Customer Reviews

The Batterer: A Psychological Profile

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

....very thorough and clinically valid in its look at the abuser mentality--but be cautioned not to think there is a single abuser mentality, or even several. I've worked as a therapist with chronic and violent batterers, men who really were arrested for a (nevertheless inexcusable) one-time incident, and lots in between, and it's important to distinguish, as Dutton does, that different psychodynamics are involved....and to remember that hitting is always both a matter of choice and the hitter's personal responsibility regardless of past or present factors.

This is an excellent book for anyone in an abusive relationship. I was able to learn more about my own situation by gaining an understanding of exactly why my husband behaved the way he did and if we had any hope for the future. The detailed chapters on how the parents affected the abuser as a child were very helpful. I want to stop the abuse with my generation and this book showed me exactly how my children were at risk and what I could do about it. Through the detailed case studies, I was also able to gain a clear picture of exactly the type of situation I was facing with my husband should I decide to stay in my relationship. I haven't found information like this in any other source. This has been the best book I have read about understanding the mind of the abuser. I highly recommend it.

I was a woman in a horribly abusive relationship searching for answers. I lived in constant fear. Then, I happened on this book and it changed my life. I was amazed that it seemed the author must have lived in my home. How else could someone so accurately describe my life? The information gave me power and hope. The book showed me that what was happening was not my fault. I was able to stand up and tell my husband to either get help or I was gone. I was able to stick to my guns. He never really got help but he did read the book. Amazingly the abuse stopped. He realized what he was doing and that he was a product of his environment. This book truly saved my life.

This book didn't save my life.... I did that on my own. But it did make me understand that I wasn't alone. My biggest step was anwering "Yes" to all of the questions on the back cover of this book. I realized, right there, in the middle of the book store, that I was in an abusive relationship... and that it would probably kill me. It took 3 months of careful planning, but I got out. My biggest fear?.. that someone I knew would find out I had been idiot by putting up with the abuse. Truth be told?... Most of my friends had guessed it, BUT they had NO IDEA how to bring it up with me. Domestic violence is the perfect disease. You know you have it, your friends know you have it... but you don't tell a soul, and no one feels comfortable talking to you about it. All the while, you're dying.

If you have ever been scared of your boyfriend, read this book.

This book is the real, authentic, well-presented, well researched work on the psychology of battery. Readers will learn what Dutton has taught practitioners, law enforcement professionals, and victims advocates: the truth about domestic violence, offered with insight and intellectual integrity. He informs and educates me, and I'm grateful for his work. - Gavin de Becker, Author THE GIFT OF FEAR.

As a psychologist who has spent two years leading domestic violence abatement groups, I must disagree with much of what Dr. Dutton reports in his book. He describes batterers as full of self-loathing, yet in two years I have never met one who remotely fit that description. Most of them seemed ashamed of their actions, but consoled themselves by saying the abuse was an isolated incident. The rest denied that they had done anything wrong while simultaneously and smugly declaring that their abuse was justified, and that the only reason they were convicted was because the system is corrupt and they weren't adequately defended in court. If that sounds like typical criminal thought processes, well, it is.

Dr. Dutton falls into the same trap that the courts do when they refer all batterers carte-blanche to treatment. They assume that chronic batterers are somehow different from other violent offenders simply because their chosen victim is someone they supposedly love. They ignore a very simple fact that applies to all forms of criminal behavior; many criminals enjoy what they do and feel no "self-loathing" at all. Treating such criminals as if they are sick and need treatment only emboldens them further.

Dr. Dutton's recommendations for treatment are particuarly niave. He recommends asking the participants in the group about their abusive behavior during the previous week. This is akin to asking a chronic thief if he has stolen anything recently; it puts them on their defensive high-horse, regardless of the objective truth. In addition it makes the asker look like a fool for expecting to get anything other than the "right" answer.

Dr. Dutton also recommends regular contact with the abuser's partner. This is not only foolish, but dangerous. If questionnaires are sent to the partner, make no mistake that the abuser will be filling them out. If the partner is interviewed with the abuser you will only hear what the abuser wants you to hear. If you interview the partner alone the abuser is likely to hit her to make her tell him what she said, hit her again to get what she "really" said, then hit her again to make sure she doesn't forget.

The book gets two stars because Dr. Dutton does acknolwedge that not all men who hit are chronic batterers. In addition, he wisely rejects neurological hypotheses that remove responsibility from the abuser. However, no progress can be made in the field of batterer treatment until therapists and the courts start acknolwedging chronic batterers as the criminals they are. The "you need treatment, you don't belong in jail" approach is ineffective because that is what criminals themselves believe.

This book and GETTING FREE have been instumental in helping me to make changes in my life so hopefully my son will not repeat the cycle.

I was in a relationship that became abusive after a few months. I was alone in the USA, with very few options. This book literally saved my life! Dr Dutton described my partner's bahavior precisely, and showed me there was virtually no hope of his being able to change. Just knowing the aetiology of his problem was a great comfort. Once I understood what was going on - and could relinquish the dream of an "ideal" relationship, I was able to take action.I left (with the help of a few friends)before there was physical abuse.

My advice to women stuck in an abusive relationship: LEAVE!!
Do not stay. Give up the dream, and get on with your life alone. You do not need these men.

With so much focus on victims, the batterer and what contributes to his behavior is frequently overlooked. By understanding that the batterer is created from a unique combination of genetic propensity, abusive/absent father, distant/disengaged mother, and societal trends denigrating women, maybe, just maybe future generations of children with abusive potential can be identified and interventions can be made to mitigate the damage of this inter-generational victimization cycle.

Dutton has made great strides in understanding the unique circumstances which create abusive people. This book is well written and the conclusions are well supported with clincal data. The next step will be developing early interventions for children exposed to violence in the home, and assisting victimized adults to reconnect with their children.

This book helped me diminsh the fear I continued to have after three years of seperation from my son's father. The moment I was able to see him as an unhealthy individual I was able to release the fear I once had and regain the control over my life.