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Causes of Abuse


Notes:

Now that we have examined some of the myths about domestic abuse, let’s look at some of the causes for choosing violence in relationships and in our society. While the following discussion is to help you recognize that there are a number of causes for violence, they are not presented as excuses or justification.

Learned response to stress: Modeling within the family, Socialization,
Violence as positive reinforcement.
Opportunity/ Societal Forces: This information is from the Dynamics of Domestic Abuse Handout. As we have been discussing, there are many myths and misconceptions about abusers and battered women. Societies lack of understanding and, consequently, lack of support leaves women feeling isolated and does little to stop the abuse.
Stress: The expression of feelings, restriction of feelings, association of anger and violence, association between stress and the progression of violence
Decision: Immediate or long-term planned justification,  "If she says/does that, I will be violent“ or "If I ever find out that she's (fooling around, drinking, talking to her friends about me), I'll be violent."