Usefulness of Self-Report Instruments in Assessing Men Accused of Domestic Violence

Clinical assessment of domestic violence has traditionally relied on self-report methods of data collection, using structured interviews and lengthy questionnaires such as the MMPI-2. However, in certain situations such as court-ordered domestic violence evaluations, information obtained through self-report methods may be tainted because of willful impression management on the part of the client. The purpose of the current study was to compare self-report response styles of individuals with varying levels of domestic violence potential in order to determine whether the measures used could accurately differentiate between the groups.