Male Partner Abusers' Perceptions of Family Relationship Functioning: A Comparison of Clinically Derived Abuser Types

Research has explored the differences between types of male partner abusers on various variables and yet little research has examined family experiences, such as family of origin structure and relationship patterns. The present study compared 4 male partner abuser types derived from profile interpretation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI-2) and a group of nonintimately violent men on family of origin and current partner relationship functioning using two family scales from the MMPI-2, the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III. Results indicated that male partner abusers with more severe psychopathology (i.e., borderline and antisocial) reported greater relationship distress, discord, conflict, and emotional disengagement than those men with less psychopathology (i.e., nonpathological). Clinical implications are discussed.