MCMI-III Grossman personality facets among partner-violent men in prison

Assessment of personality is one of the key yet most difficult issues in the study of violent behavior. Recent research on intimate-partner violence highlights the need to describe offender typologies in order to tailor interventions to their needs. The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) is commonly used in clinical and forensic settings, and Grossman facets are the latest additions to this instrument. They allow a more molecular diagnosis and may provide greater predictive ability when assessing violence. This study examines MCMI-III Grossman facets in 175 partnerviolent men in prison. The results suggest the existence of three personality profiles that differ in their personality pathology severity, from lower pathological (Group 1; 27%) to greater pathological (Group 3; 30%). Subjects in Group 3 are more likely to show pathologies related to paranoid, sadistic, antisocial, negativistic, and borderline facets, which are all related to violent behavior. This group reported significantly more psychological aggression and minor sexual coercion (using the Conflict Tactics Scales2, CTS-2), however, no differences regarding physical violence were found. Implications of these findings for interventions with intimate partner violence perpetrators are discussed.La personalidad es uno de los aspectos más importantes y complejos en la evaluación del comportamiento violento. Investigaciones recientes sobre violencia contra la pareja destacan la necesidad de describir tipologías de agresores con el objetivo de poder adaptar las intervenciones psicológicas. El Inventario Clínico Multiaxial de Millon (MCMI-III) es un instrumento de elección en el contexto clínico-forense y las facetas de Grossman son la última aportación internacional a esta herramienta. Estas permiten un diagnóstico más molecular y pueden proporcionar una mayor capacidad predictiva de la violencia. El presente estudio examina las facetas de Grossman del MCMI-III en 175 agresores de pareja en prisión. Los resultados sugieren la existencia de tres perfiles de personalidad, que difieren en la gravedad de su sintomatología, de menor (grupo 1; 27%) a mayor patología (Grupo 3; 30%). El grupo 3 muestra alteraciones relacionadas con facetas paranoides, sádicas, antisociales, negativistas y límites, todas ellas relacionadas con el comportamiento violento. Este grupo muestra significativamente más violencia psicológica y coerción sexual menor (autoinformada en la Conflict Tactis Scales, CTS-2) pero no se dan diferencias respecto a la violencia física. Se discute la utilidad de las facetas de la personalidad para la intervención en la violencia de parejaThis work was supported by the Basque Government (Training program of research staff: Project BFI- 09185), the Andalusian Government (Project HUM-300), and the Center of Legal Studies and Specialized Training (Department of Justice, Government of Catalonia. Grant number SC-3.167.10 and SC-3.172.11)

Victims and perpetrators of child sexual abuse: abusive contact and penetration experiences

Child sexual abuse (CSA) includes abusive contact experiences, which habitually impact the victim’s whole life. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of six CSA experiences with physical contact, including penetration, in a representative sample of the Spanish population. Participants were 1071 Spanish adults (53% males; Mage: 45.37) who completed the Child Sexual Abuse Experiences Questionnaire. The victim’s age at the first episode, the perpetrator’s characteristics, and the number of times that each experience occurred were analyzed, taking into account gender differences. Results were reported for every experience independently. The most prevalent age at the first experience was from 6 years old onwards, but with differences in some experiences. The abuses usually happened more than once, committed by the same person. The most prevalent perpetrator is a male, although a female perpetrator is more prevalent in male victims. Most of the abuses were committed by an adult acquaintance, a strange adult, and other minors, with some gender differences. The implications of the results concerning every CSA experience are discussed, highlighting their value for future research and practice, the design of preventive programs, and early detection of CSA.Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Valores psicológicos como factores de protección ante actitudes sexistas en preadolescentes

Sexist attitudes are one of the factors that justify domestic violence. Positive psychology can provide keys to prevent sexist violence at an early age. Psychological values are a group of psychological strengths in a person’s development. They provide important clues for the prevention of gender-based violence. Method: This study presents an assessment of two groups of variables, sexist attitudes and beliefs and psychological values, in a sample of 449 (213 boys and 236 girls) preadolescents from various schools (mean age: 12). We analyze the relationship between these variables. We used the Values in Action Inventory (VIA-Y), the Questionnaire of Attitudes towards Diversity and Violence (CADV) and the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI). Results: The results show that sexism variables are related to each other and negatively to the psychological values in boys and girls. Conclusions: We discuss the importance of prevention programs being appropriately developed and, probably, different programs for each sex.Antecedentes: el sexismo y las actitudes sexistas son algunos de los factores precursores de la justificación de la violencia de pareja. La psicología positiva puede aportar claves al estudio y prevención de la violencia sexista en edades tempranas. Los valores psicológicos, como conjunto de fortalezas psicológicas para el desarrollo de la persona, aportan pistas importantes en la prevención de la violencia sexista. Método: este estudio presenta una evaluación de dos conjuntos de variables, por un lado, las actitudes y creencias sexistas y, por otro, los valores psicológicos en una muestra de 449 estudiantes preadolescentes (213 chicos y 236 chicas) de diversos centros escolares (edad media: 12 años), para posteriormente analizar la relación entre dichas variables. Se ha utilizado para la recogida de datos el Values in Action Inventory (VIA-Y), el Cuestionario de Actitudes hacia la Diversidad y la Violencia (CADV) y el Inventario de Sexismo Ambivalente (ISA). Resultados: los resultados muestran que las variables de sexismo se relacionan entre sí y de forma inversa con los valores psicológicos, tanto en los chicos como en las chicas. Conclusiones: se comenta su importancia para el desarrollo de programas de prevención que pudieran ser diferenciados para ambos sexos

