Early researchers in the field played down individual personality disturbances as causal agents of family violence in favour of social and cultural factors (27). More recently, though, research on family violence has shown that abusers who are physically aggressive are more likely to have personality disorders and alcohol-related problems than the general population (28). Similarly, studies restricted to violence against older people in domestic settings have found that aggressors are more likely to have mental health and substance abuse problems than family members or caregivers who are not violent or otherwise abusive (29–31). Cognitive and physical impairments of the abused older person were strongly identified in the early studies as risk factors for abuse. However, a.
