A dult Perpetrators Chapter 10

1. Adult Perpetrators Chapter 10

2. Introduction • Since 1993, the rate of nonfatal intimate partner violence has declined. • Decline due to: • Improved services for battered women • Criminalization of intimate partner violence • Increased involvement of law enforcement • Courts that have provided sanctions • Education of the public • Society recognizes health risk

3. Abuser Characteristics • Studies indicate a strong relationship between alcohol and/or drugs and intimate partner abuse committed by men against women. • Similar association between alcohol use and battering in lesbian relationships. • Aggression also linked with psychoactive drugs such as barbiturates, amphetamines, opiates, phencyclidine, cocaine, and alcohol cocaine combinations.

4. Characteristics of Abusers: • Clinically assessed problematic individual, • Displaying poor impulse control, • Aggression, • Fear of intimacy, • Emotional dependence, • Fear of abandonment, and • Impaired ego functioning • Mental health diagnoses: • obsessive-compulsive, • paranoid, • borderline personality, • passive-aggressive, • narcissistic, and antisocial

5. Gender and Age • Most offenders are men who perpetrate against women. • NCVS provides information on the prevalence of the crime. • Men are the majority of offenders. • Women are the primary victims. • Crime against a spouse, 86% of the offenders are men. • Against a boyfriend or girlfriend, 82% were men. • Perpetrators tend to be between 18 and 35 years old, median age about 33.

6. Descriptions of the Batterer • Controlling behaviors • Fear and intimidation • Animal cruelty • Manipulation • Excessive rule making • Isolation

7. Controlling Behaviors • Sometimes the control is due to jealousy. • Perpetrator seeks control over the victim’s time, dress, and behavior. • Shows contempt. • General lack of respect for the partner.

8. Fear and Intimidation • Achieved through violence or the perception of impending violence. • Victims recall a particular “look” from the offender that serves as a warning signal of an explosion that is about to occur.

9. Animal Cruelty • Adults who perpetrate intimate partner violence often abuse the victim’s pet(s) as a means to control and intimidate the survivor. • 71% of battered women in a shelter reported current or past pet ownership and their partner had threatened and/or actually hurt or killed one or more of their pets.

10. Manipulation • Abusers have been characterized as the masters of manipulation • Not unusual to beg for forgiveness after an abusive attack. • Gifts and flowers may accompany the statements that they will never “do it” again.

11. Excessive Rule Making • Partner must follow rules • The rules suggests an unequal relationship based on dominance. • A penalty or punishment is attached to the failure to fulfill expectations.

12. Isolation • Demands for constant attention to the exclusion of friends and family, isolating the victim. • Abuser insists on being the only focus of the victim’s life. • Extreme forms include demands that the victim must not work or denial of transportation to leave home. • Geographic isolation increases vulnerability and places rural victims at a disadvantage to obtaining services.

13. Styles of Violence • Two violent styles used by men against women have been identified: • Tyrannical Offender: uses aggression, intimidation, verbal abuse, and physical assault to control and dominate his partner. • Exploder Offender: experiences the violence as being out of control, sudden, and explosive, typically in response to partner criticisms, challenge, or pursuit.

14. High- Risk Offenders • Researchers agree intimate partner battering is a pattern of behavior that follows predictable stages. • Battering in severe cases may be as frequent as 60 times a year. • Average abuse occurs about 5 times a year. • The length of time in each stage can vary from hours to weeks. • Power and control wheel used to illustrate the elements of power and control. (Duluth Model)

15. Two Criteria to Identify High-risk Offenders • Criteria A: • Suspect initiated three or more instances of violence in the preceding year. • Criteria B: • Suspect threatened a partner with a weapon or verbally threatened to kill the partner; medical treatment was needed; physical abuse of a child occurred; suspect was physically abused as a child; severe violence between the parents; suspect was drunk; drug abuse, extreme dominance, thinks it is okay for a man to hit wife; forced sex; destruction of property; killing or injury to pets.

