Abstract
Domestic violence is a worldwide issue. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly created a declaration to help eliminate violence against women. Since then, ample research has been conducted on both the effects and individuals who conduct domestic violence. Over the years, researchers have discovered that certain personality traits that become apparent in childhood are also apparent in perpetrators of domestic violence. These studies suggest that children and adolescents who display these personality traits should be placed in early intervention treatment in order to limit the likelihood of domestic violence abuse during adulthood. The following discusses five different personality traits that are commonly associated with domestic violence and how these personality traits impact domestic violence.
Previous research on family aggression suggests that adolescents and children who grew up in a disharmonious and violent family are at an elevated risk when it comes to externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. Studies have shown that adults who participate in domestic violence are more likely to have behavioral and psychological problems. Some domestic violence perpetrators are psychopathic. In one study, it was found that almost 20 percent of domestic violence perpetrators were psychopaths. Studies have shown that inadequate parental discipline is linked to a child’s subsequent violent behavior. Studies have also shown that childhood parental rejection is also associated with domestic violence. Lastly, there have been numerous studies that have suggested that the onset of mental health problems in domestic violence victims is due to personality characteristics. One personality type that is most commonly associated with domestic violence victims is a distressed personality type, or type D personality.
Introduction
Domestic violence is a worldwide issue. It happens all over the world, every minute of the day. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly created a declaration to help eliminate violence against women. Since then, ample research has been conducted on both the effects and individuals who conduct domestic violence. Over the years, researchers have discovered that certain personality traits that become apparent in childhood are also apparent in perpetrators of domestic violence. These studies suggest that children and adolescents who display these personality traits should be placed in early intervention treatment in order to limit the likelihood of domestic violence abuse during adulthood. The following discusses five different personality traits that are commonly associated with domestic violence and how these personality traits impact domestic violence.
Discussion
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. This was the first international human right that explicitly addressed violence against women. According to the declaration, “Women are victims of incest, rape and domestic violence that often leads to trauma, physical handicap or death” (McDowell, Libal & Brown, 2012, p. 13). Since the conception of the declaration, women are now able to become educated and seek help all over the world. However, domestic violence still exists globally. Over the past two decades, substantial research has been conducted in order to eliminate domestic violence occurrences. These studies have linked certain personality traits to domestic violence perpetrators. These personality traits are: family aggression, behavioral and psychological problems, psychopathic, childhood aggression, and type D personality. The following analyzes these different personality traits and the impact they can have on domestic violence.
Family aggression
Previous research on family aggression suggests that adolescents and children who grew up in a disharmonious and violent family are at an elevated risk when it comes to externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. This includes suicidal and aggressive thoughts and behavior. One study “showed that children exposed to or victimized by either form of aggression (i.e., psychological and physical) exhibited higher aggressive behavior, whereas those experiencing only psychological victimization or witnessing physical violence showed anxious/depressed behavior” (p. 162).
Behavioral and psychological problems
Studies have shown that adults who participate in domestic violence are more likely to have behavioral and psychological problems. One study “found that those adolescents who were violent towards parents experienced greater psychological distress than those who were not” (p. 7). These individuals were found to be more likely to participate in domestic violence than adolescents who were not violent towards their parents. This study illustrated two things: first, violence towards a loved one during adolescents may be correlated to psychological distress, and second, adolescents who display violence in response to psychological distress are more likely to participate in domestic violence during adulthood.
Psychopathic
Some domestic violence perpetrators are psychopathic. “Psychopaths lack empathy, guilt and remorse, display shallow and labile emotions, and are short=tempered and unable to form strong emotional bonds” (Juodis, Starzomski & Porter, 2014, p. 385). In one study, it was found that almost 20 percent of domestic violence perpetrators were psychopaths. Furthermore, there were others who were above average when it came to psychopathic traits, however, they are considered average norms for men throughout the general population. These traits were: callousness, selfishness, remorselessness, and anti-sociality. This study looked further and found that psychopathic domestic violence perpetrators were more likely to kill their victims in premeditated and dispassionate manners (p. 385).
