Causes of Domestic Violence.
The popular theory for the cause of Domestic Violence is the needs of one partner to dominate and control the other. This may be due to a feeling of inferiority, low self esteem, anger problems. The abused partner may be better educated and from a background or different culture, that increases that feeling of inferiority. They feel that they have to dominate and to show their domination in the form of emotional, physical, financial or sexual abuse.
That abuser may have learnt that violent behaviour from their family, people in their community and other cultural influences as they grow up. They may have seen violence often or they may have been victims themselves.
Children who witness or are the victims of violence may learn to believe that violence is a reasonable way to resolve conflict and show their ‘superiority’ over another person. Boys who learn that women are not to be valued or respected and who see violence directed against women are more likely to abuse women when they grow up. Girls who witness domestic violence in their families of origin are more likely to be victimized by their own husbands.
Alcohol and other substances may contribute to violent behaviour. A person under the influence of drink or drugs, will be less likely to control his or her violent impulses.
Domestic Violence, could hormonal imbalance be a contributing factor?
I was working on one of my papers, on stress and depression, when it occurred to me that one of the major differences between males and female’s, is hormonal and could an imbalance be a possible cause of Domestic Violence?
I have only been involved in DV groups for a couple of years but cannot recall any conversations on the cause of Domestic Violence only help for the victims and Counselling for the perpetrators. Hormonal imbalance may have been considered and investigated and found to be without foundation. However, I doubt it.
I attended a seminar on help for perpertrators of DV and bought up the issue of hormonal imbalance as a possible cause and this was dismissed out of hand. It certainly did not inspire confidence.
What is known is that sex hormones can and do cause mood swings, sometimes quite severe. Hormonal imbalance is one of the probable causes of Post Natal Depression, which can be quite a serious illness.
When male robins enter the breeding season, their testosterone levels rise. They become aggressive and amorous. Testosterone has remarkably similar effects on men.
This conclusion does not sit well with most psychologists. Psychology professors emphasize that whereas men with low testosterone levels are generally low on aggression and have a low sex drive, men who are high on testosterone may be neither aggressive nor randy.
Why are we so comfortable with assuming that other animals are controlled by their hormones whereas humans are not? The prevailing view is that human behaviour is regulated by higher cognitive processes. Reason cools the blood, allowing us to take responsibility for our actions. This is an ancient philosophical formula that was most explicitly developed by French Philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650). Yet, even Descartes did not believe the rational soul was always in charge and accepted that there are times when humans are ruled by their passions.
Hormones: are one of the body’s great communication networks (the others are the nervous and immune systems). A hormone molecule, released by one of about a dozen glands, travels through the blood until it reaches a cell with a receptor that it fits. Then, like a key in a lock, the molecule attaches to the receptor and sends a signal inside the cell. The signal may tell the cell to produce a certain protein or to multiply.
Hormones are involved in just about every biological process: immune function, reproduction, growth, even controlling other hormones. Endocrine hormones are released by the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and other glands, under the general direction of the pituitary gland. After SRS Sexual Reassignment Surgery (castration of the testes) the adrenal gland still continues to produce Testosterone, albeit comparable to the lower level of a female.
Sex hormones are responsible for some of the most dramatic changes that occur in the body. They control puberty secondary sexual characteristics, egg and sperm production, pregnancy, birth and lactation (breastfeeding).
Sex Hormones, in the main, Testosterone, Oestrogen, Progesterone and Prolactin are what make us Male or Female, it is what makes the differences between Male or Female. These four hormones are found in males and females. In the males, Testosterone is the main sex hormones and the other three at low levels and in females Oestrogen, Progesterone, Prolactin are the main sex hormones and Testosterone at a low level. What we do for Transsexuals is to change that balance using cross sex hormones.
Testosterone makes the man more aggressive and stronger, needed for hunting. The man is more likely to fight before flight. Oestrogen makes the woman more passive, more likely to take flight than fight. However, women will have reserves of fight if their children are threatened, they will risk their own lives for their children.
Under normal hormone levels the Male aggressiveness and female passiveness is controlled but when those levels become ‘out of balance’ then that control can be lost. This can be seen in women’s monthly cycles, with mood swings.
This can also be seen in female to male transsexuals, when taking the male hormone, Testosterone often will become more aggressive, whereas male to female transsexuals taking the female hormone Oestrogen, become more emotional and lose muscle strength. After the proper hormonal balance is reached, these conditions will usually normalise.
Interestingly, the percentage of Male to Female perpetrators of Domestic Violence is about the same as the M-F and F-M Transsexuals, about 1 in 4. Partner abuse is as common and as severe among same sex couples as among heterosexual couples. There is, however, a general lack of recognition that same sex domestic violence can or does occur.
Could hormonal imbalance be a contributing factor in Domestic Violence?
One in four women will experience Domestic violence. 44% of those victims will experience more than one incident. No other type of crime will have a rate of repeat victimisation as high.
If this is right and it has a hormonal basis, can Counselling ever really cure the perpetrator of Domestic Violence no more than Psychiatrists could ever cure Transsexualism?
Could Medical intervention, using hormone therapy have more effect?
Michelle Dibble
Page updated 07 March 2018
