The Cycle of Violence
Repeated violence tends to follow a three-phase cycle.
Tension Building Phase: Arguments and Threats:
This stage involves minor incidents (slapping, verbal and/or psychological abuse) with
increasing tension and fear of the batterer. This may be the time when a victim will
seek out help through law enforcement intervention only to be told nothing can be done
until violence occurs.
The victim may:
- Attempt to keep peace by nurturing or staying out of the batterer's way
- Control or manipulate the environment to prevent an increased intensity of violence
- Minimize, trivialize, deny violence
- Cover for batterer, excuse behavior
- Begin to withdraw emotionally from overwhelming stress
Acute Battering Phase: Beating, choking, punching, use of weapons:
During this stage, a violent episode occurs that may become physical,
usually causing injury and sometimes resulting in death. This is usually the shortest
phase lasting a few minutes to 24 hours.
The victim may:
- Feel a complete loss of control
- Feel emotionally trapped
- Wait to seek medical treatment if s/he chooses to go at all
- Not experience the effects of the trauma for some time
- Not trust law enforcement, fear their involvement will further enrage batterer,
defend the batterer to police
Honeymoon Phase—Period of Relative Calm:
Environment becomes tranquil, maybe even pleasant. This may be
the longest phase early in a relationship, but usually becomes progressively shorter
over time. This calm environment may become quite brief with the tension phase beginning
again almost immediately.
The victim may:
- Have increased hope that the batterer will change
- Experience the illusion of well-being
- Believe the many promises of the batterer
- Feel responsible for batterer's well being
The cycle is repetitive, and usually continues increasing in intensity until
it ends in a separation. If there is a separation the batterer often moves on to a new victim.
The following illustrations show some of the many forms of abuse that batterers use
to gain power and control over their victim:
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