What is Battered Woman Syndrome?

Introduction

Battered Women Syndrome is based upon two theories:

• the cycle of violence, and
• learned helplessness.

Cycle of violence

The cycle of violence theory provides a model of what happens before, during and after a violent incident in which a male abuses a female partner.

The model holds that battering in domestic relationships is neither random nor constant, and that battering occurs in repeated cycles, each having three phases.

Cumulative terror

Battering reduces the victim to a state of fear and anxiety during the first two phases that stretches her perception of fear beyond the timeframe of the battering incident.

The relationship becomes characterised by "cumulative terror" because of the constant state of fear that pervades the relationship.

Learned helplessness

Learned helplessness, and the dysfunctions that accompany it, explain why a battered woman does not leave a relationship after it is unreasonable to believe that the male's behaviour will improve.

The theory of learned helplessness suggests that women who have experienced violence that they were unable to control will, over time, develop a condition of "learned helplessness". This condition will prevent them from perceiving or acting on opportunities to escape from the violence.

Characteristics of learned helplessness

These are characteristics of learned helplessness:

• Repeated battering diminishes the woman's motivation to respond, she becomes passive.
• The woman's cognitive ability to perceive success is changed. She does not believe her response will result in a favourable outcome, whether or not it might.
• The battered woman does not believe anything she does will alter any outcome.

The woman's sense of emotional well-being becomes precarious and she is more prone to depression and anxiety.