Psychological Differences Between Court-Referred and Self-Referred Wife Assaulters

Assessed on a battery of psychopathology and personality measures were 40 court-referred and 40 self-referred men in treatment for wife assault. Although both groups exhibited high degrees of psychopathology and similar personality profiles, self-referred men scored significantly higher on borderline personality organization, marital conflict, anger, depression, and total trauma symptoms. The two groups exhibited distinct patterns of socially desirable responding. A discriminant function analysis of scores corrected for social desirability correctly classified 88% of the men into court-referred and self-referred groups. Implications of these findings for theory, assessment, and treatment are considered.