What Are the Causes of Family Violence?
Family violence is an often overlooked or excused form of domestic violence. A 2004 General Social Survey by the Canadian Department of Justice showed that only 28 percent of violence victims reported it to the police and in 61 percent of those cases, it was not the first incident. Causes for violent behavior includes historical, economical, and psychological reasons. Often a combination of reasons are associated with violent behavior.
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History of Abuse
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Children who suffer from family violence may continue the cycle. In a survey of parents by the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, parents were asked to report behavioral outcomes of children who had witnessed violence in the home. The study revealed that 28.1 percent indicated physical aggression, 19.8 percent indicated indirect aggression and 20.7 percent had committed delinquent acts against property.
Drugs and Alcohol
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Family violence is occasionally triggered by drug and/or alcohol abuse. Addicts and alcoholics often suffer from poor emotional health, leading to secondary anger and violence. A 1993 study of over 2,000 couples showed that in households where husbands were described as "often drunk", domestic violence rates were almost 15 times higher than households where husbands were described to be "never drunk".
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Money and Health
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When an individual has negative life experiences, such as losing a job or deteriorating health, violent behavior becomes more prevalent. A lack of money can be especially stressful, particularly during the Christmas season, when one's ability to provide for his family is compromised due to mounting bills causing feelings of helplessness. Domestic Violence agencies report a 30 percent increase in calls over the Christmas holidays.
Media Influence
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The media has it role in family violence. Television, movies, and music presents a glamorized form of violence as an acceptable form of punishment or way to deal with problems. These images combined with the pressure of relationships to conform to specific roles can cause an extraordinary amount of stress, especially for adolescents, and can start as early as childhood. A 2007 study of children aged 2 to 5 by the Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute indicated that for each hour of violent television watched per day, a child is three times more likely to show problems with aggression five years later.
Power
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In some cases, family violence is caused by a desire for power. These feelings may be attributed to low self-esteem, hostilities, stress, or other reasons, usually more than one. Violence leads to a sense of power over or reward from a victim and is one of the more controllable reasons for family violence, but the instigator chooses to behave violently for their own personal gain.
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