Brook Elaine 1

Brook Elaine

Matt5verse6@yahoo.com

PSY 334 VA Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

7 May 2017

Links Between Domestic Violence and Mental Illness

For my final project, I would like to present on the links between domestic violence and

mental illness. I believe the workings of the brain and quite a few concepts we have covered in

Cognitive Psychology can help shed some light on this topic. First, I would like to give a little

bit of background as to why I chose this for my final project. When I was in middle school, I

read the book Death by Child Abuse and No One Heard by Eve Krupinski and Dana Weikel. It

is an account of the last few days of a five year old girl named Ursula Sunshine Assaid who was

abused and killed by her mothers boyfriend. That book made me realize I wanted to help

abused and neglected children, women, elderly, and disabled. For six years I was a court

appointed child advocate for the state of California and currently I am studying to get my

paralegal certificate so I may work for attorneys who represent abused and neglected individuals,

primarily children. Last November I was a witness to an assault and battery on an elderly man

who is also significantly mentally handicapped. Growing up, the mother of one of my friends

was killed by her husband. Another friend of mine, from high school, was shot by her husband.

Thankfully, she survived. So, what causes people to commit crimes of violence toward those

who cannot defend themselves, like children, the elderly, and those who are disabled, and/or

against those they supposedly love? Is it always alcohol or drug related? What other factors

can cause someone to behave so monstrously toward other human beings? Cognitive and other

forms of psychology, such as neuropsychology, behavioral neuropsychology, social psychology,

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etc. can be used to pinpoint causes of aggression and violent behavior in people, which leads to

domestic violence and other forms of abuse.

First, I want to define domestic violence just to be clear. According to the American

Medical Association Diagnostic and Treatment Guidelines on Domestic Violence, Domestic

violence is characterized as a pattern of coercive behaviors that may include repeated battering

and injury, psychological abuse, sexual assault, progressive social isolation, deprivation, and

intimidation. These behaviors are perpetrated by someone who is or was involved in an intimate

relationship with the victim, (Flitcraft, Hadley, Hendricks-Matthews, McLeer, & Warshaw 40).

The medical definition of domestic violence might differ from the legal one but that is a subject

for another paper. This one will focus on the medical side of abuse, mainly domestic violence.

A lot of attention and focus has been given to the victims of abuse and how it affects them

psychologically. This, of course, is wonderful but I also want to dig into the behavior of the

offender. Many times victims search for a reason why the perpetrator behaved in the manor he

or she did. Was the individual under the influence of something, under great emotional distress

such as finding his or spouse involved in a sexual relationship with another individual, enraged,

or simply without empathy? When the authorities are called, what do they expect to find? Many

times their questions revolve around alcohol or drug abuse. But could mental illness be the

reason? Yes, and not just involving psychopathy. Further, once a wife or husband realizes her

or his spouse suffers from such mental illness, how should she or he respond? Is it important or

a requirement to get a diagnosis?

Second, I would like to look at the differences between psychopathy and sociopathy.

When addressing the parts of the brain, psychopaths have reduced gray matter in their frontal

lobes, increased striatal volume, abnormal asymmetry in the hippocampus, a larger corpus
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callosum, a lack of structural integrity in the uncinate fasciculus 2, abnormal activity in the

anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and deformations within the amygdala, (Pemment 2). Further,

David P. Farrington explains that antisocial behavior in children appears to be correlated with

physical abuse, parental conflict, and antisocial parents (among a number of other factors), and it

would not surprise anyone if this extremely stressful home life stunted the child's brain from

developing normally, (Pemment 2). Some traits of psychopathy include superficial charm,

lack of remorse, in impersonal sex life, and pathological lying (Pemment 2). Paul Babiak and

Robert D. Hare clarify the difference between psychopathy and sociopathy stating that

sociopaths have traits differing from those listed above for psychopathy. Sociopathy, on the

other hand, is indicative of having a sense of morality and a well-developed conscience, but the

sense of right and wrong is not that of the parent culture, (Pemment 2). Also, a large

component of sociopathy involves antisocial behavior, (Pemment 3).

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) combines

psychopathy and sociopathy stating, Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) is 'a pervasive

pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early

adolescence and continues into adulthood. [It is a] patternalso referred to as psychopathy,

sociopathy, or dyssocial personality disorder' (p. 645), (Perez 519). Perez goes on to point out,

[W]hile the psychopath does not experience feelings of remorse for his or her deeds, no matter

how cold and heinous, the sociopath may be capable of feeling guilt and regret for his or her

deeds, at least in the context of group (such as in gang affiliation) or familial relationships. The

sociopath, however, cares nothing for social norms, and will violate them without hesitation if

doing so satisfies his or her own desires or purposes. (Perez 520). David T. Lykken states,

[S]ociopathy is often a result of environmental factors, such as parenting, fatherlessness, and

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lack of socialization, while psychopathy can be traced to biologically inherent factors, such as

temperament, (Perez 520). Lykkens list of key characteristics includes a strong need for

stimulation, a complete lack of remorse or guilt, conning and manipulativeness, and a parasitic

lifestyle. The psychopath is a predator who needs to hunt and stalk prey, (Perez 520). Robert D.

