Redalyc.The Psychopathic Intimate Partner Batterer
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Anales de Psicología ISSN: 0212-9728 [email protected] Universidad de Murcia España Pozueco - Romero, José M.; Moreno - Manso, Juan M.; Blázquez - Alonso, Macarena; García - Baamonde, María E. The Psychopathic Intimate Partner Batterer: A Non-Psychopathological Profile Anales de Psicología, vol. 30, núm. 1, enero-, 2014, pp. 25-36 Universidad de Murcia Murcia, España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=16729452002 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative anales de psicología, 2014, vol. 30, nº 1 (enero), 25-36 © Copyright 2014: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Murcia. Murcia (España) http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/analesps.30.1.147101 ISSN edición impresa: 0212-9728. ISSN edición web (http://revistas.um.es/analesps): 1695-2294 The Psychopathic Intimate Partner Batterer: A Non-Psychopathological Profile José M. Pozueco-Romero*, Juan M. Moreno-Manso, Macarena Blázquez-Alonso y María E. García-Baamonde Department of de Psychology, University of Extremadura (Spain) Título: El maltratador psicópata en la pareja: un perfil no psicopatológico. Abstract: This theoretical study reviews two of the most cited profiles of Resumen: En este estudio teórico se hace una revisión sobre dos de los intimate partner batterers in the scientific literature, paying special attention perfiles de maltratadores conyugales más citados en la literatura científica, to the most notable differences between them, as well as to their common resaltando específicamente las diferencias más notables entre ambos, así criteria. The study also discusses one of the longest standing controversies como también los criterios en los cuales convergen. Se debate también una in various research studies, including the particular overview with respect de las controversias más prolongadas a través de los diversos estudios de to Spain: it being the constant yet erroneous reference to the equivalence of investigación, incluyéndose la concreta panorámica al respecto en España, psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder. Similarly, special attention que es la referente a la constante y errónea equiparación entre psicopatía y is paid to the implications of considering intimate partner batterers as hav- trastorno antisocial de la personalidad. Asimismo, se presta especial aten- ing either a psychopathological or psychopathic profile, while also stressing ción a las implicaciones derivadas de considerar a los maltratadores conyu- the specific role played by psychopathy in the intimate partner batterer and, gales bien con un perfil psicopatológico o bien con un perfil psicopático, concerning psychopathic intimate partner batterers, such aspects as their haciendo especial hincapié en el papel específico que juega la psicopatía en specific motives for perpetrating intimate partner violence and the evalua- el maltrato conyugal y poniendo de relieve aspectos concernientes a los tion instruments of this particular profile. Finally, a series of future direc- maltratadores psicópatas tales como sus motivaciones específicas para per- tives for research concerning psychopathic intimate partner batterers are al- petrar violencia conyugal y los instrumentos de evaluación de este concreto so pointed out. perfil. Finalmente, se señalan una serie de directrices futuras de investiga- Key words: Abuse; psychopathy; antisocial personality disorder; intimate ción sobre el perfil del maltratador psicopático. partner violence. Palabras clave: Maltrato; psicopatía; trastorno antisocial de la personali- dad; violencia en la pareja. Introduction 2003) or the reduced version, Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) (Hart, Cox & Hare, 1995). The research on intimate partner batterers has seen notable The adequate use of these psychopathy scales in research progress in recent years and researchers have become ever into violence against intimate partners can significantly con- more conscious of the magnitude and nature of the hetero- tribute to our knowledge of a specific type of aggressor. For geneity of these subjects. Although researchers differ in their instance, psychopaths‟ involvement in many short term mar- labelling of the different subtypes that exist, there is a rea- ital relationships (which is one of the defining characteristics sonable coherence about the personality traits, psychopatho- of psychopathy) could lead us to the different motives and logical characteristics and patterns of violence which define patterns of violence within intimate relationships (Dutton & these groups of batterers (Amor, Echeburúa & Loinaz, Kerry, 1999). If it could