Domestic Violence
Introduction
Domestic violence can be defined as, ‘any violence between current and former partners in an intimate relationship wherever and whenever the violence occurs. The violence may include physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse’ (Home Office 2003: 6). Domestic violence is not a new phenomenon. Experienced still by women today, domestic violence can be dated back to even the 17th and 18th century. We shall explore the different outlooks of domestic violence including psychological, sociological and the feminist perspective. In conjunction, two more concepts seem to deliver a clarification for the progression and endurance of abusive relationships; they are the attachment theory (Dutton, Saunders, Starzomski, & Bartholomew, 1994; Stoney, 1995) and the “metaperspective.” (Goldner, 1998; Goldner, Penn, Sheinberg, & Walker, 1990)
Psychological Perspective
The psychological outlook on domestic violence describes both the abuser and the victim to have an array of psychopathologies. Abusive men are believed to experience low self-esteem and lack of impulse control (Hamberger & Hastings, 1988), antisocial tendencies (Hotaling, Straus, & Lincoln, 1989), and the effects of substance abuse (Kantor & Straus, 1987). A study by Rosenbaum et al. (1994) affirmed that head injury is a prominent forecast of spousal abuse. On the other hand, women who were abused were thought to have, masochism (Pleck, 1987), learned helplessness (Gondolf & Fisher, 1988; Walker, 1979), “psychic numbing,” and hyper exaggerated startle responses (Douglas, 1987; Herman, 1992).
Ferraro and Johnson (1983) presented a list of reasons, given by abused women, as to why they remain in abusive relationships and some of the reasons clearly reflected the psychological mind frame of the victim. Four typical rationalizations were identified across the board. They include, denial of injury and of being hurt, attributing the abusers’ behaviour to external factors beyond the abusers control, denial
Domestic violence can be defined as, ‘any violence between current and former partners in an intimate relationship wherever and whenever the violence occurs. The violence may include physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse’ (Home Office 2003: 6). Domestic violence is not a new phenomenon. Experienced still by women today, domestic violence can be dated back to even the 17th and 18th century. We shall explore the different outlooks of domestic violence including psychological, sociological and the feminist perspective. In conjunction, two more concepts seem to deliver a clarification for the progression and endurance of abusive relationships; they are the attachment theory (Dutton, Saunders, Starzomski, & Bartholomew, 1994; Stoney, 1995) and the “metaperspective.” (Goldner, 1998; Goldner, Penn, Sheinberg, & Walker, 1990)
Psychological Perspective
The psychological outlook on domestic violence describes both the abuser and the victim to have an array of psychopathologies. Abusive men are believed to experience low self-esteem and lack of impulse control (Hamberger & Hastings, 1988), antisocial tendencies (Hotaling, Straus, & Lincoln, 1989), and the effects of substance abuse (Kantor & Straus, 1987). A study by Rosenbaum et al. (1994) affirmed that head injury is a prominent forecast of spousal abuse. On the other hand, women who were abused were thought to have, masochism (Pleck, 1987), learned helplessness (Gondolf & Fisher, 1988; Walker, 1979), “psychic numbing,” and hyper exaggerated startle responses (Douglas, 1987; Herman, 1992).
Ferraro and Johnson (1983) presented a list of reasons, given by abused women, as to why they remain in abusive relationships and some of the reasons clearly reflected the psychological mind frame of the victim. Four typical rationalizations were identified across the board. They include, denial of injury and of being hurt, attributing the abusers’ behaviour to external factors beyond the abusers control, denial