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Personality correlates of gaslighting behaviours in young adults
Abstract
This study focused on gaslighting, a specific type of psychological violence occurring in intimate relationships, where one partner displays controlling behaviours towards the other. The aim of the research was to analyse the association between gaslighting behaviours and dysfunctional personality domains of both abusers and survivors, respectively assessed through the PID-5-IRF and the PID-5-BF. A group of 250 young adults (males = 124), aged 18–30 years (M = 22.99, SD = 3.02), took part in this study. Our results showed that (a) for abusers, detachment, disinhibition and psychoticism were positively associated with gaslighting behaviours, and (b) for survivors, antagonism, disinhibition and psychoticism were positively associated with gaslighting behaviours from a partner.
... Despite the existence of various definitions in previous studies, there is no universally accepted definition of gaslighting. The term has been adopted across multiple disciplines including philosophy (e.g., Sodoma, 2022;Spear, 2020), sociology (e.g., Rodrigues et al., 2021;Sweet, 2019) and, more recently, empirical psychology (e.g., Bhatti et al., 2021;Hailes & Goodman, 2023;Klein et al., 2023;March et al., 2023;Miano et al., 2021) as well as across different forms of publication such as self-help literature (e.g., Sarkis, 2018;Stern, 2007) and doctoral research (e.g., Hightower, 2017;Portnow, 1996). While these studies have made valuable contributions to the understanding of gaslighting, they often do not employ the same definitions and, indeed, there is little consensus on what should and should not be included in a definition of gaslighting. ...
... Whether gaslighting must result in certain outcomes may hinge on how "successful" outcomes are defined. Prior studies have identified a range of domains where victims experience outcomes, including recollection, perception, emotions, and reactions (e.g., Calef & Weinshel, 1981;Hailes, 2022;Miano et al., 2021). Bhatti et al.'s (2021) and Hailes' (2022) two-part models specifically necessitate self-doubt in one or more of these domains as a necessary outcome for gaslighting. ...
... A key issue is the lack of distinction between the perpetrator's aim and their awareness of their aim. While some literature addresses both concepts directly (e.g., Abramson, 2014;Dorpat, 1996), most works blur the lines or use these terms interchangeably (e.g., Klein et al., 2023;Miano et al., 2021). Given the legal importance of intention in recent coercive control laws in Australia and the United Kingdom (Crimes Legislation Amendment [Coercive Control] Act, 2022; Serious Crime Act, 2015), the distinction between aim and awareness is critical. ...
With growing attention on criminalizing psychological forms of abuse, it is imperative that researchers develop clear and intentional definitions of abstract concepts, like gaslighting. The purpose of this article was to develop a definition of gaslighting by comparing key points of contention in existing literature with the first-hand experiences of victim survivors and support service providers, to enhance future research and practical application of the term in policy and legal contexts. The study used an online open-ended survey to gather data from victim survivors and support service providers about their definitions of gaslighting. Responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify definitional components of gaslighting. The study identified six key components of gaslighting: behavior, outcomes, intention, repetition, subsidiary tactics, and the role of power and intimacy. The study proposed a definition of gaslighting informed by victim survivor and service provider perspectives, while acknowledging the need for further research to refine controversial components like intention, repetition, and power imbalances. Furthermore, it addresses limitations such as the lack of perpetrator perspectives and the need for more diverse samples in the refinement of future definitions and measurements of gaslighting.
... This concept has continued to be a popular theoretical lens for viewing gaslighting and has been used across gaslighting articles since 1981 (e.g., Calef & Weinshel, 1981;Hightower, 2017;Graves & Samps,2021). A history of the term, A major limitation of the Miano et al. (2021) study was its inability to distinguish between traits that preceded a relationship and those that result from abusive dynamics (see Dutton, 2000). Although Miano et al. (2021) acknowledged this issue, the study still concluded that gaslighting victimsurvivor traits serve as relationship precursors. ...
... A history of the term, A major limitation of the Miano et al. (2021) study was its inability to distinguish between traits that preceded a relationship and those that result from abusive dynamics (see Dutton, 2000). Although Miano et al. (2021) acknowledged this issue, the study still concluded that gaslighting victimsurvivor traits serve as relationship precursors. While Miano et al. undertook a significant initial step in examining perpetrator traits, a further limitation of the study was the use of victim-survivor informant reports on behalf of perpetrators. ...
... This investigation into vulnerability traits was continued by Miano et al. (2021) in their online survey of young Italian students. Miano et al. (2021) aimed to identify the 'dysfunctional personality domains' of abusers and victim-survivors by providing an online questionnaire that also utilized the 'Are You Being Gaslighted?' quiz from Stern (2007), as well as her three 'gaslighter typology' quizzes. ...
Purpose
With the rise of coercive control legislation in Australia and the UK, it has become increasingly important to clarify the discourse surrounding common psychological abuse tactics, such as gaslighting. This literature review seeks to aid future research in conceptualising gaslighting by exploring its complex nature and tracing its evolution across different fields. The primary aim is to compile and synthesize research from various disciplines, enhancing cross-field communication and providing a clearer understanding of the term’s origins and potential future applications.
Method
This literature review synthesizes existing research on gaslighting by examining its evolution and operationalization across multiple fields, including medicine, psychiatry, psychodynamics, psychology and individual differences, sociology, and philosophy.
Results
The review reveals significant inconsistencies in the operationalization of gaslighting across various fields, such framing gaslighting as a type of family abuse used for personal or material gain, a form of interpersonal communication between couples, and an expression of structural power. It underscores the need for a stronger theoretical basis in empirical research on gaslighting and recommends moving away from the current focus on individual differences prevalent in empirical studies.
Conclusion
By providing a comprehensive synthesis of existing research, this review shines a light on the shifting conceptualization of gaslighting. It emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary communication and the need for a more robust theoretical framework to improve empirical studies. This unified understanding is crucial for developing more effective legal and psychological interventions to address gaslighting and other forms of psychological abuse.
... A previous study (Miano et al., 2021) has identified an association between the three categories of gaslighting (glamour, good-guy and intimidator) and specific dysfunctional personality trait domains identified in accordance with the DSM-5 alternative model for personality disorders, such as detachment, disinhibition, and psychoticism. ...
... The analysis presented here is related to our previous work on gaslighting behaviour (Miano et al., 2021), but here our attention was focused on the relationship between the different types of gaslighting behaviour (our response variables) and personality facets. Instead of the PID-IRF domains, in this study we decided to consider the facets in order to evaluate in detail how specific personality traits (inside domains) can influence gaslighting behaviours. ...
... glamour gaslighting, good-guy gaslighting, and intimidator gaslighting) are defined in a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. Thus, a classical linear model is not appropriate. To overcome this limit, we applied a beta regression model for bounded responses, using the statistical software R3.5.1, mapping the Likert scale into the open interval (0,1) as showed in (Smithson & Verkuilen, 2006) and (Miano et al., 2021). ...
Among the many forms of psychological violence, gaslighting is a particularly insidious manipulative behaviour that includes acts aimed at controlling and altering one’s own partner’s sensations, thoughts, actions, affective state, self-perception, and reality-testing. Thepurpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the experience of gaslighting and dysfunctional aspects of the partner’s personality. Gaslighter personality facets were assessed using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5–Informant Form–Adult (PID-5-IRF), while gaslighting behaviours were assessed using a 25-item questionnaire, based on the three categories of glamour, good-guy, and intimidator (Stern, 2007). The sample was made up of a group of 177 Italian emerging adults aged between 19 and 26 (49.2% male, 50.8% female; M = 21.88, SD = 1.75), enrolled at University, who participated voluntarilyin the research. In fact, none of them received any form of direct or indirect incentive.In our study, we applied a beta regression model mapping the Likert scale into the open interval (0,1). The main results show (a) good-guy gaslighting is positively associated with manipulativeness and negatively associated with deceitfulness; (b) glamour gaslighting has a negative association with separation insecurity and manipulativeness, but it is positively associated with irresponsibility; (c) intimidator gaslighting has a positive association with separation insecurity and distractibility and a negative association with eccentricity and perceptual dysregulation; (d) all three gaslighting categories are negatively associated with anhedonia and impulsivity. Based on what emerged from the data, aspects such as separation insecurity, irresponsibility, and distractibility can be seen as serious risk factors for gaslighting.For this reason, with regard to clinical implications, an early recognition of dysfunctional traits in potential abusers should be fostered in order to protect both potential abusers and their partner from aggressive conduct within an intimate relationship.
... According to the findings of this study, individuals with moderate addiction had a healthier relationship, while participants with low and high levels of addiction experienced more gaslighting. Another study examined the pathological personality traits of gaslightee and gaslighter young adults (Miano et al. 2021). Five personality traits were identified in the study. ...
... For this reason, it should not be overlooked that women can apply gaslighting as much as men. Miano et al. (2021) found no significant difference in gaslighting behavior between male and female participants. Previous studies have also failed to find a gender-specific difference in violence perpetrated by young couples against their partners (Fortin et al. 2011). ...
... Shousha (2023) also stated that women who are in a relationship with their narcissistic partner are exposed to gaslighting in support of this finding. However, Miano et al. (2021) found in their study that psychotic personality traits are mostly related to the perpetrator, not the antagonistic personality. From a psychodynamic point of view, the common points of schizoid and narcissistic people such as undeveloped superego and unresolved Oedipus complex may support the conclusions in this direction (Çakır and Bilge 2020). ...
Gaslighting is a manipulation technique that makes the perpetrator doubt the mind of the victim, questions the perception of reality, and makes the person think that they are crazy. Although gaslighting is thought to be a marriage syndrome, gaslighting can occur not only in marriages but also in all relationships. The purpose of this review study is to systematically compile the studies on gaslighting and relationships, to reveal what kind of relationships gaslighting is seen and what its outputs are. Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, TRDizin, and Web of Science databases were used in the research. The systematic review was carried out according to the PRISMA criteria. The terms "gaslighting", "gaslight" and "relationship" were used as keywords in Turkish and English to be scanned in databases. 97 studies were accessed from the databases, 31 studies were viewed and 17 of them were included in the study. Most of the studies were conducted in the USA. The study findings showed that gaslighting can occur in many different areas such as health, politics, and romantic and social relationships. It has been seen that the personality of the victim and the perpetrator, partner addiction, and the balance of power in the relationship are the factors that affect gaslighting. In addition, it has been found in the literature that there are a very limited number of studies on gaslighting. Especially in Turkish literature, quantitative or qualitative study findings directly addressing people who have been exposed to gaslighting have not been found. The reason for this was thought to be related to the fact that a scale study on gaslighting has not yet been carried out in Turkiye.
... Emerging research has examined correlates of gaslighting experiences in intimate relationships, which helps prevent those who are more susceptible to gaslighting from being involved in abusive relationships. Based on a sample of young adults, researchers found that personality traits of both gaslighters and victims, such as disinhibition (i.e., inability to manage impulsivity) and psychoticism (i.e., an indicator of susceptibility to psychosis and psychopathic disorders), are associated with gaslighting behaviors (Miano et al., 2021). Although Miano et al. (2021) found that neither age nor gender was related to gaslighting experiences, it is still important to explore how LGBTQ+ victims' demographic factors are related to their gaslighting experiences, as the results can help us identify which subgroups of LGBTQ+ individuals are more vulnerable to gaslighting and inform prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing the occurrence and negative consequences of LGBTQ+ gaslighting. ...
... Based on a sample of young adults, researchers found that personality traits of both gaslighters and victims, such as disinhibition (i.e., inability to manage impulsivity) and psychoticism (i.e., an indicator of susceptibility to psychosis and psychopathic disorders), are associated with gaslighting behaviors (Miano et al., 2021). Although Miano et al. (2021) found that neither age nor gender was related to gaslighting experiences, it is still important to explore how LGBTQ+ victims' demographic factors are related to their gaslighting experiences, as the results can help us identify which subgroups of LGBTQ+ individuals are more vulnerable to gaslighting and inform prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing the occurrence and negative consequences of LGBTQ+ gaslighting. ...
... Yet, in the context of LGBTQ+ gaslighting, a range of close others may deny the victims' identities and gaslight them to question their senses of self, such as their parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, and romantic partners (Adams, 2011;Li & Samp, 2020;Woulfe & Goodman, 2018). While gaslighters' age and gender are not significantly related to gaslighting behaviors in dating relationships (Miano et al., 2021), close others' gender, age, and sexual orientation as well as the nature of the interpersonal relationships (e.g., friendship, parental, professional) have played a crucial role in people's decisions to disclose or conceal their minority identities (Griffith & Hebl, 2002;Li & Samp, 2019). For instance, due to a fear of rejection and offending others, sexual minority individuals are inclined to conceal their sexual orientation from older individuals, male peers, and parents, compared to younger people, female friends, and siblings (Adams, 2011;Li & Samp, 2020). ...
... Deux formes de VC moins document ees ont egalement et e associ ees aux facettes pathologiques de la personnalit e aupr es d' echantillons de jeunes adultes. D'une part, le gaslighting 4 serait li e à des r esultats elev es au domaine Psychoticisme [16]. D'autre part, le harc element relationnel 5 commis serait reli e à une el evation aux facettes Croyances et exp eriences inhabituelles (Psychoticisme) et Impulsivit e (D esinhibition) chez les hommes, corroborant les r esultats de recherches pr ec edentes, et à la facette Malhonnetet e (Antagonisme) chez les femmes [10]. ...
