For the past several years Donna and I have attended the Battered Mothers Custody Conference and so we have been able to interact with domestic violence experts. Both of us were surprised to discover that although most of the worst spousal assault perpetrators have personality profiles indicative of sociopathy/psychopathy this fact is not recognized by many experts.
I have worked to become well acquainted with the scientific literature regarding intimate partner violence because I teach psychology of gender and because I very much want to understand why people who should know better often fail to diagnose sociopathy in perpetrators. This failure to diagnose has lead to intimate partner violence being erroneously interpreted as a gender issue related to male domination of females. This flies in the face of the real statistics which show that there are equal numbers of female perpetrators. The failure to recognize personality disturbance in female perpetrators has lead to male victims being further traumatized.
I am happy to report that the leading expert on intimate partner violence, Professor Donald Dutton of the University of British Columbia is fighting to correct the above misconceptions and to help people understand that domestic violence is perpetrated by disordered men and women.
In 1979, he cofounded the Assaultive Husbands Project, a court-mandated treatment program for men convicted of spousal assault. He has frequently served as an expert witness in civil trials involving intimate abuse and in criminal trials involving family violence. Dr. Dutton has published over 100 papers and four books, including Domestic Assault of Women, The Batterer: A Psychological Profile, Rethinking Domestic Violence and The Abusive Personality Violence and Control in Intimate Relationships.
I just finished reading The Abusive Personality and recommend it highly. In this book Dr. Dutton details the profile and personality structure of both male and female batterers. He makes a compelling case for his contention that personality disturbance is behind domestic violence in Western society. Next week I will summarize the personality profile of “Abusers” and explain how abuse relates to sociopathy/psychopathy.
Dear TIlly,
Hi darlin! (-common southerners term of endearment-since you are an aussie! lol) I missed your post earlier- Dont know how. I just read it and tears welled up in my eyes! -Bitter sweet – that you printed and kept my post to you, and said what you did, but sad of what you have gone thru.
I loved what you said -I think on another post- you wish God would just tell you what to do instead of going all around trying to figure it out! not exact words, but something like that. OMG I can identify with that!!!!!! Thats one of the truest, most real statements I can think of hearing.
I feel somewhat multiple personality myself- (what the x n/p said he was, and with demon inside him) I feel like these last weeks have been a “test” of something for me and I have probally failed miserably at least where God is concerned! Ive been mean, bitter, and vengeful one minute- then snap out of it to my lesser- mean self the next lol.
Dont kn ow if you remember the old movie the exorcist, where Linda Blairs head spins around and spits venom. After trial, that pretty much described me. Then I started the rant on here over “Tom the instigator”, immediately after getting home from court, I mean within a few hours! lol Just didnt need it! ha. Anyways, keep your head up, and thank you for your support.
If you remember reading or saw any on this – I just realized, came to terms with my 20 yr old son being a P. Since I now am in acceptance (pretty much) instead of going crazy trying to help him (enable him), I am so much better. Its weird, but after a while, I feel the grieving is better and the crazy making has ceased (only thanks to 99% N/C !) A five year marathon of jumping thru hoops to help him, but finally now I can slow down and get a grip on reality. At first, when it really hit that he is a P-I felt like a death sentence was put on him. Its never easy, but I have came to some sort of shaky acceptance .
You mentioned something about the lack of visits from yours- I grieved over this same thing 4 ever- no visits from him on mothers day, or when I was in the hospital, etc etc.
THe ONLY time I gotta call was like when he was in Jail and needed bond $$$- I said NO.
Then the NEXT time he was in Jail and needed bond $$$- I said Hell NO! … you know the drill. The real pain was that I couldnt understand how I could love him with my whole heart and he seemed to feel nothing,,, nada… For some mysterious reason- and alotta prayer I feel releaved that I can let him go to some extent with no more guilt.
I pray that God send him people in his life to help him, since I no longer can thru the fact that “he” cant go by any rules or upbringing and I pray that he will fight this thing over Good and evil. I wish you peace with this battle.
I heard the song “The Climb,” Miley Sirus- today- dont know all the words, but talks about our battles and sometimes we have to lose.
To me, Somehow accepting that we “lose” one thing, in order to “win” another is comforting enough for now. xoxo
PS TIlly – lollipop team rocks!
Thankyou again Sabrina..your insight is invaluable! thankyou!
Yes, it very true that especially three of the Axis II (personality dissorders) Mental Illnesses account for most perpetrators of DV (domestic violence): 1- Borderline Personality Disorder 2- Narcissistic Personality Disorder 3- Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopaths – the criminally insane). Ironically though, this does not quite match up to actual surveys and extensive number of studies documenting the solid fact that women commit most dating violence and DV (not men, as is often stated in error).
