1. Choices in Relationships
Chapter Fourteen: Violence and Abuse
in Relationships

2. Definitions of Violence/Physical Abuse and Emotional Abuse
Defined as the intentional infliction of physical harm by either partner on the other.

3. Explanations for Violence/Abuse in Relationships
Cultural Factors
Violence in the Media
Corporal Punishment
Gender Inequality
View of Women and Children as Property
Stress

4. Explanations for Violence/Abuse in Relationships
Community Factors
Social Isolation
Poverty
Inaccessible or Unaffordable Community Services
Lack of Violence Prevention Programs

5. Explanations for Violence/Abuse in Relationships
Individual Factors
Psychopathology
Personality Factors
Alcohol and Other Drug Use

6. 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

7. Explanations for Violence/Abuse in Relationships
Family Factors
Child Abuse in Family of Origin
Parents Who Abused Each Other

8. 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.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. The Cycle of Abuse

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. General Child Abuse
Child abuse may take many forms—physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse.

18. 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.

19. General Child Abuse Factors Contributing to General Child Abuse
Parental psychopathology
Unrealistic expectations
History of abuse
Displacement of aggression
Social isolation
Fatherless homes
Other factors

20. 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.

21. 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)

22. 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).

23. 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.

24. 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

25. 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.

26. Parent, Sibling, and Elder Abuse
Neglect
Physical abuse
Psychological abuse
Social abuse
Legal abuse