Hare states psychopaths will use whatever means necessary, including violence, to control

others and satisfy their wants and needs. Psychopaths display an abnormal lack of conscience

and compassion, (Perez 520).

Is aggression and violent behavior limited to psychopathy and sociopathy? I do not

believe so. Two conditions that appear significantly common in domestic violence cases are

Aspergers Syndrome and Narcissistic Personality Disorder. When it comes to Narcissistic

Personality Disorder there seem to be issues in the areas of sensation and perception, attention,

and memory bias, etc. With Aspergers Syndrome, problems look to be in sensation and

perception, attention, and judgment and decision making among others. Though the two

resemble each other in the way they manifest themselves in relationships, the pain those who

exhibit Aspergers Syndrome inflict on their spouse or significant other might not be intentional,

whereas the harm done by individuals who display narcissistic personality disorder attributes is

deliberate and calculated.

"Aspergers Syndrome is characterized by social impairment and isolated idiosyncratic

interests (as with classic autism), without a history of language impairment (unlike classic

autism). Individuals with AS demonstrate clear limitations in their ability to take part in

reciprocal communication and show a lack of understanding about unwritten rules of

communication and conduct. Unsurprisingly, these limitations often prevent individuals with AS

establishing meaningful social relationships," (Whitehouse et al 2).

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According to the DSM-IV, Narcissistic Personality Disorder includes a pervasive

pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy,

beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more)

of the following: 1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and

talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements), 2. is

preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love, 3.

believes that he or she is special and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate

with, other special or high-status people (or institutions), 4. requires excessive admiration, 5. has

a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or

automatic compliance with his or her expectations, 6. is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes

advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends, 7. lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize

or identify with the feelings and needs of others, 8. is often envious of others or believes that

others are envious of him or her, and 9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.[B]ased

largely on research in social, cognitive, and personality psychology, narcissism is seen as an

offensive rather than defensive condition, and no soft inner core of self-loathing is postulated,

(Campbell & Baumeister 424).

Using the concepts in our book, this semester, I would like to focus on some of the

behaviors exhibited in relationships involving a person showing symptoms of Aspergers

Syndrome and/or Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The table below lists Aspergers Syndrome

behavior in children however many of the impairments continue into adulthood.

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(Szatmari et al. 1666).

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The table below lists Narcissistic Personality Disorder behavior.

(Russ, Shedler, Bradley, et al. 1477).

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Do those who show signs of Aspergers Syndrome and/or Narcissistic Personality

Disorder behave in an abusive manner toward others on purpose or without realizing it? As I

mentioned above, when it comes to Narcissistic Personality Disorder there seem to be issues in

the areas of sensation and perception, attention, and memory bias, etc. With Aspergers

Syndrome, problems look to be in sensation and perception, attention, and judgment and decision

making among others. When information is sent to their brain, what happens? Their responses

are not neuro-typical. What do they perceive to be true? Are individuals who are diagnosed

with Narcissistic Personality Disorder and/or Aspergers Syndrome over sensitive? Why do

these individuals appear to have a short attention span? Sometimes individuals with Aspergers

Syndrome are misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Without attention,

you would quickly become overwhelmed by the volume of sensory information presented to

your brain, (Hill & Park 49). In addition to Aspergers Syndrome, there is Sensory Processing

Disorder which is similar. Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition in which a person

has difficulty organizing and integrating sensory information for use. As a result, individuals

with SPD experience challenges in acting on and adapting to sensory information, making it

difficult to participate in and enjoy many everyday tasks, (Vaughn 1176).

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(Kahneman 67).
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[T]he role of attention in allowing entry to the conscious mind is notoriously difficult to

define, (Hill & Park 49). [I]nterference can lead to memory distortions, false memories, and

all around memory bias, (Hill & Park 174). Where does information get lost in the mind of a

person diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome or changed by an individual with Narcissistic

Personality Disorder? Narcissistic persons claim they remember events and conversations

differently than their spouse or significant other. They use gaslighting to deceive, cause a

victim to second guess herself or himself, and to dominate and control a relationship.

