Cycle Of Domestic Violence Essay

Long Essay 2 MAYHALL Bonita Sexual violence is a very real and serious issue that both men and women face in todays society. There are many different types of sexual violence, one being sexual terrorism. The definition of sexual terrorism in the book is, “the threat of rape and sexual assault that controls a woman’s life whether or not she is actually physically or sexually assaulted,” (Shaw 69). Sexual terrorism is just one of the many forms of sexual violence discussed in the textbook. In chapters six and 10, the textbook discusses issues of sex, power, and violence. These chapters explain why violence is used as a way to gain control of another person. These chapters explain issues such as misogyny and intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence is a threat that most women face while being in a relationship. These topics were also discussed …show more content…
Along with that there is a cycle that most of these instances will follow and sprout from. Since the person who is suffering from the violence normally believes it is their fault, having an understanding of the cycle of domestic violence can help the victim realize they are not responsible for their abuse. The cycle of domestic violence has six parts: tension building, the abuse, guilt and fear of reprisal, blaming the victim, normalcy, and fantasy/set-up. In the first part of the cycle, the abuser will intentionally set their victim up to make them angry. The victim realizes what is happening and begins to apologize. Then the abuser strikes the victim, resulting in pain. The abuser will then feel bad for hitting the victim, but try to blame the victim for what happened. After this, the abuser tends to be extremely loving and the relationship calms until the abuser thinks about his past and sets his victim up again, therefore repeating the cycle (Shaw 557). Our class discussed reasons why the abused tend to not leave the