... En outre, un portrait plus d esinhib e, d etach e et marqu e par l'hostilit e semble particuli erement associ e à la VC commise chez les hommes et les femmes, auquel s'ajoute l'Antagonisme seulement pour les femmes [9,10,16,17] 4 Le gaslighting r ef ere au fait de remettre en question ou de manipuler afin de mettre le blome sur le ou la partenaire lorsque celui ou celle-ci nous partage un commentaire ou un reproche [12]. 5 Le harc element relationnel r ef ere à des comportements de poursuite et d'espionnage causant de la peur et une menace pour la s ecurit e de la victime [13]. ...
... While there has been some empirical work on gaslighting, most studies focus on very specific contexts, such as gaslighting in medical settings (Au et al., 2022;Fielding-Singh & Dmowska, 2022), workplace environments (Kukreja & Pandey, 2023), and romantic relationships (Graves & Samp, 2021;Hailes & Goodman, 2023;Klein et al., 2023;March et al., 2023;Miano et al., 2021). To our knowledge, no studies have examined experiences with gaslighting across multiple domains. ...
... A domain-independent approach would allow for the identification of common patterns in gaslighting behavior, regardless of context, thereby providing a more comprehensive and generalizable understanding of this phenomenon. Additionally, many studies have examined only very specific constructs, such as personality traits of the victim and perpetrator (Hightower, 2017;March et al., 2023;Miano et al., 2021), or whether gaslighting is associated with feelings of power imbalance between partners (Graves & Samp, 2021). Some qualitative studies have explored the consequences of gaslighting in romantic partnerships, finding that gaslighting in intimate relationships severely undermines self-trust and well-being, with recovery often involving the rebuilding of self-trust (Hailes & Goodman, 2023;Klein et al., 2023). ...
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where victims are led to doubt their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories. Despite the growing popularity of the term and purported harmful implications, empirical efforts to operationalize and define gaslighting remain sparse. This study aimed to define common features and themes of self-reported gaslighting experiences. Young adults (N=250) completed several questionnaires and open-ended prompts relating to gaslighting experiences. Using a variety of natural language processing techniques, we explore the gaslighting construct using a data-driven approach from the perspective of self-reported targets of gaslighting. These data confirm that gaslighting is a type of interpersonal manipulation aimed at making a person feel 'crazy' or doubt their memories. Romantic partners were reported to be the most common perpetrators of gaslighting, and both beneficial (e.g., awareness of manipulative people) and detrimental (e.g., self-doubt) consequences of experiencing gaslighting appear to be long-lasting. Additionally, we found that more severe, frequent, and long-lasting gaslighting experiences are associated with broader subjective memory deficits, even extending to other memories outside of the gaslighting event itself. This study highlights pervasive cognitive and psychological impacts of gaslighting, and underscores the need for further empirical research and informed clinical strategies.
... In romantic relationships, gaslighting is often considered part of the wider phenomenon of intimate partner violence (IPV) and particularly a specific type of psychological abuse (Abramson, 2014;Stern, 2007). Contrary to direct forms of psychological IPV such as verbal aggression, threats, and humiliation (Straus et al., 1996), gaslighting mainly targets the gaslightees's sense of what is real and what is not (Miano et al., 2021). As such, some scholars consider gaslighting as a type of micro-aggression (Johnson et al., 2021), an offensive behavior that can be implicit, subtle, and difficult to identify against disadvantaged individuals. ...
... Recent studies even demonstrated that men experience more gaslighting than women (Bates, 2020;Graves & Samp, 2021). Another possibility is that similar to other forms of IPV (Miano et al., 2021), the consequences of gaslighting are more severe for women, even if they are not exposed to more gaslighting in their intimate relationships than men. ...
Gaslighting, a form of psychological abuse, has received increasing attention in recent years. The current research provides reliability and validity evidence for a new 11-item measure of exposure to gaslighting by a romantic partner: The Gaslighting Relationship Exposure Inventory (GREI). Two studies were conducted with Israeli (N = 509) and American (N = 395) community samples. Participants were involved in a romantic relationship and completed an online questionnaire that included measures of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization, depression, and relationship satisfaction. In both studies, the GREI items loaded onto a single factor of relationship gaslighting exposure. The scale demonstrated metric gender invariance and was reliable in both men and women. Relationship gaslighting exposure was strongly linked with psychological abuse victimization and weakly linked with other forms of IPV victimization, thus showing strong convergent and discriminant validity. Moreover, relationship gaslighting exposure was associated with greater depression and lower relationship quality, above and beyond other forms of IPV victimization. The results support the reliability and validity of the GREI in both men and women, as well as its utility for the study of gaslighting exposure within relationships. The current research highlights that gaslighting is a distinct form of psychological abuse with unique implications for personal and relational well-being.
... In the second edition of her self-help book on the subject, Robin Stern referred to gaslighting as "an in IPV scholarly literature or is alluded to by other names (Burnett, 2020;Ferraro, 2006;Hightower, 2017;Lammers et al., 2005;Sweet, 2019), there have been few systematic investigations through a psychological lens. Psychological literature on gaslighting has identified personality traits associated with gaslighting behaviors (Miano et al., 2021) and assessed power dynamics in gaslighting relationships (Graves & Samp, 2021), but much remains unexplored and undefined about the specifically epistemic nature of gaslighting (Abramson, 2014;Fricker, 2007;Spear, 2019): That is, unique among abuse tactics, gaslighting targets and undermines a survivor's trust in their own knowing abilities, grasp on reality, and reliability as a narrator of their own experiences. Little is known about the lasting impacts of gaslighting on a person's sense of themselves as a knower. ...
... In recent years, IPV literature has begun to engage explicitly with the concept of gaslighting, identifying the role of "power-laden" social identities and systemic oppression in gaslighting and suggesting that people who report having both very high and very low levels of power may be most likely to engage in gaslighting behaviors (Graves & Samp, 2021;Sweet, 2019). Studies have also found that personality traits, such as psychoticism, sadism, and Machiavellian views may be associated with using gaslighting tactics (March et al., 2023;Miano et al., 2021). Additionally, several gaslighting questionnaires and scales have been piloted recently, including the Victim Gaslighting Questionnaire (VGQ), which proposes a two-factor model of gaslighting experiences in intimate partnerships with peer disagreement and loss of self-trust as the two primary factors (Bhatti et al., 2021). ...
Purpose
Gaslighting, a form of psychological abuse that targets a survivor’s sense of trust in their own knowing abilities, has received increasing attention in public discourse and scholarly research in recent years. However, in the small but growing body of academic literature, little has been written on survivors’ subjective experiences of gaslighting, specifically related to the impacts of this uniquely epistemic form of abuse. What does gaslighting do to a survivor’s sense of themselves as a knower? What are the lasting impacts of this kind of abuse? Through interviews with survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), this study aims to illuminate this slippery and mind-bending form of abuse and its implications for survivor sense of self and wellbeing.
Methods
Fourteen IPV survivors were interviewed about their gaslighting experiences, and data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods.
Results
Two clusters of findings emerged. Survivors described (1) the domains of knowledge implicated in their gaslighting experiences, (2) the lasting impacts of gaslighting and survivors’ efforts to cope and heal. Together, the findings of this study begin to outline the profound loss of self-trust that gaslighting can produce across domains and how survivors make sense of and cope with their altered sense of themselves as knowers.
Conclusions
This study provides a much-needed deep investigation of the subjective experience of gaslighting in IPV, with specific attention to its uniquely epistemic dimensions. Findings are discussed in the context of Relational Cultural Theory (Jordan, 2001) and suggest the need for increased capacity for screening and detection of gaslighting in IPV.
... Other empirical work has largely consisted of case studies by psychiatrists and other medical professionals (e.g., Barton & Whitehead, 1969;Bashford & Leschziner, 2015; a notable exception is the larger-scale empirical study by Miano et al., 2021). Older case studies (1960s-1980s) focused on perpetrators who gaslight their romantic partners to attain some tangible goal, such as acquiring their partner's assets. ...
... Furthermore, little has been done to examine the differences between the tactics used when gaslighting is perpetrated by those with low versus high social power. Miano et al. (2021) found that perpetrators of gaslighting scored high on measures of detachment, disinhibition, and psychoticism, whereas survivors scored high on antagonism, as well as disinhibition and psychoticism. Our participants' descriptions of their partners' behaviors seem consistent with the personality profile suggested by this work, but our study did not allow for any direct measures of a perpetrator's personality or psychological profile. ...
Gaslighting is an understudied form of abuse wherein a sane and rational survivor is convinced of their own epistemic incompetence on false pretenses by a perpetrator. The current study aimed to characterize the features of gaslighting as well as test and verify common claims about gaslighting. We recruited participants ( N = 65) who self‐identified as having experienced gaslighting in romantic relationships to fill out a qualitative survey wherein they described instances of gaslighting, features of their relationships, and the consequences of gaslighting on their mental health. The age of participants in this study ranged from 18 to 69 (M = 29), most participants identified as female (48), and heterosexual (43). Gaslighting occurs within relationships that are typified by a combination of affectionate and abusive behaviors extended over the course of a relationship. Gaslighting victimization was associated with a diminished sense of self, mistrust of others, and on occasion, post‐traumatic growth. Those who recovered from gaslighting often emphasized the importance of separation from the perpetrator, prioritization of healthier relationships, and engaging in meaningful and re‐embodying activities. This study provides a basis for further research into gaslighting and recovery from gaslighting, which will contribute to the prevention and treatment for this type of abuse.
... Compared to other forms of intimate partner abuse, such as physical forms and emotional forms, limited research has explored gaslighting. Here, we extend recent research linking socially aversive personality traits to gaslighting (see Miano et al., 2021) by exploring the associations between the Dark Tetrad traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and facets and perceived acceptability of gaslighting tactics. Findings of this novel exploration of personality correlates and gaslighting tactics provides foundational directions for future research, as well as practical implications for relationship counsellors and clinicians. ...
... Although research, particularly psychological research, on gaslighting remains in its infancy, gaslighting has been conceptualised to comprise different forms, such as glamour gaslighting and intimidator gaslighting (see Fuchsman, 2019;Stern, 2018). Our conceptualization of gaslighting most closely aligns with intimidator gaslighting, where the gaslighter exercises control through criticism and disapproval (Miano et al., 2021). Future research should endeavour to explore these other forms of gaslighting, as well as their differential predictors. ...
Background
Gaslighting is a form of psychological/emotional abuse inflicted upon an intimate partner that includes manipulative tactics such as misdirection, denial, lying, and contradiction – all to destabilize the victim/survivor. Compared to other forms of intimate partner abuse, gaslighting remains underexplored in the literature.
Aims/Purpose
In this preregistered study, we aimed to explore correlates between the Dark Tetrad traits (i.e., grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, Machiavellian tactics, Machiavellian views, primary psychopathy, secondary psychopathy, and sadism) and acceptance of gaslighting tactics in intimate relationships.
Method
Participants (N = 315; Mage = 42.39; 62.2% women) were recruited online and completed an online questionnaire. We developed and internally validated the Gaslighting Questionnaire, a 10-item self-report measure of acceptance of gaslighting tactics in intimate relationships.
Results
All the Dark Tetrad traits were associated with more acceptance of gaslighting tactics in intimate relationships, with primary psychopathy, Machiavellian tactics, and sadism emerging as significant predictors in the regression. We also examined sex differences. Compared to women, men found deploying gaslighting tactics more acceptable, and this was largely driven by sex differences in primary psychopathy. Further, men high in vulnerable narcissism demonstrated the greatest acceptance of gaslighting tactics.
Conclusions
These findings provide foundational information for understanding gaslighting tactics in intimate partner abuse and may have practical implications for relationship counsellors and clinicians practicing in this space. For example, the present findings indicate that personality assessment can be a valuable tool for estimating a client’s propensity to gaslight.
... Muitas pesquisas têm se debruçado sobre essa forma de microagressão contra pessoas de grupos minoritários, como estudantes negros (Konuthula et al., 2022), mulheres negras (Sue et al., 2007), portadores de doenças (Shahid & Dale, 2023), adolescentes LGBTQIA+ (Munro et al., 2019), e em relacionamentos íntimos (Miano et al., 2021). ...
A incivilidade nas relações no ambiente de trabalho é uma forma de microviolência que afeta de forma negativa a convivência entre os trabalhadores e acarreta vários prejuízos para as Instiuições. O presente estudo tem por objetivo apresentar a pesquisa exploratória para compreender os fenômenos sociais da incivilidade e do cuidado nas relações em uma Instituição Pública de Ensino Superior (IFES), pela perspectiva de 63 participantes dentre docentes, técnico-administrativos e terceirizados. Para tanto, foi construído um questionário com 17 perguntas semiestruturadas, cujos resultados foram obtidos pelo software IraMuTeQ, versão 0.7, alpha 2 e pela análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Os dados apresentaram os termos silêncio, silenciamento e cancelamento como facetas ocultas da incivilidade. Sobre silenciamento e cancelamento não foram encontrados pontos positivos, mas sobre o conceito silêncio pode-se observar a importância da sua presença nos momentos de fala e escuta. Na discussão dos resultados são apresentados trechos dos discursos para maior compreensão desses fenômenos. Como conclusão, compreende-se a necessidade de maiores debates sobre as relações interpessoais e suas consequências nas IFES. Palavras-chave: incivilidade, silêncio organizacional, cancelamento.
