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Domestic Violence Group Action Project

Domestic Violence: Theories of


Causation
Many theories have existed and evolved over time to attempt
Home to grasp the reasons for unrestrained (and often
Surviving Domestic Violence unrestrainable) violence in human society. This analysis of
Resources for Counselors and
Others Working With Survivors
violence ranges from the macro level (wars, government,
Resources for Educators repression, etc) to acts between the couple and the
Social Roles and Gender individual. Such efforts to define violence, particularly
Identities of Men partner violence (which integrates complex interrelations of
Contributing Factors of
Domestic Violence gender and sexuality) need to be investigated within the
Men Speaking About Male context of their respective societies. Here is a sampling of
Messages
the different theories that exist.
Domestic Violence: Theories
of Causation
The Criminal Justice Response Theory #1 (Culture of Violence Theory): Idea that in large, pluralistic
General Resources and Links societies, some subcultures develop norms that permit the use of physical
violence to a greater degree than the dominant culture. Thus family violence
will occur more frequently in violent societies than in peaceful ones. Peer-
relationships that support patriarchal dominance in the family and use of
violence to support it are exemplary of this subculture. This theory has also
produced the theories that examples from pornography and violent images on
TV can support a "culture of violence" against women.

Theory#2 (Ecological Theory): This theory attempts to link violence in


the family to the broader social environment. This includes the culture, the
formal and informal social networks of the family, the closer family setting and
circumstances, and the family history. This type of framework sets up a basis
for a risk-theory of domestic assault based on the given criteria.

Theory#3 (Evolutionay Theory): This theory posits that as societies


have changed from the relatively simple to the more complex, families have
become smaller and nuclear in form and social relations have become more
structured and thereby, more ambiguous. These changed circumstances
result in different styles of parenting - for example, in tighter family networks
less independence is granted to children and instead there is a reliance on
physical punishment to secure obedience. This theory argues that obedience
is valued most in highly structured hierarchical societies where a lot of activity
occurs in formal social encounters outside the home.

Theory#4 (Feminist Theory): THere are many different ideas within


feminist theory of domestic violence, but M.Bograd in Feminist Perspectives
on Wife Abuse has identified four common strains. These are 1) that as the
dominant class, men have differential access to material and symbolic
resources and women are devalued as secondary and inferior 2) intimate
partner abuse is a predictable and common dimension of normal family life 3)
women's experiences are often defined as inferior because male domination
influences all aspects of life 4) the feminist perspective is dedicated to
advocacy for women.
On the individual and couple level, different theories that integrate more
psychological, sociological and biological perspectives exist:

Biopsychosocial Perspective: This theory is an attempt to tie together


biological (testosterone levels, alcohol abuse) factors, social factors such as
the level of social stress, quality of the relationship, the income and extent of
social support available; and psychological (antisocial tendencies, hostility,
egocentrism, need for gratification or attention).

Exchange Theory: People hit and abuse each other because it achieves a
certain goal and the benefit outweighs the cost. For example, if a husband is
likely to suffer social censure and castigation, he may be less inclined to use
violence as a means of control.

Investment Theory: This theory examines the causes for commitment for
relationships, which include anticipated relationship satisfaction, the negative
function of perceived alternatives, and amount that has already been
invested. These investments may be emotional, social, or financial.

Resource Theory: Posits that the decision making power within an given
family derives from the value of the resources that each person brings to the
relationship. This may indicate resources both financial, social and
organizational.

Social Learning Theory: Family violence arises due to many contextual


and situational factors. Contextual factors include individual/couple
characteristics, stress, violence in the family, or an aggressive
personality. Situational factors include substance abuse and financial
difficulties. Social learning theory also extends these factors onto the
influence of children growing up within a combination of these external forces.

Marital Power Theory: Hypothesis that power falls into three realms:
power bases, power processes and power outcomes. Power bases consist of
the assets and resources that provide the bases for one partner's domination
over another. Power processes include the interactional techniques that an
individual uses to gain control, such as negotiation, assertiveness and
problem-solving. Power outcome refers to who actually makes the
decision. According to this theory, those partners who lack power will be more
likely to physically abuse.

Traumatic Bonding Theory: This theory seeks to explain why women


remain with men who beat them. Two features have been recognized: the
existence of a power imbalance within the relationship, so that the batterer
perceives him or herself as dominating the other, and the intermittent nature of
the abuse. This theory postulates that as these power relationships polarize
over time, the powerless individual in the relationship becomes increasingly
dependent on the dominator. In addition, moments in between abuse are
times when positive displays of love and affection cement the legitimacy of the
relationship. The Stockholm Syndrome, suggested by Dutton and Golant,
gives a variety of common experiences: The victim is intensel grateful for small
kindness shown to him/her by the abuser, victim rationalizes acts of violence,
victim denies his/her own anger, victim feels the need to "get inside the
abuser's head" in order to know how to please, the victim often sees the world
from the abusers perspective, and the victim shows signs of Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder.

Loue, Sana Intimate Partner Violence: Societal, Medical, Legal and Individual Responses. New
York: Kluwer Academic/Plenium Publishers, 2001.

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