Partner abuse is frequently conceptualized as a special form of violence, and batterers are usually separated from other violent offenders. Variables associated with partner assault were investigated using three groups of incarcerated men. Men convicted of domestic assault (n = 20) were compared with men who reported aggression toward other men but not their female partners (n = 19) and with nonviolent offenders (n = 20). Incarcerated men were used to control for a variety of nonspecific attitudes and experiences that often systematically vary when contrasting batterers with nonbatterers. No between-group differences were found for feminist measures related to sexist attitudes and beliefs. Group differences emerged for the skill-based variables of interpersonal aggressiveness, trait anger, and personal problem solving. Discriminant function analyses supported using skill-based variables to classify the samples. Overall, little empirical support was found for viewing batterers as distinct from other violent offenders.
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