INTRODUCTION TO THEORETIAL CAUSAL MODEL

FOR SPOUSE ABUSE

Dr. Mary C. Sengstock, Ph.D., C.C.S.Professor of Sociology

Wayne State University

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SPOUSE ABUSE CAUSAL MODEL

ICULTURALPATTERNS

II INDIVIDUALVICTIMIZER

IIIINDIVIDUAL

VICTIM

IVINTERACTION

FACTORS

VSOCIETALRESPONSE

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Spouse Abuse Theories (ctd)

Recall Our Model, the Factors in It, & the Relationships:I. Cultural Factors: Nature of Culture – Affects

Offender, Victim, Actions, Societal ResponseII. Male’s Characteristics Abusive BehaviorIII. Female’s Characteristics AcceptanceIV. Nature of the Interaction Between 2 PeopleV. Response of Society: How Families,

Community, Social Agencies React to AbuseAll Factors Interact With & Affect Each Other

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Summary: I. Cultural Theories

• Religious Basis of Our Society Enables • Even Encourages Abuse of Women• Continues into Modern Day • Influencing Secular Laws & Society• Represents What Emile Durkheim Called

ANOMIE

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Meaning of Anomie

• “Normlessness”• Lack/Absence/Weakness of Norms• No Clear Statement That Behavior Is Wrong• Western Society (& Most Societies) Have No

Clear Rules That Wife Beating Is Wrong• Instead, They Condone – Even Sanction or

Encourage It

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Institutionalized Norms

• Talcott Parsons: With Anomie, Rules Are NOT “Institutionalized”

• Institutionalized Norms: Embodied in Societal Behavioral Reward Structure – EX:

• Good Act: Society Requires: Individual Reward• Bad Act: Society Prohibits: Individual Punished• Abusers Should Be Punished

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Non-Institutionalized Norms

• Good Act: Society Requires: BUT Individual Punished (Husband Does Not Get Power)

• Bad Act: Society Prohibits: BUT Individual Rewarded (Husband Achieves Power)

• Abusers Are NOT Punished – Rewarded By Getting Everything They Want

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Other Cultural Theories

• Subculture of Violence Theory• American Society (Or Parts of It)• Encourage & Support Violence (in General)• This “Spills Over” into the Family• Hypothesis: Spouse Abuse More Common in

Societies/Subgroups With a Lot of General Violence

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Other Cultural Theories (ctd)• Conflict Theory (Karl Marx)• Conflict Is Inherent in Social Relations• Power Differentials Create Dissatisfaction• Powerless Try to Obtain Power • Powerful Try to Protect Power Conflict• Alternative: “Consensus Theory” (Parsons): • Everyone Agrees About Power Structure• EX: Wife, Children Accept Husband’s Control

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II. Spouse Abuse Theories:Offender-Focused Theories

• Derived from Theories of Criminology & Deviance

1.Classical Theory2.Positivist Theory – Psychological Theories

Frustration-Aggression TheoryCompulsive Masculinity Theory

3.Sociological TheoriesDifferential Association – Self Concept Theory – Drift Theory – Function Theory – Conflict Theory

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Classical Theory

• Originated in late 1700s• Still Believed/Quoted By Many People

– Esp. in Criminal Justice Fields• Major Components:• People Are Basically Rational• Violence/Deviance Is a Rational Choice• Designed to Accomplish Goals

– EX: Gain Money, Maintain Power, etc.

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Classical Theory’s Recommended Response to Deviance

• Offenders Are Acting Rationally• Violence/Deviance Is a Means to Their Ends• These Must be Countered By Punishments • Sufficient to Deter Their Deviant Acts• Recommendations for Handling Deviants:• “Let the Punishment Fit the Crime!”

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Classical Theory Applied to Spouse Abuse

• Wife Batterers Are Power-Oriented• Violence Is a Useful Means to Achieve Goals• Men Who Abuse Their Wives Should Receive

Severe Punishment to Force Them to Stop• Do We Really Do That to Abusive Men?• Do Courts? Police? Religious Leaders?

Anyone?

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Problems With Classical Theory

• Not All Behavior Is Rational• Much Behavior Occurs With Little Forethought• People Just “Do It” – It’s Not Planned• Some People Are Rarely Rational!

– Mentally Ill – Mentally Retarded

• Some People Could Be Rational But Are Not• You Cannot Expect Them to Respond to

Punishments Imposed14

Conclusion Re Classical Theory

• Really Doesn’t Work With Many Offenders• Isn’t Likely to Work Even With Rational Wife

Abusers – Why?• Our Culture Is Not Likely to Believe in

Punishing Wife Abusers Anyway • Exhibited in the Manner in Which These Cases

Are Generally Handled• By Police, Courts, Families, Agencies

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Reaction to Classical Theory:Positivist Theory

• Based on Actual Research on Offenders • Explains the “Positivist” Label:• “Positivism” Conducts Research • Seeks Explanations• Need to Look for the Reasons for Deviant Acts• Biological & Psychological Factors Play A Role

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Positivist Approaches:Frustration-Aggression

• Psychological Approach• When People’s Goals Are Inhibited …• They Automatically Feel Frustrated …• An Automatic Response – Cannot Be Helped• Frustrated Men Will be Aggressive

Caused by the Woman – Caused By Other Factors

• They Can’t Help It! – Shouldn’t be PunishedBelieved by the Men, Courts, Police, Families, &

Women!

