- Are found in all socioeconomic, educational, ethnic, racial, and age groups.
- Use psychological, verbal and physical abuse, including sexual abuse, to solve problems or control their partners.
- Believe that threats, force and violence is aimed at securing the family nucleus, exerts control over his partner by threatening suicide and/or homicide, and often attempts one or both when his partner leaves.
- At least 60% grew up in violent homes.
- Have poor self-esteem; perceive themselves as underachievers even if successful by others' standards.
- Have poor impulse control, limited tolerance for frustration, limited capacity for delayed reinforcement, explosive temper in the home but very skilled at masking this anger outside the home.
- Tend to minimize the seriousness of their violent behavior to themselves and others.
- Tend to see their lives as externally directed, accept no blame for their violent behavior but blame their partner for it.
- Have a great need to control situations and people.
- Emotionally dependent on their partner which they define as love; jealous of partner's relationships with others (including her family and children) and attempts to isolate her; makes accusations against her voicing great fear of abandonment.
- Frequently have problems with drugs and alcohol.
- Make frequent "promises" for the future.
- Some experience a great deal of depression.
- The primary emotion experienced and expressed is that of anger.
- Have little sense of personal power, but instead need to exert power over others in order to feel good about themselves.
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