NCJ Number
180828
Date Published
1999
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This chapter re-examines family systems theories as a way of explaining domestic violence.
Abstract
Systems theories feature an interpersonal perspective that focuses on the social and relational contexts and the unique patterns of interaction that recur within relationships. Systems perspectives highlight the unique histories of each partner and the situational factors that characterize a given relationship. This chapter presents a definition of male-to-female violence, assesses the strengths and limitations of the systems perspective in conceptualizing male-to-female violence, reviews relevant empirical research as it applies, and proposes issues for further study based on systems perspectives. The chapter focuses on the role of men's and women's socialization as it pertains to differences in their communication styles, the role of psychological violence or verbal abuse as a precursor to physical battering, and the relationship between one's earlier family-of-origin experiences and the likelihood of becoming a batterer or battered victim in one's adult relationships. Two of the authors' hypotheses provide the overall organization of the chapter. One hypothesis is that men's violence toward women can be understood only by examining the social and relational contexts within which it occurs; and the second hypothesis is that understanding male-to-female violence requires an examination of the patterns of interactions that characterize battering relationships.