... Gaslighting, a term that has become so popular in everyday parlance that it has been elected as word of the year in 2022 (Merriam-Webster 2022), is understood as a form of psychological manipulation that causes the victims to question the validity of their own views of the world. Psychologists describe gaslighting as a form of psychological violence where one partner displays controlling behaviors towards the other (Miano et al. 2021). In the podcast corpus, lived experiences of gaslighting are described as follows: ...
... In personality research, these traits are sometimes grouped into the three interrelated constructs of subclinical psychopathy, subclinical narcissism, and Machiavellianism, referred to collectively as the Dark Triad (Paulhus & Williams, 2002). At the interpersonal level, antisociality has been linked to unhealthy relationship dynamics, including the use of conflict-ridden communication strategies (e.g., criticism, contempt, stonewalling, defensiveness, Horan et al., 2015;verbal aggression, Kjaervik & Bushman, 2021;and gaslighting, March et al., 2023;Miano et al., 2021), infidelity (Brewer et al., 2015;Sevi et al., 2020), controlling behaviors (Brewer et al., 2018), and IPV (Carton & Egan, 2017). ...
Objective: Antisociality, a constellation of antagonistic personality styles, has been shown to increase conflict in romantic couples. However, the malleable mechanisms that underpin how antisociality drives conflict within both partners in couples remain less explored. Method: Using a dyadic framework, the present study examined whether emotion dysregulation and/or hazardous drinking explained the association between antisociality and dyadic conflict among married and cohabitating couples (N = 962). An actor–partner interdependence mediation model was used to evaluate intrapersonal and interpersonal influences. Results: Several parallel pathways emerged involving emotion dysregulation, with higher levels of actor antisociality associated with (a) greater actor conflict perpetration through actor emotion dysregulation, (b) greater actor conflict perpetration through partner emotion dysregulation, (c) greater partner conflict perpetration through actor emotion dysregulation, and (d) greater partner conflict perpetration through partner emotion dysregulation. No evidence of chained mediation was obtained. Conclusions: Overall, these findings indicate that emotion dysregulation and hazardous drinking are important mechanisms underlying the association between antisociality and couples’ conflict; however, the lack of chained mediation suggests that their influences are exerted independently rather than sequentially. Results also emphasize the importance of interventions adopting both a dyadic perspective to account for the interpersonal nature of the links of antisociality with conflict through emotion dysregulation and hazardous drinking in couples.
... Gaslighting experience. The Italian version (Miano, Bellomare & Genova, 2021) of the Gaslighting Experience Questionnaire, based on the original questions proposed by Stern (2007), was used to measure this kind of experience. The scale consists of 20 items (e.g., "You started lying to prevent your partner from criticizing you and attempting to distort your perception of reality ") rated on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1 = totally disagree to 5 = totally agree). ...
Gaslighting is an understudied form of psychological violence aimed to reduce victims’ autonomy, decision-making ability, security, and belief in their own perceptions. Although it leads to negative psychological, relational, and health consequences, few studies have examined the protective variables of this form of violence. The present study aims to analyze the role of self-compassion and social support (from family, friends, and significant others) in predicting gaslighting experiences, psychological health, and eudaimonic well-being among young Italian women. The mediational role of the gaslighting experience was examined. Participants (251 women, mean age = 38.72) completed an online survey assessing the variables of interest. Path analysis showed that participants’ self-compassion and perceived social support from family and significant others (but not one from friends) were negatively and significantly associated with gaslighting experience. Gaslighting experience emerged as a significant and negative predictor of both psychological health and eudaimonic well-being. Gaslighting experience partially mediated the relationship among self-compassion and both psychological health and eudaimonic well-being, and totally mediated the association among perceived social support (from family and from significant others) and both psychological health and eudaimonic well-being. This is one of the few studies that allowed to identify the important role of some interpersonal (i.e., social support) and intrapersonal (i.e., self-compassion) factors in predicting gaslighting experience. Our findings could be useful in designing preventive programs aimed to increase women’s abilities to cope with the potential manipulative intentions of their partner with positive consequences on their health and well-being.
... The existing pool of knowledge has discussed gaslighting in romantic and political contexts (Fulcher & Ashkanasy, 2023). Most of the work on gaslighting can be seen in the contexts of marriage, friendships and intimate relationships, and kids-parents relationships (Gass & Nichols, 1988;Miano, Bellomare, & Genova, 2021;Riggs & Bartholomaeus, 2018). While a search on Instagram about gaslighting posts revealed around 600,000 results, but scholarly search provides scarce knowledge on the topic (Kukreja & Pandey, 2023). ...
Until now the research has mainly examined visible abusive supervision, like aggression and violence, but it’s unclear how subtle forms, such as gaslighting, impact victims. Gaslighting, an emotionally and psychologically manipulative form of abuse, is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon in contemporary times. Based on the conservation of resources theory, we examined how supervisory gaslighting affects job embeddedness directly and indirectly through work motivation. We also explored how coworker support moderates the gaslighting-work motivation link. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the two-wave time-lagged data from 337 Chinese hotel employees. The results show the negative direct and indirect effects of gaslighting, and coworker support moderates the negative link between gaslighting and work motivation. Hotel organizations should exercise caution when hiring supervisors to prevent gaslighting, which can undermine employee motivation and job embeddedness. This study also recommends raising awareness among employees to speak out against supervisors’ gaslighting behavior.
... Informed by empirical knowledge, power and conflict theory, feminist theory, and varieties of patriarchy theory, this conceptualization highlights the influence of personal and structural factors on perception of partner psychological abuse (Dobash & Dobash, 1979;Hunnicutt 2009;Vagianos, 2017). Grounded in these empirical and theoretical foundations, perception of partner psychological abuse encompasses and focuses on specific behavioral elements: verbal aggression/abuse (Bodenmann et al., 2010;Evans, 1997;Marshall, 1992 2012; Dutton & Goodman, 2005;Eckhardt et al., 1997;Johnson & Leone, 2005;Stark, 2007;Tolman, 1989;Walker et al., 2020;Winstok & Perkis, 2009), ignoring/neglect (Cordova et al., 2005Johnson, 2020), manipulation (Forward & Buck, 1998;Rana et al., 2022;Simon, 2008), gaslighting (Calef & Weinshel, 1981;Christensen & Evans-Murray, 2021;Churchwell, 2018;Dickson et al., 2023;Dorpat, 1994a, b;Gass & Nichols, 1988;Graves & Samp, 2021;Klein et al., 2023;Miano et al., 2021;Sarkis, 2018;Stark, 2019;Sweet, 2019;Tormoen,2019), and economic/financial abuse (Adams et al., 2008;Anderson, 2002;Anitha, 2019;Eriksson & Ulmestig, 2021;Postmus et al., 2020;Sanders, 2015;Stylianou, 2018;Stylianou et al., 2013a, b), as detailed in Table 1 (examples of items are reported in Table 3 and Results section). ...
Purpose: Psychological violence within intimate relationships remains a significant public health concern across societies. Multiple scales have been developed to measure victimization and perpetration, aiding our understanding of their complexities. However, few empirically validated scales capture perceptions of psychological abuse or what individuals perceive as psychologically abusive behaviors, hindering our full grasp of the dynamics. This article addresses these gaps with the Perception of Partner Psychological Abuse Scale (PPPAS), which measures and enhances understanding of abusive behaviors within intimate relationships. Methods: Preliminary activities included establishing face and content validity and conducting a pilot study to assess feasibility, suitability, and potential challenges. The main study (904 respondents: 441 from Nigeria and 463 from South Africa) utilized an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine the factor structure of the PPPAS. Results: The results indicate that the PPPAS effectively measures individuals' perception of partner psychological abuse. The identified 17-item, four-factor structure (i.e., verbal aggression/abuse, isolation/control, ignoring/neglect, and economic/financial abuse) aligns well with the data, with both collective and individual observed variables contributing to the measurement of the overall construct and its sub-constructs. Convergent validity captured the scale’s correlation with similar constructs, and discriminant validity established the scale’s ability to accurately distinguish itself from unrelated constructs. Conclusion: The PPPAS adds to the arsenal of scales on partner psychological abuse. It is suitable for comprehending perception and its impact on victimization, perpetration, and the inclination for psychological abuse. Knowledge derived can promote accountability, facilitate behavior change, and empower victims to recognize and avoid abusive interactions.
... Gashligting ile cinsiyet ilişkisini inceleyen araştırmalardan Sweet 82 , March ve arkadaşlarının 83 , Ghani 84 ve Esin'in 85 araştırmaları, erkeklerin gaslihting uygulamaya, kadınların ise maruz kalmaya daha yatkın olduğunu/ kadınlarla kıyaslandığında erkeklerin gaslighting taktiklerinin uygulamasını daha kabul edilebilir bulduklarını/ cinsiyet rollerinin, algısal düzeyde gaslighting uygulama ile eşleştirildiğini ortaya koymuştur. Buna karşın, alanyazında kadınların erkeklere göre daha fazla gaslighting davranışına maruz kaldığına ilişkin yaygın kuramsal inanış ve bunu destekleyici bazı araştırma sonuçları 86 ile çelişir şekilde; Miano, Bellomare ve Genova, çalışmasında cinsiyet ile gashlighting'e maruz kalma arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olmadığını bulmuşlardır 87 . Araştırmacılar, cinsiyet konusundaki bulgularına ilişkin olarak ise ilgili bulguların psikolojik şiddetin dönüşümlülüğü ve her iki cinsiyette benzer oranlarda görülmesine ilişkin geçmiş araştırma sonuçları tarafından desteklendiğini ifade etmişlerdir. ...
Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, romantik ilişkilerde bir duygusal manipülasyon türü olan “gaslighting” ile demografik faktörler ve kişilik özelliklerinin ilişkisini inceleyen çalışmalar hakkında geleneksel bir derleme yapmaktır. Anahtar kelimeler, (gaslighting) AND (personality) AND (“romantic relations” OR “intimate partnership”); (gaslighting) AND (kişilik) AND (“romantik ilişkiler” OR “yakın ilişkiler”) olarak belirlenmiş olup, 2000-2023 yılları arasında yayınlanmış araştırmalar “Science Direct”, “Google Scholar”, “Medline”, “PubMed”, “YÖK Tez Merkezi” ve “Web of Science” veri tabanlarında taranmıştır. Tarama sonucunda, bu derlemeye toplam 15 çalışma dâhil edilmiştir. Sosyodemografik özelliklere ilişkin bulgular bir arada incelendiğinde, konuya ilişkin gelecekte daha fazla araştırma yapılması önerilmektedir. Bunun yanı sıra gaslighting uygulayan ve buna maruz kalanların cinsiyetlerinden çok, cinsiyet stereotiplerine toplumsal olarak atfedilen güç eksenli özelliklerin gaslighting uygulama ve buna maruz kalma ile daha yakından ilişkili olabileceği düşünülmüştür. Bahse konu olasılık dolaylı yoldan, ilişkideki güç dengesi- gaslighting ilişkisine dair kısıtlı araştırma bulguları ile de uyumludur. Alanyazında kişilik özellikleri ile gaslighting davranışı arasındaki ilişkiyi inceleyen araştırmaların, Karanlık Üçlü/Dörtlü özelliklerine odaklananlar hariç, birbirlerinden farklı kişilik özelliklerine odaklandığı görülmüştür. Gelecekte genel olarak hem mevcutta kısıtlı sayıda çalışılmış olan hem de henüz çalışılmamış olmakla birlikte gaslighting ile ilişkili olabilecek kişilik özelliklerine odaklanan farklı araştırmaların yapılmasının, kişilik eğilimleri-gaslighting ilişkisine dair daha kesin bir resim sunulmasını sağlamak açısından faydalı olacağı düşünülmüştür.
... This is particularly likely given the powerful cyber-industrialization and personalization tools available to the company and its workers designed to ensnare and engage clients in extended financial relationships with the company. Prior research on victimization would support the notion 4. The relapse that certain backgrounds or personality traits (see, e.g., Winkel, et al., 2003;Miano, et al., 2021) may make some individuals more susceptible to repeatedly engaging in such conversations. We would assume in fact, that the processes described above were designed to achieve this effect with this specific population. ...
We examine a new form of online fraud, which we refer to as Intimacy Manipulated Fraud Industrialization (IMFI). This type of fraud bears a strong resemblance to traditional online romance fraud and catfishing, but is “industrialized” through enterprise business practices, software platforms, and customer service processes. To gain a better understanding of this operation, we conducted an inductive analysis of publicly available testimonial and review data provided by current and prior employees of a specific company in the online customer service contract space. Companies hire individuals online to work as “chat moderators” or “customer service providers” who are told that their task is to advance engagement on social media platforms. In fact, they are
being recruited as “sexting” workers, paid on a per-text basis to engage in intimate chatting with clients who believe they’re interacting with individuals of the opposite gender on a dating site. The process is mediated via client management processes that monitor employee productivity and monetize all interactions between “clients” and “workers.” The company executes these processes with great efficiency by algorithmically assigning multiple workers to individual clients and assembling background files on clients in real time. We find that workers serve as both exploiters of their clients as well as victims of the company they work for. The implications of our study could significantly impact how we address AI-generated online fraud in the future, shedding light on the complex dynamics at play within these fraudulent enterprises.
