Battered Woman Syndrome” Critique
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Applied Research Forum National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women Update of the “Battered Woman Syndrome” Critique Mary Ann Dutton With contributions from Sue Osthoff and Melissa Dichter Battering and the effects of battering are com- of women who have been victimized by intimate plex phenomena, which often are not well under- partner violence or to explain their response to such stood by the lay public. In addition to physical injury, violence and abuse is both misleading and potentially individuals who have experienced battering often harmful. As currently defined, the construct of BWS confront an array of psychological issues that differ has several important limitations: (1) BWS is often in both type and intensity. The effects of domestic not relevant to the central issues before the court in a violence vary according to the social and cultural specific case, (2) BWS lacks a standard and contexts of individuals’ lives and include differences validated definition, (3) BWS does not reflect in the pattern, onset, duration, and severity of abuse. current research findings necessary to adequately Importantly, this context is also determined by explain either the experience of individuals who have institutional and social responses to the abuser and been battered or their behavior in response to to the survivor of abuse and many other factors battering, and (4) BWS can be unnecessarily characteristic of both persons in an abusive relation- stigmatizing (Biggers, 2005; Ferraro, 2003). This ship: level of social support, economic and other paper reviews the definition, evolution, and utilization tangible resources, critical life experiences (e.g., of BWS in the courts, and offers a critique of its prior trauma, violence history, developmental framework and its use. history), and cultural and ethnic factors (Dutton, 1996; Dutton, Kaltman, Goodman, Weinfurt, & What is Battered Woman Syndrome? Vankos, 2005; Heise, 1998). Although individual women experience and BWS is a term typically used to refer to respond to battering differently, a number of reac- women’s experiences that result from being bat- tions are common among those who have been tered. It has evolved from a term used to describe a exposed to these traumatic events. “Battered broad range the victim’s (e.g., learned helplessness) woman syndrome” (BWS), a construct introduced and abuser’s (e.g., cycle of violence) behaviors to a in the 1970s by psychologist Lenore Walker, is mental health disorder describing symptoms experi- sometimes used in an attempt to explain common enced by an individual following traumatic exposure experiences and behaviors of women who have (e.g., Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD). been battered by their intimate partners (Walker, 1989; Walker, 2006). However, through more than Learned Helplessness three decades of accumulated empirical research, Initially, BWS was conceptualized as “learned we have come to recognize major limitations in both helplessness” (Walker, 1977), a condition originally the original and revised conceptualizations of BWS, conceptualized by Seligman and his colleagues as well as with the term itself (Osthoff & Maguigan, (Miller & Seligman, 1975) to describe the failure of 2005). The use of BWS to describe the experience dogs to escape a punitive environment, even when Update of the “Battered Woman Syndrome” Critique (August 2009) Page 1 of 11 *The production and dissemination of this publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 5U1V/CE324010-05 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessar- ily represent the official views of the CDC, VAWnet, or the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. VAWnet Applied Research Forum given the opportunity to do so. The theory was later the lives of the individual woman and her partner, as used to explain depression in humans (Abramson, well as their relationship together. Seligman, & Teasdale, 1978). Walker (1977) applied the theory of learned helplessness to de- Cycle of violence scribe women’s seeming lack of effort to leave or Another early definition of BWS referred to the escape an abusive relationship or their failure or “cycle of violence” (Walker, 1984), a theory that inability to take action to protect themselves and describes the dynamics of the abuser’s behavior, their children. which is characterized in three stages: tension Seligman and colleagues (Peterson, Maier, & building, acute battering, and contrite loving. The Seligman, 1993) have clearly refuted Walker’s use theory suggests that the abuser keeps the survivor of learned helplessness by stating that within his control largely by the contrite loving behaviors that follow even severe violence. There is In sum, we think the passivity observed little empirical evidence testing the cycle of violence among victims/survivors of domestic vio- theory. Walker’s own early research showed that lence is a middling example of learned only some of the women interviewed in her study helplessness. Passivity is present, but it may reported patterns of abuse consistent with this well be instrumental. Cognitions of helpless- theory, with 65% of all cases reporting evidence of a ness are present, as is a history of tension-bulding phase and 58% of all cases report- uncontrollability. But there may also be a ing evidence of loving contrition afterward (Walker, history of explicit reinforcement for passivity. 1984). Further, a recent study (Copel, 2006) of the Taken together, these results do not consti- patterns of abuse in a small sample of women with tute the best possible support for concluding physical disabilities did not find a contrite loving that these women show learned helplessness phase in the aftermath of abuse. (p. 239). Posttraumatic stress disorder Seligman and colleagues further argue that passivity In an attempt to standardize criteria for BWS, may be instrumental behavior that functions to Walker (1992) revised the definition to be synony- minimize the risk of violence, instead of reflecting mous with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a “learned helplessness” as it was originally conceptu- psychological condition which results from exposure alized. Some women who have been battered may to a traumatic event. Indeed, PTSD is described in appear helpless or intentionally use “passive” the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental behavior (e.g., giving in to demands) to stay safe. Disorders (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Indeed, research with low-income African-American Association, 2000). Many single instances of women who have experienced domestic violence domestic violence, and certainly the cumulative showed that, as violence toward women increased, pattern of violence and abuse over time, easily meet they increased their use of both passive (placating) the DMS-IV-TR criteria of a traumatic stressor. and active (resistance) strategies for dealing with the These criteria are (1) events that involved actual or violence (Goodman, Dutton, Weinfurt, & Cook, threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the 2003). Further, as Seligman suggested, women physical integrity of self or other and (2) intense fear, sometimes use strategies that may seem passive or helplessness, or horror. The symptoms that defined tantamount to “doing nothing,” but these may PTSD include (1) intrusive symptoms (images, actually be active efforts to reduce the risk of thoughts, perceptions, nightmares; distress at violence and abuse to themselves and their children. exposure to cues that symbolize or remind one of Indeed, the intended and actual function of a par- the traumatic event; physiological reactivity to ticular strategy is understood only in the context of exposure to internal or external cues that resemble Update of the “Battered Woman Syndrome” Critique (August 2009) Page 2 of 11 VAWnet: The National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women www.vawnet.org VAWnet Applied Research Forum the traumatic event), (2) emotional numbing1 (feeling Schuller, Wells, Rzepa, & Klippenstine, 2004; detached or estranged, inability to recall important Stark, 2007; USDOJ/DHHS, 1996). Instead, today aspects of the trauma) and behavioral avoidance many practitioners use the term “battering and its (efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, conversations effects” to describe the experiences of women associated with the trauma and activities, places and exposed to domestic violence (Osthoff & Maguigan, people that arouse recollections of the trauma), and 2005). Even so, it is important to note that some (3) hyperarousal (difficulty sleeping, anger and experts and attorneys continue to utilize the term irritability, difficulty concentrating, hypervigilance, BWS in their work. exaggerated startle response) (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The psychometric validity of Use of BWS in Expert Testimony PTSD symptoms has been recently validated with women exposed to intimate partner violence Expert testimony about battering and its effects (Krause, Kaltman, Goodman, & Dutton, 2007). has been introduced in a wide range of criminal and Walker again revised the definition of BWS in civil cases. Most typically, it has been introduced by 2006 to include not only the three symptom clusters the defense in cases involving women who are of PTSD (re-experiencing, numbing of responsive- criminally charged, especially women who have ness, hyperarousal), but also three additional criteria killed their abusers. It can also be offered