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Abusive marital relationships

Abusive marital relationships. 33-50% of American women have been beaten are abused at some point in their lives (Walker, 1992) About 1400 women are killed each year by their spouses/partners Battering cycle: Tension building phase Acute battering incident

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Abusive marital relationships

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  1. Abusive marital relationships • 33-50% of American women have been beaten are abused at some point in their lives (Walker, 1992) • About 1400 women are killed each year by their spouses/partners • Battering cycle: • Tension building phase • Acute battering incident • Contrite period; batterer begs forgiveness

  2. Characteristics of battered women • Low self esteem • Traditionally feminine gender role • Depression; sense of worthlessness • Self-blame

  3. Characteristics of batterers • Low self esteem • Denial of any problems • Jealous and possessive • “Charming con artist” • May have a drinking problem • Frequently unemployed

  4. Why stay in abusive marriage? • Isolated from friends; family • No source of economic support • Attributing the violence to yourself instead of to him • Investment model: “Staying” determined by • Quality of alternatives to relationship • Level of “investment” in relationship • Satisfaction level

  5. Battered Woman Syndrome • Learned helplessness • Inability to plan • Fear and terror • Anger and rage • Diminished alternatives • Hypervigilance to danger cues • Tolerance for inconsistency

  6. Battered women who kill:Possible defenses • Insanity defense (or temporary insanity) • Battered woman self defense • Subjective definition of self defense: rests on the defendant’s belief in imminent danger • Objective definition of self defense: would a “reasonable man” perceive himself to be in danger of his life? • “Psychological self defense”: in defense of one’s psychological self, rather than one’s life (Ewing)

  7. Forensic expert testimony • Discuss psychological consequences of abuse • Did woman have reason to believe that she was in imminent danger? • Why didn’t woman just leave the relationship? • Do batttered women provoke confrontations? • Was “unnecessary” force used?

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