... This is particularly likely given the powerful cyber-industrialization and personalization tools available to the company and its workers designed to ensnare and engage clients in extended financial relationships with the company. Prior research on victimization would support the notion that certain backgrounds or personality traits (see, e.g., Winkel, et al., 2003;Miano, et al., 2021) may make some individuals more susceptible to repeatedly engaging in such conversations. We would assume in fact, that the processes described above were designed to achieve this effect with this specific population. ...
We examine a new form of online fraud closely related to traditional online romance fraud and catfishing, but which is “industrialized” through enterprise business practices, software platforms, and customer service processes. We conducted an inductive analysis of publicly available testimonial and review data provided by current and prior employees of a specific company in the online customer service contract space. Companies hire individuals online to work as “chat moderators” or “customer service providers” who are told that they are to advance engagement on social media platforms. In fact, they are being recruited as “sexting” workers, paid on a per-text basis to engage in intimate chatting with clients led to believe the workers are female participants on a dating site. The process is mediated via client management processes that monitor employee productivity and monetize all interactions between “clients” and “workers.” The company executes these processes with great efficiency by algorithmically assigning multiple workers to individual clients and assembling background files on clients in real time. We refer to this corporatized form of fraud as Intimacy Manipulated Fraud Industrialization (IMFI) and find that workers serve as both exploiters of their clients as well as victims of the company they work for.
... Dari hasil wawancara yang dilakukan pada beberapa narasumber dalam sudut pandang gaslighter penulis sependapat dengan (Miano et al., 2021) terdapat tiga perilaku khusus yang dilakukan gaslighter dalam melakukan gaslighting yaitu : 1. Pelaku berusaha saling melengkapi Gaslighter/pelaku akan membuat gaslightee merasa istimewa karena sikap gaslighter selalu berusaha saling melengkapi gaslightee selain itu gaslighter akan sering memberikan sanjungan dan memberikan kepuasan kepada gaslightee. 2. Menunjukkan sikap narsistik dan bermuka dua kepada pasangannya. ...
Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pola perilaku awal dalam gaslighting dan dampak yang terjadi pada korban gaslighting pada individu dalam masa perkembangan mereka. Pedekatan penelitian ini menggunakan metode studi kasus. Pengumpulan data yang dilakukan adalah wawancara, observasi dan studi dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian ada 5 pola gaslighting yaitu a) pelaku memberi respon yang berlebihan dan berani memberikan pengorbanan kepada pasangannya diawal menjalin hubungan, b) pelaku sering memuji secara berlebihan dan berusaha menampakkan kesempurnaan di depan orang lain, c) sifat dominan, pelaku akan mendominasi dalam hubungan seperti mengoreksi penampilan pasangan, perkataan atau perilaku pasangan yang dirasa kurang cocok bagi dirinya d) apabila gaslightee melawan, gaslighter akan melakukan playing victim kepada gaslightee, e)besar kemungkinan berlanjut pada kekerasan lainnya seperti kekerasan fisik, kekerasan verbal, bahkan kekerasan seksual.
... Another phenomenon with the characteristics of microtrauma is gaslighting (Tormoen, 2019), which refers to a situation where one person arouses in another doubts about his or her judgment and mental health. This behaviour aims to control the victim by the perpetrator (Miano et al., 2021). Gaslighting is a conscious or unaware form of psychological violence that occurs when the perpetrator distorts information to confuse the victim, causing them to doubt their memory and sanity (Kivak, 2017). ...
The purpose of this article is to present the phenomenon of psychological microtrauma, a trauma that is cumulative in nature and results from prolonged exposure to many stressful situations in one area of suffering that are usually not so severe as those causing post-traumatic stress disorder and are included in criterion A in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The introduction to the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision of a new disorder named complex post-traumatic stress disorder, despite allowing a better understanding of people who experience chronically repeating traumas, does not explain the consequences of microtrauma which can be approached from psycho-dynamic, clinical and social perspectives. Taking into account the difficulties associated with identifying microtrauma, knowledge of this phenomenon could be useful for clinicians and their patients. The theory of microtrauma is a promising area of research and may finally bring the answer why there is a high prevalence of diagnosing post-traumatic disorder among people who experience not severe but chronic stressful events in one area in terms of content in their daily lives, e.g. discrimination. It shows how much is still ahead of us in understanding trauma and how rich and complex this phenomenon is.
... While, a search for #gaslighting on Instagram returns over 600,000 results, less than 150 relevant scholarly articles exist in academic databases when a Google scholar search is conducted using the same phrase. Moreover, most of these scholarly articles focus on gaslighting in marriages (Gass and Nichols, 1988), closely knit friendships and intimate relationships (Miano et al., 2021). Some articles have also investigated gaslighting of kids by their parents (Riggs and Bartholomaeus, 2018). ...
Introduction
Gaslighting is a form of abuse that has transgressed the realms of romantic relationships to the relationships at work. Despite the growing literature on abuse at work, the conceptualization and measurement of gaslighting at work have received scarce attention. The study aimed to address this existing lacuna in the literature by conceptualizing and developing a measure of gaslighting at work.
Methods
By drawing upon and integrating existing works of literature on harmful leader behaviors, workplace abuse, and workplace mistreatment, the authors have conceptualized the concept of gaslighting in a new context, i.e., work settings, and delineated its dimensions and conceptual boundaries. Among three different samples (total N = 679) of employees, the study developed a new 12-item measure of gaslighting in work relationships, the Gaslighting at Work Questionnaire (GWQ). The study further tested the psychometric properties of GWQ, namely, internal consistency, face, and construct validity of GWQ. Additionally, a time-lagged study was used to validate the scale within a nomological net of conceptual relationships.
Results
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-dimensional structure of gaslighting at work (trivialization and affliction). The psychometric properties of GWQ were established. Finally, using a time-lagged study, the scale was validated within a nomological net of conceptual relationships by showing the relationship of gaslighting at work with role conflict and job satisfaction.
Discussion
The GWQ scale offers new opportunities to understand and measure gaslighting behaviors of a supervisor toward their subordinates in the work context. It adds to the existing literature on harmful leader behaviors, workplace abuse, and mistreatment by highlighting the importance of identifying and measuring gaslighting at work.
... This usually occurs during a conflict between the partners, especially when the conversation is not in favor of the perpetrator. There is another pop-culture term called gaslighting-a psychological violence occurring in intimate relationships, where one partner displays controlling behaviors toward the other to the extent that the other partner questions their own reality [46]. It is associated with behaviors such as the denial of abusive behaviors and presenting false information in a way that causes the other person to doubt his or her own perception or memory. ...
Background: Breadcrumbing is an unexplored dating trend disguised in the form of subtle manipulation in relationships. With the increase in online dating apps, people have started to initiate, maintain and end relationships, and the use of manipulative tactics have increased on such platforms. The present study explores the meaning of breadcrumbing and its effects on the breadcrumbie’s mental health and wellbeing. Method: The research design was qualitative in nature through the use of focus group discussions. Two focus group discussions were conducted including nine participants in total (one male, eight females). Results: After the data analysis, five major themes emerged defining breadcrumbing—charm, leading on, incongruence, avoiding emotional investment and commitment uncertainty. Conversational fragments also revealed that breadcrumbing had an impact on the breadcrumbie’s future relationships, emotional disturbance, self-concept, and signs of depression. The red flags and effective coping strategies were also discovered with the help of a thematic analysis. Further research on personality correlates of breadcrumbing perpetration and victimization is recommended.
... A high degree of psychoticism increases an individual's vulnerability to developing psychosis such as hallucinations, delusions, or schizophrenia (Moreno et al., 2013). Domains like antagonism and disinhibition are observed in a wide range of criminal behaviors such as smoking (Krueger et al., 2021), alcohol and illicit drug abuse (Ringwald et al., 2021), risky sexual behavior (Miano et al., 2021), childhood conduct problems (Heirigs, 2021), aggressive tendencies (Fossati et al., 2007), and murder (Woodworth & Porter, 2002). Thus, involvement in criminal behavior can stem from searching for high arousal and sensation-seeking. ...
The Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) is proposed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) to explore the severity and the style of pathology in personality. The current study was designed to examine cross-cultural validation of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form 2.0 (LPFS-BF 2.0) and Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Short Form (PID5-SF) in Pakistan. Data were collected from 361 convicts imprisoned in Central Jails of Bahawalpur and Sahiwal. The construct validity of the translated instruments was established by reporting good to excellent model fit tested through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Structural equation modeling (SEM) supported the new personality disorder diagnostic system proposed by Section III of DSM-5. LPFS-BF 2.0 and PID5-SF are short, valid, and reliable instruments that can be administered to a unique sample of offenders, especially prisoners, to measure personality pathology. In Pakistan, such instruments are needed to assess the mental health of prisoners effectively and efficiently.
... Furthermore, little has been done to examine the differences between the tactics used when gaslighting is perpetrated by those with low versus high social power. Miano et al. (2021) found that perpetrators of gaslighting scored high on measures of detachment, disinhibition, and psychoticism, whereas victims scored high on antagonism, as well as disinhibition and psychoticism. Our participants' descriptions of their partners' behaviors seem consistent with the personality profile suggested by this work, but our study did not allow for any direct measures of a perpetrator's personality or psychological profile. ...
Gaslighting is an understudied form of abuse wherein a sane and rational victim is convinced of their own epistemic incompetence on false pretenses by a perpetrator. We recruited participants (N = 65) who self-identified as having experienced gaslighting in romantic relationships to fill out a qualitative survey wherein they described instances of gaslighting, features of their relationships, and the consequences of gaslighting on their mental health. We found that gaslighting consists of a dynamic combination of affectionate and abusive behaviors extended over the course of a relationship. Gaslighting victimization was associated with a diminished sense of self, mistrust of others, and on occasion, post-traumatic growth. Those who recoveredfrom gaslighting often emphasized the importance of separation from the perpetrator, prioritization of healthier relationships, and engaging in meaningful and re-embodying activities. The present study represents a first step towards characterizing the gaslighting phenomenon, as well as understanding the recovery process.
Gaslighting (manipulating perceptions and thoughts) is associated with worse health outcomes in adults, yet little is known about the association between gaslighting and other established domains of dating violence (i.e., cyber, verbal, physical, and sexual) nor the unique contribution of gaslighting to worse mental health in adolescents (ages 13–18 years).
Drawing data from the Healthy Minds 2 study (high school), we examined the prevalence, correlation with other domains of dating violence, and an association between gaslighting and mental health symptoms (depression and anxiety) in 374 adolescents (36.9% male, 52.1% female, 11.0% nonbinary or another gender identity; average age = 15.68 years, 1.21 years standard deviation) who had reported dating in the prior year. Poisson multivariable regression models were used to evaluate the association between exposure to dating violence domains and anxiety and depressive symptoms.
One in four adolescent daters reported gaslighting in the past year. When accounting for established domains of dating violence (physical, sexual, verbal, and cyber), age, gender, and school of attendance, gaslighting victimization was associated with greater self-reported anxiety (incident rate ratio = 1.125, p < .01) and depressive symptoms (incident rate ratio = 1.121, p < .01).
Gaslighting is a prevalent behavior in adolescent dating relationships. It is significantly associated with worse adolescent mental health. Increased research and incorporation into surveillance, prevention, and intervention activities are critical to reducing the harm posed by gaslighting in adolescent romantic relationships.
Psychological violence is a serious obstacle to achieving the SDGs because of its broad impact on the well-being of individuals and society. This research investigated how perspective-taking and empathic concern moderate the relationship between the experience of being a victim of emotional abuse and the likelihood of being a perpetrator in the future. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach and used online questionnaires for the data collection. It involved 750 participants aged 18-25 years who were or had been in a heterosexual relationship for at least six months in the Greater Jakarta area. The instruments were the Multi-dimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse Short Form (α= .933), the nterpersonal Reactivity Index on perspective taking (α=.669), and the empathic concern subscale (α=.645). The collected data was analysed using a moderated regression model with JASP 0.18.3. The results show that perspective-taking has a significant moderating effect (B=-.034, p<.001), but empathic concern does not show a significant effect as a moderator (B=.0001, p=.983). Therefore, theoretical models that focus on the development of cognitive empathy abilities are needed to understand psychological violence in more depth.
