Abstract
Researchers have demonstrated an overlap between husband-to-wife violence and child abuse, but we know little about which maritally violent men are at greatest risk for engaging in child abuse. This study examined child abuse potential across 4 subtypes of maritally violent men (i.e., family only, low level antisocial, borderline/dysphoric, and generally violent/antisocial; Holtzworth-Munroe et al., and 2 comparison groups of nonviolent men (i.e., maritally distressed or not), using the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP; J. S. Milner [1986])). The results revealed that the borderline/dysphoric batterer subtype had significantly higher child abuse potential scores than all of the other violent subtypes and the nonviolent comparison groups. Theoretical and clinical implications are briefly discussed.
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Herron, K., Holtzworth-Munroe, A. Child Abuse Potential: A Comparison of Subtypes of Maritally Violent Men and Nonviolent Men. Journal of Family Violence 17, 1–21 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013669822232
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013669822232