Click Here For Research Papers Online!

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