Domestic Abuse Help
Who Is Responsible for the Abuse
in Abusive Relationships?

 

 

by Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D.

 

Why do domestic abuse victims assume responsibility for the battering behavior in abusive relationships? Easy answer...because it is their “Job.”

Now, I’m not being flipped here; I’m being honest and direct. Domestic abuse victims know that it is their role in the relationship to shoulder the blame for the relationship discord, and that includes the batterer’s physical, verbal and emotional abuse toward them. It’s part of the territory of what keeps the abuse dynamic intact.

The victim’s assuming responsibility for the battering is both expected by the abuser and by the abused. The only people stunned by this action are the individuals looking in who are unfamiliar with the dynamics of abusive relationships.

Responsibility and Domestic Violence Victims

It can be anything from becoming accountable for their own injuries in a domestic assault, to sucking up ownership for something they themselves were not even a party to...or even paying the penalty for a crime they did not commit.

When engaged in the dynamics of an abusive relationship, it’s not a matter of right or wrong, or even who did what. Instead, it has to do with keeping peace.

The abused may very well believe in their own innocence, yet they know from experience that owning fault buys “promise” for a reprieve of peace. The abuser declares continuous battering until victim ownership is “properly” assumed. And this is what keeps the abuse dynamic going.

Breaking the Cycle of Domestic Abuse

Conversely, the key to breaking the cycle of abuse is the abused forfeiting responsibility for the battering behavior. The moment she/he stops becoming accountable for the perpetrator’s actions, feelings and beliefs, the relationship dynamics shift. A window opens up wherein the abused is then free to be responsible for their own experience.

This one shift is a major cornerstone in breaking the cycle of domestic violence. Given this, do you see the power that the victim has in maintaining and/or breaking the cycle of abuse?

If you are in an abusive relationship and find yourself at the mercy of your partner demanding your accountability for the abuse, ask yourself if your ownership of the blame beings true peace or continues the war.

Going back to our opening question titling this article: “Who is responsible for the domestic abuse in abusive relationships?”...Both of the parties are responsible for maintaining the abuse dynamic. And, most importantly, each party is only responsible for their own individual actions, feelings and beliefs.

For help with breaking cycle of abuse, visit http://www.DomesticAbuseSupport.org and take the first step to finding freedom from abuse. Psychologist Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D. helps individuals nationwide end and heal from domestic abuse at home and in court. © Jeanne King, Ph.D. — Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention