d59KNYm

286 SNAKES IN SUITS
If a victim of abuse, you should seek advice and counsel from
those around you—friends, family members, or trusted colleagues—
or, depending on the type of abuse, the authorities or human services
providers dealing with these types of issues.
Is Your Partner a Psychopath?
Recent research indicates that about 20 to 25 percent of the
men who persistently abuse and batter their wives or partners
are psychopaths. In many jurisdictions spousal assault results in
jail time, but some courts give the abuser a choice of going to jail
or taking part in a court-mandated treatment program, particularly
if he is well educated, articulate, and without a previous
criminal record. This may be the only time a psychopath will voluntarily
seek treatment. The problem is that he will appear to
make good progress, receive a document attesting to this
progress, and will return to his partner a “much-improved man.”
The reality is that there is no evidence that psychopaths derive
any benefit from treatment or management programs. The
consequences of this exercise in futility are borne by the partner.
Psychopathic batterers should not be given the option of avoiding
jail by undertaking treatment.
12. What to Do When You Realize
You Have Been a Pawn
Eventually, the unexplained lies, inconsistencies, negative feelings,
and feedback from friends and family reach a point when the victim
begins to realize that he or she has been a pawn in a psychopath’s
game. It may take a lot of validation, and a lot of time, for the realization
to sink in.