Battered Women in Society Essay Example

escape even when placed in the safe cage and shown that they could escape. This led Seligman to theorize that exposure to uncontrollable shocks made the dogs believe they had no control over future events, leading to disruptions in their behavior and learning. The theory of learned helplessness suggests that individuals in an uncontrollable environment will become passive and accept painful stimuli, even if they have opportunities for escape.

Dr. Walker incorporated Seligman's research from the late 1970s into her own theory called battered women's syndrome. This theory explains why abused women choose to stay with their abusers and consists of a cycle of violence with three phases: tension building, active battering, and calm loving respite. During the tension building phase, victims endure verbal and minor physical abuse as well as psychological abuse. The woman often tries strategies such as kindness or avoidance which previously worked but are typically futile and only serve to delay an inevitable acute battering incidentThe transition from tension building to active battering is a crucial moment. It is during the active battering phase that the released tension from the previous phase becomes apparent. This particular phase typically lasts for a duration of two to twenty-four hours and is characterized by unpredictable and unavoidable acts of violence. Statistical data suggests that there is a notable risk of the batterer causing fatal harm to their victim in this phase. The victim, trapped in constant fear, finds it impossible to effectively handle or halt the violence imposed upon them using strategies that may have worked during the tension building phase.

The victim acknowledges her lack of control and attempts to reduce the violence by adopting

a passive role. Once the active phase of abuse concludes, the cycle enters a peaceful and affectionate stage commonly referred to as the "honeymoon phase." In this period, the abuser apologizes for their abusive actions and assures that it will not happen again. The behavior displayed during the honeymoon phase closely resembles the initial stages of the relationship when both parties were in love. This phase causes psychological distress for the victim as they are deceived into believing that there has been a change and that the abuse has stopped. However, inevitably, the abuser begins verbally abusing the victim, starting another round of abuse. According to Dr.Walker's explanation utilizing Seligman's theory of learned helplessness, it clarifies why women remain with their abusers despite repeated cycles of violence. Similar to dogs placed in an environment where escape from pain is impossible, victims of domestic abuse become passive due to sporadic acts of brutality, feelings of powerlessness, limited financial resources, and physical strength exerted by their abusers. Batterers condition women into thinking they cannot escape through establishing patterns of violence and abuse. By applying Dr.Walker's interpretation of learned helplessness theory, society's perception regarding battered women shifted as it debunked misconceptions that they derive pleasure from abuse while offering an explanation for why most continue staying with their abusers.The classical theory of battered women's syndrome is based on psychological conditioning. Experts recommend behavior modification strategies to treat women with the syndrome. A two-stage strategy involves the woman removing herself from the abusive environment and seeking help from professionals who provide assertiveness training, modeling, and guidance through the court system. After leaving the abusive relationship, professionals offer relapse prevention

training to prevent maladaptive behavior in future abusive situations. However, Dr. Walker's model suggests that battered women typically do not actively seek help. Therefore, it is important for concerned agencies and individuals to be proactive and sensitive to victims' needs and fears.

In summary, Martin Seligman's research inspired the classical battered women's syndrome theory which describes a cycle of violence in abusive relationships. This cycle includes three phases: tension building, active battering, and calm loving respite. The tension building phase involves gradually increasing verbal abuse. When this escalates into severe battering episodes, the relationship enters the active battering phase.After the initial phase of acute battering, which typically lasts from two to twenty-four hours, a period of calm and affectionate respite follows. During this phase, the abuser displays remorse and makes promises to change their behavior. As this cycle repeats itself multiple times, the victim begins to exhibit signs of learned helplessness. Behavioral modification techniques have proven successful in treating battered women's syndrome. However, according to Dr. Walker's model, feelings of helplessness may prevent battered women from seeking assistance. Another perspective on battered women's syndrome views them as survivors rather than mere victims.

Over time, evidence has been found that questions Dr. Walker's theory on why women remain with their abusers or resort to extreme measures such as killing them. Edward W. Gondolf and Ellen R., two researchers, have made significant contributions in this area.

Fisher discusses numerous statistics that contradict the classical concept of battered women's syndrome, suggesting that Dr. Walker mistakenly attributes a victim's reluctance to leave her abuser to learned helplessness. For example, they mention a study conducted by Lee H. Bowker which shows that victims

of abuse often reach out to other family members for assistance as the violence escalates. Bowker also observed a consistent increase in seeking formal help as the violence intensifies. Gondolf and Fisher also criticize the use of Dr. Walker's theory to explain extreme cases where a woman kills her abuser, as it contradicts the notion of helplessness.

