Cycle of Violence Theory
Dr. Lenore Walker (1970) was credited for the cycle of violence theory that is involved within domesticaaly violent relationships. The cycle of violence theory is defined as "A repeating pattern of physical abuse which occurs in abusive relationships, victims of which may be treated in the ER for injuries sustained during the abuse." There are 3 phase that are coincide in this theory which includes; the tension building phase, the acute battering incident, and the honeymoon phase. Here are the characteristic of each phase, listed below:
Phase 1: The Tension Building Phase
The cycle can happen hundreds of times in an abusive relationship. Each stage lasts a different amount of time in a relationship. The total cycle can take anywhere from a few hours to a year or more to complete.
Phase 1: The Tension Building Phase
- woman can sense man becoming edgy and more prone to react negatively to frustration.
- in response, woman may become more nurturing, compliant, or may stay out of his way.
- she does not permit herself to become angry with him reasoning that she may deserve the abuse.
- with each minor battering a residual tension accumulates.
- he becomes more fearful she may leave him (reinforced by her withdrawal) and so becomes more possessive, brutal and threatening in order to keep her.
- the more she moves away from him, the more he moves oppressively toward her.
- sometimes the woman may provoke it just to get it over with, to release the tension, and to maintain some sense of control and get to the third phase of loving and calm.
- man fully accepts that his rage is out of control.
- he starts with a justification but ends not understanding what has happened.
- some women will fight back only during this phase because they've been damming up their anger during phase one and only feel safe letting it out now (with nothing to lose).
- he fears she will leave, so he does everything and promises everything to prevent it.
- his reasons may persuade her that he really can change.
- this phase is the "coming true" of all the good things that romantic love is supposed to provide.
- helping agents enter at this point, when it is most difficult for the woman to see objectively.
- the glider of realization that she is selling herself for a temporary dream state adds to her self-hatred.
The cycle can happen hundreds of times in an abusive relationship. Each stage lasts a different amount of time in a relationship. The total cycle can take anywhere from a few hours to a year or more to complete.
