Download Choices in Relationships

Choices in
Relationships
Chapter Fourteen: Violence and Abuse
in Relationships
Definitions of Violence/Physical
Abuse and Emotional Abuse
• Violence (physical abuse)
– Defined as the intentional infliction of
physical harm by either partner on the other.
Explanations for Violence/Abuse
in Relationships
• Cultural Factors
– Violence in the Media
– Corporal Punishment
– Gender Inequality
– View of Women and Children as Property
– Stress
Explanations for Violence/Abuse
in Relationships
• Community Factors
– Social Isolation
– Poverty
– Inaccessible or Unaffordable Community
Services
– Lack of Violence Prevention Programs
Explanations for Violence/Abuse
in Relationships
• Individual Factors
– Psychopathology
– Personality Factors
– Alcohol and Other Drug Use
Explanations for Violence/Abuse
in Relationships
•
Individual Factors
Personality Factors
•
•
•
•
Dependency
Jealousy
Need to control
Unhappiness and
dissatisfaction
• Anger and aggressiveness
•
•
•
•
Quick involvement
Blaming others for problems
Jekyll-and-Hyde personality
Isolation
• Other factors
Explanations for Violence/Abuse
in Relationships
• Family Factors
– Child Abuse in Family of Origin
– Parents Who Abused Each Other
Abuse in Dating Relationships
• Acquaintance and Date Rape
– Acquaintance rape is defined as nonconsensual sex
between adults who know each other.
– Date rape refers to nonconsensual sex between people
who are dating or on a date.
• Rophypnol—The Date Rape Drug
– Rophypnol, known as “the date rape drug,” causes
profound, prolonged sedation and short-term memory
loss.
Abuse in Marriage Relationships
• General Abuse in Marriage
– The ways in which spouses are abusive
toward each other resemble the abusive
behavior of unmarried couples.
• Rape in Marriage
– Ten percent of married women in a Boston
survey reported that they had been raped by
their husbands
Effects of Abuse
• Effects of Partner Abuse on Victims
– The most obvious effect of physical abuse by
an intimate partner is physical injury.
– Other effects include fear, feelings of
helplessness, confusion, isolation,
humiliation, anxiety, stress-induced illness,
symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder,
and suicide attempts.
Effects of Abuse
• Effects of Partner Abuse on Children
– Some women are abused during their
pregnancy, resulting in a high rate of
miscarriage and birth defects.
– Negative effects may also accrue to children
who just witness domestic abuse.
– It is not unusual for children to observe and to
become involved in adult domestic violence.
Should You End an Abusive
Marital Relationship?
• Some say, “Seek a divorce.”
– Those opting for divorce felt they couldn’t
live with someone who had abused or would
abuse them.
• Most said, “Don’t overreact and try to
work it out.”
– Most felt that marriage was too strong a
commitment to end if the abuse could be
stopped.
The Cycle of Abuse
The Cycle of Abuse
• Why People Stay in Abusive Relationships
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Love
Emotional dependency
Commitment to the relationship
Hope
View of violence as legitimate
Guilt
Fear
Economic dependence
Isolation
The Cycle of Abuse
• Disengaging from an Abusive
Relationship
– The abused woman may have difficulty
breaking free because of limited resources.
– The catalyst for breaking free combines the
sustained aversiveness of staying, the
perception that she and her children will be
harmed by doing so, and the awareness of an
alternative path.
The Cycle of Abuse
• Strategies to Prevent Domestic Abuse
– Public education
– Media campaigns
– Reducing poverty and unemployment
• Treatment of Partner Abusers
– Treatment for men who abuse their partners involves
teaching them to take responsibility for their own
abusive behavior, developing empathy for their
partner’s victimization, reducing their dependency on
their partners, and improving their communication
skills.
General Child Abuse
• Child abuse may take many forms—
physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.
General Child Abuse
• Physical Abuse and Neglect
– Child abuse can be defined as any interaction
or lack of interaction between a child and his
or her parents or caregiver that results in
nonaccidental harm to the child’s physical or
psychological well-being.
– Child abuse includes physical abuse, verbal
abuse, and neglect.
General Child Abuse
•
Factors Contributing to General Child
Abuse
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Parental psychopathology
Unrealistic expectations
History of abuse
Displacement of aggression
Social isolation
Fatherless homes
Other factors
General Child Abuse
• Other factors include:
• The pregnancy is premarital or unplanned, and the
father or mother does not want the child.
• The child suffers from developmental disabilities
or mental retardation.
• The parents are unemployed.
• Abuse between the husband and wife is present.
• The children are adopted or are foster children.
General Child Abuse
• Effects of General Child Abuse
–
–
–
–
Few close social relationships
Inability to love or trust
Communication problems and learning disabilities
Aggression, low self-esteem, depression, and low
academic achievement
– Physical injuries
– Increased risk of alcohol or substance abuse and
suicidal tendencies as adults
– Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Child Sexual Abuse
• Extrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse—The
Catholic Example
– In extrafamilial child sexual abuse the
perpetrator is someone outside the family who
is not related to the child.
• Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse
– A more frequent type of child sexual abuse is
intrafamilial child sexual abuse (formerly
referred to in professional literature as incest).
Child Sexual Abuse
• Effects of Child Sexual Abuse
– The most devastating effects of being sexually
abused occur when the sexual abuse is
forceful, is prolonged, and involves
intercourse, and when it is perpetrated by a
father or stepfather.
Child Sexual Abuse
• Strategies to Reduce Child Sexual Abuse
– Regendering cultural roles
– Providing specific information on sex abuse
– Improving the safety of neighborhoods
– Providing sexuality education at school
– Promoting public awareness campaigns
Parent, Sibling, and Elder Abuse
• Parent Abuse
– It is not uncommon for teenage and even
younger children to physically and verbally
lash out at their parents.
• Sibling Abuse
– Most incidents of sibling violence consist of
slaps, pushes, kicks, bites, and punches.
Parent, Sibling, and Elder Abuse
• Elder Abuse
– Neglect
– Physical abuse
– Psychological abuse
– Social abuse
– Legal abuse