Emotional Regulation in Male Batterers When Faced With Pictures of Intimate Partner Violence. Do They Have a Problem With Suppressing or Experiencing Emotions?

Abstract

Emotional regulation is crucial to psychological functioning and mental health. Studies of male batterers indicate the critical role that emotional processing plays in the violence they exert upon their partners or ex-partners. The aim of this study was to investigate the neural bases of emotional regulation in male batterers—both in experiencing and suppressing emotions—when faced with pictures of intimate partner violence (IPV). We conducted a fMRI study to compare brain functioning when emotions were experienced or increased with the case in which emotions were suppressed or reduced in response to IPV pictures and unpleasant pictures. The sample consisted of three groups: Male Batterers Group (MBG, n = 26), that is, men convicted for IPV; Other Offenders Group (OOG, n = 27), men convicted of crimes other than IPV; and a Non-offenders Group ( n = 29), that is, men without a criminal history. The results reveal that in MBG, the brain areas that previous studies have related to suppression and experience processes were activated when faced with unpleasant pictures. However, a different pattern of functioning was found when experiencing IPV pictures. That could be explained by a low capacity to empathize with their partners or ex-partners and by the use of maladaptive emotional regulation strategies. In addition, MBG showed activation in brain areas previously related to suppression but did not modulate their emotions, showing a similar emotional state after suppression and experience. The results of this preliminary study suggest that in psychological treatments for male batterers, it is important to promote empathy towards partners or ex-partners, along with adaptive strategies of emotional regulation.

Lower brain volume and poorer emotional regulation in partner coercive men and other offenders.

“…With regard to scores on the emotional regulation and empathy tests, statistically significant differences were found between the PCG and the rest of the groups. Similar results have been reported in a previous study (Marín-Morales et al, 2021). To summarize, the results for the total IRI test score indicate that the PCG showed less empathy than the NOG and OOG (all p < .03).…”

“…In conclusion, this preliminary study has demonstrated that partner coercive men and other offenders do not differ in terms of the brain structures associated with emotional regulation. Although previous studies have reported differences in brain functioning between partner coercive men and other offenders in response to the images of IPV (Bueso-Izquierdo et al, 2016; Lee et al, 2009; Marín-Morales et al, 2020, 2021), no such differences were found in the present study. Therefore, our results provide further support for the notion that functional differences are not always associated with structural differences (Hofhansel et al, 2020).…”

“…Data confidentiality was guaranteed by Spanish data protection law (Spanish Organic Law 3/2018, of December 5). A similar description of the participants, instruments, and procedure can be found in a previously published study that is part of the same research project (Marín-Morales et al, 2021).…”

“…In recent years, much research has focused on how emotional processing is related to batterer behavior (Bueso-Izquierdo et al, 2016; McKee et al, 2012; Nyline et al, 2018). However, although there is a growing literature on the neural correlates of emotional regulation (Buhle et al, 2014), the neuroanatomical basis of batterer behavior has largely been unexplored (Marín-Morales et al, 2021). Therefore, this study aimed to compare men incarcerated for the misdemeanor level of crime of IPV (physical and/or psychological), men incarcerated for misdemeanor level of crimes other than IPV, and nonoffenders men regarding the brain volumes of structures involved in emotional regulation to gain a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the violent behavior of partner coercive men.…”

“…A number of functional and structural neuroimaging studies have been conducted in partner coercive men (Bueso-Izquierdo et al, 2016; Lee et al, 2008, 2009; Marín-Morales et al, 2020, 2021; Verdejo-Román et al, 2019; Zhang et al, 2013). The results of functional imaging studies suggest that partner coercive men show, in comparison with other offenders, different patterns of activation in brain areas related to emotional processing, specifically when responding to IPV-related images.…”