The The Abusive Personality

Presenting results of controlled research with over 400 batterers, Donald Dutton shows that many abusers exhibit high levels of trauma symptoms.

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This text demonstrates that intimate-partner abuse by men is more than just a learned pattern of behaviour - it is the outgrowth of a particular personality configuration. Findings from the author's research with over 400 batterers are integrated with the literature on object relations, attachment and psychological trauma to trace the development of the abusive personality from early childhood to adulthood. The volume concludes with a discussion of clinical outcomes and a detailed, practical overview of a 16-week group treatment programme. For this paperback edition, the treatment chapter has been revised and expanded to reflect the ongoing development of the author's clinical approach. Included are new guidelines for working with borderline personality disorder and attachment disorders in the context of batterer groups.