Chapter 11: Family Violence and Child Victimization

Question 1

Battering relationships generally follow a three-stage cycle of violence

Answer 1

1) the tension-building phase
Minor physical, emotional, or verbal abuse

2) the acute battering incident phase
An escalation of serious physical violence

3) the honeymoon or contrition phase
Batterer expresses his regret for the assaultive behavior and vows to change his ways

Question 2

Family-only batterers

Answer 2

These are violent offenders who usually do not engage in violence outside the family. Their violence tends to be periodic, primarily when stress and frustration reach a peak.

Question 3

Dysphoric/borderline batterers

Answer 3

Batterers who exhibit mental disorders and are psychologically disturbed and emotionally volatile. These individuals often engage in moderate to severe spousal abuse, including psychological and sexual abuse.

Question 4

Generally violent/antisocial batterers

Answer 4

Batterers who are likely to use weapons and who are more prone to inflict severe injury on wives, partners and other family members, in addition to engaging in extrafamilial violence.

Question 5

Battered woman syndrome (BWS)

Answer 5

A cluster of behavioral and psychological characteristics believed common to women who have been abused in relationships. Many researchers, clinicians, and legal scholars do not accept it as a valid syndrome.