Domestic Violence – Roots and Causes
Domestic violence is bad. No doubt about that. It has intended and unintended consequences. Its negative effect can last a lifetime and its sphere of influence can be very wide.
Whether the domestic violence is partner-to-partner, adult-to-child, spousal, parental, it doesn’t matter. It must be eradicated and offenders punished with strong and effective deterrents.
However, it is also prudent to find out what causes domestic violence. You may ask: are all rapists bad people? Are they born with a gene that breaks out in such terrible and criminal behavior? Does everyone have dark pasts that they can’t get over?
These are questions for a psychoanalyst. What this article provides is a basis for examining the root cause(s) of domestic violence. Here are some commonly observed root causes. I should point out that most people do not resort to domestic or other violence simply because of these issues, but there are definitely cases where these can escalate into violent behavior.
1. Stress: Domestic While no excuse, it is a fact that rapists can be overwhelmed by stress and manifest it through violent behavior, especially where there is no opposition. Causes can be as simple as an unruly child. , an abusive spouse, a conniving neighbor, a bad boss… all of these can cause a person to lose self-control and begin to lash out at the next available victim, usually in the home.
2. Inferiority complex: Although it may seem ironic, a person who has a serious self-esteem problem or an inferiority complex may become violent, partly to mask it, partly to lash out at their inadequacy.
3. Mental instability: People with dissociative, personality, psychotic or fictitious disorders may resort to violence.
4. Childhood It is now a well-researched fact that certain types of childhood trauma can lead to adult behaviors that result in domestic violence. These may include abuse by a relative, feelings of extreme neglect, manipulative behavior by a close adult relative or friend, and capital punishment.
5. Desire to control: A domestic rapist seeks to control his spouse or child. In the offender’s mind, “control” means complete and unconditional power to control another person’s thoughts, behavior, and key aspects of lifestyle. These would include eating, getting in and out of the house, TV shows, friends, etc. Again, this may be due to the offender’s inability to control other parts of her life. This may be the last refuge for the offender.
I have listed some of the common causes that have traditionally been listed and studied by psychologists and abuse experts. Often, counseling helps uncover the root cause or causes behind violent behavior.
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