Psicoanalisis

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Chapter

2

Theoretical Basis for
Family Violence
Maren E. Hyde-Nolan, PhD
Tracy Juliao, PhD

INTRODUCTION
A number of different psychological theories address the causes of family violence (FV). The most popular theories all acknowledge the abuse of power
andcontrol by the abusers, although the role of power and control varies by
theoretical orientation. In this chapter, we focus on four main theoretical categories: (1) psychoanalytic theories of FV, (2) social theories of FV, (3) cognitive behavioral theories of FV, and (4) family and systems theories of FV.
Psychoanalytic theories focus on individual internal psychological processes
that create aneed to be abusive or to accept abusive behavior. Social theories
focus on how aggression, abuse, and violence are learned and transferred by
individual members of the family to others within the family. Cognitive behavior theories also focus on how aggression, abuse, and violence are learned
and transferred among individuals, but these theories further attempt to
explain why abusivebehaviors are sometimes transmitted from generation
to generation while other times they are not. Finally, family and systems theories focus on the interactions between family members and the shared responsibility for the events that occur within the family system.
Some theories of FV have been left out of the review in this chapter, so we
will briefly mention a few of them here. For instance, thefeminist perspective regarding FV focuses on patriarchal societies that foster a patriarchal
family structure in which men are expected to have power over women.1

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Similarly, historical and ecological approaches toFV suggest that violence
against women and children has always been present, noting that certain
groups become targets within certain societies.2 Finally, although there are
various cultural theories of FV,3–7 we have decided to conceptualize cultural considerations as an overarching umbrella under which all other theories of FV fall. In other words, it is impossible to understand FV in theabsence of a cultural understanding of the individuals involved in the behaviors in question.

PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES OF FAMILY VIOLENCE
Three psychodynamic theories are discussed: object relations theory, attachment theory, and a theory called violence as trauma.

Object Relations Theory
Object relations theory suggests that humans are motivated from their earliest childhood by the need forsignificant relationships with others;8 “others” are referred to as “objects” within objects relations theory. To reduce the
potential for confusion, we simply refer to “objects” as “others” or “other individuals” in this chapter. Fairbairn8 suggests that these early relationships,
in addition to playing a role in psychic development, form the enduring
psychological “templates” for all of theindividual’s future relationships. In
essence, object relations theory proposes that individuals develop mental
representations of themselves, other individuals, and the relationships between themselves and others beginning in infancy and childhood; these
mental representations carry over and influence interpersonal relationships
throughout life.8–11 Many prominent object relations theoristssuggest that
the child’s early experiences in his or her relationship with the primary caregiver set the stage for the development of stable, enduring, internalized
mental representations of oneself, others, and the emotional experiences
that are attached to the relationship between the oneself and others.12–16
The first years of life are extremely important for individuals to ensure the...