The “cycle of violence” theory of domestic violence was first introduced in the 1970s by researcher and feminist Lenore Walker. He based his theory on interviews with women who had survived abusive relationships.
The goal of the cycle of violence theory was to describe and predict the pattern into which violent relationships often fall. Walker identified three phases these relationships tended to go through:
Honeymoon Phase – This is where violent relationships often begin. The abuser is charming, loving, gentle, and loving. He or she can present gifts to their victim, go out of their way to do nice things for them, and generally make their victim feel accepted and loved.
Tension-building phase: According to Walker, acts of violence are generally preceded by periods of increasing discomfort within the relationship. The abuser may become increasingly jealous, short-tempered, or paranoid. The victim will often try to protect herself by appeasing the abuser. Unfortunately, the anger of an abusive person is often irrational and therefore cannot be reasonably soothed. In many abusive relationships, the victim can do nothing to avoid upsetting her partner.
Acting phase: This is when things come to a head and the abuser turns violent. In addition to physical attacks, a bully may use threats, intimidating behavior, and emotional abuse to keep his victim at bay. During this phase, victims are often too scared to seek the help they need.
Walker’s theory posits that, over time, the acting phase will revert to the honeymoon phase. This emotional manipulation is what makes it difficult for many victims of abuse to escape the relationship. Bullies can be extremely charming when they want to be. According to Walker, as time passes, the cycle often becomes tighter and tighter, with each phase lasting for a short period of time until the victim escapes or, tragically, dies.
This theory has received quite a bit of criticism over the years. Some people believe that Walker’s sample size was too small and not diverse enough to provide an accurate description of violent relationships across the country. Other people, based on their own research and experience, do not believe that domestic violence is as predictable as Walker first did.
Abusers can vary widely in their behavior, motivations, and tactics. There are many, many different ways that a person can be manipulated. Some abusers rely primarily on verbal or emotional abuse, rarely if they use physical attacks. Others do not go through phases of peace, tension and violence in the way that Walker described.
If Walker’s cycle of violence is strictly accurate for every abusive partner, it was still an important study. She shed light on abusive behavior and suggested why some victims do not abandon their abusers.