Purpose: This study aimed to determine the influence of psychological factors such as highly sensitive person, intolerance of uncertainty, depression, and self-esteem on nurses’ perceptions of gaslighting damage.Methods: The participants were 178 nurses working in hospitals nationwide. Data were collected through a non-face-to-face approach using an online survey platform (Google Forms) with self-reported questionnaires. Perceptions of gaslighting damage were measured using the victim gaslighting questionnaire (VGQ). The collected data were analyzed with statistical methods such as independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis using IBM SPSS 25.0.Results: Of the participants, 94.4% were female. The participants’ average age was 32.7 years old, 60.2% were unmarried, and 86.0% were staff nurses. The mean score of the VGQ was 40.49. There were statistically significant differences in the VGQ according to marital status, participants’ time in their current department, total clinical career, and type of medical institution. The perception of gaslighting damage was statistically significantly positively correlated with intolerance of uncertainty, highly sensitive person, depression, and self-esteem. The most influential factor on nurses’ perception of gaslighting damage was intolerance of uncertainty (β=.32, p <.001), followed by depression (β=.30, p <.001) and highly sensitive person (β=.23, p =.001). The total explanation of these variables for the perception of gaslighting damage by nurses was about 75.0%.Conclusion: This study suggests that it is necessary to develop an intervention program to reduce negative psychological factors affecting gaslighting in nurses and to cultivate nurses’ strength to overcome gaslighting damage.
p style="text-align: justify;">Gaslighting is typically viewed as a form of psychological manipulation that makes the victim doubt his or her sense of reality and leads to a loss of agency and mental stability. It was spotted over 60 years ago and has long been the subject of study by psychiatrists. Recently, interest in the phenomenon of gaslighting has grown significantly, becoming the subject of research by scientists of various scientific disciplines, which inevitably leads to the expansion of the meaning of this phenomenon and endowing it with additional properties. Psychology is thought to have contributed to this process through the study of symbolic interactionism, attachment theory, self-verification theory, and shared reality. This article presents the dynamics of the development of this term, defines the main features of this phenomenon, and analyzes the basis on which new approaches to the study of gaslighting in modern international psychology are built. The most common assumption in the latest studies is that gaslighting is possible when standard social-cognitive mechanisms are involved in atypical social situations. Relationships with significant others largely determine people's epistemic needs: close people shape and reflect an individual's self-image and perception of the surrounding reality. It is this special position of loved ones that gives gaslighters leverage over the victim.</p
Şiddet, özellikleri ve etkileri yadsınamaz olduğu için her alanda en
çok araştırılan konulardan biridir. Ancak psikolojik şiddet görüldüğü ya da
uygulandığı her zaman fark edilmeyebilir çünkü çok daha incelikli bir olaydır.
Her zaman gözle görülür, fark edilebilen gösterim şekilleri olmayabilir.
Psikolojik şiddette yeni unsurları ortaya çıkaracak terimlerden biri de psikolojik
kurgu olarak tam olarak açıklığa kavuşturulmamış kabul edilen gaslighting›dir.
İlk olarak Patrick Hamilton tarafından aynı adlı oyununda ortaya atılan
gaslighting, bir bireyin bağımsız düşünme yeteneğini «yok etmeyi» amaçlayan
ve bilişsel uyumsuzluk olarak adlandırılan bir duruma neden olan bir duygusal
manipülasyon biçimidir. Bilişsel uyumsuzluk, kişinin zihinsel düşünce biçimini
kaybetmesine ve kendi düşüncelerini ve inançlarını sorgulamasına neden olan
bir iç çatışma biçimidir. Bu zorbalık durumu kişide, aşırı kendinden şüphe
duymaya, depresyona, kaygıya ve bağımlılığa yol açabilmektedir. Günümüzde
taramalarda, yılın en çok aranan kavramı olduğu görülmektedir. Bu nedenle
kavramla ilgili teorik bir inceleme yapılmıştır.
The COVID-19 outbreak has amplified psychosocial and emotional stressors for the more vulnerable segments of population. This article explored the drastic increase in emotional/psychological forms of abuse in intimate partner violence during COVID-19 lockdown period. Additionally, predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors of gaslighting abuse, including non-consensual condom removal, grooming, love bombing, coercion, and power dynamics in controlling relationship, are discussed. Published articles on PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Elsevier about psychological aspects of abuse in intimate partner violence during COVID-19 have been considered and reviewed. This article facilitates a solution-focused response for mental healthcare practitioners to support sustainable well-being through collective solidarity, empowerment, and resilience for survivors. This article introduced personal-collective growth process through humanistic-centered approaches for individuals to share their experiences, realign meaningfulness, create hope, and develop coping strategies.
Objectif Les troubles de la personnalité et la violence conjugale (VC) sont deux problématiques reconnues comme des enjeux majeurs en santé publique associées à de graves répercussions individuelles et sociétales. Plusieurs études ont documenté les liens entre le trouble de personnalité limite (TPL) et la VC, mais nous en connaissons très peu quant aux traits pathologiques spécifiques contribuant à la VC. L’étude vise à documenter le phénomène de VC commise et subie chez des personnes souffrant de TPL et à dresser des profils à partir des facettes de la personnalité du Modèle alternatif pour les troubles de la personnalité du DSM-5.
Méthode Cent huit participants/participantes avec un TPL (83,3 % femmes ; M âge = 32,39, É.-T. = 9) référées à un programme d’hôpital de jour à la suite d’un épisode de crise ont rempli une batterie de questionnaires comprenant les versions françaises du Revised Conflict Tactics Scales , évaluant la VC psychologique et physique, commise et subie, et du Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 — Faceted Brief Form , évaluant 25 facettes pathologiques de la personnalité.
Résultats Parmi les participants/participantes, 78,7 % rapportent avoir déjà commis de la VC psychologique, alors que 68,5 % en auraient été victimes, ce qui est plus que les estimations publiées par l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (27 %). De plus, 31,5 % auraient commis de la VC physique, alors que 22,2 % en auraient été victimes. La VC semble bidirectionnelle puisque 85,9 % des personnes ayant commis de la VC psychologique rapportent aussi en subir et 52,9 % des personnes ayant commis de la VC physique rapportent en être également victimes. Des comparaisons de groupes non paramétriques indiquent que les facettes Hostilité, Méfiance, Duplicité, Prise de risques et Irresponsabilité distinguent les personnes violentes physiquement et psychologiquement des personnes non violentes. Des résultats élevés aux facettes Hostilité, Dureté/Insensibilité, Manipulation et Prise de risque caractérisent les participants/participantes victimes de VC psychologique, alors qu’une élévation aux facettes Hostilité, Retrait, Évitement de l’intimité et Prise de risque et un résultat faible à la facette Tendance à la soumission distinguent les participants/participantes victimes de VC physique des non-victimes. Des analyses de régression mettent en évidence que la facette Hostilité explique à elle seule une variance significative des résultats de VC commise, alors que la facette Irresponsabilité contribuerait de façon substantielle à la variance des résultats de VC subie.
Conclusion Les résultats font état de la prévalence élevée de VC chez des personnes aux prises avec un TPL ainsi que de son caractère bidirectionnel. Au-delà du diagnostic de TPL, certaines facettes spécifiques de la personnalité (dont l’Hostilité et l’Irresponsabilité) permettent de cibler les personnes plus à risque de commettre de la VC psychologique et physique et d’en subir.
The story in the film Captain Marvel beautifully captures the construct of gaslighting and provides a visual representation of the journey victims experience from being unaware to being fully aware and free from further abuse. As such, viewing this film may grant victims of gaslighting a reference to better articulate this experience. In this manuscript, the authors use a Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) framework to explore and define the concept of gaslighting, discuss the portrayal of gaslighting in the film Captain Marvel, and finally examine how therapists may help clients understand gaslighting and feel empowered to break free from the relationship or relationships involved. Clinical and training implications are discussed.
This study investigated whether partner psychopathy and narcissism predicted posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Participants (N = 1294) involved in romantic relationships with individuals they perceived to have high narcissistic or psychopathic traits completed the Informant Five Factor Narcissism Inventory, the Modified Self-Report Psychopathy Scale and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 to assess partner traits and their own PTSD symptoms. The study also accounted for the impact of previous abuse history such as childhood abuse, manipulative behaviors associated with these partner traits such as love-bombing, gaslighting, stonewalling, jealousy induction, relationship status and duration, and the presence of physical abuse.
Multiple linear regressions revealed that grandiose and vulnerable narcissism were significant predictors of PTSD symptomology for those who had already left the romantic relationship, even when previous abuse, physical abuse, manipulative tactics and abuse frequency were accounted for. Partner grandiose narcissism was the strongest predictor of PTSD and was more predictive than abuse frequency, childhood abuse or physical abuse for those who had left the relationship. Partner grandiose narcissism was the strongest predictor for most PTSD symptom clusters. Partner traits explained the most variance in PTSD intrusion and avoidance symptoms. Love bombing and jealousy induction were significant but weaker predictors of PTSD, and partially mediated the effect of grandiose narcissism on PTSD, although the direct effect of grandiose narcissism on PTSD was stronger than this mediation. For individuals who stayed in the relationship, only psychopathy, abuse frequency and childhood abuse remained significant predictors. This is the first study to establish that narcissistic partner traits are associated with posttraumatic symptomology.
Con questo contributo si intende analizzare e fornire strumenti per rilevare tempestivamente relazioni caratterizzate da dipendenza affettiva, con condotte di abuso emotivo. Si propone una concettualizzazione che tiene conto dei sistemi mo-tivazionali interpersonali e del funzionamento metacognitivo del paziente. Si pre-sentano spunti per rilevare, alla base, disequilibri dell'abilità sociale di empatia, analizzando il "profilo codipendente" e si evidenziano le modalità disfunzionali di formazione e mantenimento tipiche di alcuni stili affettivi. Per sostenere tali rifles-sioni si è fatto riferimento al modello dei sistemi motivazionali interpersonali elaborati da Liotti e collaboratori.
Seeking help and assistance can prove to be a frustrating experience for intersex individuals: physicians and psychologists can be misinformed about variations of sex characteristics (VSC) and their practice may have a detrimental effect on the physical and psychological wellbeing of individuals with VSC. This paper focuses on how previous negative experiences, such as early genital cosmetic surgery and unaware clinical management, could negatively affect psychotherapeutic relationships. Its principal aims are to: 1) identify which elements in clinical management of VSC may cause difficulties in building a therapeutic alliance and 2) identify which elements may promote the construction and reinforcement of the therapeutic alliance, even when a patient’s trust has been damaged by previous negative experiences. In order to explore the psychotherapeutic process with specific regard to the building of the therapeutic alliance, we report a case study whose subject is a 32-year-old man who sought legal advice for his sex reassignment process and began a brief supportive psychotherapeutic treatment. Roberto, the subject of this study, was born with VSC, was assigned the female gender and underwent genital surgery at birth. In his early childhood, he developed a male gender identity. Whenever Roberto reflected on the genital surgery that he had undergone at birth, anger and frustration pervaded his psychotherapy sessions and made it difficult to build a therapeutic alliance. However, it was possible to support Roberto in redirecting these negative affects, helping him to process them, build a therapeutic alliance, and benefit from a positive and trusting therapeutic relationship.
Background:
The estimated lifetime prevalence of physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) is 30% among women worldwide. Understanding risk and protective factors is essential for designing effective prevention strategies.
Objectives:
To quantify the associations between prospective-longitudinal risk and protective factors and IPV and identify evidence gaps.
Search methods:
We conducted systematic searches in 16 databases including MEDLINE and PsycINFO from inception to June 2016. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42016039213).
Selection criteria:
We included published and unpublished studies available in English that prospectively analyzed any risk or protective factor(s) for self-reported IPV victimization among women and controlled for at least 1 other variable.
Data collection and analysis:
Three reviewers were involved in study screening. One reviewer extracted estimates of association and study characteristics from each study and 2 reviewers independently checked a random subset of extractions. We assessed study quality with the Cambridge Quality Checklists. When studies investigated the same risk or protective factor using similar measures, we computed pooled odds ratios (ORs) by using random-effects meta-analyses. We summarized heterogeneity with I2 and τ2. We synthesized all estimates of association, including those not meta-analyzed, by using harvest plots to illustrate evidence gaps and trends toward negative or positive associations.
Main results:
Of 18 608 studies identified, 60 were included and 35 meta-analyzed. Most studies were based in the United States. The strongest evidence for modifiable risk factors for IPV against women were unplanned pregnancy (OR = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20, 1.31) and having parents with less than a high-school education (OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.10, 2.17). Being older (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.93, 0.98) or married (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.87, 0.99) were protective.
Conclusions:
To our knowledge, this is the first systematic, meta-analytic review of all risk and protective factors for IPV against women without location, time, or publication restrictions. Unplanned pregnancy and having parents with less than a high-school education, which may indicate lower socioeconomic status, were shown to be risk factors, and being older or married were protective. However, no prospective-longitudinal study investigated the associations between IPV against women and any community or structural factor outside the United States, and more studies investigated risk factors related to women as opposed to their partners. Public health implications. This review highlights that prospective evidence for perpetrator- and context-related risk and protective factors for women's experiences of IPV outside of the United States is lacking and urgently needed to inform global policy recommendations. The current evidence base of prospective studies suggests that, at least in the United States, education and sexual health interventions may be effective targets for preventing IPV against women, with young, unmarried women at greatest risk. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print May 17, 2018: e1-e11. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304428).
Attachment insecurity has been associated with dysfunctional strategies for emotion regulation, leading to inflexible or maladaptive responding. Currently, application of the attachment framework to anger is underspecified. This study presents a preliminary investigation of attachment-related differences in the dispositional regulation of anger and aggressive outcomes. Two hundred seventy participants completed measures of adult attachment (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance), anger regulation processes (anger suppression, unregulated anger, and anger control), and aggressive outcomes (physical aggression, verbal aggression, and hostility). While those high in attachment anxiety have been found to under-regulate other negative emotions, our results postulate that these individuals may implement a suppression strategy when faced with the experience of anger. Mediation models indicate that anger suppression is implicated in the relationship between attachment dimensions and hostility but not physical aggression. This supports the notion that suppression may be useful in reducing the external expression of anger but cannot alleviate the associated internal cognitions. These findings suggest that levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance should be considered when identifying techniques to target specific anger regulatory difficulties that contribute to increased aggression. Further, consideration and exploration of the role of security priming is encouraged as a possible mechanism by which to reduce dispositional hostility in those with high levels of attachment insecurity.
