THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE

The cycle of violence is a general pattern that most abusive relationships follow. It passes through 3 phases – tension building, explosion and gifts and apologies. This is a dangerous cycle that can end in serious injury or death. For a battered woman, it is often very difficult to recognise the pattern once it has started. Some relationships never go through the gifts and apologies phase; they just pass from tension building to explosion and back again. As the cycle progress, the gifts and apologies phase tends to shorten and the abuser tends to express less remorse; it also becomes less difficult to break the cycle without outside intervention.

THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE

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PHASE I: TENSION BUILDING
This cycle begins with the abuser showing unusual behaviour. The woman often senses that something is wrong, and she may try a number of strategies to calm her partner and defuse the situation. The victim may feel as if she is walking on eggshells, waiting for the abuse to begin. The victim may try to stand up for herself or attempt to provoke battering in order to get the violence over with. It is important to emphasise that there is nothing a woman can do to prevent the violence from occurring.

PHASE II: EXPLOSION
In this phase the violent partner explodes and attacks the victim verbally, emotionally and/or physically. The explosion phase can last from a few minutes to several days. When the explosion is over the victim may deny the seriousness of her injuries. The time immediately after the explosion is a common time for the victim to reach out for help. The police may be contacted and/or the victim may contact a friend, a crises centre or battered women’s shelter for advice and assistance

PHASE III: GIFTS AND APOLOGISE OR HONEYMOON PERIOD
The abuser is often very apologetic in this phase and seeks forgiveness from the victim. Gift are given and empty promises are made that the abuse will never happen again. The victim wants to believe that the abuser’s loving behaviour during this phase is proof that the violence will not continue.