Since psychopaths have histories of antisocial behavior from childhood, intervening young children who display this behavior may prevent antisocial behavior in adulthood. “As it relates to domestic violence, early intervention is especially important for these youth who also have experienced child abuse, neglect, or exposure to domestic violence” (Juodis et al., 2014, p. 387). Previous studies have shown successful treatments for adolescent offenders who possess psychopathic traits. Thus, early intervention for families with youth who are exposed to domestic violence or maltreated is especially important for youth who are at risk of participating in dating violence or developing psychopathic traits (p. 388).
Inadequate parental discipline/childhood parental rejection
Studies have shown that inadequate parental discipline is linked to a child’s subsequent violent behavior. Studies have also shown that childhood parental rejection is also associated with domestic violence. However, before some of these individuals are domestic violence perpetrators, some of them are involved in child-to-parent violence. Child-to-parent violence is a strong predictor of aggressive behavior. This aggressive behavior may escalate throughout adulthood if not dealt with during childhood or adolescences.
In Calvete, Bertine & Gonzalez-Diez (2014), researchers found that emotional deprivation is commonly found in children who suffer from child-to-parent violence. “Previous studies have also indicated that CPV is also associated with parents detached, distant, and disengaged from the children” (p. 19). This same study found that different types of parental discipline are commonly associated with child-to-parent violence. These parents established consequences for their children when it came to them disobeying the rules. However, these methods consisted of physical punishment. It was found that disciplining these children with physical punishment did not reduce the problem of child-to-parent violence. The children were asked where they learnt aggressive behavior. The children stated they had learned the aggressive behavior in the home because of the exposure to family violence they had endured (p. 21).
Type D personality
There are also personality traits that are commonly associated with the victims of domestic violence as well. There have been numerous studies that have suggested that the onset of mental health problems in domestic violence victims is due to personality characteristics. One personality type that is most commonly associated with domestic violence victims is a distressed personality type, or type D personality. This type of personality is characterized by increased levels of social inhibition and negative affectivity. Negative affectivity refers to “a trait characteristic and involves, among other things, the stable tendency to experience negative emotions, negative self-evaluations, and oversensitivity to adverse stimuli” (Kurst & Bon-Martens, 2011, p. 404). Several studies have suggested that individuals with high levels of negative affectivity respond more intensely to domestic violence situations than individuals with lower levels of negative affectivity. According to these researchers, high levels of negative affectivity are associated with adverse outcomes. These individuals typically have a harder time emotionally processing domestic violence.
Individuals who have type D personality are also more likely to have unstable relationships. These individuals are also more likely to suffer from adverse outcomes when it comes to loneliness. Victims of domestic violence who have type D personality are impacted differently depending on the level of loneliness that they feel. Individuals who are lonelier tend to have more adverse impacts when it comes to domestic violence. Individuals who are less lonely, on the other hand, tend to be able to adjust to the violence better than individuals who are typically lonelier. Thus, loneliness and negative affectivity strongly impact how well a victim deals with domestic violence abuse (Kurst & Bon-Martens, 2011, p. 404).
Conclusion
Domestic violence is an ongoing issue all over the world. However, studies have shown that certain personality traits of a domestic violence perpetrator can be seen in childhood and early adolescences. The above are the common personality traits that are often seen in domestic violence perpetrators as well as victims. Child and adolescents who display these characteristics need to be placed in early intervention in order to limit the amount of domestic violence cases around the world. The above studies suggest that most domestic violence perpetrators are those individuals who either experienced or witnessed domestic violence during their childhood. It was also found that proper treatment during childhood for such exposure can limit the negative impact the violence will have on the child during adulthood. Thus, limiting the likelihood that an individual will conduct domestic violence when they are adults.
References
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