The Cycle of Violence Theory - Essay Example

Violent relationships often begin here. The abuser is passionate, caring, gentle, and charming. The abuser may present his or her victim with gifts, do nice things, and make the victim feel loved and accepted.

To Walker, violent acts are generally preceded by times of developing unrest in the relationship. The abuser is likely to be increasingly short-tempered, paranoid, or jealous (Walker, 2009). The victim will often try to protect himself or herself by placating the abuser. The victim can do nothing to avoid upsetting the partner.

The abuser becomes violent through physical attacks, intimidating behavior, threats, and emotional abuse to keep the victim in line. In this phase, the victim may be too frightened to seek out the required help.

From a psychological view, the cycle of violence is a behavior pattern, deemed unacceptable. It is because of certain influences conveyed in particular circumstances like in intimate relationships (McClennen, 2010). It has a basis in general human behavior; it explains how specific forces such as other people’s behavior and the component phases of personal behavior may influence human behavior. Walker argued that victimization, early disclosure of violence, and consequential antisocial behavior are connected.

This theory has been utilized to explain various scenarios, such as the contribution of parents to child abuse in developing violent future generations, particularly in domestic violence (Pagelow & Pagelow, 1984). The cycle of violence can be used to refer to abusive behavior and domestic violence. It can be used to explain that children who live with domestic violence perceive that abuse is acceptable.