Differences between intimate partner homicide perpetrators: a case study of twelve inmates.

Research underlines the need to identify risk factor of Intimate Partner Homicide (IPH), however the difference between the IPH perpetrators is still minimized. This work proposes a case study to identify the personality characteristics of twelve males detained for IPH. The subjects were involved in the project “Assessment and management of risk of violent recidivism” of the Lazio Order of Psychologists and the Italian Department of Prison Administration. The assessment of perpetrators was conducted with the HCR-20v.3 procedure that implies psychological tools for the diagnosis. The Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R), the Rorschach Test and clinical interviews were administered. The PCL-R highlights the low presence of psychopathic traits (M=16.72, SD=9.47) and social deviance characteristics (M=7.75, SD=6.27) but reveals interpersonal and affective deficits (M=8,3, SD=5.93). The 58.3% show an adequate reality cognitive perception and the 83.3% have a good social adaptability, at the Rorschach Test. The perpetrators show the following personality characteristics: 5 narcissistic/perverse; 2 borderline/histrionic; 5 avoidant/obsessive. Overall, the IPH perpetrators show low psychopathic traits and are socially adequate. Nevertheless, the homicide committed by borderline and avoidant/obsessive personalities represent the end of a conflictual relational dynamics between the murderer and his victim. The violence represents the inability of these subjects to manage negative emotions when they feel threatened. Whereas, the narcissistic/perverse personalities aim to intentionally destroy the other, experienced as miserable object. Indeed, these are psychological untreatable because manipulate and destroy every relationship. On the contrary, it is possible to implement psychological interventions addressed to borderline and avoidant/obsessive personalities, if they are still able to experience the dependence on the other.