Partner Violence Typologies

Source: (2007) In John Hamel and Tonia L. Nicholls, Ed., Family Interventions in Domestic Violence. New York, USA: Springer Publishing Company. Pp. 145-163.

“The typology research reviewed suggests that perpetrators of partner violence differ on the prevalence of personality disorders. In particular, the most violent subgroups are frequently found to contain individuals who exhibit more antisocial behavior, are more generally violent, and are generally more resistant to mental health intervention than others (Hare, 1993). Huss and Langhinrichsen-Rohling (2000) have identified a parallel literature that contains similar clinical descriptions of violent individuals who have been diagnosed as psychopaths. This literature can act as a bridge between the personality disorder typologies, the physiological typologies, and, to an extent, the gender-based typology in that this literature ‘describes the violence tendencies, physiological responses, cognitive impairments, interpersonal/affective characteristics, and treatment responsiveness of these individuals in much great depth and breadth than the current domestic violence literature.’ (p.1)” (excerpt)