Cycles of Violence
Aggressor Cycle (Acting Out) Victim Cycle (Acting In)
Shock, injury, fear,
denial
Realizationof loss – panic,
anxiety
Suppressionof grief and
fears
Anger, ragespiritual
questions, loss of meaning
Survivor guilt,shame and humiliation
Fantasiesof revenge,
need for justice, safety
Experiencing unmet needs for safety and
justice – shame, humiliation,
fear
Attacking in the name of self-defense,
justice or honor
Developing good vs. evil
narrative
Respondingto social and
culturalpressures,
pride
Decidingto pursue
own needs, evenat expense of others
Viewingviolence asredemptive
Dehumanizing the “other”
Seeing self/group as
victims, embracing "us" vs. "them"
identity
Powerless,helpless feelings
Re-experiencingevents, intrusive
thoughts, avoiding reminders,
hyper/hypo-arousal
Traumaticevent(s);
acts of violence
© Carolyn Yoder and the STAR Team at Eastern Mennonite University.Based in part on the writings of Olga Botcharova, Peter Levine, Vamik Volkan and Walter Wink.
Physiologicalresponses - fight,
flight, freeze
Creating and sustaining unjust
structure and system
Trembling, crying, heat,
cold
Domesticviolence
Childabuse
Blamingothers
Bullying
Lawlessness
Repetitive violence/war
Physicalailments
Depression
Workaholism
Silence,constricted emotions
Internalizedoppression
Self-abuse, addictions,
intergenerationaltrauma
Learnedhelplessness,
fatalism
Suicide
Sexual harm