Our Town

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the architect of the classical
battered women's syndrome theory, notes the syndrome is not an
illness, but a theory that draws upon the principles of learned
helplessness to explain why some women are unable to leave their
abusers. Therefore, the classical battered women's syndrome theory is
best regarded as an offshoot of the theory of learned helplessness and
not a mental illness that afflicts abused women. The theory of learned
helplessness sought to account for the passive behavior subjects
exhibited when placed in an uncontrollable environment. In the late
60's and early 70's, Martin Seligman, a famous researcher in the field
of psychology, conducted a series of experiments in which dogs were
placed in one of two types of cages. In the former cage, henceforth
referred to as the shock cage, a bell would sound and the
experimenters would electrify the entire floor seconds later, shocking
the dog regardless of location. The latter cage, ...

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active battering phase and calm
loving respite phase. During the tension building phase, the victim is
subjected to verbal abuse and minor battering incidents, such as
slaps, pinches and psychological abuse. In this phase, the woman tries
to pacify her batterer by using techniques that have worked
previously. Typically, the woman showers her abuser with kindness or
attempts to avoid him. However, the victim's attempts to pacify her
batter are often fruitless and only work to delay the inevitable acute
battering incident.

The tension building phase ends and the active battering phase
begins when the verbal abuse and minor battering evolve into an acute ...

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