FAD2230 Chapters 11 15 Chapter 11 Family Stress and Crisis Violence Among Intimates The Nature of Stress and Crisis Crisis a critical change of events that disrupts the functioning of a person s life Things that you may not have a coping method for o Ex unexpected job loss having children changes in health care etc We tend to think of crisis as a negative turning point o Can occur unexpectedly pregnant etc Ex child is injured wife husband leaves teenage daughter gets Family Stress tensions that test a family s emotional resources can occur within or outside the family Differs from personal stress because events that affect one member of the family may cause a ripple effect and affect the entire family o 10 Most Common Family Stressors 1 Finances and budgeting 2 Children s behavior 3 Insufficient time s a couple 4 lack of shared responsibility in family 5 Communication with children Acute Stress short term stress A stress that doesn t last longer than a month Chronic Stress long term stress Patterns of Family Crisis 3 Distinct Phases 1 The event that causes the crisis o the crisis could be the meaning behind the event 2 The period of disorganization that follows 3 The reorganization that takes place afterwards Families may return to functioning at a similar level to where they were before the crisis may be strengthened or weakened by the crisis Figure 11 1 Five Patterns of the Effects of Stress Crisis on Family Functioning Number one stress is the loss of a family member number two stress is divorce o No Change 15 o Increased 18 o Decreased 5 o Roller Coaster 51 Most Common o Mixed 11 families cope with stress and crisis The ABC X Model ABC X Model a model designed to help us understand the variation in the ways that The outcome of the crisis will depend on the combination of ABC Factors o o o A Factor the initial event causing the crisis Ex affair moving B Factor the resources a family has to meet the demands of the crisis Ex social support money faith counseling C Factor the meanings families ascribe to the event Ex catastrophe God s will an opportunity X Factor outcome the combination of all factors Crisis Or not o Example Josie and Luis lost their daughter in a car accident Extended family offered love and support afterward also providing Factor A Factor B instrumental care such as meal childcare of the other children and housekeeping Factor C Have strong Catholic faith and grew to believe that her life was not cute short but she had actually accomplished all that God set out for her to do Factor X helped the family grow closer together They miss her every day as they nurture each other the crisis has Double ABC X Model a model designed to help us understand the effects of the accumulation of stresses and crises and how families adapt to them of stresses and crises and how families adapt to them Figure 11 3 Double ABC X Model of Family Crisis Pile Up The Double ABC X model is designed to understand the effects of the accumulation A Initial event B Existing Resources crisis o aA The family life changes and transitions that take place because of it o bB The new coping resources the family obtains because of the stress or C Meanings families ascribe to the event perceptions of the stressor itself o cC Family s perceptions of the aftermath X Combination of all factors Crisis Or not Violence Among Intimates Violence is a social problem because 1 It affects large numbers of people 2 Violence is not completely random We can detect particular patterns and risk factors for both victims and 3 The causes consequences and solutions of violence must address its macro level perpetrators o The ways someone is raised etc dimensions including social cultural and economic factors intimate such as spouses or partners Intimate Partner Violence violence between those who are physically and sexually Can be physical economic sexual and psychological abuse and many abrasive situations include more than one type Types of Intimate Partner Violence Common Couple Violence arises out of a specific argument in which at least one partner lashes out physically o Less frequent than other types of abuse o Less likely to escalate or cause sever injury Intimate Terrorism physical psychological or sexual violence that is motivated by a desire to control the other partner o More likely than other types to escalate over time and to cause serious injury and post traumatic stress syndrome Violent Resistance the non legal tern for self defense o Almost always women o Indicates that a woman may leave her abuse partner soon Mutual Violent Control refers to a pattern of behavior in which both partners are controlling and violent and are battling for control is unwanted and causes a reasonable person to be fearful Stalking and Cyberstalking Stalking consists of obsessive contact or tracking of another person attention that A combination of many unwanted acts that by themselves are not abusive but when taken together these acts constitute a form of mental abuse o Ex sending flowers or gifts making phone calls Stalking may be so subtle that a victim may not even know it is happening Cyberstalking repeated unwanted attention could come in the form of e mail texts bulletin boards blogs chat rooms or other types of media One factor that distinguishes cyberstalking from other forms of stalking is ease Although the contact may be indirect it can be threatening nonetheless Leaving and Staying Coping with Violence Learned Helplessness the psychological condition of having low self esteem feeling helpless and having no control that is caused by repeated abuse o Because of repeated verbal and physical assaults these women feel that they cannon control the abuse or the events around them In essence thy have learned to feel helpless and they have difficulty envisioning a way out of their situation Battered Women s Syndrome a recognized psychological condition often a subcategory of post traumatic stress syndrome used to describe someone who has been the victim of consistent and or severe domestic violence o Can be treated by a rained mental health professional Explanations Micro Level Explanations The Intergenerational Transmission of Violence a cycle of violence that is passed down to dependants suggests that we learn norms and behaviors including violence by observing others The Stress Explanation families that experience a great deal f stress are more likely to abuse their partners and their children o Ex unemployment poor health
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