This is a common belief among wives who do not leave abusive relationships. The abuser usually denies any kind of responsibility by claiming a lack of control caused by the alcohol. This approach allows both the victim and the abuser to place blame of violent behavior on external influence that seems to "cause" the abuse (Wallace, 2002). Although it is convenient to blame alcohol abuse as the cause of spousal violence, there are many interlocking dynamics that are involved in both alcohol abuse and spousal abuse. Therefore, attributing alcohol's effects on marital aggression to disinhibiton, understates the complexity of the relationship (Jasinski, 1998 p.21).
There are many factors related to spousal abuse, however; three important ones include: social stress, power and alcohol. Although stress does not cause violence, it is a reaction to it for men who lack the ability to control high stress levels. The society is dominated by males, with women in subordinate positions who are treated by men as possessions. Therefore, men are granted power over women. Alcohol is used as an excuse for abusive behavior by the male and the female in the relationship, which is why women who have been victims of battery still decide not to leave the abusive relationship.
OBJECTIVES.
The objective of this paper is to focus on the causes and influences on spousal abuse in our society. The three factors that play a role in spousal abuse include: social stress, the power struggle and alcohol. Each of these three aspects has a distinctive effect on abusive relationships. .
Differences between the causes are apparent when applying these causes to the Systems Theory and later to the Power Theory. While applying the causes of spousal abuse to the Systems Theory, it is assumed that spousal violence is a function of a system, rather than individual behaviors of the members. With the Power Theory however, aggression emerges from the frustration over the inability to control the female partner.