The Batterer: A Psychological Profile (Paperback)

by Donald Dutton (Author), Susan Golant (Author) "IN FEBRUARY 1995, A HORRIFIED NATION WATCHED AND listened as Denise Brown, Nicole Simpson's sister, testified about a violent incident in the Simpson household..." (more)
Key Phrases: cyclical batterer, cyclical abusers, assaultive man, Juan Carlos, Faye Resnick, Murray Straus (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
University of British Columbia psychology professor Dutton specializes in treating batterers. A batterer's mind, he says, is "a place of anguish and self-loathing." Writing with Golant (coauthor with Rosalyn Carter of Helping Yourself Help Others) he discusses the symptoms, characteristics and, in some cases, the cure for such violent behavior. Most repeat batterers, he maintains, suffer from a fragile sense of self, usually the result of a shaming father, an only intermittently available mother and violence in the family. For the batterer, an episode of violence involves three stages: buildup of tension, battering and contrition. Dutton rejects neurological and metabolic causes and sees symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in the fear-filled attachment of the batterer to the woman he batters, whom he needs. Dutton shows how group therapy has occasionally been successful in treating batterers.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Spousal abuse has been getting more press these days, thanks partly to the O.J. Simpson trial. Dutton, an expert witness for the prosecution in the trial, and coauthor Golant, draw on this "trial of the century" to help elucidate their points regarding wife batterers. As sensationalistic as that sounds, the authors never stoop to tabloid journalism; their considered use of information from the Simpson trial actually increases the book's accessibility for general readers. In addition, Dutton, director of the Assaultive Husbands Program in Vancouver, also draws on the case studies of other, less-well-known abusers he has dealt with. Dutton and Golant provide an excellent introduction to the psychology of wife abusers, examining the different types of abusers: psychopathic, overcontrolled, and cyclical. They then narrow the focus to the cyclical abuser (the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde type exemplified by Simpson) and examine the different factors that go into making such an abuser. The authors also offer a link between posttraumatic stress syndrome and spousal abuse. They have produced a cogent and interesting book that deserves a place in both public and undergraduate libraries.?Pamela A. Matthews, Missouri Western State Coll., St. Joseph
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (March 19, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465033881
• ISBN-13: 978-0465033881
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #482,218 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent resource for client and counselor..., June 2, 2000

By	Craig Chalquist, PhD, author of TERRAPSYCHOLO... (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

....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.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding how to stop the cycle of abuse, December 8, 1998

By A Customer

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.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even if you have only been hit once... READ THIS BOOK!, October 10, 2002

By A Customer

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.