Table 2.

Summary of evidence

	Link with violence
Antisocial
Social norms	No specific reference within literature.
Deceitfulness	No specific reference within literature.
Impulsivity	Related to more violent assaults [41]. Did not directly predict aggression once emotional dysregulation was controlled for [40]. Impulsivity related to history of persistent violence [27]
Aggressiveness	Disturbed batterers more physically aggressive [7]. Aggressiveness related to ASPD and NPD diagnoses. In BPD aggressiveness linked to poor impulse control. [19].
Reckless	Related to more violent assaults [41].
Irresponsibility	No specific reference within literature.
Lack remorse	No specific reference within literature.
Borderline
Avoid abandonment	Avoidant attachment predicted severity of physical partner violence mediated by interpersonal difficulties [31]. Female offenders have greater number of traumatic experiences and less secure attachment styles [22]. ASPD and BPD diagnoses mediated path between by avoidant attachment intimate partner violence [34].
Unstable relationships	See ‘Avoid Abandonment’.
Identity disturbance	No specific reference within literature.
Impulsivity	See ‘Impulsivity’ under Antisocial diagnosis.
Suicidal behavior	No specific reference within literature.
Affective instability	Emotional Dysregulation predicted physical assault [40].
Emptiness	No specific reference within literature.
Anger	Impulsivity predicted physical aggression and trait anger. Trait anger mediates relationship between impulsivity and physical aggression. [42].
Paranoid ideation	Disturbed batterers higher levels of paranoid ideation [7].
Narcissistic
Grandiose	Link between experience grandiose delusions and serious violence. Stronger link to violence when associated with elation or anger [49].
Fantasies of success	No specific reference within literature.
Is “special”	See ‘Grandiose’.
Excessive admiration	No specific reference within literature.
Sense of entitlement	Evidence of inflated sense of entitlement linked to violent offenders. When violated more likely to be violent [18]
Exploitative	No specific reference within literature.
Lacks empathy	Violent offenders have reduced ability to recognise facial emotions [41]. Poor perspective taking exacerbated anger arousal [9]. Violent offender have poorer empathy [7].
Envious	No specific reference within literature.
Arrogant	No specific reference within literature.