Domestic Violence
Introduction
Also referred to as spouse abuse, child abuse, intimate partner violence and domestic abuse, domestic violence has been defined in many ways that argue that domestic violence is inclusive of various patterns of abusive behaviors used by one or both partners involved in an intimate relationship. Intimate relationships can be marriage, cohabiting, dating or family and friends. Physical aggression and threats are known forms of domestic violence. Many variables have been defined that do not make domestic violence a crime and these depend on local situations, and severity of situation. Abuse has been frequently associated with alcohol and drug abuse.
Documentation, perception as well as awareness of domestic violence vary from one country to another. It is reported that only one-third cases of domestic violence are reported in United States and United Kingdom.
Domestic Violence In Relation To Social and Psychological Theories
Many causes of domestic violence have been defined in relation to psychological and social theories. Psychological theories analyze personality traits and mental characteristics of an offender. External characteristics as family structure, income and finances, stress and social learning are studied and analyzed in social theories.
Psychological theories
As observed, 80 of men involved in domestic violence cases exhibit psychopathological symptoms including many kinds of personality disorders. Percentage of occurrence of psychopathological diseases in men is generally lesser, 10-25 in a population but in cases where violence becomes severe reaching its chronic stages, psychopathology in these men increases as high as 100.
As mentioned, personality traits are analyzed in psychological theories. These traits include sudden bursts of anger, lesser and poor self-esteem and poor impulse control. In some cases, it has been argued that personality traits and psychopathologies are only factors that increase violent traits in men. In addition, it has been seen that children who face abuse are likely to become more violent in their adulthood. Researches show that there is a high occurrence of psychopathology among abusers. Men who are seen to be involved in abusing their wives develop borderline personalities earlier in their lives.
It has been argued that very less work has been done on psychological theories in relation to domestic violence and theories that have been so far presented fit only 10 of violent men. Thereby much more importance has been given to social theories that fully represent factors involved in domestic violence.
Social theories
This set of theories represents external factors involved in domestic violence as family structure, and stress.
Resource theory
In 1971, William Goode coined the theory stating a fact that decision powers within families are derived from resources that a person in a relationship brings in. It directly refers to dependency of women on their spouses for financial stability and economic well-being. Women in houses are generally responsible for upbringing their children and managing households thereby they have fewer options but to depend on husbands for their economic stability. Thereby they are deemed unable to leave their marriages. These kinds of couples face more conflicts as man of the house is under economic pressure thereby dependence increases these conflicts.
On the contrary, couples less dependent on each other face lesser conflicts as responsibilities in a house are equally divided. However, in these cases, theory suggests that in order to gain power and control, spouse may resort to abuse by making use of physical abuse, emotional abuse, threatening to take away children and intimidation.
Social learning theory
This theory is a derivation from work done by Cornell Montgomery. Theory suggests that people learn new things from reinforcements or punishments, often referred to as observational learning of social factors surrounding a person at a time. In relation to family violence, it has been argued that higher incidents of domestic violence are associated with situational factors along with contextual factors.
Contextual factors include characteristics of the couple involved, histories of stress and occurrences of violence in family as well as aggressive personality.
Situational factors include substance abuse and financial conditions of a family. Social learning theory has suggested that certain factors contribute higher in creating violent behaviors than others and roles of marital instability have been discussed.
Social learning theory has openly rejected an idea that violence and aggression are natural and acceptable. Issues related to gender attributes have been discussed as it is known that males have more tendency of becoming violent and aggressive.
Marital power theory
This theory argues that power in a house falls into three categories, power processes, power outcomes and power bases. Dominance of one partner over another is dependent on which partner provides resources, financial and economic stability in house. This can be linked to argument given in resource theory. Power processes argue interaction techniques used by partners in order to gain dominance over another partner and these techniques include assertiveness, manipulation, problem solving as well as negotiation. In a house, one partner makes decisions in various household issues refers to power outcomes. Thereby as a conclusion, it can be argued that partner who lacks decision making capabilities and lacks power to introduce resources in house is weaker thus, is vulnerable.
Traumatic bonding theory
This social theory in detail, explains many reasons of women staying with men who are violent with them. In this case, two main features have been explained. Power imbalance in a relationship is an important factor that makes a violent partner feel powerful emotionally. Another factor that has been discussed includes intermittent nature of abuse. Theory asserts a fact that relationships, tends to polarize with time. Dominator and the powerless create poles in a relationship thereby the powerless is increasingly dependent on dominator for financial and economic stability as well as shelter.
Legitimacy of love and relationship is cemented because of positive displays of love as well as affection in moments between violence and abuse. In this case, Stockholm syndrome has been brought to attention in which weaker partner is greatly thankful to dominating partner for smallest kindness and gratitude exhibited. In this case, victim rationalizes all acts of violence and in order to please dominating partner, any anger against violence is denied. World is imagined through eyes of an abuser.
Causalist view of domestic violence
This view is representative of Bancrofts cause and benefit theory. Cause and effect theory suggests that abuse is a reward of dominant person in the family and according to the perpetrator, this reward is better than just exercising power over weaker partner. In some cases, it has been observed that abusers can gain control over themselves but in most of the cases, fail to do so.
Conclusion
Along with terms as family violence that are used broadly, intimate partner violence is more synonymously used. Domestic violence is a problem that needs to be researched with relevant and applicable psychological theories. It has been suggested by Centre for Disease Control and Prevention that domestic violence is a disease that has affected approximately 10 of US population that equals 32 million US citizens.
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