Przemoc i jej mechanizmy w związkach partnerskich

Abstract

Violence has been around with man since time forgotten and it is a common phenomenon in every area of life. Violence becomes especially harmful when it occurs between two persons who are in a close relationship. Although the issue of violence in unmarried relationships appears to have been discussed abundantly in the literature, the knowledge of the subject needs to be constantly updated and renewed because victims of violence too often tend to keep their predicament secret. The article presents basic information regarding the issue in question and describes forms of violence which may occur between a victim and perpetrator. The article also points to socially rooted stereotypes which hinder an injured party from seeking help. The authors describe all the typical characteristics of an abused woman, her thoughts which she is overcome by, her feelings and behaviour in an ever-growing spiral of violence. An exploration of the phenomenon of violence may assist in raising the social awareness of the problem, and thus it possesses an educational value. Such knowledge helps provide more adequate emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal support to a person exposed to violence when she is not able to cope with the situation herself. 38