Impacto emocional e inmunológico de la pérdida de la pareja en hombres y mujeres

Background: This work analyzed whether psychological variables (depression and anger) and physiological variables (Immunoglobulin A) are related to each other in the context of partner loss, focusing on the influence of sex.Method: Three groups of 100 participants were included: widowed, divorced, and a control group (50% men; age between 30 and 60 years). To assess psychological variables, two inventories were used and the technique of radial immunodiffusion was used to measure IgA.Results: Widowed and divorced people appeared to be less healthy, more depressed, and angrier than the control group. IgA and psychological variables were inversely related. Women appeared to be more depressed after divorce while men were more depressed after being widowed. Men were angrier in both situations.Conclusions: This study shows the interrelation of psychological and physical indicators in the context of partner loss and the influence of sex on it.Antededentes: El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la relación entre variables psicológicas (depresión e ira) y variables fisiológicas (Inmunoglobulina-A) en el contexto de la pérdida de pareja, tomando en consideración el sexo.Método: Se incluyeron tres grupos de 100 participantes: viudos, separados y un grupo control (50% hombres, edad entre 30 y 60 años). Se usaron dos cuestionarios para evaluar las variables psicológicas y la técnica de inmunodifusión radial para medir la cantidad de IgA.Resultados: Los viudos y divorciados mostraron menor cantidad de IgA y más depresión y enfado que el grupo control. Se encontró una relación inversa entre IgA y las variables psicológicas. Las mujeres mostraron más depresión tras el divorcio mientras que los hombres estaban más deprimidos tras enviudar. En ambas situaciones, los hombres mostraron más enfado.Conclusiones: Este estudio muestra la interrelación entre indicadores psicológicos y fisiológicos y la influencia del sexo tras la pérdida de pareja

Child sexual abuse in mexican women: type of experience, age, perpetrator and disclosure

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a type of maltreatment that occurs in practically all countries and social statuses. Due to the taboo and shame that surrounds it, CSA is a problem universally silenced despite the important consequences (both physical and psychological) that it has for the victim and their family. This work aimed to study the correlates of CSA in Mexican women. Our sample comprised 1058 women ranged from 18 to 73 years (M = 40.19; SD = 10.24). They completed an anonymous online survey including questions about all the different types of abuse, questions about who perpetrated it, at what age it happened, and whether the victim disclosed the abuse. Our results showed that, depending on the type of abuse, from 13.9% to 65.8% of the participants had suffered at least one episode of CSA throughout their childhood. The first episode typically occurred between 6 and 12 years old, with the perpetrator being a male. The youngest women reported higher rates of being shown pornography by a family member, whereas the oldest ones reported higher rates of exhibitionism by a stranger. Only 31.3% of the sample disclosed the abuse, usually to their mother or a peer. Differences among the correlates of the different types of abuse, the age of the victims, and the relationship with the perpetrator are discussed as well as the victims' feelings of being believed when they disclosed the abus

What Do We Know About Child Sexual Abuse? Myths and Truths in Spain

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a terrible type of maltreatment that can have serious physical and psychological consequences for victims. These consequences include shame and are often taboo in conversation, which makes CSA very difficult to see. Therefore, multiple myths exist about CSA that can lead to misperceptions regarding issues such as its context, prevalence, and consequences. What is unknown cannot be addressed; therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate Spanish participants’ knowledge about CSA as well as examine gender and educational level differences. A 10-item questionnaire comprising myths and truths about CSA was developed, taking into account existing literature. Participants (N = 1,540) had to rate their level of agreement with the statements. Some important aspects of CSA remain unclear, particularly in terms of the background of the victims (e.g., gender, educational level, CSA prevalence). Significant differences in the perception of CSA between men and women and among those with various educational levels were found: Men and people with lower levels of education held more myths about CSA. In conclusion, better knowledge about CSA is needed to get people involved in its prevention. We must consider the myths and truths about CSA when designing prevention programs and tailor educational programs to the target population.FEDER 2014–2020 Program of the European Union and the Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía (UMA18-FEDERJA-077)

Effectiveness of child sexual abuse prevention programs on knowledge acquisition: A meta-analytical study

