CHAPTER EIGHT

1
CHAPTER EIGHT

• SPOUSAL ABUSE

2
History

• Roman civil law
• 15th century
• Common law England
• Margaret Nelfield
• Rule of Thumb
• FranceNapoleonic Code

3
History in America

• Puritans
• Native Americans
• Stitch rule
• 1974first shelter for abuse women in St. Paul, MN

4
Definition

• Any intentional act or series of acts that cause
  injury to the spouse, either physically,
  emotionally or sexually

5
Extent of Problem

• Straus and Gelles study
• Why no statistics on emotional abuse?
• Whats the impact on health issues?
• Why has there been a decline?

6
Theories

• Social Stress
• Power
• Dependency
• Alcohol
• DOES NOT CAUSE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
• Marriage

7
Characteristics of Spousal Abuse

• Traumatic bonding
• Psychological entrapment
• Social isolation
• Alcohol abuse
• Power imbalance
• Intergenerational transmission

8
Situations Correlated with Abuse

• Dating violence
• Marriage or cohabit at a young age
• Premarital pregnancy
• Stepchildren
• Isolation
• Unknown history
• Dependence

9
The Abuser

• Approaches
• Feminist
• Systematic
• Psychopathological

10
Characteristics of Batterers

• 3 studies
• Factors in 1 study
• Emotionally inexpressive
• Extreme jealousy
• Mood swings
• Factors in 2 studies
• Psychopathology
• Lack of assertiveness
• Traditionalist

11
Characteristics of Batterers

• Factors in all 3 studies
• Violence in family of origin
• Low self-esteem
• Alcohol abuse

12
Male Abuser/Female Victim

• 85-95 of cases fit this model
• 1996 DOJ statistics on intimate murder
• ¾ victims are female
• of female victims same since 1976
• of male victims sharply decreased
• Gender differences in non-lethal violence
• Differences in severity of abuse

13
Female Abuser/Male Victim

• Suzanne SteinmetzBattered Husband Syndrome
• Misleading statistics
• Women more likely to use weapons
• 1988 DOJ statistics
• 41 of homicideswifes the defendant
• Convictions70 female, 87 male
• Self-defense cases86 for females
• Who gets the shorter sentence?

14
Changes and Implications

• California (1988-1998)
• Males arrestedfrom 94 to 83.5
• Females arrestedfrom 6 to 16.5
• Implications for treatment

15
Cycle Theory of Violence

• Explains dynamics of domestic violence cases
• Phases
• Tension-building
• Acute battering
• Calm, loving respite

16
Battered Woman Syndrome

• Involves one who has been, on at least two
  occasions, the victim of physical, sexual or
  serious psychological abuse by a man with whom
  she has an intimate relationship
• The process
• Typical responses
• Stockholm syndrome

17
Traumatic Bonding Theory

• How does it work?
• On average a women leaves 8 times leaving
  before it is for good
• Elements
• Power imbalance
• Intermittent nature of abuse

18
Why Women Stay

• Fear
• Helplessness
• Guilt and feeling of failure
• Lack of
• Violence in family of origin

19
Types of Abuse

• Physical
• Sexual
• Emotional

20
Physical Abuse

• Striking
• Throwing or destroying property
• Beating with objects
• Humiliation

21
Strangulation

• NOT choking
• How dangerous is it?
• Methods
• Physiologically
• Lack of blood flow
• Lack of oxygen
• Results
• Observable injuries

22
Sexual Abuse

• Forms of sexual abuse
• Sex acts that humiliate or degrade
• Violence during sex
• Sex after physical assault
• Marital rape is a crime

23
Emotional Abuse

• Verbal dominance
• Isolation
• Guilt
• Fear
• Humiliation
• Financial dependence

24
Violence by Police Officers

• 40 admitted committing domestic violence in last
  6 months
• Neidig studies
• 1995 survey of police departments
• 1997federal law18 USC 922
• Misdemeanor conviction
• Order of protection
• Model policy
• Causes

25
Spousal Homicide

• 1996 statistics
• ¾ victims were female
• What is the trend in murder rates?
• Battered Women Syndrome
• Common law
• Expert testimony
• Growing trend

26
SPOUSAL ABUSE

• END CHAPTER EIGHT