Constructos personales de hombres que han ejercido violencia en la pareja

Abstract

Given the high rates of domestic violence, the evolution of programs targeted to male aggressors and the lack of studies on this area, this article aims to describe the construction of personal meanings by males who have exerciseddomestic violence against their couples. Using a directed survey, we applied the Inter-personal Matrix technique on nine male aggressors in domestic violence episodes, who participated in a healthcare and violence program ofa Chilean mental health center. Data were analyzed taking a constructivist standpoint. Results refer to systems of rigid personal constructs, simple and polarized, with core constructs centered on socially desirable aspects, in whichconflicts may be associated with the quest for autonomy and the notion of caring for their significant other. In an other relevant result, there is a low degree of differentiation from the maternal figure, which may be related with the quest for autonomy. Based on these results, we suggest ways that therapeutic interventions that would better fit their personal system of meanings.