be established, through the PCL-R 2009). evaluation, that a certain proportion of aggressors within in- One of the widely discussed subtypes is that known as timate relationships are shown to present psychopathy, then generally violent/antisocial (Holtzworth-Munroe, Meehan, Her- that related to the nature of psychopathic violence could al- ron, Rehman & Stuart, 2000; Thijssen & de Ruiter, 2011), so be of interest for understanding the causal mechanisms, which has been called different things in the existing studies, the evaluation of the risk of violence and the treatment of such as antisocial (Johnson et al., 2006; Loinaz, Ortiz-Tallo, violence within intimate relationships of a very specific sub- Sánchez & Ferragut, 2011), instrumental/sub-controlled (Dutton, group of batterers (Spidel et al., 2007). 2007), psychopathic (Fowler & Westen, 2011), highly-expressive There is a great variability in psychological-forensic eval- anger (Eckhardt, Samper & Murphy, 2008) or generalised vio- uation criteria and in the contents of the expert opinions, lence/emotionally unstable/socially unintegrated (Loinaz, Eche- depending on whether they come from psychiatrists or psy- burúa & Torrubia, 2010). chologists. While the majority erroneously use the term In spite of the notable similarities between the generally ASPD as a synonym for psychopathy, very few authors violent/antisocial batterers and those with a psychopathic have, in reality, used the diverse Hare scales to perform con- personality, the psychopathic evaluations still have to be ful- struct evaluations. As Hare himself warned (1993), a subject ly integrated into the study and treatment of intimate partner should not be diagnosed as psychopathic when, in reality, batterers. On the other hand, research has tended to focus what has been done is to use the diagnostic criteria of the more on the diagnostic criteria of the antisocial personality Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) disorder (ASPD) than on such validated evaluations as the for the ASPD and then use the literature on psychopathy to Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) by Hare (Hare, 1991, give empiricism to the said diagnosis. In spite of the existence of numerous cases of confusing diagnoses (Hare, 1996b), * Dirección para correspondencia [Correspondence address]: both diagnostic entities coincide in some defining character- José M. Pozueco-Romero. C/ Juan Miró, Nº 11, Portal 3, Escalera 5, 2º istic, but they are neither the same nor interchangeable. In D. 06011 Badajoz (Spain) . E-Mail: [email protected] - 25 - 26 José M. Pozueco-Romero et. al. Spain, in particular, the panorama concerning the confusion and to satisfy their own selfish needs. Lacking a conscience around these two terms is clear. or any feelings towards others, they take what they want The main aim of this theoretical article is to establish the when they want with extraordinary „sangfroid‟, violating so- major differences between the generally violent/antisocial inti- cial norms and expectations with no feelings of guilt or re- mate partner batterers and the psychopathic intimate partner batterers, morse whatsoever” (Hare, 1996a, p. 25). or, in other words, between the classic psychopathological profile The citation describes the very essence of psychopathy, of intimate partner batterers and the psychopathic profile. To do including almost all the defining characteristics and, what is so, we have carried out a bibliographic review of the materi- more important, avoiding the terms criminality and delinquency. al, paying special attention to the situation in Spain. However, the reality is more complex, since the type of psy- chopath being referred to in the present article is the criminal The psychopathic profile: essential characte- psychopath. Although there are several studies that have dis- ristics cussed the controversy existing within the academic sphere concerning the erroneous use as synonyms of the terms psy- In 1996, Hare published an article which has been widely chopathy and ASPD (Hare, Hart & Harpur, 1991; Pozueco, cited in research carried out into psychopathy. The author 2010; Torrubia & Cuquerella, 2008), at present, the psycho- began the text with, in his own words, “a reference frame- path is usually characterised using three general terms, work that helps me to make sense of often seems to be ASPD being that which generates the greatest controversy senseless behaviour”. This referred to his description of psy- (Pozueco, 2011). For comparative purposes, Table 1 shows chopathy, in the following terms: “Psychopaths can be de- the defining characteristics of the three apparently synony- scribed as predators of their own species that use charm, mous concepts: