Characteristics of traumas and PTSD symptom among perpetrators of domestic violence

Abstract

Objective To explore characteristics of traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSO)symptom among perpetrators of domestic violence(DV).Methods A structured psychiatric interview,self-report Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire(TLEQ)and Impact of Event Scale-revised(IES-R)were administered to 50 male perpetrators of DV and 80 controls matched by age,education and family structure,who were selected from certain community in Mianyang city,Sichuan province,China.Results (1)80%of perpetrators of DV(n=40)had experienced more than three traumatic events,significantly higher than that in the controls (46.2%)(x2=21.70,P=0.000),and the mean number of traumatic events in perpetrators of DV was significantly higher than that in the controls(5.5:3;Z=3.94,P=0.000).(2)The perpetrators of DV had experienced more types oftraumatic events than the controls,such as sudden death of a close friend or aloved one(x2=3.74),witness to domestic violence(x2=6.24),intimate partner abuse(x2=10.06)and childhood sexual abuse(x2=4.53～8.45),with all significant differences(P＜0.05).(3)The total score of IES-R and its'three subscale sores among perpetrators of DV were all significantly higher than those among the controls(P＜0.05).Conclusion In the perpetrators of DV,exposure to traumatic events were very conunon.The importance of screening and early intervention and prevention programmes for psychological traumas among perpetrators of DV was highly emphasized. Key words: Domestic violence;  Cross-section survey; Psychological trauma;  Childhood abuse