Essay, Research Paper: Battered Women's Syndrome: A Survey Of Contemporary Theories

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Battered Women's Syndrome: A Survey of Contemporary Theories

Domestic Violence
November 16, 1996


In 1991, Governor William Weld modified parole regulations and permitted women to
seek commutation if they could present evidence indicating they suffered from
battered women's syndrome. A short while later, the Governor, citing spousal abuse
as
I. The Classical Theory of Battered Women's Syndrome and its Origins

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), known in the
mental health field as the clinician's bible, does not recognize battered women's
syndrome as a
distinct mental disorder. In fact, Dr. Lenore Walker, the architect of the classical
battered women's syndrome theory, notes the syndrome is not an illness, but a theory
that draws upon the principles of learned helplessness to explain why some women
are The theory of learned helplessness sought to account for the passive behavior
subjects exhibited when placed in an uncontrollable environment. In the late 60's and
early 70's, Martin Seligman, a famous researcher in the field of psychology, condu In
the late 1970's, Dr. Walker drew upon Seligman's research and incorporated it into
her own theory, the battered women's syndrome, in an attempt to explain why
battered women remain with their abusers. According to Dr. Walker, battered
women's The tension building phase ends and the active battering phase begins
when the verbal abuse and minor battering evolve into an acute battering incident. A
release of the tensions built during phase one characterizes the active battering
phase, wh After the active battering phase comes to a close, the cycle of violence
enters the calm loving respite phase or "honeymoon phase." During this phase, the
batterer apologizes for his abusive behavior and promises that it will never happen
again. According to Dr. Walker, Seligman's theory of learned helplessness explains
why women stay with their abusers and occurs in a victim after the cycle of violence
repeats numerous times. As noted earlier, dogs who were placed in an environment
wher As the classical theory of battered women's syndrome is based upon the
psychological principles of conditioning, experts believe that behavior modification
strategies are best suited for treating women suffering from the syndrome. A simple,
yet e In sum, the classical battered women's syndrome is a theory that has its origins
in the research of Martin Seligman. Women in a domestic abuse situation experience
a cycle of violence with their abuser. The cycle is composed of three phases: the
II. An Alternate Battered Women's Syndrome Theory: Battered Women as Survivors.

Over the years, empirical data has emerged that casts doubt on Dr. Walker's
explanation of why women stay with their batterers or, in extreme cases, why they kill
their abusers. Two researchers, Edward W. Gondolf and Ellen R. Fisher, make
referen The first element of the survivor theory surmises that a pattern of abuse
prompts battered women to employ innovative coping strategies and to seek help,
such as flattering the batterer and turning to their families for assistance. When these
so The second element of Gondolf and Fisher's theory posits that a lack of options,
know-how and finances, not learned helplessness, instills a feeling of anxiety in the
victim that prevents her from escaping the abuser. When a battered woman seeks
The third element expands on the first and describes how the victim actively seeks
help from a variety of formal and informal help sources. For instance, an example of
an informal help source would be a close friend and a formal help source would The
fourth element of the survivor theory hypothesizes that the failure of the
aforementioned help sources to intervene in a comprehensive and decisive manner
permits the cycle of abuse to continue unchecked. Interestingly, Gondolf and Fisher
bla Because the survivor theory of learned helplessness attributes the battered
woman's plight to ineffective help sources and societal indifference, a logical solution
would entail increased funding for programs in place and educating the public abou
To recap, Edward W. Gondolf and Ellen R. Fisher developed the survivor theory of
battered women's syndrome to explain why statistics indicate that battered women
increase their help seeking behavior as the violence escalates. The theory is compos
III. Battered Women's Syndrome Equals Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Although the DSM-IV does not recognize battered women's syndrome as a distinct
mental illness or disorder, some experts maintain that battered women's syndrome is
just another name for post traumatic stress disorder, which the DSM-IV recognizes. In
1980, the American Psychiatric Association added the post traumatic stress disorder
classification to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III, a
manual used by mental health professionals to diagnose mental illness. Altho Since
1980, the American Psychiatric Association has revised the criteria for diagnosing
post traumatic stress disorder several times. Currently, the diagnostic criteria for post
traumatic stress disorder include a history of exposure to a trauma As noted earlier, in
order for a diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder to apply, the individual must
have been exposed to a traumatic event involving actual or threatened death or injury,
or a threat to the physical integrity of the person o In addition to meeting the traumatic
event diagnostic criteria, an individual must have symptoms from the intrusive
recollection, avoidant/numbing and hyper arousal categories for a post traumatic
stress disorder diagnosis to apply. The intrusive The avoidant/numbing cluster
consists of the emotional strategies individuals with post traumatic stress disorder use
to reduce the likelihood that they will either expose themselves to traumatic stimuli, or
if exposed, will minimize their psychol The hyper arousal category symptoms closely
resemble those seen in panic and generalized anxiety disorders. Although symptoms
such as insomnia and irritability are generic anxiety symptoms, hyper vigilance and
startle are unique to post traumatic A careful reading of post traumatic stress disorder
symptoms and diagnostic criteria indicates that Dr. Walker's classical theory of
battered women's syndrome is contained within. For instance, both theories require
that the victim be exposed to There are several methods a professional can utilize to
treat individuals suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. The most successful
treatments are those that they administer immediately after the traumatic event.
Experts commonly call t The second type of treatment is administered after post
traumatic stress disorder has developed and is less effective than critical incident
stress debriefing. This type of treatment may consist of psychodynamic
psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, To summarize, many experts regard battered
women's syndrome as a subcategory of post traumatic stress disorder. The diagnostic
criteria for post traumatic stress disorder include a history of exposure to a traumatic
event and symptoms from each o
IV. Conclusion
Although there are many different theories of battered women's syndrome, most are
all variations or hybrids of the three main theories outlined above. A sound
understanding of Dr. Walker's classical battered women's syndrome theory, Gondolf
and F