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Critique of Frustration-Aggression• Are ALL People Aggressive When They Are

Frustrated?• Can We Really Afford to Have a Society in

Which Everyone Can Be Aggressive?• Experiment: 2 Groups of Children:

– Both Saw a Frustrating Film– Group A: Encouraged to Express Their Anger– Group B: Discouraged – Urged to Do Other Things– Which Should be LESS Aggressive at End?

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Compulsive Masculinity• Also a Psychological Theory• Men’s Socialization Experiences in Modern

Society Are Not Natural • “Nuclear Family” Separates Boys from Men …• At a Critical Stage in Their Development• E.g., Men At Work; Brought Up By Women • Boys Do Not Learn How to Be Men • In Order to Be Men They Must Reject Women • They React By Being Aggressive to Women

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Compulsive Masculinity:Response to Spouse Abuse

• Bring Boys into Greater Contact with Men • The More They Are with Men, the LESS They

Will be Aggressive Toward Women• Solution: Have Boys Do More With Their

Fathers• They Will Learn the Way “Real Men” Are Men• Then They Will Not Have to Reject Women &

Be Aggressive

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Differential Association (Sutherland)

• Sociologically Based Theory• People Learn Deviance from Their Associates• If They Are Around Men Who Batter …• They Will Batter Their Own Wives• Murray Straus: Batterers’ Fathers Battered• How Does This Fit With Compulsive

Masculinity Theory?

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Self Concept Theory (Dinitz, Reckless)• An Extension of Differential Association• Deviance Does Not Result SIMPLY From

Association with Deviants• RATHER: People CHOOSE Deviance• If They Are Around Deviants …• They Choose to Be Deviant Because They

Admire Those Who Are Deviant …• Deviance Fits With Their Self-Concept• Men Will Batter If They Admire Batterers

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Drift Theory (David Matza)• Based on Studies of Delinquent Youth• People Are Not “Deviant” or “Non-Deviant”• EVERYONE Engages in BOTH Deviant & Non-

Deviant Behavior• Studies Showed ALL Youths Engaged in Both at

Different Times • Hence All People DRIFT from Conforming

Behavior into Deviance & Back Again• True of Most Abusive Men – They Are Not Always

Abusive – Often They Are Very Loving

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Functional Theory

• A Sociological Theory• Assumes That All Social Groups/Societies Are

Held Together By Cohesion• Certain Behaviors Are Accepted by All• Everyone Accepts This• The Authority of the Husband in the Family Is

Accepted – By Wife & Children • They Know This Is the “Right Way” for Families• Problem: Do Wives & Children Always Accept

This?

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Conflict Theory• Also Sociological Theory• Every Society/Social Group Involves Differential

Power• All Members Do NOT Accept the Power Structure

As Legitimate• Wives vs. Husbands; Parents vs. Children • The Family Is Rife With Issues on Which the

Members Do Not Agree• There is Tension & Pressure for Violence If These

Disagreements Are Not Resolved

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Note Theoretical Conflicts • Many of These Theories Contradict Each Other • Classical Theory: Deviance Is Rational• Positivist Theory: Deviance Is Irrational• Compulsive Masculinity: Men Who Are

Around Women More Likely to Batter Women • Differential Association: Men Who Are

Around Men Learn to Batter Women• Cultural Theory: Culture Produces Deviance• Positivism: Deviance Is a Mental Aberration • Functionalism (Agreement) vs. Conflict

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III. Victimization Theory

• Victimology Theory – Developed to Explain the Role of Victim in Criminal Behavior

• Von Hentig: “The Criminal & His Victim”• Typology of Victims (13 Types)• Innocent (Physically, Mentally, Socially Vulnerable

9)• Culpable (Mild, Cooperative, Tempting 3)• Resisting (Fight Back 1)• MOST Victims Were NOT Culpable

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Mendelsohn – Another Typology

1. Completely Innocent (Children, Unconscious)2. Minor Guilt (Ignorant)3. Equal in Guilt (Voluntary Victim)4. Greater Guilt (Provokes)5. Alone in Guilt 6. Imaginary Victim(Where Is the Innocent Victim?)