Objectives: This meta-analysis aimed to explore the relationship between mental health disorders and symptoms of mental health disorders (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], antisocial personality disorder [PD], and borderline PD) and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization for males and females. Method: Data from 207 studies, yielding 511 effect sizes, were analyzed. The overall strength of each correlate for IPV perpetration and victimization was examined. Moderator analyses were used to compare the strength of correlates for IPV victimization versus perpetration, as well as for males versus females. Results: Depression, anxiety, PTSD, antisocial PD, and borderline PD were all significant correlates for both IPV victimization and perpetration. Anxiety and PTSD were significantly stronger correlates for victimization than for perpetration, and borderline PD and antisocial PD were significantly stronger correlates for perpetration than for victimization. For women, borderline PD was a significantly stronger correlate for IPV perpetration than for victimization, and PTSD was a significantly stronger correlate for IPV victimization than perpetration. Depression was a significantly stronger correlate for IPV victimization for women than for men. Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive examination of mental health disorders and their link to IPV perpetration and victimization. The results suggest that clinicians working with individuals or couples in the context of IPV should assess for and treat mental health problems.
The aims of the current study were to use dyadic data analysis to examine the associations of history of childhood emotional maltreatment to current relationship satisfaction among young adult romantic partners as moderated by the effects of hostile behavioral observations within these romantic couples. Our sample included 52 young adult romantic dyads recruited from a large southeastern university. Current relationship satisfaction and history of childhood emotional maltreatment were obtained via self-report; behavioral interactions were rated on a behavioral coding system to determine level of dyadic hostility. Results revealed a significant interaction effect: Females’ history of childhood emotional maltreatment significantly predicted relationship satisfaction for women at low or average (but not high) levels of dyadic hostility. Our findings suggest that for young women, romantic relationship satisfaction is compromised by their own history of emotional maltreatment, particularly when the couple’s conflict resolution style is characterized by low to average levels of hostility.
The aim of this study was to examine whether it was possible to develop a reliable and valid assessment of reflective parenting implicit in interaction with school-aged children using an adaptation of the Squiggle paradigm developed by Winnicott (1968 Winnicott, D. W. (1968). Playing: Its theoretical status in the clinical situation. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 49, 591–599.[PubMed], [Web of Science ®]) and a manualized coding system (Normandin, Leroux, Ensink, Terradas, & Fonagy, 2015 Normandin, L., Leroux, A., Ensink, K., Terradas, M. M., & Fonagy, P. (2015). Reflective Parenting Assessment coding manual (Unpublished manual). University Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.). A total of 158 mother–child dyads participated when children were age 5 to 12. Of this group, 89 children had experienced sexual abuse. Interrater reliability using the manualized coding system was excellent. The factor analysis identified a reflective parenting stance factor, in addition to an affectionate support factor and a negative parenting factor. Furthermore, there was a medium strength relationship between the mother's reflective parenting stance evident in her interactions with her child and parental reflective functioning assessed using the Parent Development Interview (Slade, Aber, Bresgi, Berger, & Kaplan, 2004 Slade, A., Aber, J. L., Bresgi, I., Berger, B., & Kaplan, M. (2004). The Parent Development Interview–Revised (Unpublished protocol). The City University of New York, New York, NY.), suggesting the parental reflective stance is a good indicator of parental reflective functioning in interaction. With regard to parent reports of child internalizing and externalizing behaviors, the reflective parenting stance was the only predictor of internalizing difficulties and a significant predictor of externalizing difficulties in addition to sexual abuse.
Objective:
Research with partner-violent men has found that a subset of this population reports dissociative experiences during their violence (e.g., inability to remember violence [despite admission that it had occurred]; flashbacks during violence). However, the literature examining this phenomenon has been primarily limited to clinical observations and case studies, and there is a need for more thorough empirical investigation regarding the prevalence and correlates of dissociative violence among individuals in intimate partner violence (IPV) intervention programs. The primary goals of this study were to provide descriptive information about the rates of endorsement of dissociative experiences during IPV perpetration and to examine their associations with trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Method:
Participants were 302 men presenting for services at a community-based IPV intervention program. All variables were assessed via self-report and clinician interview at program intake.
Results:
Results indicated that 22.2% of participants reported 1 or more dissociative experiences during partner violence perpetration. Additionally, frequency of dissociative IPV perpetration showed significant positive correlations with the total number of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) reported and PTSD symptoms, with effect sizes in the small and medium ranges of magnitude, respectively. Finally, PTSD symptoms significantly mediated the relationship between total number of PTEs and dissociative IPV perpetration.
Conclusions:
Findings indicate a potentially meaningful relationship between trauma, PTSD symptoms, and dissociative experiences during IPV perpetration. Further qualitative and quantitative investigation is needed to better understand this phenomenon and how it can be addressed in IPV treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record
Sexual aggression is a serious threat to young people's sexual health in Europe, but establishing the exact scale of the problem has been hampered by a variety of conceptual and methodological problems. This article presents a framework for studying youth sexual aggression that addresses both prevalence and risk factors of victimisation and perpetration. It proposes a research tool to comprehensively assess the perpetration of, and victimisation by, sexual aggression that captures different coercive strategies, sexual acts, victim–perpetrator relations, and gender constellations. The instrument is rooted in a clear conceptual definition of sexual aggression and was pilot-tested in 10 countries of the European Union (EU). Furthermore, a list of good practice criteria is proposed to promote the quality and comparability of research on youth sexual aggression in Europe. A multilevel approach combining individual-level and country-level predictors of sexual aggression is outlined and illustrated with data from the pilot study in 10 countries.
Despite their purported role in the development and maintenance of sexually abusive behaviours, little is known empirically about sex offenders' (SOs) intimacy deficits. This study examined: (1) the presence and specific nature of intimacy deficits in SOs; and (2) the association between intimacy deficits and sexual recidivism risk. A sample of 195 SOs, 113 nonsexual offenders and 107 non-offenders were compared on psychological measures of intimacy with romantic partners. Specific intimacy deficits pertaining to attachment anxiety, sexual self-concept and sexual functioning were found in SOs. Further analyses showed that intimacy deficits vary among SOs, and that SOs displaying marked anxiety of abandonment and intimacy avoidance, and a lower capacity for general intimacy, presented a higher risk of sexual recidivism. The results are discussed in connection with the importance of better understanding SOs' adaptive and problematic intimacy dispositions, and the possible impact of these dispositions on sexual offending.
Young adults are more likely to experience intimate partner violence (IPV) than older adults. Little is known about the effect of confiding to others about sustained violence on the mental health of victims. The objective of this study was to explore the links between IPV, help-seeking behaviors and psychological distress by gender in a sample of 233 young couples.Our results indicate the frequency of sustained psychological violence, but not physical violence, was positively associated to distress. For women, seeking help from a greater number of confidents moderated the association between violence and psychological distress. For men, results showed that frequencies of physical and psychological violence were both positively linked to distress. However, unlike women, social support had no buffering effect on men’s distress. These findings increase our understanding of the effects of social support on young adults’ distress following episodes of IPV.
The current study used a random sample of 502 men and women to investigate the intergenerational transmission of violence and assess the impact of family-of-origin violence on later adult intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration and victimization while controlling for a host of theoretically-relevant factors and demographic characteristics. Six multivariate logistic regression analyses were modeled to identify differential correlates depending upon type of violence perpetration and victimization. Findings indicated a significant relationship between family-of-origin violence and psychological perpetration and victimization. The acceptance of violence in relationships significantly correlated with physical violence perpetration. Finally, being married, older, and employed protected against several forms of interpersonal violence. Policy implications are discussed.
I posit that a triad of childhood events found retrospectively in populations of batterers constitutes a powerful trauma source and that many aspects of the personality structure and function of intimately abusive men are best understood from a trauma-response framework. The trauma stressors include witnessing violence directed toward the self or the mother, shaming, and insecure attachment (cf Dutton 1995a, 1995b, 1995c, 1995d). Bowlby (1973) considered insecure attachment itself both a source and consequence of trauma. Since the infant turns to the attachment-object during periods of distress seeking soothing, a failure to obtain soothing maintains high arousal and endocrine secretion. Van der Kolk (1987) considered child abuse an "overwhelming life experience" and reviewed the defenses that children use to deal with parental abuse: hypervigilance, projection, splitting, and denial Terr (1979) also described driven compulsive repetitions, and reenactments that permeate dreams, play, fantasies, and object relations of traumatized children. Shaming conceptualized as verbal or behavioral attacks on the global self has been found to generate life long shame-proneness or defenses involving rage. A combination of all three early experiences is traumatizing, and evidence exists in adult batterers both for the presence of trauma symptoms and the childhood experiences described above. Conceptualizing the affective, cognitive, and behavioral features of intimate abusiveness from a trauma perspective has many advantages over social learning models. A basis for the internally driven and cyclical aspect of the behavior becomes clearer as does the problems with modulation of arousal, anger, and the high levels of trauma symptoms found in populations of abuse perpetrators. The narrow social learning definition of aggression as a reaction to an appraisal of controllable threat is broadened to include reactions to trauma: uncontrollable-unbluntable-inescapable aversive stimuli.
The current article reports on the development, psychometric properties, and external validity of an informant-report form of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (the PID-5-IRF). Using data from two nationally representative samples, as well as an elevated-risk community sample, we report on the PID-5-IRF item characteristics, scale properties, superordinate factor structure, and correlations with other measures. The PID-5-IRF replicates the factor structure of the self-report form and has relationships with other measures (including the PID-5 self-report form and a widely used Big Five measure) that are consistent with previous research and theory. We believe that the PID-5-IRF is a useful measure for a number of scenarios, such as when additional sources of information are desired, where informant measures are expected to provide incremental validity over self-report, where relationships or social perception is a focal interest, or when response bias is a salient concern. Areas for future research are also discussed.
Only a few studies have analyzed the health impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) on male and female adolescents, taking into account other kinds of violence that can affect their health. In this study, 43.7% of female adolescents and 34.8% of males reported IPV; females reported more psychological and sexual IPV, with no differences for physical IPV. Controlling for family and sexual violence and other confounding factors, female adolescents exposed to IPV had significantly higher adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for depression, panic attacks, eating problems, and suicidal ideation. For male adolescents, only the OR of eating problems almost reached statistical significance.
Risk assessment with any offender presents a number of challenges. However, risk assessment with offenders who have committed offences against their partners presents practitioners with a number of additional challenges. Intimate Partner (IP) sex offenders are reported to be responsible for the majority of adult serious sexual offences in England and Wales. However, despite calls for a unified approach to sex offender theory there has been little integration between this and the IP and family sexual violence literature. This paper summarizes the relevant literature on prevalence and cross over of sexual abuse by IP offenders, patterns of abuse, generality of offending, psychopathology and risk concerns (including risk of intimate partner homicide). Based on this, recommendations are made for best practice with IP sex offenders.
The debate on gender continues to define much scholarship on partner violence. No other single issue is as important to identifying one's theoretical and political position among those who are concerned about intimate partner violence (IPV). At this point in time, several well-documented conclusions can be drawn. First, two common estimates—under 10% female-perpetrated and 50% or more female-perpetrated—are quite discrepant from virtually all other data on physical violence. Second, several key definitional and measurement issues explain a large part of this discrepancy. Third, a number of commonly mentioned possibilities for measurement artifacts are unlikely sources of the gender parity found in many studies of IPV. This article will review each of these issues and suggest a third approach, the moderate asymmetry approach. The moderate asymmetry hypothesis for IPV is currently best-supported by the data, and it should be emphasized until a better alternative is found.
Background
Prior longitudinal studies have shown high cumulative dating violence exposure rates among U.S adolescents, with 36 percent of males and 44 percent to 88 percent of females experiencing victimization across adolescence/young adulthood. Despite promising information characterizing adolescents’ dating violence experiences longitudinally, prior studies tended to concentrate on physical and sexual types of violence only, and did not report information on the number of times dating violence was experienced across multiple abusive partners. We used a method similar to the timeline follow-back interview to query adolescents about dating violence victimization from age 13 to 19—including dating violence types (physical, sexual, and psychological), frequency, age at first occurrence, and number of abusive partners.
Methods
A total of 730 subjects were randomly sampled from university registrar records and invited to complete an online survey, which utilized methods similar to the timeline follow-back interview, to retrospectively assess relationship histories and dating violence victimization from age 13 to 19 (eight questions adapted from widely-used surveys covering physical, sexual, and psychological abuse). Then, for each dating violence type, we asked about the number of occurrences, number of abusive partners, and age at first occurrence. Of 341 subjects who completed the survey, we included 297 (64 percent females; 36 percent males) who had a dating partner from age 13 to 19.
Results
Fully 64.7 percent of females and 61.7 percent of males reported dating violence victimization between age 13 and 19, with most experiencing multiple occurrences. More than one-third of abused females had two or more abusive partners: controlling behavior (35.6 percent); put downs/name calling (37.0); pressured sex (42.9); insults (44.3); slapped/hit (50.0); and threats (62.5). Males also had two or more abusive partners, as follows: controlling behavior (42.1 percent); insults (51.2); put downs (53.3); threats (55.6); and unwanted calls/texts/visits (60.7). Among abused females, 44.7 percent first experienced controlling behavior between age 13 and 15, whereas the majority (62.5 percent) first experienced pressured sex between age 16 and 17. Among males, for most abuse types, 16 percent to 30 percent of victimization began before age 15.
