Research Paper On Domestic Violence Abusers
Who are the domestic violence abusers? What makes them tick? Is there any way of recognising someone who perpetrates domestic abuse? Can a 'normal' person suddenly become abusive? Can they be helped and will they stop abusing or is it likely to just get worse? Do they suffer from mental illness or personality disorders?
After the more dramatic and publicised Domestic Abuse stories hit the headlines, one often hears comments such as "what sort of Monster would do that" or "Nobody I know would do that sort of thing!". The assumption seems to be that all abusers walk around with a big A for 'abuser' on their forehead, are easily discernable by anyone 'normal' and always comply with the stereotypical image.
In actual fact one of the main
problems encountered by victims, friends, family and various agencies dealing with the consequences of an abusive relationship, is how 'normal' the perpetrators of domestic violence seem, how unlike the image so frequently portrayed by the media. In much the same way as we have a mental image of the 'stranger' on the street we have to be wary of as children, we grow up with an image in our minds of the sort of looks, gender, class and behaviour or other criteria by which we might expect to be able to recognise abusers. The basic message though is that there are no definite criteria which allow us to instantly recognise a potential perpetrator of domestic violence, though there are warning signs of an abusive personality.
This section of Hidden Hurt tries to address the question of who the abuser actually is, are there any tell-tale signs which could indicate an abusive personality, how does an abusive relationship actually work, if you think you may be abusive, where do you get help, and above all, why does one person abuse another, and is there any hope of the abuse stopping
After the more dramatic and publicised Domestic Abuse stories hit the headlines, one often hears comments such as "what sort of Monster would do that" or "Nobody I know would do that sort of thing!". The assumption seems to be that all abusers walk around with a big A for 'abuser' on their forehead, are easily discernable by anyone 'normal' and always comply with the stereotypical image.
In actual fact one of the main
problems encountered by victims, friends, family and various agencies dealing with the consequences of an abusive relationship, is how 'normal' the perpetrators of domestic violence seem, how unlike the image so frequently portrayed by the media. In much the same way as we have a mental image of the 'stranger' on the street we have to be wary of as children, we grow up with an image in our minds of the sort of looks, gender, class and behaviour or other criteria by which we might expect to be able to recognise abusers. The basic message though is that there are no definite criteria which allow us to instantly recognise a potential perpetrator of domestic violence, though there are warning signs of an abusive personality.
This section of Hidden Hurt tries to address the question of who the abuser actually is, are there any tell-tale signs which could indicate an abusive personality, how does an abusive relationship actually work, if you think you may be abusive, where do you get help, and above all, why does one person abuse another, and is there any hope of the abuse stopping