Domestic Violence Portfolio Assignment

Domestic Violence Portfolio Assignment

Question Two: Can Interpersonal communication skills prevent domestic violence? Justify your answer and provide examples.

Interpersonal communication may help to a certain degree in regards to stopping domestic abuse from happening. However, it will not prevent domestic violence all together. Domestic violence is a serious issue that is taking place in our society today. I have learned many reasons as to why abusers act they way they do. Sometimes communication between two individuals isn’t enough to stop the abusers. Interpersonal communication is defined as communication, usually face to face, between two individuals.

One of the reasons why I don’t think that interpersonal communication can prevent domestic abuse is because of the video we saw in class entitled Defending Our Lives. I learned that the abusers would strike because of issues concerning power and control. Another reason why I don’t think that interpersonal communication could prevent this act is because some abusers have learned this type of behavior from past relationships, or a troubled childhood. One particular thing that I learned from the video is that you cannot change an abuser. Some behaviors demonstrated by batters and abusive people are consistent all throughout their life. Talking about the issue after an abusive episode occurs, may help for the time being, but rarely will the abuser change.

Some types of psychological and economic abuse can be described in behaviors such as: verbal abuse (name calling, accusing, blaming...), abusing trust (lying, infidelity), and emotional withholding (not expressing feelings, not respecting feelings). These are just some of the many series of behaviors that abusers may have. One particular situation that I remember from the movie was when one lady was describing how her husband would always resort back to the honey moon phase. She would be pampered with gifts and attention after an abusive