Types of family aggressors: theoretical variables and empirical results

This study aimed to delineate the profile of the domestic abusers according to by examining personality dimensions (impulsivity, aggression-hostility, neuroticism) and related personality variables (rumination, personality disorders, emotional distress, physical aggression and hostility) in men serving custodial sentences for domestic violence offenses and examining possible differences between types of perpetrators and substance use patterns, and the presence or experience of violence in the family of origin. The research sample included 173 men aged 21 to 70 years, (M=38.76; SD=11.217). Cluster analysis of the empirical data identified four distinct subtypes of domestic abusers: non-pathological aggressors, borderline/dysphoric aggressors, antisocial/generally violent aggressors and the antisocial subtype. These findings align with the existing literature, underscoring that family aggressors are not a homogeneous group.