16. The Role of Alcohol and Drug Use • Studies have long linked alcohol abuse with male-perpetrated intimate partner violence. • Link between female offending and substance abuse is less clear. • Drug and alcohol are not the cause of violence. • There is a significant relationship between excessive drinking and drug use with violence against intimate partners. • Association is contributory rather than causal. • Substance abuse increases the risk.

17. The Role of Animal Cruelty • Renewed interest in the link between intimate partner violence and animal abuse. • Violence against pets is considered to be a predictor of adult violence in children. • A strong predictor of violence against the intimate partner. • These batterers use more forms of violence and demonstrate greater use of controlling behaviors. • Women in domestic violence shelters were 11 times more likely to report that their partner hurt or killed their pets.

18. Police Officers Who Batter • Estimated to be at least as common as the general population. • Limited research. • Rate of physical abuse was approximately 7 percent to 8 percent, contrast to 10 general population. • 20 percent to 40 percent of police families experience family violence. • Intimate Partner Violence by Police Officers establishes the policy and procedures. (IACP, 2003)

19. Military Personnel • Challenging due to the unique nature of the military services. • Problem of jurisdiction. • Many families live outside of military installations. • Family incident that occurs off the military is under the jurisdiction of the local civilian authorities. • Process of civilian arrest and protection order violation arrest varies by state. • The Department of Defense has taken a strong proactive position.

20. Abusive Men -- Risk factors • Aggressive and hostile personality • Antisocial personality • Depression • Emotional dependency • Insecurity • Low impulse control • Low empathy • Low income • Narcissism • Poor communication and social skills

21. Three Types of Violent Men • Family only offenders • Dysphoric or borderline offenders • Generally violent or antisocial offenders • Most batterers did not suffer from severe personality dysfunction and good candidates for cognitive-behavioral group therapy.

22. Male Perpetrators of Marital Rape • Defined as an unwanted intercourse or penetration (vaginal, anal, or oral) obtained by force, threat of force, or when the wife is unable to consent. • Determining the extent of marital rape is complicated. • Rape is prohibited by law in all states. • 26 states still provide exemptions to husbands. • Has long-term and severe consequences. • Accompanied by other forms of violence.

23. Male Perpetrators of Dating Violence • Men with a family history of observing and experiencing abuse are more likely to inflict abuse, violence, and sexual aggression during the courtship years. • As the consumption of alcohol increases, the rate of serious injuries associated with dating violence also increases. • Males have sexually aggressive peers. • Acceptance of dating violence and rape myths

24. Abusive Women • Women rates are equal to or greater than men. • Male-to-female violence is more harmful than female-to-male violence. • Female victims more likely to be injured, to require medical attention. • Women arrested have higher rates of mental disorders. • Significant higher levels of victimization. • Male victimization tends to be dismissed.

25. Female Perpetrators of Physical Dating Violence • Women are both victims and perpetrators f physical dating violence at the same rate or higher rate than men. • Either person may instigate violence, regardless of gender. • Women assault at about the same rate as men.

26. Offenders Against Older Adults • Adult children were more likely than spouse to financially abuse. • Spouse were more likely than adult children to physically abuse. • 71 percent of older victims were women. • Victims’ spouse and adult children were the most likely perpetrators. • Financial abuse are specific crimes to the aging population.

27. Five Categories of Older Adult Offenders Characteristics • Overwhelmed offenders • Impaired offenders • Narcissistic offenders • Domineering or bullying offenders • Sadistic offenders

28. Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse Against Older Adults • Less than 1 percent of cases reported to APS involve sexual abuse against an older adult. • Percentage of victims aged 50 and older ranged from 2.1 percent to 7 percent of adult sexual victimizations. • Offenders ranged in age from 13 to 90 years old, largest group between 30 to 39 years old. • One quarter of the perpetrators were strangers to the victim. • Largest group comprised a family member.