Female Domestic Violence Offenders: Their Attachment Security, Trauma Symptoms, and Personality Organization

• NCJ Number: 221126
• Journal: Violence and Victims Volume: 22 Issue: 5 Dated: 2007 Pages: 532-545
• Author(s): Julie Goldenson Ph.D.; Robert Geffner Ph.D.; Sharon L. Foster Ph.D.; Clark R. Clipson Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2007
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Female offenders receiving mandated treatment for domestic violence are examined, specifically their attachment style, trauma symptoms, and personality organization.

Abstract

Consistent with previous findings, the female offender group reported significantly less attachment security than the nonoffending comparison group. The female offender group perceived that their partners were less available. They were also less likely to feel comfortable depending on their partners. The analyses indicated that female domestic violence offenders reported less attachment security, more trauma-related symptoms, and more personality psychopathology than did nonoffender clinical comparison women. Examination of female-perpetrated domestic violence has been met with more resistance than male-perpetrated violence. The purpose of this study was to add to growing literature on the characteristics of female offenders of domestic violence. In doing so, female offenders (n=33) and a clinical comparison group (n=32) were compared regarding their reports of attachment security, trauma-related symptoms, and personality organization using established measures of these constructs. Tables, note, references