English-speaking and Spanish-speaking domestic violence perpetrators: an MMPI-2 assessment

The use of assessments to characterize domestic violence perpetrators continues to develop with an emphasis on increasing the effectiveness of domestic violence interventions. The present study examines and compares Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2 responses from 41 English-speaking and 48 Spanish-speaking men who were in court-mandated domestic violence treatment programs. Data are analyzed on all validity, clinical, supplementary, and content scales using composite means and cluster analyses. Although there are significant differences between the 2 groups on 12 scales, no scale shows significant clinical elevations (T > 65) for either language cohort. Three perpetrator subgroups are identified using a methodology similar to that used in previous MMPI-2 studies: nonpathological, antisocial, and otherwise psychologically disturbed. The proportion of participants falling into each of the 3 groups, for both English and Spanish speakers, is similar to that found in other studies. The results are discussed in terms of cultural influences and the need for treatment approaches tailored to characteristics of each personality type.