Assertiveness deficits and hostility in domestically violent men.

Two types of assertiveness, the ability to refuse a demand or request and the ability to initiate a request or affirmatively express a need, were examined in a clinical sample of domestically violent men (N = 78) in contrast to a nonviolent comparison group (N = 29). No significant difference was found between the groups on refusal behavior. However, a significant difference was found on initiating/request behavior, the violent men evidencing lower scores than their nonviolent counterparts. Significant differences in anger and hostility were also apparent between groups. There was a significant and positive correlation between refusal behavior and overt anger/hostility. A significant and negative correlation was observed between initiating/request behavior and covert anger/hostility. The results support the presence of social skill deficits, which appear to be significantly related to anger and hostility in domestically violent men. The findings also suggest that domestically violent men have a more specific profile of assertiveness deficits than has been previously discussed in the literature.