Effective interventions to reduce risk of violence among persons with Severe Mental

Illness (SMI) must be comprehensive yet specifically targetedaddressing underlying major

psychiatric disorder but also addiction, trauma sequelae, domestic violence, and need for

housing, income, and community support. Our findings suggest that there may be several

specific subgroups within the population of individuals with SMI who are at increased risk for

violent behavior. For example, 1 subgroup may be suffering primarily from the long-term

complications of violent victimization, which may have begun in early life and is recurrent in

adulthood. Addressing violent behavior in this group may require a specific clinical focus on

posttraumatic stress problems. Another subgroup may consist of individuals in conflict-laden

domestic relationships that may require relationship counseling, conflict resolution, anger

management, or domestic violence interventions, (Swanson, Swartz, Essock, Osher, Wagner,

Goodman, Rosenberg, and Meador 1529).

Far more information is needed on domestic violence to help keep women and children,

and some men, safe. A narcissistic person easily goes from one victim to the next, leaving

destroyed lives in his or her wake. Spouses of men or women with Aspergers Syndrome many

times suffer in silence and do not have the support system she or he needs. I believe that with
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the help of cognitive and other forms of psychology, causes of aggression and violent behavior in

people, which leads to domestic violence and other forms of abuse, can be pinpointed and

addressed. Society needs this information to protect itself against abuse.

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Work Cited

Abrams, Courtney, Padgett, Deborah K. and Drake, Robert E. Social Relationships Among

Persons Who Have Experienced Serious Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, and

Homelessness: Implications for Recovery. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. Vol.

78, No. 3, Pgs. 333-339. 2008.

Arias, Ileana, Brandt, Heather M, Coker, Ann L, Davis, Keith E, Desai, Sujata, Sanderson,

Maureen, and Smith, Paige H. Physical and Mental Health Effects of Intimate Partner

Violence for Men and Women. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Vol. 23,

Number 4, Pgs. 260-268. 2002.

Flitcraft, Anne H, Hadley, Susan M, Hendricks-Matthews, Marybeth K, McLeer, Susan V,

Warshaw, Carole. American Medical Association Diagnostic and Treatment Guidelines

on Domestic Violence. Archives of Family Medicine. Vol. 1. Pgs. 39-47. September

1992.

Hill, W. T., & Park, J. A. Cognitive Psychology. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt. 2016.

Swanson, Jeffrey W, Swartz, Marvin S, Essock, Susan M, Osher, Fred C, Wagner, Ryan,

Goodman, Lisa A, Rosenberg, Stanley D, Meador, Keith G. The Social-Environmental

Context of Violent Behavior in Persons Treated for Severe Mental Illness. American

Journal of Public Health. Vol. 92, No. 9, September 2002.

Clever, Hedy, Unell, Ira, and Aldgate, Jane. Childrens Needs Parenting Capacity, 2 e. The

Stationery Office. 2011.

Dutton, Donald G, Corvo, Kenneth. Transforming a Flawed Policy: A Call to Revive

Psychology and Science in Domestic Violence Research and Practice. Aggression and

Violent Behavior. 2006.

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Perez, Pamela R. The Etiology of Psychopathy: A Neuropsychological Perspective.

Aggression and Violent Behavior. Volume 17, Issue 6, Pgs. 519-522. 2012.

Pemment, J., Psychopathy versus sociopathy: Why the distinction has become crucial,

Aggression and Violent Behavior (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2013.07.001.

Andrew J.O. Whitehouse et al., Friendship, loneliness and depression in adolescents with

Aspergers Syndrome, Journal of Adolescence, (2008),

doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.03.004

Campbell, W. K., & Baumeister, R. F. (2006). Narcissistic Personality Disorder. In J. E. Fisher

& W. T. ODonohue (Eds.), Practitioners Guide to Evidence-Based Psychotherapy.

New York: Springer.

Szatmari, Peter, Archer, Lynda, Fisman, Sandra, Streiner, David L., and Wilson, Freda.

Aspergers Syndrome and Autism: Differences in Behavior, Cognition, and Adaptive

Functioning. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 34:12, December 1995. Pgs.

1662-1670.

Russ, Eric, Shedler, Jonathan, Bradley, Rebeka, and Westen, Drew. Refining the Construct of

Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria and Subtypes. Am J Psychiatry

2008, 165: 1473-1481.

Hill, W. T., & Park, J. A. Cognitive psychology. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt. 2016.

Vaughn, Pamela. Sensory Processing Disorder. Common Conditions, Resources, and

Evidence. American Journal of Psychiatry. Pgs. 1176-1179.

Kahneman, Daniel. Attention and Effort. Prentice-Hall Inc. 1973.