Yes, it is indeed well known that women have more mental illness overall than men (which is sometimes even ignorantly blamed on men). BUT, of those 3 primary Axis II personality dissorders, only the first is well recognised as being dominated by women. So, it doesn’t match up? Maybe just mental illness analysis is off a bit. Many psychologist argue that though not diagnosed, women VERY often have traits of the latter two Axis II Disorders, maybe even more often than men, which is OK, accepted or often ignored by societal standards of normalcy.
The fact is that you don’t have to be diagnosed or even have all the symptoms necessary to be diagnosed with any of these ailments. You only have to have just enough of the characteristics to fuel the domestic violence. What these psychologists have to say makes sense because it matches up with the fact that women likewise commit more domestic violence and are likewise more often and likewise excused and overlooked for it just the same. In any case, it all fits together, unless,… you ban the facts to fit an endeared agenda.
Sabrina,
Thanks for your valid DV concerns.
You assert that violent women are not given a free pass but that violent men are given that free pass instead. Not so. Look at arrest and conviction stats of DV. They are almost all of men, though men are perpetrators less often than women. That’s as silly as saying Jews are the worst citizens because Nazis arrested and convicted them most. Both cases are vivid examples of targeting and profiling.
Profiling, lies and resultant hysteria and can only serve to make overall matters worse, for everyone, not better. Those arrest and conviction stats actually stand as testament against our own “justice” system since they do not remotely match actual commission of those crimes.
Here is another article with DV references to check out:
http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-life/bigger-picture/article.aspx?cp-documentid=20968901
Now, who ussually gets less than a slap on the wrist for committing DV?
The whole DV mess is not a problem of men or women, the real problem is the DV establishment which causes more problems and abuse than all bad men and women put together. Until we unite and address the facts, things will continue very poorly.
I have daughters to guide and protect from both sides of DV (being perpetrators or victims), and their worst enemy IS the DV Establishment on either side of the issue. The popular DV Establishment puts them in more danger by lying to all of us and to them and misleading them, and not into less danger. If our daughters listen to them, they ARE in higher danger.
thanks-
Tom Miller
Advocate for victims of mental illness, and their families. Advocate for victims of abuse (men, women and children), especially the most plentiful victims of all, victims of the DV/Divorce Industry.
As supported by the link in my last posting, others and I have observed the DV (domestic violence) establishment (in sheep’s clothing) exploiting and abusing far more men, women and children than they claim and pretend to help (verify this at the archived articles, written by women, at http://www.true-equality.org ).
As I said, I have daughters to defend from domestic violence (defend your sons just the same) and find that the misinformation passed out by the DV Establishment is actually harmful and puts our daughters at higher risk, no lower. Equality and truth are the ONLY things to teach our daughters (and sons) to protect them from DV. The self-serving DV establishment refuses to teach real protection from DV. They NEED victims, not to eliminate them. They refuse to teach us how to really protect our daughters with the following Equality, Truth and Justice:
1- NO DOUBLE STANDARDS, period. Really and fully know what an abuser is, male AND female (the worst mistake is to ignore or excuse female abuse – embracing double standards…). First, do not be an abuser yourself. Second, do not stay around an abuser (yes, you guys too).
2- Never EVER hit a guy. It’s not any more OK for a girl or woman to hit a guy than for a guy to hit a girl or woman. Teaching otherwise WILL put girls and women at highest risk. Teaching only boys to respect girls can be very dangerous and deadly for girls and women. Mutual respect only. Reciprocal actions only. Most women injured in dating or DV are initiators of abuse or start out as the repetitive sole abusers, until he finally hits back. Its too easy to remove this dominant motive and cause behind injuries to women. We have to reject the DV Industry’s lies and abuse to do this.
3- Never EVER make false or exaggerated abuse allegations, especially not to get a protective or restraining order, not even to cover up or “excuse” an affair. I realise this sick and abusive practice is routine, very popular and very accepted today. That doesn’t make it OK to do. It’s abuse, serious abuse, another abusive double standard begetting serious retaliation at times. It’s just sick, wrong, abusive and not worth the risk. Yet, these agencies promote, reward and defend false abuse allegations – this plague of lies is mostly what fuels them. Studies show this to put women at a much higher risk of retaliation and even death in some cases: abuse begets abuse. Tragic examples of this are in the news constantly.
