Assailants and victims: a comparative study of male wife-beaters and battered males

Aggressors against women in prison and in the community: an exploratory study of a differential profile

The current study compares the demographic and psychopathological characteristics of 54 men, who were in prison because of a serious offence of violence against women, and of 42 men, who belonged to a program of community treatment for violence against women in the home. There were no significant differences in demographic variables between the two samples. However, from a psychopathological point of view, psychiatric antecedents and current emotional instability were much more frequent and severe in aggressors within the community. Therefore, two possible differential profiles among the violent men are presented. Implications of these results for further research and clinical practice are commented on.

Morbidity and injury recurrence in victims of firearm injuries

Civilian violence has become an increasing problem in the industrial world. Gunshot wounds, fatal or non-fatal, are often considered as acute trauma episodes. However, our previous study, based on 820 firearm injuries, showed that this group of patients was characterized by a high mortality rate and a pronounced involvement in criminality when compared to a control group. The aim of this study was to determine the general morbidity in the same group of firearm victims. Our hypotheses were that these patients consume a considerable amount of hospital care due to recurring trauma episodes and that their general morbidity is raised. Information was collected concerning all episodes of in-patient care for victims of firearm injuries from 1972-1992 in Stockholm, Sweden. The victims were compared with a sex- and age-matched control group. During the study period, 69.9% of the 820 firearm victims were treated for other reasons than gunshot injuries, compared to 45.5% of the 820 controls. The former group was hospitalized 3,703 times and the latter on 1,512 occasions. The firearm injury group showed an higher morbidity in almost all diagnostic subgroups according to ICD-9. The trauma recurrence rate was high and suicide, homicide and assault were relatively more common in this group. We suggest that the gunshot episode may be regarded as one expression of a "chronic trauma syndrome'. Patients exhibiting this "syndrome' are characterized by recurrent episodes of trauma, a risk-taking and destructive behavior, high morbidity and mortality as well as anti-social traits. Medical, social and legal complications are common making these patients extremely costly for society and their identification a matter of concern. It is probable that this "syndrome' also exists in other groups of trauma patients. Since hospitalization affords a unique opportunity of reaching patients who have a "chronic trauma syndrome' risk profile, we believe, that these patients should not only be treated for their acute injuries, but that they should be offered help in order to change their destructive life-style. Research should be undertaken to evaluate whether an intervention program, such as counseling, could have an effect on morbidity and injury recurrence for these patients.

Hormone levels and personality traits in abusive and suicidal male alcoholics

This study presents personality and biochemical correlates to abusive and suicidal behavior in 49 male alcoholics. Our hypothesis was that neuroendocrine and personality characteristics reflect a postulated regulatory mechanism that determines the direction of aggression either outward (abusive) or inward (suicidal). Eleven patients (22%) had physically abused someone on one occasion and 15 (31%) constituted a more violent subgroup with repeated instances of abuse. Thirteen (27%) had attempted suicide at least once. There was a significant positive correlation between the number of abusive and suicidal events (r = 0.33). The violent subgroup with repeated episodes of physical abuse had elevated levels of serum testosterone and low levels of cortisol when compared with the rest of the sample. Aggressive, antisocial, and impulsive personality traits were common. Suicidal alcoholics did not differ from the rest regarding hormone levels, but exhibited high impulsivity and muscular tension on the personality test. It is suggested that the high impulsivity without aggressive traits makes them exhibit autoagressive rather than abusive behavior. Both the abusive and suicidal alcoholics partly had a history typical of the type 2 alcoholic. We propose that these two categories constitute subgroups of the type 2 alcoholic determined by a combination of genetic predisposition to alcoholism, certain personality traits, and, with regard to the violent group, also hormone disturbances. We find it highly justified to identify and treat these subgroups because of their harmful acting-out behavior.