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Abstract: 

This article gives a comprehensive overview of what we know about the dynamics of battering. After offering basic definitions of the terms, the authors go on to offer their expertise on the detection of abusive tactics: they aptly describe how perpetrators present and what is their overriding motivation, e.g., coercive control. As with some of the previous articles in this issue, these authors also explode the commonly held misperceptions about domestic violence, its perpetrators, and its victims, including the fact that DV crosses all socioeconomic and ethnic lines. The authors also expose lesser known realities, noting, for instance, different abuser subtypes. Finally, they provide helpful checklists that practitioners can use to ensure they are accurately discerning abusive dynamics.

Keywords: assessment; forensic models; interventions; treatment

Affiliations:  1: University of Miami School of Education; 2: Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.