Teach your sons and esp daughters (female voices are better heard on this) to speak out in school when taught harmful indoctrination and double standards, even in an assembly. Truth and reason will resonate when spoken by your child at school and can be backed up by fact sources. Best of all, speaking out like this in school WILL save many other children.
Our abusive, parasitic DV Industry never teaches these most critical DV defense techniques. Truth and help like this is not profitable, but undermines the DV Industry’s agenda, profits and power. It’s frighteningly OK to sacrifice women to fuel the DV Industry: search: true-equality dot org – very useful documentation and full facts on DV (read the mission statement and archived articles, esp articles by women who are onto DV Industry scams.
thanks-
Tom Miller
Advocate for victims of mental illness, and their families. Advocate for victims of abuse (men, women and children), especially the most plentiful victims of all, victims of the DV/Divorce Industry.
I echo advoc8.
Erin Pizzey, founder of the first women’s shelter in the UK,
has been saying for 35+ years that of the first 100 women in her shelter 56 were as violent or more violent than the men they were with. The feminists kicked her out because she was talking about violent women. (http://www.sossandra.org/2007/04/13/this-way-to-the-revolution/ )
http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm
http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/Dutton_GenderParadigmInDV-Pt1.pdf
http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/RADARreport-50-DV-Myths.pdf
http://www.radarsvcs.org/docs/RADARreport-Myths-of-ABA-Commission-on-DV-Detailed.pdf
– Anon
Dear Advoc8 & Anon,
Thank you for your opinions, right now though, there are MANY angles that need to be addressed in “family court” matters and that includes divorce courts and child custody cases, etc. and while I agree that there are prejudical PROFESSIONAL people there out to make a buck—divorce lawyers for one group, the whole system is skewed, and justice SELDOM prevails for either party in a divorce when even ONE of the couple is personality disordered. How to tell by “looking” which one of the two is the “crazy” one or if they are BOTH “crazy” is difficult.
It is true that in many situations of domestic violence that BOTH parties are personality disordered and they take turns playing “musical chairs” of VICTIM & ABUSER each taking their turn in both chairs until one or the other of them decides to end that relationship. or someone gets seriously physically hurt.
False accusations of “child sexual abuse” against the father is fairly common for a personality disordered female to make against her innocent spouse….along with other false accusations. That’s the thing, it is DIFFICULT to prove a “negative.” Proving that you were NOT at the theater the night Abraham Lincoln was killed is not always that easy! LOL
The chaos and strife and stress effected on the victimized spouse by th epersonality disordered one can make the REAL victim come across “as crtazy as a bessie-bug” to Judges and other professionals, while the perpetrator sits calm as a cucumber appearing normal and rational. Appearances ARE deceiving.
The above post about seeing how each of these people are 5 + years down the road may be the answer, but sometimes even 5 years isn’t enough for a victim to get their head bck together if they have been traumatized enough.
Even a psych eval may not show up the truth of who is the P and who is the victim, or are they both personality disordered? Too many mental health professionals don’t know a P 1 out of 5 times when they see one live, and even though who do “get it” can be fooled.
I just took 4 months of quite a bit of contact to ferret one out of my vacinity (fortunately before I got hurt emotionally or financially) this was a “friendship” not a romantic relationship. I am kind of proud of myself for figuring it out with out being struck across the head with a log, but it does take time to see the RED FLAGS and a psych eval is a matter of hours not days or months in most cases.
When are we going to have a “blood test for psychopathy?” Sure would be nice, in the meantime….back at the ranch….we need to keep working on ways to identify them without getting into hot water.
Dr. Warren Farrell on:
Why Men Earn More 1 – The Startling Truth Behind the Pay Gap:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb_6v-JQ13Q
Myth of Male Power:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFtGwBsKgKs
Joke of the Day – Lawyers Are Replacing Rats
Have you heard they’re using lawyers instead of rats in laboratories these days? There are three reasons for this:
1. Lawyers reproduce faster.
2. The scientists don’t get attached to the lawyers.
3. A lawyer will do things a rat wouldn’t even consider.
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Judith Brumbaugh was a very shocking listen. She said she had to go to 7 attorneys before getting one that would be okay with an even (custody)
outcome. The rest encouraged corrupt things (they suggested false rape, dv stuff, bad parenting stuff – and said she would get custody.).
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Subject: was watching these Family Law reform videos from 2006 ACFC
Date: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:02:53 -0700
https://secure2.convio.net/acfc/site/Ecommerce?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=1021&store_id=1621&JServSessionIdr011=qjpmapscu1.app13b
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– Anon