A PIONEERING STUDY of the brains of men who attack their partners or ex-partners shows that they function differently to criminals.
The study, led by a research group at the University of Granada in Spain compares for the first time in the world the brain functioning of aggressors against their partners or ex-partners to that of other criminals when they are exposed to images related to different types of violence.
The study shows that there is a brain profile for men who attack intimate partners.
The study shows that, in contrast to violent criminals involved in assaults or robberies, they show a greater activation in parts of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex, and a smaller reaction in the superior prefrontal cortex in response to images of intimate partner violence as compared to neutral images.
The direct comparison of images with different content of violence also supported a profile for brain functioning specific to men who hit their partners.
These findings may explain some of the psychological alterations that batterers describe when they encounter their romantic partner, such as poor coping strategies, problems with emotion regulation as manifested by obsessions about their partner, moods such as fear, anger or rage, fear of abandonment, and sudden affective instability in the form of anxiety.
Miguel Pérez García who led the study said that the study is important for understanding why men who hit their partners do so.
“The results of these studies could have important implications to better understanding violence against women, as well as the variables that are related to recidivism in abusers.”
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