Conclusions
Our study adds information to a substantial, but still growing, body of literature about dating violence frequency, age of occurrence, and number of abusive partners among adolescents.
Conducting research in conflict environments is a challenge, given their complexity and common attitudes of distrust and suspicion. Yet, conflict and methodology are usually analyzed as separate fields of interest. Methodological aspects of field work in conflict environments have not been systematically analyzed. This article addresses the central methodological problems of research conducted in conflict environments. We suggest the use of the snowball sampling method (hereafter, SSM) as an answer to these challenges. The effectiveness of this method has been recognized as significant in a variety of cases, mainly regarding marginalized populations. We claim that in conflict environments, the entire population is marginalized to some degree, making it ‘hidden’ from and ‘hard to reach’ for the outsider researcher. The marginalization explains why it is difficult to locate, access and enlist the cooperation of the research populations, which in a non-conflict context would not have been difficult to do. SSM directly addresses the fears and mistrust common to the conflict environment and increases the likelihood of trusting the researcher by introduction through a trusted social network. We demonstrate how careful use of SSM as a ‘second best’ but still valuable methodology can help generate cooperation. Therefore, the evaluation of SSM, its advantages and limitations in implementation in conflict environments can be an important contribution to the methodological training of researchers. In addition to its effectiveness under conditions of conflict, SSM may, in some cases, actually make the difference between research conducted under constrained conditions and research not conducted at all. Together with our experiences in the field, we supply several insights and recommendations for optimizing the use of SSM in a conflict environment.
Two hundred thirty four women were interviewed to assess the relationship of emotional abuse to physical abuse. Six major types of emotional abuse were identified. Analyses determined if the types of emotional abuse were related to the frequency and severity of physical abuse. Women in long-term abusive relationships were contrasted with women experiencing only short-term abuse. Other comparisons consisted of: women who thought emotional abuse was worse than physical abuse vs. women who thought the opposite; and women who could predict physical abuse from the emotional abuse were compared with those who could not. The extent to which the women believed the men''s threats and ridicule or thought their abusive behavior was justified was used as a factor to determine the impact of emotional abuse. Future research should investigate emotional abuse patterns in nonbattering relationships for comparison with battered women''s experiences.
Consistent with the view that adolescent relationships are established in the context of important characteristics of their
social networks, we examined the effects of adolescents’ experiences of parenting (psychological control and positive monitoring)
and of peer aggression and victimization, on their self reports of dating victimization and aggression. We also examined the
effects of individual differences in emotional and behavioral problems. We used questionnaire data from a population-based
sample of youth 12–18years old who were in dating relationships (n=149). Parental monitoring emerged as a protective factor in reducing both dating victimization and relational aggression.
Our findings also point to a significant transfer of aggression in peer relationships to relational aggression in dating relationships.
This research expands past investigations into the influence of low self-control as a risk factor for criminal victimization. Specifically, we consider two questions: (1) whether low self-control at one point in time can predict future victimization, and (2) whether victims alter lifestyle choices (like their own delinquency and contact with delinquent peers) in response to their earlier victimization. We answered these questions using three waves of adolescent panel data from the evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training program. Our results support the predictions of self-control theory, showing that low self-control measured at an earlier time is associated with later victimization, even after controlling for past victimization, delinquency, social bonds, and delinquent peer contact. Likewise, self-control appears to influence the relationship between earlier victimization and later lifestyles.
This study explores the personality disorder symptoms of women victims of intimate male partner violence (IPV), after controlling
for the contribution of experiences of childhood abuse. Victims of both physical and psychological violence (n = 73) or psychological violence alone (n = 53) were compared with non-abused control women (n = 52). Information about sociodemographic characteristics, childhood abuse, and personality characteristics (MCMI-II) was
obtained through face-to-face structured interviews. Women victims of IPV had higher scores than controls in schizoid, avoidant,
self-defeating personality scales, as well as in the three pathological personality scales (schizotypal, borderline and paranoid).
Both physical and psychological IPV were strongly associated with personality disorder symptomatology, regardless of the effects
of childhood abuse. These findings underscore the need to screen for personality disorder symptoms in women victims of IPV
when dealing with therapeutic interventions.
Use of aggressive behaviors in adolescent romantic relationships, the endorsement of attitudes that promote such behaviors, and the extent to which attachment and emotional styles are related to these behaviors and attitudes were examined in 254 high school students. In general, aggressive behaviors and attitudes were not common. As expected girls were somewhat more likely to report being the perpetrator of physical aggression and boys were somewhat more likely to endorse the acceptance of aggression and dysfunctional sexual attitudes. For girls, a less secure relationship with best friends and lower levels of shame and guilt were related to the use of aggression in romantic relationships and endorsing less healthy attitudes about these relationships. For boys, externalizing responsibility for harm to others was related to using physical aggression in romantic relationships and lower levels of guilt and shame were related to the justification of sexual aggression. Intervention implications discussed include the need to employ programs that are grounded in the nature of adolescent relationships where aggression is more often mutual between partners, and the potential benefit of targeting emotional styles.
Previous research has shown that people perceive intimate partner violence (IPV) as more serious in cases involving a male
perpetrator and female victim versus other gender combinations. This study is the first to explore reasons for these differences.
181 undergraduates at a U.S. southeastern college rated one of four dating violence vignettes that varied by perpetrator and
victim gender. Participants viewed male-on-female violence as more frightening primarily because males are stronger and bigger
than female perpetrators. Physical differences were rated as significantly more important causes of fear than other personality/relationship
dynamics. Because males are actually stronger and bigger than females, it appears that gendered perceptions of violence are
based in real-world knowledge of gender differences, not merely gender stereotypes.
KeywordsDating violence-Intimate partner violence-Asymmetry
Domestic violence is a serious problem with far-reaching consequences. This study applies a new methodology to derive subtypes of male perpetrators of intimate partner violence. As part of a larger National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded study, a national sample of randomly selected psychologists and psychiatrists describe 188 adult male patients (59 with a history of partner violence, 97 with a history of arrests but not partner violence, and 57 with neither partner violence nor arrests), using the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-II (SWAP-II), a Q-sort procedure for assessing personality pathology. Using Q-factor analysis, the authors identify three personality constellations among the partner-violent men, two of which strongly resembled subtypes identified using different methods in prior research: psychopathic, hostile/controlling, and borderline/dependent. The authors compare these subtypes with each other and with nonarrested/ nonviolent men and men with arrests but no partner violence on Axis I and II diagnoses, adaptive functioning, etiological variables, and response to treatment, providing initial validity data.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is global public health issue and refers to the violence committed by a partner in the context of an intimate relationship, regardless of whether or not it is legally recognized. This review aims to analyze the personality characteristics present in victims of IPV, addressing the causes and consequences of the abusive relationship. Studies focusing on female victims were obtained through multiple databases, following the Cochrane Collaboration procedures. Of the 87 documents collected, 31 were retained for further analysis and considered eligible for inclusion, with ten studies from manual search being included. The objectives, methodological aspects (sample/instruments), and main conclusions were extracted from each study. The results suggest that women tend to become victims when they experience violence during childhood, when they are economically dependent, lack social support, and fear for their lives. The consequences consist of physical and psychological sequelae that remain throughout life. There are personality traits that make the victim susceptible to remaining in an abusive relationship. Women who have experienced IPV obtained higher scores in schizoid, avoidant, self-destructive, schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid personality scales. Therefore, female victims exhibit characteristics such as low personal self-esteem, family and social isolation, dependency (economic and emotional), insecurity, inferiority, submissiveness, and pacification. This review is particularly useful for clinical practice and intervention with victims of IPV, by bringing to light specific personality traits, cognitive schemas and/or possible diagnoses that are most common among these victims and make them more vulnerable to remaining in abusive relationships.
Sexual aggression, harassment, and sexually aggressive cognitions (victim blaming, sexual entitlement) are serious societal problems. Although research has examined attributes of individuals who engage in overt sexual assault, few studies have focused on individual characteristics of those who perpetuate problematic negative beliefs surrounding sexual assault. This study sought to examine the relationship between pathological personality and sexually aggressive cognitions among 242 community men. Results showed that traits including antagonism, disinhibition, and negative affectivity were associated with sexually aggressive cognitions. These results have implications for understanding sexual aggression and the role personality plays in perpetuating sexually aggressive attitudes.
Despite numerous studies that report the preponderance of domestic violence is perpetrated by men against women, other empirical studies suggest that rates of domestic violence by women and men are equivalent. This article explores these claims of gender symmetry in intimate partners' use of violence by reviewing the empirical foundations of the research and critiquing existing sources of data on domestic violence. The author suggests methods to reconcile the disparate data and encourages researchers and practitioners to acknowledge women's use of violence while understanding why it tends to be very different from violence by men toward their female partners.
Self-control has provided a useful framework for understanding both offending behavior and victimization risk. As a theory of victimization, research has established that low self-control is directly related to victimization risk beyond a range of other factors. This finding raises the issue of whether other personality traits are associated with an increased risk of victimization. Using a sample of ninth-grade adolescents (N = 2,912) from the Rural Substance Abuse and Violence Project, we tested whether the Big Five Inventory of personality traits predicted adolescent school-based victimization above and beyond low self-control and rival explanations of victimization. The results indicate that, after controlling for risky behaviors, school attachment, and low self-control, neuroticism is positively related to victimization. This finding suggests that examining traits other than low self-control is important to capture fully what makes someone vulnerable to crime. Further, we consider the theoretical and policy implications of the findings.
Few studies have identified specific characteristics of recurrent victims that distinguish them from single victims. One such characteristic that may do so is possessing psychopathic traits, given that persons with psychopathic traits are generally risk-seeking, callous, short-tempered, and lack behavioral controls. To examine this possibility, we use data from both the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) and the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study (MacRisk). We find that in both samples, psychopathic traits are able to distinguish between nonvictims and recurring victims as well as single-wave victims and recurring victims. This finding holds great promise for identifying who may be at risk of experiencing recurring victimization, ways to reduce victimization risk, as well as potential additional avenues for research in this area.
Personality science has always been and is still ready for new theorizing on traits. Accordingly, this paper presents the recently proposed Traits as Hierarchical Systems (THS) model, where personality traits are not only the emergent properties of the three-level hierarchy of the personality system, but are also hierarchical per se. As hierarchical systems, they are organized into three levels: mechanisms and processes, structures, and behavioral markers. In this approach trait denotes the underlying, recurrent mechanisms that pattern its structure and account for the stability/variability of individual characteristics. Here, traits might be described as processes with a slow rate of change that can be substituted for structure. The main function of personality traits, within the personality system, is stimulation processing. Three dominant functions of stimulation processing in traits are proposed: reactive, regulative, and self-regulative. Some important questions regarding the concept of trait remain, e.g. concerning trait stability, determinacy, measurement, their relation to overt behaviors, personality type or state, differentiation between temperament traits and other-than-temperament personality traits. All of these topics are discussed in this paper, as well as the compatible and distinctive features of this approach in relation to selected, modern trait theories. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Betrayal trauma theory proposes a relation between intimate partner violence (IPV) and dissociation, suggesting that dissociation among victims of IPV may function to restrict awareness of abuse in order to preserve attachments perceived as vital. We investigated two factors that may moderate the relation between IPV and dissociation-childhood sexual abuse (CSA) severity and fear of abandonment-among 348 women currently in a relationship. The relation between frequency of IPV (sexual and physical) and dissociation (amnesia and depersonalization) was moderated by CSA severity and fear of abandonment. Specifically, among women with clinically-relevant fear of abandonment, the strength of the relation between IPV and dissociation became stronger as CSA severity increased. This study is the first to demonstrate the moderating roles of fear of abandonment and CSA history in the relation between IPV and dissociation among women. Findings suggest that it may be important to target fear of abandonment in interventions with IPV victims who have a CSA history. Results suggest that fear of abandonment warrants greater attention in research on IPV revictimization.
This is the first of two companion papers describing concepts and techniques of a mentalization-based approach to understanding and managing family violence. We review evidence that attachment difficulties, sudden high levels of arousal, and poor affect control contribute to a loss of mentalizing capacity, which, in turn, undermines social learning and can favor the transgenerational transmission of violent interaction patterns. It is suggested that physically violent acts are only possible if mentalizing is temporarily inhibited or decoupled. However, being mentalized in the context of attachment relationships in the family generates epistemic trust within the family unit and reduces the likelihood of family violence. The implications of this framework for therapeutic work with families are discussed.
Objectives:
Women victims of IPV are more likely insecurely attached and have experienced childhood abuse, which according to the attachment theory is deeply related to disorganized attachment. This case-control study was performed with the aim to compare the attachment status and the defensive processing patterns of women victims of IPV (cases) with women with no experiences of IPV (controls).
Methods:
Cases were 16 women with an age range from 26 years to 51 years. The control group included 16 women with an age range from 26 years to 59 years. Women's states of mind in regard to attachment were evaluated with the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System, which allows classifying attachment status and defensive mechanisms.
