Psychology and Domestic Violence Around the World - Case Study Example

Domestic Violence Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecture Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date Introduction Domestic violence is a phenomenon that affects the health of many families across the world. Domestic violence is mostly perpetrated by men towards their partners in relationships. Domestic violence is hard to understand as one fails to grasp why a person would attack and hurt a person he/she professes to love. In this paper, the Psychological and sociological factors that lead to a person becoming violent against his family are explored. Secondly, the effects of the domestic violence on the victim’s ecological map are explored. Psychological Factors contributing to domestic violence Psychological factors are some of the biggest factors contributing to domestic violence in most homes. In this case study Psychological factors that lead to the man becoming abusive include: low self-esteem, depression, antisocial personality, heavy alcohol use, anger and hostility and for power and the desire for power and control in the relationship (Emery and Laumann-Billings 1998). In the case Study John’s low self-esteem may be one of the factors that are causing him to become abusive against her wife (Johnson and Ferraro 2000). In John’s case his low self-esteem can be noted because he recently suffered a back injury at work and is unable to work. In Anne’s internal dialogue on April 2, it is noted she says “ Maybe when he gets back to work, he won’t be so frustrated anymore”. According to Johnson and Ferraro (2000) most men who have a self-esteem problem are desperately seeking to be loved. This type of offenders are seeking to answer the question of whether they are lovable and their go about this by being vigilant aware of the behavior of others towards them. They keenly analyze their partners behavior, the tone of their voice, the words they use and have a construction in their mind of what works or doesn’t work. If the partner in the relationship does not act as the people in the relationship expect them to they react in a number of ways (Walker 1999): a). they put more effort in trying to please their partner. b). They become angry as they feel unloved. c). They feel they deserve better than they are being treated. Self-esteem problem in domestic violence offenders is a problem of their own making. Low self-esteem result from a person’s neediness, insecurity, unreasonable expectations, irrational self-image construction and inability to solve one’s own issues (Walker 1999). A general lack of assertiveness has been observed in individual’s suffering from low self-esteem. John failed to assert his position as the head of the Family when the family moved to North Adelaide. If John was assertive he would have been opposed to the family moving in the first instance. Walker (1999) notes that people with low self-esteem have to wait until their anger builds up to react. When the finally react these people are known to become sarcastic, rude, brusque, rude, aggressive and even violent. In the case it is clear that John’s lack of assertiveness is among the factors that cause him to become violent. According to Anne’s self reflection, she says John has resulted to alcohol to reduce the stress. This statement shows that John is suffering from depression but by resulting to alcohol as the solution is only making the problem worse. Most scholars believe alcohol is a major cause of domestic violence in most relationships (Gorney 1989). However, some sources say that abusers use drugs and alcohol as an excuse to become violent on the partners. Most offenders say they lost control of the situation which is an excuse as domestic violence is aimed at exerting control over the victim of the violence. Gorney (1989) argues that large amount of alcohol cause offenders to have an increased sense of domination and self-power over others. According to Bandura (1978) social learning theory in most communities’ men grow up believing they are superior to women. Consequently, an abuser who takes large amounts of alcohol may attempt to exert that control and power on their victim. In the case John feels like he has lost his power as the head of the family. When he drinks his perception is that he has recovered control over his wife and thus needs to exert power and that is why he becomes violent. KaKar (1998) differs with the idea that substances abuse causes domestic violence. This views are supported by Kakar (1998) who characterize abusers as individuals who are manipulative in nature, lack social support and have low self-esteem. Violent individuals show a low ability to deal with stress (Emery and Laumann-Billings 1998). In the case John ability to deal with her lack of employment is among the reasons for becoming violent. In his theory Kakar (1998) assert that perpetrators of domestic violence are unwilling to take responsibility over their own actions and tend to blame others. When John hits Anne he says he was not aware of what she was doing. He also tells Anne if she was around all the time then he wouldn’t go drinking blaming her for the problem. Kakar (1998) also list the following characteristics as psychological sign of a perpetrator of domestic violence: they are extremely possessive and jealous, overdependence on the victim, or suffering from a psychological disorder. Gorney (1989) notes that discussion on stopping of substance abuse turns violent in most instances. When Anne tries to advise John to stop drinking she becomes more violent once more. She regretefully say “i wish i had not mentioned the booze” (Flinder’s edu nd). Additionally, some studies have indicated that violent individuals are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol (Emery and Laumann-Billings 1998). According