NCJ Number
199383
Journal
Domestic Violence Report Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: October/November 2002 Pages: 1-10
Editor(s)
Joan Zorza Esq.
Date Published
October 2002
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article examines ethology or the study of animal behavior in understanding why the techniques and strategies of battering are so similar among human batterers.
Abstract
As research suggests, human batterers are often socially isolated and do not have regular contact with battering friends or have contact with pro-violence masculine culture; however, their techniques and strategies of battering are similar. Most of the variance between the backgrounds of batterers and non-batterers is unexplained by factors identified by science. It has been found that ethology, which is the study of animal behavior, has something to say about why techniques and strategies of battering are so similar among human batterers. This article examines ethology and its parallels with sociology (the study of human behavior) through the observation of two dogs living within the same family that came from abusive conditions. Dog battering was observed as paralleling human battering through the ability of the dog batterer to hide the battering. Other parallels observed included: (1) the battered dog respecting her batterer’s dominance; (2) the batterer knowing how to maintain dominance; and (3) battering behaviors seen as part of mammalian circuitry or the sharing by humans of certain mental circuits with other mammals.