Results:
Compared with control group, most IPV women resulted having an unresolved attachment status and describing characters less capable to draw upon internal resources, that is, internalized secure base, and less capable to act than controls. Women victims of IPV used significantly more words referring danger and failed protection than controls.
Conclusions:
The results evidenced the strong effectiveness of the AAP on analysing the psychological attitudes of women victims of IPV. The dramatic events lived by the women victims of IPV are so dominant in their minds that they invade their stories. This could represent a clue of emotional dysregulation.
Practitioner points:
The use of AAP improves the understanding of the agency of self and of the specific levels of trauma experienced by IPV victims, on clarifying their frightening/frightened dynamic, typical of the disorganized attachment relationship, which undermines their activity of mentalization. The therapist will assume the stance of a secure base and then both promoting exploration and contrasting impotence, humiliation, and subordination that IPV women have experienced. This therapeutic interpersonal context will be functional to reach two different but related therapeutic goals: (1) to facilitate the rebuilding of agency (through an activation of subject to explore concrete strategies for exiting from IPV), (2) to explore attachment-related segregated systems from awareness, and to integrate them in memory.
Sexual aggression among adolescents is a common problem which is related to lack of aggression regulation, positive or permissive attitudes towards sexual coercion, group pressure and inadequate communicative skills. Rock and Water is a psycho-physical intervention which addresses these issues. We conducted a quasi-experimental trial of Rock and Water in the Netherlands. In total, 521 boys aged 14-17 from nine pre-vocational education schools were included. The primary outcome variable was sexual aggression. Secondary outcomes were sexual interaction competence, self-regulation, attitudes towards dating violence, self-efficacy and self-esteem. Data were collected prior to the intervention, immediately after the intervention and five months after termination of the intervention. Boys reported a significant reduction in coercive strategies and particularly verbal manipulation (OR = .48). At follow-up, the boys reported a significant improvement in self-regulation and general self-efficacy (β = −.11, p < .05 and β = 1.02, p
Few longitudinal studies have examined the pathways through which family violence leads to dating aggression. In the current study the authors used 3 waves of data obtained from 8th- and 9th-grade adolescents (N = 1,965) to examine the hypotheses that the prospective relationship between witnessing family violence and directly experiencing violence and physical dating aggression perpetration is mediated by 3 constructs: (a) normative beliefs about dating aggression (norms), (b) anger dysregulation, and (c) depression. Results from cross-lagged regression models suggest that the relationship between having been hit by an adult and dating aggression is mediated by changes in norms and anger dysregulation, but not depression. No evidence of indirect effects from witnessing family violence to dating aggression was found through any of the proposed mediators. Taken together, the findings suggest that anger dysregulation and normative beliefs are potential targets for dating abuse prevention efforts aimed at youth who have directly experienced violence.
Self-report college student surveys on childhood maltreatment, and borderline and narcissistic personality features are examined to determine their influence on stalking victimization vulnerability. Stalking victimization was measured using Spitzberg and Cupach's (2008) Obsessive Relational Intrusion scale. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were run separately for men (N = 677) and women (N = 1,017). Results indicated childhood sexual maltreatment and borderline traits were associated with stalking victimization among both men and women. These were the only significant relationships for men (R2 = .10). For women, stalking victimization was also associated with narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability and with a child sexual abuse by borderline features interaction (R2 = .13), demonstrating women reporting prior sexual abuse and borderline personality pathology are especially vulnerable. Methodological and policy implications are discussed.
Over the past 25 years, there have been notable advances in violence risk assessment of mentally ill individuals using actuarial methods to define high versus low risk groups. A focus on readily observable risk factors, however, has led to a relative neglect of how the offender's subjective states may be valuable to consider in research on the ongoing assessment and prevention of violence. We argue for the relevance of considering idiographic features of subjective experience in the development of structured assessment methods. We then identify three heuristic groups of existing constructs related to aggressive and illegal behavior that may capture modifiable, time-varying aspects of mental functioning leading up to involvement in an act of violence. These hypothesized domains are: (i) construal of intent and cause; (ii) normative reference points; and (iii) emotion recognition and regulation. We suggest that risk state for violence can be studied in a parsimonious and direct manner through systematic research on coded speech samples. The coding method for such an assessment procedure would be almost identical to existing structured clinical judgment instruments with the difference that variables be defined from a first-person point of view. Some implications of this approach for the tertiary prevention of violence in high-risk individuals are described.
During 1993-1996, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety participated in a national study of convenience store robbery. In order to understand victim perceptions and actions during these crimes, personal semi-structured interviews were conducted during with 20 employees robbed in Boston. Most subjects were owners or managers, and tended to be entrenched in the convenience store industry. The inter view instrument contained over 80 items, and solicited a range of infor mation on the criminal event, as well as post-victimization experiences.
The relationship between gender role identity, sexual self-esteem and sexual coercion was examined through a questionnaire. Participants were 84 undergraduate students from a university in Washington, DC. Contrary to what has been found in the literature, there were weak relationships between sexual coercion and masculinity, and sexual coercion and sexual self-esteem. Participants were not sexually aggressive and experienced little victimization. However, there were gender differences in terms of coercion, victimization, gender role identity and sexual self-esteem.
Drawing on an extensive body of literature, The Rehabilitation of Partner-Violent Men presents an historical account of the policy changes that have led to rehabilitation programmes for male perpetrators of intimate partner violence within the criminal justice system. Presents a review of the current state of male partner-violence theory and related intervention programmes in the UK Draws on both national and international literature within the field Provides an overview of the theoretical foundation behind current approaches to the rehabilitation of partner-violent men Offers an appraisal of the effectiveness of current practicesA and directions for future advances in intervention and evaluation science.
IntroductionTerminologyBackground
Professional Response to Teenage Partner ViolenceResearch AimsMethodologyFindings on Teenage RelationshipsIncidence Rates for Experiencing Teenage Partner ViolenceNature of ViolenceHelp SeekingFactors Associated with Experiencing Teenage Partner ViolenceConclusion
Messages for PracticeReferences
Research has shown that symptoms of a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are prevalent among victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Furthermore, positive correlations have been reported between IPV victimization and borderline traits, and borderline traits and PTSD symptomatology. Although there is some evidence that individuals with a borderline disorder are vulnerable to developing PTSD after experiencing trauma, to our knowledge, this has never been studied empirically among a sample of victims of IPV in specific. However, the presence of borderline traits might place these victims at higher risk for developing PTSD symptoms as well. In the current study, associations between PTSD symptoms and borderline traits were examined in a Dutch sample of female help-seeking victims of IPV (n = 120). As hypothesized, it was found that borderline traits significantly add to the vulnerability for development of PTSD in IPV victims, above and beyond the severity of IPV. Results are discussed in the light of practical implications like an early screening for borderline traits in treatment of victims of IPV. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This study examined whether male and female abused and neglected children report higher levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in young adulthood than a matched control group. We also examined whether this association was mediated by early aggressive behavior, adult antisocial personality disorder, hostility, and problem drinking for men and women. The sample consisted of individuals who had official records of child abuse and/or neglect prior to age 12 and matched controls who were followed up and interviewed at approximately age 29 years. Individuals who had ever been married or lived with someone (N=961) reported on lifetime perpetration of IPV. For the total sample, abused and neglected children reported significantly higher rates of ever hitting or throwing things at a partner, ever hitting or throwing first, and ever hitting or throwing first more than once. Both male and female abused and neglected children reported significantly higher rates of ever hitting or throwing things at a partner than matched controls. Antisocial personality disorder mediated the effects of abuse/neglect on IPV for men and women and hostility and alcohol problems also mediated the effects for abused and neglected women. Early aggressive behavior was not a significant mediator for either gender. Overall the results reveal a link between early childhood victimization and later perpetration of violence against partners for both men and women. Further research on the mechanisms is necessary before firm conclusions may be drawn. Aggr. Behav. 29:332–345, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dating violence victimization and perpetration among young people in the rural South have been significantly understudied, despite evidence showing higher rates of dating violence in rural communities generally and in the southern U.S. states. This article reports the results of predictive models of dating violence victimization and perpetration among a convenience sample of middle and high school students in a rural South Carolina community. Logistic regression analyses showed that female victimization was predicted by knowing a female victim, substance use, attitudes towards violence, and grade level in school. Male victimization was predicted by knowing a male perpetrator, substance use, attitudes towards violence, and the acceptability of violence-related behaviors in the family. Female perpetration was predicted by knowing a male perpetrator, substance use, and attitudes towards violence while male perpetration was predicted by juvenile justice involvement, attitudes towards violence, and the acceptability of violence-related behaviors in dating and family relationships. Implications for further research and prevention efforts are discussed.
The present study was designed to replicate a previous investigation of personality profiles of men who abused their partners. The initial study found personality profiles reflecting general categories related to schizoidal /borderline, narcissistic/anti-social, and dependent/compulsive personality disorders. Cross-validation revealed a nearly identical replication of the initial findings. Further, as with the initial study, only about 12% of the subjects in the present effort showed no discernable psychopathology. It was concluded that (1) there is no unitary batterer profile, (2) the vast majority of batterers examined evidenced personality disordered profiles, and (3) personality and psychopathological processes must be considered as part of the constellation of psychosocial factors related to spouse abuse.
Personality disorder features have been an important basis of many batterer typologies (Babcock et al. J Fam Violence 15:391–409,
2000; Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart Psychol Bull 116:476–497, 1994), most notably Antisocial and Borderline Personality Disorders. Aggression that partner violent men commit has also been
found to be heterogeneous, motivated by the need to control (proactive) or enacted out of emotion (reactive). In the present
study, men who were physically abusive towards their female partner (N = 124 couples) were administered the SCID-II diagnostic interview for Antisocial (ASPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder
(BPD). It was hypothesized that partner violent men diagnosed with ASPD would show highest levels of proactive violence whereas
men diagnosed with BPD (alone or comorbidly with ASPD) were expected to be reactively violent. Results suggest that violence
perpetrated by men with different personality disorders differs in its function. Within the context of intimate relationships,
BPD/comorbid men appear to use violence more reactively, while ASPD men tend to use violence both proactively and reactively.
Implications for treatment are discussed.
DSM-IV-TR suggests that clinicians should assess clinically relevant personality traits that do not necessarily constitute a formal personality disorder (PD), and should note these traits on Axis II, but DSM-IV-TR does not provide a trait model to guide the clinician. Our goal was to provide a provisional trait model and a preliminary corresponding assessment instrument, in our roles as members of the DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Workgroup and workgroup advisors.
An initial list of specific traits and domains (broader groups of traits) was derived from DSM-5 literature reviews and workgroup deliberations, with a focus on capturing maladaptive personality characteristics deemed clinically salient, including those related to the criteria for DSM-IV-TR PDs. The model and instrument were then developed iteratively using data from community samples of treatment-seeking participants. The analytic approach relied on tools of modern psychometrics (e.g. item response theory models).
A total of 25 reliably measured core elements of personality description emerged that, together, delineate five broad domains of maladaptive personality variation: negative affect, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism.
We developed a maladaptive personality trait model and corresponding instrument as a step on the path toward helping users of DSM-5 assess traits that may or may not constitute a formal PD. The inventory we developed is reprinted in its entirety in the Supplementary online material, with the goal of encouraging additional refinement and development by other investigators prior to the finalization of DSM-5. Continuing discussion should focus on various options for integrating personality traits into DSM-5.
The goal of this naturalistic study was to examine heterogeneity among female and male civil psychiatric patients with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Participants were 567 patients drawn from the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study (J. Monahan et al., 2001). The authors examined subtype composition among 138 women and 93 men with positive histories of IPV and compared these groups with 111 women and 225 men with no histories of IPV. Findings for men and women were consistent with reports from studies of male perpetrators in forensic and community settings in that generally violent/antisocial, borderline/dysphoric, and family only/low-psychopathology subtypes of perpetrators were identified in both men and women. This study provides preliminary evidence for the generalizability of typologies derived from nonpsychiatric partner violence perpetrators to psychiatric populations and suggests that typologies derived from studies of male IPV perpetrators may provide useful guidance for the investigation of female IPV perpetration.
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the likelihood of physical spousal abuse is increased in dependent personality disorder (DPD) compared to other personality disorders. The sample consisted of 305 subjects consecutively admitted to an outpatient department of legal medicine for physical abuse. Using the Structured Clinical Interview for Disorders, screen questionnaire (SCID-II-SQ), the subjects were divided into three groups: without personality disorders (WPD, N=108), with non-dependent personality disorders (NDPD, N=179) and with DPDs (DPD, N=18). First,, the three groups were compared to the rate of spouses among the perpetrators. The rate of spouses among the perpetrators was significantly different between the three groups: 44.4% of the perpetrators were the spouse for DPD subjects versus 11.2% for WPD and 20.1% for NDPD. Second, logistic regressions using the status of perpetrators (spouse or others) as dependent variable and socio-demographical variables as well as the rates of DPD, avoidant, obsessive-compulsive and borderline personality disorders as independent variables reported that these four disorders of personality were significant predictors. Moreover, the co-morbidities of DPD with avoidant, obsessive-compulsive or borderline personality disorders were higher than 50%. These results suggest first that DPD subjects are at high risk of physical abuse by their spouses and second that this relationship was found also for the two other cluster C personality disorders as well as for borderline personality disorder.