Domestic abuse on the rise...

[Rachmaninoff]

I was just reading this article here:

[URL="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30156918/"][U]Domestic abuse on rise as economy sinks[/U][/URL]

According to the article, domestic abuse is increasing and they're seeing a correlation between people losing their jobs, among other things, and the trouble. I'm not sure about it, being a catalyst for an increase in abuse, mainly because I don't really follow this kind of thing. Still, if it actually is playing a part, it is kind of a scary thought that abuse has become more of a problem.

So what do you think? Do you believe there is any connection or do you think they're just seeing something that isn't there? You do hear about more disturbing cases these days, but is it because they're on the rise or because they get far more publicity?

[Allamorph]

[FONT=Arial]The confounding variable here is [B]stress[/B]. A deteriorating economy causes stress levels to rise across the boards, and with high stress comes frayed tempers and conversations that devolve quickly into shouting matches . . . and other unpleasantries.

People say and do very nasty, hurtful things when they feel pinned.

Who knows? Maybe we'll see a rise in bandit packs in the near future.[/FONT]

[Raiha]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Half of this I can chalk up to bad parenting and immature people being ill equipped to be doing anything that takes more than a smidgen of responsibility.

The other half I can tie to people being idiots about money and doing what people always do when times are tough. Fight other people and take it out on the least of these. Whenever couples have problems it always boils down to either sex or money and in this case there's not exactly a money free environment. But I've also heard that sex is going up nationally because it's cheap and free entertainment and costs less than driving to a movie.

[URL="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/14/sex-addiction-economy-crisis"]Sex Addiction caused by Financial Crisis Screams the UK Guardian Which Isn't Really Feasible But Makes Good News?[/URL]

But heck, I was an addict before the financial crisis so I guess that means I'm safe. Right? ....Right?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"]I agree with Sir Allamorph, it's probably a combination of stress levels increasing with the economic troubles. People are struggling with job losses and all sorts of problems. Though if that's the case then hopefully things improving will result in a decrease in domestic violence cases.[/FONT]

[chibi-master]

Is it just me, or is every problem on the planet being blamed on the crummy economy?:confused:

[Raiha]

[quote name='chibi-master']Is it just me, or is every problem on the planet being blamed on the crummy economy?:confused:[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]It's not just you, believe me. Even the lame stuff can be vaguely tied to the economy just like my state of mind can be tied loosely to the color I'm wearing and what day of the week it is.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Pumpkin]

[size=1][font=tahoma]I doubt it has anything to do with the economy, just the fact that people are more open about it nowadays. If you think back in the old days, it still happened, but less women would report getting abused. I think people are more open to realizing that they are in something that is harmful for them, rather then sticking in out to be the 'perfect' couple or married.

I think it just has to do with generation. But thats just my estimate. [/size][/font]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][FONT="Arial"]Oh I have no doubt that anything that causes more stress can result in an increase of domestic violence. However, that applies to more than just the economic issues they're saying is a factor. There is also the fact that people are more open about that kind of thing than they used to be.

So my vote is for a combination and even then, I'm leaning more towards people just being more open about it. Though I'm not going to dismiss the very real reality that losing your job, among other things is bound to be very stressful and potentially contribute to the problem. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[eleanor]

[font=trebuchet ms] This thread reminds me of the beginning of freshmen year college when all the smartass students challenged our psych teacher with dumb questions about basic statististic principles. Literally every class someone asked him about random selection and causation. [/font]

[Nathan]

[FONT="Arial"]I'm leaning towards a combination of people being more open about actually reporting it and the potential increase in stress. However, it doesn't mean the stress is caused by the economic issues. [/FONT]

[Korey]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]While stress can be a factor in violent behavior, I think that violence really stems from a the individual's personality. Everyone reacts to stress differently and if you have violent tendencies, then that's what ends up being prevalent in a pressing situation. I don't absolutely agree with that sentiment, because some of the nicest people can become abusers given the amount of stress they have in life.