To address the limitations of the traditional theory, Gondolf and Fisher propose their own survivor theory of battered women's syndrome, comprising four key elements. The first element suggests that repeated abuse prompts battered women to devise new coping strategies and seek assistance, such as using flattery or relying on their families for support. When these initial sources of help prove ineffective, the woman seeks out alternative avenues and employs different strategies to reduce the abuse.The theory of battered women suggests that women experiencing domestic abuse may avoid their abuser and seek assistance from the court system. According to the survivor theory, these women actively seek help and utilize coping mechanisms throughout the abusive relationship. In contrast, the classical theory of battered women's syndrome views women as becoming passive and helpless in response to repeated abuse. Gondolf and Fisher's theory argues that a lack of options, knowledge, and financial resources, rather than learned helplessness, causes anxiety in the victim, preventing her from escaping the abuser. It is common for battered women to encounter ineffective bureaucracy, limited sources of assistance, and societal indifference when seeking outside help. This lack of practical options, combined with financial constraints, often leads a battered woman to stay and attempt to change her abuser rather than face the uncertainties of leaving. The classical theory of battered

women's syndrome focuses on the victim's perception that escape is impossible instead of addressing the obstacles they must overcome to leave. The third element expands on the first two elements by describing how victims actively seek help from various formal and informal sources of assistance.An example of an informal help source would be a close friend and a formal help source would be a shelter. According to Gondolf and Fisher, the help obtained from these sources is inadequate and fragmented. Due to these inadequacies, the researchers conclude that leaving an abusive partner is a difficult journey for the victim. The fourth element of the survivor theory suggests that the failure of these help sources to intervene comprehensively allows the cycle of abuse to continue without interruption. Interestingly, Gondolf and Fisher attribute the lack of effective assistance to a variation of the learned helplessness theory. They explain that overwhelmed and resource-limited help organizations may not try as hard as they should to aid victims.

The researchers argue that instead of questioning why a battered woman didn't leave, it is more useful to understand her situation by asking if she sought help and what happened when she did. According to the survivor theory of learned helplessness, the plight of a battered woman is caused by ineffective help sources and societal indifference. To address this issue, it is logical to increase funding for existing programs and educate the public about the symptoms and consequences of domestic violence.

While there are advocacy programs for battered women in courts nationwide, their effectiveness is limited due to inadequate funding. By increasing funding, we can ensure that all battered women receive the assistance they

need to escape their abuser. Additionally, educating the public about the harmful effects of domestic abuse will lead to a change in attitude towards victims.

In summary, Edward W. Gondolf and Ellen R. Fisher developed the survivor theory of battered women's syndrome which explains why battered women seek help more often as the violence escalates. The theory consists of four important elements: 1) recognizing that battered women actively seek help throughout their relationship with the abuser; 2) suggesting that when a victim lacks options, knowledge, and finances, she becomes anxious about leaving her abuser. The text suggests that many battered women stay with their abusers due to the failure of help sources rather than learned helplessness.
The Survivor theory suggests that the most effective way to help women who have experienced domestic abuse is by increasing funding for programs and agencies that support them, as well as educating the public about the harmful effects of such abuse. While not officially recognized as a distinct mental illness or disorder according to DSM-IV, some experts argue that battered women's syndrome is essentially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This theory also applies to individuals who have not experienced domestic abuse and focuses on their psychological distress after being exposed to a traumatic event. The American Psychiatric Association included PTSD classification in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III in 1980, which assists mental health professionals in diagnosing mental illness.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has gained substantial recognition in the mental health field and profoundly altered professionals' perception of trauma reactions, despite its controversial nature. Prior to the emergence of PTSD, emotional trauma was thought to stem from personal weakness. However,

PTSD redirected attention towards external stressors as primary triggers of emotional trauma rather than solely attributing it to an individual's psychological vulnerabilities. Since 1980, the American Psychiatric Association has revised the diagnostic criteria for identifying PTSD multiple times.

The current diagnostic criteria for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involve a history of exposure to a traumatic event and symptoms from three clusters: intrusive recollections, avoidant/numbingness, and hyper arousal. Recent data indicates that the prevalence rates of PTSD range from 5 to 10% in society. To receive a diagnosis of PTSD, an individual must have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event involving actual or threatened harm to oneself or others.

In the past, PTSD was only associated with extraordinary events like rape, war, and natural disasters. However, the American Psychiatric Association expanded the criteria in DSM-IV to include any highly distressing event as qualifying as traumatic. Battered women can easily meet this requirement due to the distressing nature of their abuse.