Background: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a type of maltreatment considered a global health problem. CSA is a traumatic experience with important consequences for the victim’s health. It is essential to report the effectiveness of CSA prevention programs to offer society useful tools to combat this abuse. Objective: We aimed to study the effectiveness of CSA prevention programs on the knowledge acquisition based on comparing pre- and post-treatment changes, and also if their effectiveness is related to program-related and methodological variables. Participants and settings: Standardised mean change (with studies that report pre-post program measures) of the effectiveness of CSA prevention programs published between 2014 and 2021 was carried out. Methods: The general effectiveness of these programs and whether the results were influenced by program-related variables (the duration, the target population, participants’ age, or the type of intervention) or by methodology-related factors (the agent who taught them, the geographical area where they were carried out or the way the programs were evaluated) were analysed. A total of 43 samples analysing knowledge about CSA as a dependent variable were included. Results: The results reported a combined effect size considered large (dMR = 0.96, 95 % CI [ 1.10, 0.82], p < .001). High inter-study heterogeneity was observed in the meta-analysis, although only the geographic area where the studies were conducted appears as a significant moderator. Conclusions: In conclusion, the prevention programs included in this analysis significantly improved the participants’ knowledge acquisitionFunding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

Clasificación multiaxial de agresores de pareja en centros penitenciarios

En el presente estudio ex post facto se describe la evaluación y clasificación llevada a cabo en un centro penitenciario con 48 agresores de pareja y se comparan los resultados con un estudio desarrollado anteriormente con la misma metodología en otro centro. Se analiza, a través del MCMI-III, la posible in" uencia de la personalidad junto a los síndromes clínicos en la conducta violenta contra la pareja. Se han evaluado las distintas variables de interés mediante una entrevista estructurada, el STAXI-2, IPDMV y CTS-2. Los resultados obtenidos permiten avalar la aproximación tipológica indicando que es posible la clasificación de los agresores en, al menos, dos grupos que se diferencian según las variables descritas internacionalmente. El grupo denominado normalizado representa el 43,75% de la muestra y se caracteriza por menor psicopatología, menor distorsión cognitiva y mayor control de su ira. El grupo denominado antisocial supone el 56,25% de la muestra, son los sujetos con mayor psicopatología (tanto en personalidad como en síndromes clínicos), presentan mayor distorsión cognitiva y su violencia es más compleja

Personalidad y síndromes clínicos: un estudio con el MCMI-III basado en una muestra española.

Este trabajo presenta una investigación con 7011 pacientes a los que se les ha aplicado el Inventario Clínico Multiaxial de Millon (MCMI-III) en España. Se estudia la prevalencia y porcentajes de los rasgos clínicos de personalidad y de síndromes clínicos encontrándose mayor frecuencia de rasgos de personalidad compulsiva, narcisista e histriónica y, como síndromes clínicos, del síndrome de ansiedad. Se analiza la prevalencia según el sexo, hallando (a) mayor frecuencia de hombres en los rasgos/síndromes narcisista, paranoide, antisocial, esquizoide, trastorno del pensamiento, abuso de sustancias y abuso de alcohol; y (b) mayor frecuencia de mujeres en las personalidades depresiva, dependiente, evitativa, límite, negativista, y agresivo-sádica, y en los trastornos distímico, somatomorfo, y trastorno de estrés postraumático. Además, se presentan los coeficientes de correlación entre las escalas del Eje II y las del Eje I, controlando el efecto de la variable sexo. Todas las escalas de personalidad correlacionaron con los síndromes clínicos de manera significativa (las escalas compulsiva, narcisista e histriónica correlacionaban en sentido negativo

Variables clínicas y de personalidad en adictos a heroína

Subjects (N = 47), addicts to heroine and now in a rehabilitation program, have been evaluated: on indicators of personal well-being and social adaptation through Scales EBP and EAS; on 12 dimensions of Clinical Assessment Questionnaire (CAQ); and on "Big Five" factors of personality (BFQ). Their scores have been compared with normative scores and with those of a contrast group matched with them in age and sex. Differences have been significant in many scores, with higher values on likely modifiable dimensions (EBP, EAS and CAQ) than in those factors (BFQ) that are supposed to shape basic structure of personality.Un grupo de sujetos (N = 47), adictos a la heroína e incorporados a un programa de rehabilitación, ha sido evaluado en: a) indicadores de bienestar personal y adaptación social mediante sendas Escalas (EBP y EAS) confeccionadas para la medición de estas variables; b ) en las 12 dimensionesdel Cuestionario de Evaluación Clínica (CAQ); c ) en los "cincograndes factores" de personalidad con el correspondiente Cuestioizario (BFQ). Sus puntuaciones han sido comparadas con puntuaciones normativas y también con las de un grupo de contraste emparejado con ellos en edad y sexo. Las diferencias han resultado significativas en gran número de las variables consideradas, con valores algo más altos en dimensiones que presumiblemente están más sujetas a modificación (las de EBP, EAS y CAQ) que en aquellas otras, las de los "cinco grandes", que se reputan pertenecer a la estructura básica de la personalidad