Men who engage in violence with intimates: A unique sample

Abstract

The goal of this study was to increase our knowledge of the violence which occurs between intimates and of a group of men who are its perpetrators. Specifically, the subjects of the study were men who acknowledged being physically violent in intimate relationships and who had never been involved with either treatment or the criminal justice system as a result of their violent behavior.;Subjects were recruited through an advertisement in a New York City weekly newspaper. Men who met the specified criteria participated in a lengthy intensive interview over the telephone. Each interview consisted of a series of open ended questions to which they were asked to respond. Each question was formulated based upon a knowledge of factors which previous studies suggested were significant.;This was an exploratory study which is justified by our lack of knowledge about this specific population. It is recognized that there are biases contained in the study as a result of its reliance upon volunteers and a singular source of subjects.;A content analysis of the responses to each question was completed. In addition the data which was found in this study was compared with that which already existed in the professional literature.;Significant findings emerged about these men, who I contend are a part of the largest population of batterers. There was significant variance from some of the conclusions of previous studies. There were also some significant implications for those who provide mental health treatment.