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Critique of Mendelsohn• Mendelsohn’s Background: • Defense Attorney in Rape Cases• Amir: Study of Rape Victims: • “Interaction Theory of Crime DOES NOT FIT

Forcible Rape.”• But Mendelsohn Applies His Theory of Victim

Causation to All Victims – Particularly Rape Victims

• Victimology Has Been Applied to ALL Victims – Esp. Women in Rape & Spouse Abuse Cases

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Steven Shafer

• “The Victim & His Criminal”• Compare to Von Hentig’s Title• Interviewed Criminal Offenders of Direct

Physical Assaults • 9/10 Said Victims Played NO ROLE in Decision• Shafer Developed Theory:• “Functional Responsibility for Crime”

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Shafer’s “Functional Responsibility for Crime Theory”

• Victim Always Motivates Offender: • Makes Him Conscious of Criminal Opportunity• Is Passive • Irritates or Incites • Instigates or Provokes

• Conclusion: The Victim or His Property ALWAYS Generates Crime

• Without the Victim – There Is No Crime!• Excuses Offenders from Responsibility for Actions

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Characteristics of Spouse Abuse Victims

Typical Traits Proposed:• Unsure of Self • Weak Ego (No Strength of Character)• “Learned Helplessness” (EX: Dog in Maze)• “Battered Women Syndrome” (Lenore

Walker)• “PTSD” (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome)• Conclusion: Abused Wives Are Weak, Accept

Their Abuse 32

Lee Bowker’s Alternative View• NO! Women Do Not Accept Abuse!• They Fight Back! – 7 Strategies:1. Avoided the Men or Certain Topics2. Passive Defenses (Covered Faces, Vital Organs)3. Threat to Call Police, File for Divorce4. Attempt to Extract Promises Not to Batter5. Attempt to Talk Men Out of Battering6. Fought Back Physically 7. Hid or Ran Away When Attacked

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Cultural Patterns of Abused Women • Same Culture As the Men –Condones Male Abuse• Believes in:

– Male Domination – Male Aggression Natural – Accepts Female Subordination – Saw Mother Abused – Often Was Abused As a Child – Sees Abuse As Normal

• Most Women Do Not Want to End a Marriage• Instead They Want the Abuse to Stop

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Victimology As a Stimulus-Response Theory

Stimulus (Stress) Always Response (Violence)Offender Has No Control Over the BehaviorContrast: Symbolic Interaction Theory (Athens)3 Types of Offenders:• Frustrative (Believes Victim Blocked Goals)• Malefic (Believes Victim is Evil)• Frustrative-Malefic (Victim Blocking & Evil)

Really LESS Violent Because BOTH Factors RequiredHence These Are NOT Automatic Responses

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IV: Interaction Factors

• Cycle of Violence: Wife Battering Cycle:– Minor Tension Increased Tension Height of

Tension Violent Episode Honeymoon Reconciliation Repeat

• Many Women Can Actually Describe the Process & Identify the Phase Their Pattern Is In At A Particular Time

• They May Use It To Decide When to Leave Or When To Defend Themselves

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Studying the Violence Cycle

• Dangerous to Study! (Gelles)• Buzawa & Sengstock:• 4 Types of Domestic Violence:• Continual Mutual Violence (Somewhat Open)

• Continual Asymmetric Violence (Somewhat Open)

• Continual One-Way Violence (Most “Closed”)

• Isolated Violent Act (“Open” System)

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3 Models of Victimization(Sengstock & Liang)

• Innocent Victim V (Innocent Act) O Criminal Attack

• Victim PrecipitationV (Deliberate Taunt) O Criminal Attack

• Social Conflict Model V (Acts – Both Types) O (Acts – Both Types)V (Response) O (Response)Goes On Indefinitely!

(EX: Most Children’s Fights)

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V. Society’s Responses

• Society Can Prevent Spouse Abuse – Courts – Police – Social Agencies – Families

• They Have To Show They Want to Control It• They Have To Take It Seriously • They Have To Intervene – At An Early Point• They Have To Stop Excusing It

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9 Aspects of Western Society Which Promote Husband-to-Wife Abuse (M. Straus)• Focusing on Men:

1. Pressure on Men to Defend Traditional Male Authority2. Threats to Male Identity Compulsive Masculinity

• Focusing on Women:3. Economic Constraints Force Women To Stay4. Burdens of Child Care (Do the Same)5. Myth of Inadequate Single Parent HH6. Assumed Pre-Eminence of Wife Role for Women 7. Prevalence of Negative Self-Image for Women8. Notion of Women As Childlike

• Focusing on Society Structure:9. Male Orientation of Criminal Justice System

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Mechanisms By Which Society Can Alter Spouse Abuse – Service Agencies

• Professionals Can Identify Victims• Shelters Can Be Available to Protect Them• Support & Child Care Can Be Available to Help• Long-Term Counseling • Medical Care• Not Use Husband’s Income to Determine

Eligibility

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Mechanisms By Which Society Can Alter Spouse Abuse: Police

• Can Take Victims Seriously• Can Avoid Taking the Offender’s Side• Can Avoid Making the Offender Feel Like Hero

– EX: O.J. Simpson

• Can Adopt Different Arrest Procedures – Arrest At Time of Offense Rather Than Later– Not Require the Victim to Press Charges

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Mechanisms By Which Society Can Alter Spouse Abuse: Courts

• Judges Must Take Victims Seriously• Not Raise Issues of Her Contribution• Judges Need to Be Aware of Different Laws

– Differential Arrest Procedures for Family Issues– Mandatory Counseling – Injunctions In Divorce Proceedings– Proper Filing & Referencing for Enforceability

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How Long Will It Take?Social Change Pyramid

Who Is MostLikely to Change?

Who Is Likely to Resist Change?

What Is the ChanceOf Change Occurring?

Why?

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