Domestic violence is a worldwide problem that millions of people face every day. Frequently, the victims of such violence are women in abusive relationships with their partners or families, who cannot leave such situations. This essay will explain some of the challenges females confront from the standpoint of different psychological theories: the learned helplessness model, the family systems theory, and the psychological accounting theory.
The learned helplessness model is common for female domestic abuse victims. This model manifests itself as the loss of motivation to make independent decisions due to the repetition of uncontrollable negative events (Song & Vilares, 2021). Victims of domestic violence often see the abuse they face as a constant cycle of incidents that continues regardless of their actions. Because of learned helplessness, they do not try to escape that cycle and stay in abusive relationships for years.
The family systems theory emphasizes the importance of healthy family relationships, as many women who face domestic violence come from toxic households. This theory suggests that the members of one family are connected, with parents exemplifying the way relationships should be built for the child (Fitzgerald et al., 2020). Women raised in unhealthy households are more prone to facing domestic violence due to the normalization of abusive tendencies in their own families.
The psychological accounting theory deals with one of the most influential aspects of the connection between the victim and the abuser – the finances. Psychological accounting is a set of methods used by individuals to monitor their spending and income; it also regulates one’s perception and attitude towards money (Muehlbacher & Kirchler, 2019). Abusers frequently use financial stability as a manipulative method, convincing the victim that they will not survive independently and changing their psychological accounting perception.
To conclude, the challenges women face regarding domestic abuse may come from different sources. The victims may do not feel the power to change the situation due to the learned helplessness model or adopt alternative behaviors because of the family systems theory. They also cannot leave the violent household due to being scared for their financial well-being because of the manipulative altering of their psychological accounting. Nevertheless, every victim of domestic violence deserves help and understanding from professionals and other members of society.
References
Fitzgerald, M., London‐Johnson, A., & Gallus, K. L. (2020). Intergenerational transmission of trauma and family systems theory: An empirical investigation. Journal of Family Therapy, 42(3), 406–424.
Muehlbacher, S., & Kirchler, E. (2019). Individual Differences in Mental Accounting. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 11–15.
Song, X., & Vilares, I. (2021). Assessing the relationship between the human learned helplessness depression model and anhedonia. Plos one, 16(3), 1–22.