VIOLENT BEHAVIOR IN BORDERLINE PERSONALITY

Little is known about the nature and prevalence of interpersonal violence among individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Employing a longitudinal, multi-site sample, this study examined the degree to which BPD constitutes a risk marker for future violent behavior, and describes the characteristics of violent individuals with BPD and the nature of their violence. Findings showed that 73% of BPD subjects engaged in violence during the one-year study period, and frequently exhibited co-morbid antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and psychopathic characteristics. Reported violence was mostly characterized by disputes with acquaintances or significant others. Results also suggest that the shared variance among ASPD, psychopathy, and BPD served to diminish the independent predictive effect of BPD on violence. These findings point to violence as a serious and prevalent problem among individuals with BPD, for whom targeted violence reduction strategies that take into account ASPI) and psychopathic co-morbidity must be developed.