To outsiders and friends, batterers are often well respected and appear to be good providers, loving partners and law-abiding citizens. There is another side to batterers that often only victims see – one of violence, power, and control. They are master manipulators and are good at disguising their abusive behavior.

Generally, batterers believe that (1) they are entitled to maintain power and control over their partner; (2) it is "okay" for them to use violence; (3) abusive behavior works by getting them what they want; and (4) they will suffer no severe consequences for their actions

Further studies have identified a group of psychological/character traits and environmental factors that increase the risk of individuals becoming batterers. The indicators are as follows:

• Low self-esteem
• High power/control needs
• High levels of anger/hostility
• Depression
• Poor impulse control
• Denial/minimization/justification of own violence
• Possessiveness/suspiciousness/jealousy of partner
• Poor communication with partner
• Guardedness in all relationships
• Verbal aggressiveness
• Traditional sex role expectations
• Abusive childhood
• Substance abuse
• Unstable employment
• Abuse own children

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