Violence-Prone Marriages (From Identification and Treatment of Spouse Abuse, P 35-40, 1980, Abraham Lurie and Elizabeth B Quitkin, eds. - See NCJ-101239)

• NCJ Number: 101241
• Author(s): M Symonds
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: For microfiche, see NCJ-101239.

Annotation

This paper examines the psychodynamics of personality traits and relationships in violence-prone marriages.

Abstract

Trigger points for marital violence are power, intimacy, and boundaries. When violence occurs early in a marriage, the husband has usually brought into the marriage a pervasive sense of powerlessness. Feelings of power are only experienced when violence is used to control a situation. With such persons, violence is a reflex and is not accompanied by guilt. They generally have a history of early exposure to family violence. Such persons may be prevented from acting out their violent urges if a third party encourages them to verbalize their fantasy of violence against a particular person. Another type of violent person feels anxious and guilty about his violent behavior. He is generally compliant and dependent but will become violent under the influence of alcohol. Another type of violent marital partner is overly controlled and compulsively hostile. This person is preoccupied with the struggle for power but will most often express violence through emotional torture that produces violence in the partner. This person may also encourage third parties to act violently against the marital partner.