Personality characteristics of victims of intimate partner violence: a systematic review

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is global public health issue and refers to the violence committed by a partner in the context of an intimate relationship, regardless of whether or not it is legally recognized. This review aims to analyze the personality characteristics present in victims of IPV, addressing the causes and consequences of the abusive relationship. Studies focusing on female victims were obtained through multiple databases, following the Cochrane Collaboration procedures. Of the 87 documents collected, 31 were retained for further analysis and considered eligible for inclusion, with ten studies from manual search being included. The objectives, methodological aspects (sample/instruments), and main conclusions were extracted from each study. The results suggest that women tend to become victims when they experience violence during childhood, when they are economically dependent, lack social support, and fear for their lives. The consequences consist of physical and psychological sequelae that remain throughout life. There are personality traits that make the victim susceptible to remaining in an abusive relationship. Women who have experienced IPV obtained higher scores in schizoid, avoidant, self-destructive, schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid personality scales. Therefore, female victims exhibit characteristics such as low personal self-esteem, family and social isolation, dependency (economic and emotional), insecurity, inferiority, submissiveness, and pacification. This review is particularly useful for clinical practice and intervention with victims of IPV, by bringing to light specific personality traits, cognitive schemas and/or possible diagnoses that are most common among these victims and make them more vulnerable to remaining in abusive relationships.