Personality characteristics of victims of intimate partner violence: A systematic review

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is global public health issue and refers to the violence committed by a partner in the context of an intimate relationship, regardless of whether or not it is legally recognized. This review aims to analyze the personality characteristics present in victims of IPV, addressing the causes and consequences of the abusive relationship. Studies focusing on female victims were obtained through multiple databases, following the Cochrane Collaboration procedures. Of the 87 documents collected, 31 were retained for further analysis and considered eligible for inclusion, with ten studies from manual search being included. The objectives, methodological aspects (sample/instruments), and main conclusions were extracted from each study. The results suggest that women tend to become victims when they experience violence during childhood, when they are economically dependent, lack social support, and fear for their lives. The consequences consist of physical and psychological sequelae that remain throughout life. There are personality traits that make the victim susceptible to remaining in an abusive relationship. Women who have experienced IPV obtained higher scores in schizoid, avoidant, self-destructive, schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid personality scales. Therefore, female victims exhibit characteristics such as low personal self-esteem, family and social isolation, dependency (economic and emotional), insecurity, inferiority, submissiveness, and pacification. This review is particularly useful for clinical practice and intervention with victims of IPV, by bringing to light specific personality traits, cognitive schemas and/or possible diagnoses that are most common among these victims and make them more vulnerable to remaining in abusive relationships.

O Regime Sucessório Na União Estável

“…Entre outros, fatores como a idade, a relação existente entre vítima e agressor, a duração dessa relação, a idade em que se iniciou a relação, o contexto emocional, as circunstâncias em que se verificou a vitimização, os motivos por que tal aconteceu, permitem-nos compreender essa ampla heterogeneidade. Sendo verdade que existe um conjunto de características em certos indivíduos de elevada psicopatia que os tornam hábeis em seduzir, manipular e ludibriar os outros, também é verdade que alguns traços de personalidade potenciam a vulnerabilidade a indivíduos de elevada psicopatia e a tornam mais suscetível a permanecer numa relação abusiva (Pereira et al, 2020). Os psicopatas cometem, com frequência, atitudes reprováveis não necessariamente criminais: exploram as pessoas e deixam-nas carenciadas e maltratadas.…”

“…Among others, factors such as age, the relationship between victim and aggressor, the duration of that relationship, the age at which the relationship started, the emotional context, as a consequence of victimization, the reasons why this happened, it allows us to understand this wide heterogeneity. While it is true that there is a set of characteristics in certain individuals with high psychopathy and more adept at seducing, manipulating and deceiving others, it is also true that some victims personality traits enhance the vulnerability to qualified psychopaths and become more susceptible to remain in an abusive relationship (Pereira et al, 2020). Psychopaths often commit reprehensible attitudes that are not necessarily criminal: they exploit people and leave them in need and mistreated.…”

“…Todavia, há traços de personalidade da vítima que a tornam suscetível a permanecer numa relação abusiva (Pereira et al, 2020). As mulheres que sofrem de violência doméstica apresentam pontuações mais elevadas nas escalas de personalidade esquizoide, evitante, auto-destrutiva, esquizotípica, borderline e paranoide (Pico-Alfonso et al, 2008).…”

“…È importante referir que há um subdiagnóstico da psicopatia nas mulheres em prol de outras perturbações da personalidade, nomeadamente a perturbação borderline da personalidade. Também não devemos esquecer que os estudos da psicopatia nas mulheres são escassos sendo negligenciadas as caraterísticas fundamentais desta perturbação da personalidade nas mulheres (Almeida & Moreira, 2020).…”

Violencia de género y trastorno de estrés postraumático en mujeres peruanas

“…Al mismo tiempo, se pudo determinar que las mujeres que desarrollan TEPT causado por violencia doméstica se encuentran de manera permanente en estado de temor, son irritables y presentan desesperación y problemas que afectan su salud física 41,42 . Por ello es necesario que los profesionales de la salud estén preparados para detectar problemas físicos o psicológicos en las víctimas de violencia de género; además, se deben formular estrategias efectivas para ayudar a la recuperación de la salud de la mujer maltratada, ya que ella podría acostumbrarse a vivir con temor, miedo, culpa y desesperanza, con efectos no solo para ella, sino también para los demás miembros de su familia 39 .…”