Additionally, individuals need to exhibit symptoms falling under intrusive recollection, avoidant/numbingness, and hyper arousal categories for a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. The symptoms within the intrusive recollection category are easily identifiable. People with PTSD go through a powerful psychological encounter during a traumatic event that causes feelings of panic, terror, dread grief or despair.

Daytime fantasies, traumatic nightmares, and flashbacks often serve as manifestations of these feelings. Stimuli that the individual associates with the traumatic event have the ability to evoke mental images, emotional responses, and psychological reactions related to the trauma. For instance, a battered woman may experience intrusive recollection symptoms such as fantasies of killing her batterer or flashbacks of previous incidents of battering. In

an effort to reduce the likelihood of exposure to traumatic stimuli or to minimize their psychological response if exposed, individuals with post traumatic stress disorder employ emotional strategies classified into three categories: behavioral, cognitive, and emotional. Behavioral strategies involve avoiding situations where the stimuli are likely to be encountered.

Individuals with post traumatic stress disorder use dissociation and psychogenic amnesia as cognitive strategies to disconnect from traumatic memories and emotions. This creates a separation between cognitive and emotional aspects of their psychological experience. This psychic numbing acts as an emotional anesthesia, making it difficult for individuals with post traumatic stress disorder to engage in meaningful interpersonal relationships. Thus, a battered woman with post traumatic stress disorder may avoid her abuser and suppress trauma-related feelings and emotions.

The symptoms found in the hyper arousal category of post traumatic stress disorder are similar to those seen in panic and generalized anxiety disorders. Insomnia and irritability are common anxiety symptoms, but hyper vigilance and startle reactions are specific to post traumatic stress disorder. Hyper vigilance can become so intense that it resembles paranoia in individuals with post traumatic stress disorder.

An analysis of symptoms and diagnostic criteria for post traumatic stress disorder shows that Dr. Walker's classical theory of battered women's syndrome is encompassed within it. Both theories require the victim to have experienced a traumatizing event. However, Dr. Walker is perceived differently in the theory of post traumatic stress disorder.

The diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder views Walker as a cause of trauma, acknowledging that individuals may experience feelings of powerlessness after a traumatic event, akin to the classical theory of battered women's syndrome.

Despite the inclusion of Dr., post traumatic stress

disorder theory...

The theory proposed by Walker is more encompassing as it acknowledges that different people may react in various ways to traumatic events, instead of solely relying on the theory of learned helplessness to explain why battered women stay with their abusers. Professionals have several approaches at their disposal to treat individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The most successful treatments are those administered immediately after the traumatic event, referred to as critical incident stress debriefing. However, this treatment method is unlikely to be effective for battered women due to the cyclical and gradual escalation of violence in domestic abuse situations. The second type of treatment, given after PTSD has developed, is less effective when compared to critical incident stress debriefing.

There are various forms of treatment available for battered women, including psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, and group therapy. Among these options, group therapy is considered the most effective post-manifestation treatment. During group therapy sessions, women who have experienced abuse can openly discuss their traumatic memories and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as any functional deficits they may be facing. This shared experience allows them to form a bond with others who have had similar experiences and provides an opportunity to release repressed memories, feelings, and emotions.

Battered women's syndrome is often seen as a subset of PTSD. The diagnostic criteria for PTSD includes having been exposed to a traumatic event in one's history and experiencing symptoms from three main symptom clusters: intrusive recollections, avoidant/numbing symptoms, and hyperarousal symptoms.

After being exposed to a traumatic event - which the DSM-IV defines as something distressing to nearly everyone - an individual may undergo intrusive recollections

such as daytime fantasies, traumatic nightmares, and flashbacks. They may also try to avoid stimuli associated with the traumatic event while developing symptoms resembling those found in generic anxiety disorders.

Various effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include critical incident stress debriefing, psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, and group therapy. The majority of theories regarding battered women's syndrome are either variations or combinations of the aforementioned main theories. By comprehending Dr. Walker's classical theory, Gondolf and Fisher's survivor theory, and the PTSD theory, one can identify the origins and key components of these hybrids and gain a better understanding of the circumstances faced by battered women. It is crucial to acknowledge that the prevalence of domestic abuse does not imply that the battered woman approves or bears responsibility for her victimization.

The aforementioned three theories provide rational explanations for why a battered woman frequently remains with her abuser. These theories delve into the psychological damage inflicted by abuse, while dismissing the common belief surrounding battered women. Bibliography: