In 1979 psychologist Lenore Walker described a cycle she observed while interviewing 1,500 victims of domestic violence. This four-stage cycle of abuse consists of a period of tension-building that climaxes in an incident of abuse, followed by reconciliation and an interval of calmness that inevitably regresses to tension-building and another incident of abuse, ad infinitum (Grand Canyon University (GCU) PCN-360 Family Cycles of Abuse Lecture). Since substance abuse is commonly associated with domestic violence, substance-use disorder (SUD) counselors should be aware of environmental factors that influence the cycle of abuse as it emerges in successive generations of a family.
The body of evidence suggests that domestic abuse is learned …show more content…
Correlations have been observed between abusive behavior and both mental and physical disorders (Kendall-Tackett, 2000, as cited by Hirschy & Wilkinson, 2010). Psychodynamic theory explains abusive behavior to be internalized traumatic childhood experiences filtered through the id and superego, manifesting as personality aberrations which cause negative responses to family members. Similarly, attachment theory suggests that lack of infant bonding to a caregiver can result in a variety of negative adulthood deficiencies, including a tendency toward violence that can emerge as the cycle of abuse in relationships. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory regards abusive behavior as a result of a series of direct and indirect influences on a child, including social and chronological systems. Although none of these theories offer a singular explanation for domestic violence, they do provide a collective framework of insight as to why the cycle of abuse emerges in some
The body of evidence suggests that domestic abuse is learned …show more content…
Correlations have been observed between abusive behavior and both mental and physical disorders (Kendall-Tackett, 2000, as cited by Hirschy & Wilkinson, 2010). Psychodynamic theory explains abusive behavior to be internalized traumatic childhood experiences filtered through the id and superego, manifesting as personality aberrations which cause negative responses to family members. Similarly, attachment theory suggests that lack of infant bonding to a caregiver can result in a variety of negative adulthood deficiencies, including a tendency toward violence that can emerge as the cycle of abuse in relationships. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory regards abusive behavior as a result of a series of direct and indirect influences on a child, including social and chronological systems. Although none of these theories offer a singular explanation for domestic violence, they do provide a collective framework of insight as to why the cycle of abuse emerges in some