to Kakar (1998) low self-esteem is among the factors that increase the risk of women becoming victims of domestic violence. In Anne’s internal dialogue, her lack of self-esteem is shown when she blames herself for her daughters Astma attack. She seems to be in self doubt questioning her cleaniliness in the house. Anne also seems to be making excuses for her husband and blames herself because she feels she has not been spending enough time with John. Self-blame is also reflected by the fact that she thinks of herself as nagging to John’s and thinks if she stops nagging him he will become nicer to him. She also feels guilty as the situation they are going through is a result of her need to care for her mother. Another psychological factor that makes Anne a victim of violence is her feeling of helplessness (Emery and Laumann-Billings 1998). Anne is quoted as wondering “ for starters where would we go? We have no money and mum is so dependent” (Flinder’s edu nd). Her helplessness is increased by the fact that Anne is not willing to leave her pets behind when if she decides to leave her husband. Another pyschological problem that may be contributing to Anne being a victim of domestic violence is the belief that John is going to change and become less abusive (Emery and Laumann-Billings 1998). Lenore Walker proposes a model of domestic violence where violence occurs in a cycle. Walker (1993) analyzes domestic violence into the three phases: (1) The tension building phase (2) the battering phase, and (3) calm loving phase. In the first phase domestic violence involves minor incidents such a verbal abuse and the victim is subsevient to the abuser in bid to please him and end the attacks. When Anne and Johns squabble was going through this phase the minor incidents of abuse included yelling at her and at some point raised his hand as if to strike her. Intially, John would not understand that why Anne was spending so much time with her mother and was lashing out at her. The next phase of the violence against Anne was the acute battering phase where she recounts an incident when John just stood up and slapped her across the face (Flinder’s edu n.d). In the calm loving phase, John seems to have sobered up and even help Anne with house chores. However after a few days the situtions moves from bad to worse where Anne recalls an ordeal where John bashed his head against the kitchen wall. Even after these incidents Anne still believes that John is going to change and remains steadfastly in the relationship. Anne’s fear that John might kill her is another pychological factor that prevents her from leaving the abusive relationship. Sociological Among the socialogical factors that are likely to make John a perpertrator of domestic violence include: his occupation, income and his drinking company. According to Maxwell and Stone (2010) when men are going through financial hardship they are more likely to become violent to their partners. An alarming increase in domestic violence was recorded in the US during the 2008-09 economic slump. A former Pricewaterhouse and Sony Pictures murdered his children, wife and mother in law before shooting himself (Maxwell and Stone 2010). In his suicide note he indicated dire financial trouble as the cause of his action. In 2008, the number of domestic violence cases in Skockton, Carlifornia increased by 12 per cent with the majority of cases reported among families who were about to lose their homes from foreclosures (Maxwell and Stone 2010). However, Fagan (1993) tries to dissociate domestic violence with financial problems by saying that domestic violence is a classless problem. Finkelhor et al (2005) says that incedents of domestic violence are likely to be more prevalent among poor people, those holding low-prestige jobs and the unemployed. In the case it can be deduced that John works in a low-prestige job as he is not able to return to work until he recovers fully from the back injury. According to Finkelhor et al (2005) where both spouses are unemployed the likelyhood of violence occuring is very high. In the case, Anne has quit her job as a hair dresser while John stay at home due to his back injury. This increases the number of hours the couple are in contact with each other therefore frustration keep building up. When John came home and found Anne gone he became upset but if he had been working he would not have noticed Anne’s absence in the house. According to Bowlus and Seitz (2006) the risk of losing a job is a good deterrence to domestic violence, but where a person is not employed this detterence is absent. Another possible economic cause of John’s violent behaviours is due to increased financial stress. From the cases study it have been shown that John is now the sole breadwinner of not only his family but also her mother-in-law. Armour (2009) notes that when families move in together the amount of tension increases exponentially. According to Maxwell and Stone (2010) the stress associated with caring for an eldery parent has been associated with increased causes of domestic violence among older couples. According to feminist theories male perpertrators believe in gender roles and male dominance (Ferree 1990). Where a male partner has lost employment or is unable to work they feel they have been stripped dominance over their spouses and may want to show the dominance by using physical agression (Ferree 1990). In the case Anne associates John’s increased agression with his inability to work and says he might become nicer when he gets his job back. Among the social factors that place Anne at an increased risk of becoming a victim of domestic violence include her unemployment status, low prestige job, motherhood of two kinds and poverty. From Anne’s occupation as a hairdresser it can be concluded she is low income earner. The fact that she has to