ion) become tacitly accepted while other behaviors (such as women's submission) become equally accepted. This view includes learning theory in that it argues that behaviors are, in fact, learned through experience or observation and reinforced by societal acceptance.
3. Karmen (2004) suggests that a cycle of violence may operate in which a victim is transformed over time into a victimizer. A person abused as a child by a parent, for example, may become a child abuser. A male or female who sees a parent being abused by another parent may become abusive to his or her own spouse. Sexual abuse victims may become sexual predators as older persons, and violence is clearly seen as begetting more violence.
The symptoms of abuse identified by Karmen (2004) are: affective problems evidenced by guilt, shame, anxiety, fear, depression, anger, low self-esteem, concerns about secrecy, feelings of helplessness, and an inordinate need to please others; physical repercussions ranging from injuries to loss of appetite, unwanted pregnancy, venereal diseases, and s
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