Dissociative experiences in partner-assaultive men

Dissociative experiences, dissociative symptoms, and violence-specific diss ociation (dissociative experiences that occur during the perpetration of do mestic violence) were evaluated in a sample of 47 domestic abuse perpetrato rs. As predicted childhood trauma (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnes sed abuse) was correlated with a range of dissociative experiences and symp toms in this population. General measures of dissociative experiences and s ymptoms were correlated with reports of violence-specific dissociation. Gen eral dissociation and violence-specific dissociation also had significant c orrelations with the frequency and severity of domestic violence perpetrati on. The findings suggest that dissociative coping mechanisms may play an im portant role in the etiology of severe domestic violence, further supportin g the need for treatment strategies that ameliorate long-term effects of ch ildhood trauma exposure in this population.