Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Theories of Family Violence
- The Psychiatric Model of Family Violence
- The psychiatric model tries to understand family
violence by analyzing the offender’s personality traits
and mental status. Some professionals also include
individual characteristics of the victim in this approach.
This model characterizes personality disorders, mental
illness, and substance abuse as the primary causes of
family violence.
- The Psychopathology Theory
- The psychopathology theory is grounded on the
concept that certain individuals suffer from mental
illness, personality disorders, and other
dysfunctions that cause them to engage in
aggressive acts within the family. This mental
disorder, or illness, causes the individual to react
violently within the family.20 It is not surprising
that this theory was first proposed by those in the
medical profession.
- The problem with the
psychopathology model is its
failure to explain which personality
traits are associated with family
violence. In addition, focusing on
mental illness as a cause of
violence ignores the fact that many
violent individuals are not
considered mentally ill.
- The Substance Abuse Theory
- The substance abuse theory accepts the
proposition that drugs or alcohol cause or
contribute to family violence. This theory is based
on the concept that these substances impair
judgment and lessen inhibitions and thereby
allow violent acts to occur. Some authorities
believe that these substances do not cause family
violence. Rather, they are used as an excuse for
violent acts
- no concrete evidence establishes that these
substances directly cause family violence. In
addition, this theory fails to explain why not
everyone who uses alcohol or drugs engages in
violent acts
- The Social-Psychological Model of Family Violence
- The social-psychological model analyzes external environmental factors
that affect the family unit. Factors such as stress, family structure, the
intergenerational transmission of violence, and family interactions are all
considered as primary causes of family violence.
- The Social Learning Theory
- The social learning theory is an integration of differential associations with differential reinforcements
so that the people with whom one interacts are the reinforcers of behavior that results in learning both
deviant and nondeviant behavior. The social learning process is accomplished by two important
mechanisms: modeling and reinforcement. Modeling is an important tool in learning behavior. Children
learn by watching and imitating others. This role-model situation results in children adopting the
behavior they observe in adults, including aggressive acts. Reinforcement occurs when certain behavior
is rewarded and other behavior is punished.
- The social learning theory has been criticized as failing to explain certain
kinds of spontaneous acts of aggression within the family, such as a
frustrated parent who suddenly slaps a crying child.
- The Exchange Theory
- The exchange theory is based on the premise that persons act
according to a system of rewards or punishments. The exchange
theory argues that family violence is based on a determination of
costs and rewards. Gelles accepted the basic premise of the
exchange theory and modified it to apply to family violence
situations. He entitled this approach the exchange/social control
theory.
- As Gelles has stated, “To put it simply, people hit family members because
they can.” Interaction within the family is based on a pursuit of rewards
and an avoidance of costs or punishments. Family members resort to
violence to obtain goals as long as what they achieve is outweighed by the
cost of aggression. The absence of social controls over family relations
increases the likelihood that family members will engage in violence. The
privacy of the family unit and the subsequent low risk of intervention
decrease the cost of violence, thereby allowing it to occur.
- The Frustration-Aggression Theory
- The frustration-aggression theory is based on the premise that human beings display aggression
toward objects that impede their achievement of certain goals.28 In a family situation, there are many
instances in which parties attempt to obtain certain goals or objectives. Frustration may result when
the attainment of those goals is blocked. Failure to attain desired goals can lead to aggression within
the family by the frustrated party.
- This theory does not explain the complexities of modern society.
All of us at one time or another become frustrated. However, we
do not automatically react with aggressive actions. The
socialization process teaches people how to react to frustration.
This process varies from culture to culture and group to group, so
that what is accepted as an appropriate response to frustration by
one culture may not be condoned by another group.
- The Ecological Theory
- The ecological theory is based on an analysis of the organism and the environment, the interacting
systems in which family development occurs, and the environment in which the family resides.
Garbarino established two conditions that must be present under this theory for child abuse to occur:
The environment in which the family lives must accept the use of force against children, and the
family must be isolated from supporting community services or systems.
- The ecological theory assumes that family violence occurs when the parent, child, and family are
mismatched with the neighborhood and community. According to this theory, children who are
disabled or otherwise below the expected norm in a society face the highest risk of abuse. The
interaction between spouses having to deal with the stress of parenting a disabled child increases the
tension within the family. The final aspect of this theory views the total environment and suggests
that if no agencies are available to support or assist the family, then the risk of abuse is greatly
increased.
