Domestic Violence Theories

Domestic violence is the leading cause of female injuries across the globe. Until recently, in many countries husbands used to legally “own” their wives’ bodies (Arthur 147). Domestic abuse is defined by Parmar as any incident of threatening behavior between adults who are or have been partners or families, regardless of gender or sexuality (674). The most common reason for domestic violence is partners wanting to retain dominance when they lack other resources, such as education and job prestige (Arthur 148). Although anyone can be affected by domestic violence, poor families are most likely to be affected (Carter 4). 3.3-10 million children in the United States are exposed to domestic violence each year. Domestic violence leaves

It is theorized that the more resources a partner brings to the relationship, the more power he or she has, but it is less likely the partner will resort to violence. However, if his or her power is threatened by a partner’s education or job, violence may be used to reestablish dominance. Resource theory is similar to intimate terrorism (Arthur 149). Arthur has hypothesized that, “As levels of education, labor force, participation, and access to political roles for women increase, domestic violence will increase” (149). This has been hypothesized because men will feel threatened by the power of women and retaliate (Arthur

Three main factors that enable women to make decisions are listed: unlocking complex fears and concerns, acquiring new skills, and ending emotional attachment. In order to unlock fears and concerns, the victim needs friends and family that she can trust to provide emotional support, resulting in the victim feeling more emotionally confident. To help the victim acquire new skills, their dependency needs to be shifted from the abuser to a more stable person and the training for employment may start, resulting in the use of new life skills and an increase in independence. Lastly, in order for the victim to end their emotional attachment to the abuser, supportive relationships are needed to help the victim feel accepted in society. As a result of all of these factors, the victim will gain economic and social independence from the abuser and start living a life free of violence and fear (Parmar