Men with high scores of abusive personality (borderline personality organization, anger and MCMI8: Negativity) generate more frequent and extreme forms of physical and emotional abuse in intimate relationships. Other lines of research have examined the role of these relationship features in influencing post-separation adjustment in women. The current study combines two data sets; one bearing on the first of these issues, the other on the second issue, in order to connect characteristics of the perpetrator's personality to post separation aspects of victim reaction. Substantial associations are found between abusive personality and relationship dynamics and between the latter and persistent attachment, trauma symptoms, and lowered self esteem in battered women.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Briere, J. (1992). Methodological issues in the study of sexual abuse effects: Special selection: Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 60: 196–203.
Briere, J., and Runtz, M. (1989). The trauma symptom checklist (TSC-33): Early data on a new scale. J. Interpers. Viol. 4: 151–162.
Crowne, D. P., and Marlowe, D. A. (1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. J. Consult. Psychol. 24: 349–354.
Douglas, M. A. (1987). The Battered Woman Syndrome. In Sonkin, D. J. (ed.), Domestic Violence on Trial: Psychological Dimensions of Family Violence, New York, pp. 39–54.
Dutton, D. G. (1994a). Behavioral and affective correlates of Borderline Personality Organization in wife assaulters. Int. J Law Psychiatry 17: 265–277.
Dutton, D. G. (1994b). The origin and structure of the abusive personality. J. Personal. Dis. 8: 181–191.
Dutton, D. G., and Hemphill, K. J. (1992). Patterns of socially desirable responding among perpetrators and victims of wife assault. Viol. Vict. 7: 29–39.
Dutton, D. G., and Painter, S. L. (1981). Traumatic bonding: The development of emotional bonds in relationships of intermittent abuse. Victimol. Int. J. 6: 139–155.
Dutton, D. G., and Painter, S. (1993a). Emotional Attachments in abusive relationships: A test of traumatic bonding theory. Viol Vict. 8: 105–120.
Dutton, D. G., and Painter, S. (1993b). The Battered Woman Syndrome: Effects of severity and intermittency of abuse. Am. J. Orthopsychiatry 63: 614–622.
Dutton, D. G., Saunders, K., Starzomski, A., and Bartholomew, K. (1994). Intimacy-anger and insecure attachment as precursors of abuse in intimate relationships. J. Appl. Social Psychol. 24: 1367–1386.
Dutton, D. G., and Starzomski, A. (1993). Borderline personality in perpetrators of psychological and physical abuse. Viol. Vict. 8: 327–337.
Dutton, D. G., and Starzomski, A. (1994). Psychological differences in court-referred and self-referred wife assaulters. Criminal Just. Behav. 21: 203–222.
Gunderson, J. G. (1984). Borderline Personality Disorder American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC.
Hart, S. D., Dutton, D. G., and Newlove, T. (1993). The prevalence of personality disorder among wife assaulters. J. Personal. Dis. 7: 329–341.
Kernberg, O. (1977). The structural diagnosis of Borderline Personality Organization. In Hartocollis, P. (ed.), Borderline Personality Disorders: The Concept, the Symptom, the Patient International Universities Press, pp. 87–121.
Kitson, G. C. (1982, May). Attachment to the spouse in divorce: A scale and its application. J. Marr Fam. 44: 379–393.
Landolt, M. A., and Dutton, D. G. (1997). Power and personality: An analysis of gay male intimate abuse. Sex Roles 37: 335–358.
Millon, T. (1987). Manual for the Millon for the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II National computer Systems, Minneapolis, MN.
NiCarthy, G. (1982). Getting Free: A Handbook for Women in Abusive Relationships Seal Press, Seattle, Washington.
Oldham, J., Clarkin, J., Appelbaum, A., Carr, A., Kernber, P., Lotterman, A., and Haas, G. (1985). A self-report instrument for Borderline Personality Organization, In McGlashan, T. H. (ed.), The Borderline: Current Empirical Research (Progress in Psychiatry Series), American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC, pp. 1–18.
Paulhus, D. L. (1984). Two-component models of socially desirable responding. J. Personal. Social Psychol. 46: 598–609.
Paulhus, D. L. (1986). Self-deception and impression management in test responses. In Angleitner, A., and Wiggins, J. S. (eds.), Personality Assessment via Questionnaire, Springer, New York, pp. 142–165.
Robinson, J. P., Shaver, P. R., and Wrightsman, L. S. (1991). Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes Academic Press, San Diego.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the Adolescent Self-image Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Siegel, J. M. (1986). The multidimensional anger inventory. J. Personal. Social Psychol. 51: 191–200.
Straus, M. A. (1979). Measuring family conflict and violence: The conflict tactics scale. J. Marr. Fam. 41: 75–88.
Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J., and Steinmetz, S. (1980). Behind Closed Doors: Violence in the American Family Anchor Press/Doubleday, Garden City, NY.
Tolman, R. M. (1989). The development of a measure of psychological maltreatment of Women by their male partners. Viol. Vict. 4: 159–177.
Walker, L. E. (1979). The Battered Woman Harper & Row, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dutton, D.G., Haring, M. Perpetrator Personality Effects on Post-Separation Victim Reactions in Abusive Relationships. Journal of Family Violence 14, 193–204 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022080820046
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022080820046