- The Sociobiology or Evolutionary Theory
- The sociobiology or evolutionary theory is based on the concept that parents display aggressive acts
toward children who are not their own or do not have the potential to reproduce. This concept
postulates that individuals behave in certain ways so as to increase their chances of reproducing
- The sociobiology or evolutionary theory assumes that parents will not emotionally attach or invest
themselves to children with low reproductive potential.33 Under this theory, stepchildren or children
with low reproductive potential, such as children with disabilities, are at a higher risk of abuse than
normal, healthy children. Thus, the risk of abuse is higher where there is a lack of bonding between
the child and the parent.
- The Sociocultural Model of Family Violence
- The Culture of Violence Theory
- Wolfgang and Ferracuti argue that certain subcultures within the United States accept values that
justify the use of force.34 The culture of violence theory is based on the premise that violence is
unevenly distributed within our society, and that violence is more prevalent in the lower
socioeconomic sectors of society.35 These subcultures use force as a response more often than the
general population. This theory assumes that violence is a learned response and reflects a
socialization or acceptance of violence as appropriate behavior.
- One of the main limitations of this theory is that it does not explain how subcultural values originate
or are modified. Furthermore, this theory limits the learning of violence to certain socioeconomic
subcultures. However, violence portrayed in the media is received by all classes within our society.
- This approval of violence and aggression is primarily a male perspective. Males believe it is macho to
be strong, assertive, and aggressive.36 As is discussed in later chapters, this view of violence and
masculinity contributes to aggression toward women. Violence is an everyday part of our existence.
Sporting events, children’s toys, cartoons, video games, movies, television, and the media’s graphic
depiction of violence all contribute to our desensitization to the effects of violence and contribute to
an attitude that aggressive behavior is rewarded and condoned by society.
- We as a society accept violence as part of our culture. It is nearly impossible to avoid. We would have
to live in the mountains, refuse to purchase certain toys for our children, never read the local paper,
and refrain from watching television to escape being inundated with our society’s violent and
aggressive acts.
- The Patriarchy Theory
- Dobash and Dobash have advanced the patriarchy theory to explain violence toward women. The
patriarchy theory views society as dominated by males, with women in subordinate positions, treated
by men as possessions and things.42 According to the feminist perspective, social and economic norms
directly and indirectly support a patriarchal structure within our society. The patriarchy theory holds
that laws and customs combine to uphold this difference in power between men and women and
legitimize their different status. This approach views male domination as explaining the historical
pattern of violence toward women throughout the ages
- The General Systems Theory
- The general systems theory views the maintenance of violence as a result of the social system in which
families live. It assumes that violence within the family is a result of a system rather than individual
pathology of the family member.43 This family system operates to maintain, increase, or decrease
levels of violence within the family. Straus proposes that a general system of family violence contain
three elements: alternative courses of action, a method of feedback, and system goals.44 Under
Straus’s approach, violence within the family has many causes. Whenever a family member engages in
violence, there is or may be positive feedback because the violence produced the desired results.
Finally, Straus points out that whenever violence occurs, family members who engage in these acts
fulfill their own self-concept of being violent.
- The Resource Theory
- The resource theory is based on the proposition that the one who controls resources, such as money,
property, or prestige, is in the dominant position in a relationship.46 It holds that the use of violence
within a relationship depends on the resources a family member controls. The more resources one
commands, the more force or power he can muster. Because men have traditionally held higher-paying
jobs with more prestige, they will have more power in relationships than women. Some authorities
argue that the more resources available to the male, the more force he can use. With this abundance
of power, however, there is less likelihood of his employing force. Those males who have no resources
such as high-paying jobs or status tend to resort to violence more often as a way of controlling the
spouse
- The Social Conflict Theory
- The social conflict theory analyzes large-scale conflicts, marriages, and the communication process.45
It proposes that unacknowledged alienation and shame generate violence within the family. A theory
of escalation is central to this concept and holds that escalation of conflict or violence occurs when
anger and shame within a relationship are not acknowledged.
- The sociocultural model of family violence focuses on the roles
of men and women in our society as well as on the cultural
attitudes toward women and the acceptance of violence as a
cause of family violence. This is a macrolevel of analysis that
focuses on the variables that cause violence.
- Intergenerational Transmission of Violence
- “Physical punishment of children is perhaps the most effective means of
teaching violence, and eliminating it would be an important step in violence
prevention.”
- The intergenerational transmission of violence theory
asserts that violent behavior is learned within the family
and bequeathed from one generation to the next. This
theory holds that children who are victims of child
abuse or who witness violent aggression by one spouse
against the other will grow up and react to their children
or spouses in the same manner. The childhood survivor
of a violent family thus develops a predisposition toward
violence in his or her own family. Therefore, so this
theory holds, we have a never-ending chain of violence
that is passed from one generation to the next.