leave her job altogether to take care of her invalid mother further lowers her social economic status and increases the likelyhood she will become a victim of domestic violence. According to Bowlus and Seitz (2006) wealthier women are less likely to be victims of domestic violence than lower-income women. Another social factor closely linked to the amount of money a woman earns is her dependancy on an abusive partners finances. According to Barnett (2000) one of the most widely quoted reasons for women remaining in an abusive relationship is their lack of financial independence. In this case Anne is completely dependent on John to provide for all the needs of the family. Furthermore, Anne has two dependent children, while her daughter Jessica is experiencing health problems. At some point Anne seems so helpless as she is unable to take her children away from her husband who she depends upon for most of her basic needs. Fear is another risk factor found in this case that makes Anne more vulnerable to domestic violence. Anne is afraid that John might kill him if he finds her packing his suitcase in readiness to leave. She is also afraid that John might harm the pets if she leaves them behind. Effects of Domestic Violence on Victims Acccording to the Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model the effects of domestic violence are felt across three ecological levels; the microsystem level, the Exosytem level, the Mesosystem level and the Macrosystem level (Hess and Schultz 2008). The effects of the violence of Anne at the microsystem level include lower levels of self-esteem, self-blame and acceptance that the violence against her is justified. An also has an overwhelming feeling of shame that she might be the cause of the relationship problem they are experiencing. At the Microsystem level Anne’s attitude towards her mother seems to be changing as a result of her being a victim of domestic violence. She talks about her mother being nagging and she also comments that lately she has started getting tempers where she shouts at her children unnecessarily. At the community level Anne shows an increasing antisocial attitude where she is unable to seek protection against her violent husband form a shelter for women or through law enforcement. She also does not approach anyone to talk to her about the problem she is experiencing in her relationship. Conclusion In the paper it was found out that some of the psychological factors that contribute to John’s violent nature towards Anne include his inability to handle stress, his overdependence on Ann and Alcohol abuse. John’s low self-esteem resulting from the back injury and his inability to work are also quoted as major psychological factors contributing to John’s increasing aggressiveness against Anne. The fact that John takes alcohol heavily is also a significant contributor as it increases his sense of personal power and control over Anne. Anne own self-esteem and self blame problems are among the psychological factors that contribute to her increased vulnerability to domestic violence. Income and employment status are the main sociological factors that increase the likelihood of John becoming a perpetrator of domestic violence. Being unable to work John feels he has lost control over his family and thus needs to exert his power through physical aggression. Anne’s economic dependence on her husband means she cannot be able to get away from her. Therefore the factors contributing to domestic violence are both Psychological and Sociological References Armour, S 2009, More families move in together; Pooling resources can help but can also cause friction, USA Today, sec. Money, p. 7A. Bandura, A 1978, Social learning theory of aggression, Journal of communication, vol.28, no. 3, pp. 12-29. Barnett, OW 2000, Why battered women do not leave, Part 1: External inhibiting factors within society. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 343-372. Bowlus, A. J & Seitz, S 2006, Domestic violence, employment, and divorce, International Economic Review, vol 47, no.4, pp.1113-1149. Emery, RE & Laumann-Billings, L 1998, An overview of the nature, causes, and consequences of abusive family relationships: Toward differentiating maltreatment and violence, American Psychologist, vol.53, no.2, pp. 121. Fagan, J 1993, Social structure and spouse assault. In Brian Forst (Ed.), The Socioeconomics of Crime and Justice (pp. 209-237), M.E. Sharpe, Armonk, NY: Ferree, M 1990, Beyond separate spheres: Feminism and family research, Journal of Marriage and the Family, vol. 52, pp.866-884. Finkelhor, D, Ormrod, R, Turner, H, & Hamby, S 2005, The victimization of children and youth: A comprehensive, national survey, Child Maltreatment, vol. 10, no.1, pp.5-25. Flinder’s edu nd, Patients Journey, accessd on 28th May 2013, http://nursing.flinders.edu.au/caseworld/viewcase.php?viewid=a3b3d42b-c4#tabs-11 Hess, SA, & Schultz, JM 2008, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model. Lenses: Applying Lifespan Development Theories in Counseling, vol. 52. Johnson, MP & Ferraro, KJ 2000, Research on domestic violence in the 1990s: Making distinctions, Journal of Marriage and Family,vol 62, no. 4, pp. 948-963. Kakar, S 1998, Domestic abuse: Public policy/criminal justice approaches towards child, spousal, and elderly abuse, Austin & Winfield, Bethesda. Maxwell, CD & Stone, RJG 2010, Working Paper: The Nexus between Economics and Family Violence: The Expected Impact of Recent Economic Declines on the Rates and Patterns of Intimate, Child and Elder Abuse, National Institute of Justice, New York Walker, LE 1993, The battered woman syndrome is a psychological consequence of abuse, Current controversies on family violence, pp. 133-153. Walker, LE 1999, Psychology and domestic violence around the world, American Psychologist, vol. 54,pp. 21-29. Read More