Spousal abuse is a rampant problem in today’s culture. While a spousal abuse victim can be either the husband or the wife, many more women are being abused than men. In addition, the abuse can refer to a variety of things, including verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and of course, physical abuse. Regardless of the type of abuse, there is no logical excuse for this to behavior to be continued. Read on to find more facts concerning spousal abuse, why it happens and the ways to help prevent it.
Causes of Spousal Abuse
There are several proposed theories that explain why spousal abuse happens. Causes of spousal abuse range from the simple fact that the abuser has emotional problems that make him react violently in some situations. This may be due to a power struggle between partners, stress, outside influences like drugs and alcohol, and unresolved psychological issues.
*Control.
One of the major causes of spousal abuse stems from the need for control. Many times, husbands will lash out at their wives to make them feel inferior so they can gain a sense of control over them. Hitting and beating them is one of the ways that they get this control, but they also use more subtle tactics, such as mental or emotional abuse.
With these methods, they prey on their spouse’s mind by making them feel inferior by constantly pointing out their faults. They might ridicule them in private and in front of others so they feel humiliated and broken. After years of constant berating, the wife is defeated and feels like she is dependent on her husband even for mere survival. Thus, he has gained control over her.