I don't know that the economy going bad is really determining people's stress levels and how it correlates to domestic abuse. It can be a factor, sure, but not the main factor. Domestic abuse tends to stem from a variety of things, not just stress and failures in life.

I think the economy being used as a scapegoat for people's violent tendencies really carries little water. I've seen cases where the aggressor (not necessarily a man) is a very successful person and still beats their spouse or mentally abuses them at home.[/FONT]

[Allamorph]

[quote name='Nathan][FONT="Arial"']However, it doesn't mean the stress is caused by the economic issues. [/FONT][/quote]
[FONT=Arial](I only quote this person because it's the quickest one to quote.)

I think there's been a bit of misleading going on even in this thread. What I meant by my remark was that it is not the economy that is causing a rise in domestic abuse. There are underlying factors associated with domestic abuse, and the economy is merely a catalyst for those factors.

Additionally, the economic situation at present is not a [U]cause[/U] for stress so much as it is a [U]factor[/U] in stress. People who have little stress will likely find little more heading their way, unless they allow themselves to become stressed by being led by the media. Those who have moderate levels already will find their stress compounded; if you aren't good at handling life when life is easy, collapsing markets sure won't help you any.

Then you have two sides to the abuse coin. On the one, there is the aspect of more openness towards reporting abuse instead of silently coping and waiting it out. (Which is good, so long as such reports aren't abused....but that's irrelevant at the moment.) On the other, you have people who did not previously abuse and now do.

When a person show odd behavior changes, such as this one, it is generally because they momentarily forget themselves and act on impulse. I know from experience how easy it is to say or do something very hurtful before realising what happened; thus, with stress comes more easily-frayed tempers, and with shorter tempers come more frequent accidental outbursts. And if anger and pride (or shame) happen to get in the way, reconciliation might not always happen.

I dislike behavioral statistics predominantly because interpreting behavior is never cut-and-dried. And until I see evidence that studies published through the media are using multivariate statistics, and I know enough about the field to be able to discern proper usage, I tend to take studies like these as simply an interesting note and another piece of a larger whole, instead of a definite [I]A causes B[/I].

[quote name='Korey][FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"']... I think that violence really stems from a the individual's personality. Everyone reacts to stress differently and if you have violent tendencies, then that's what ends up being prevalent in a pressing situation.[/FONT][/quote]
I feel that this sentiment is also a tad misled. For instance, I am an extraordinarily violent-natured person. Everyone in my family has problems with temper fits, actually, and I often want react to little situations by blowing them completely out of proportion?and by that I mean that even hearing the guttural consonants in whispers makes me want to start flailing about with a machete. Over the years I've learned to soften the deal by being ridiculous about it so there at least is some sense of comedy about it, like when I mess up a passage during rehearsal and start jumping up and down spouting irritated incoherent jibberish (provided we're standing up), but the tendency is still there.

But that's about all I'll let myself react to. I know I'm emotional and irrational when angered, and so when something worth getting upset over happens I refuse to allow myself to display my anger openly. It's a control thing: so long as I am in possession of my body, I will decide what I react to and when I react. (The release process invariably involves about an hour of solitude with my CD player. Very effective; I highly recommend it. I suppose you could call it 'meditation' . . . if you wanted to.)

tl;dr. Point there is that those who truly desire to control themselves will find a way to do so, whether it be through their own power or through seeking outside intervention. (Neither of which is better or worse than the other.) Those who are afraid of losing control . . . will typically lose control. I could go into the psychosomatic part, but I've blithered a while already, and I need a nap.[/FONT]

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Allamorph][FONT=Arial']tl;dr. Point there is that those who truly desire to control themselves will find a way to do so, whether it be through their own power or through seeking outside intervention. (Neither of which is better or worse than the other.) Those who are afraid of losing control . . . will typically lose control. I could go into the psychosomatic part, but I've blithered a while already, and I need a nap.[/FONT][/quote]tl;dr ... I kid, I kid.. Basically, without the long explanation, I think most of us got what you meant the first time around. Anyway, I trust you did wander off and get that nap after all? =P