Aggression and dominance: The roles of power and culture in domestic violence.

Abstract

In the past few decades, it has become increasingly clear to social scientists and policy makers alike that violence within the family is all too common and carries enormous costs to individuals, families, and society as a whole. Numerous controversies exist in the field, particularly with regard to what factors are significant in the etiology and development of violence between intimate partners. This article focuses on relationship power as a critical construct to consider in domestic violence, as it encompasses aspects of social, dyadic, and individual functioning. The literature on the construct of power and its relationship to domestic violence is reviewed and then placed in cultural context, followed by a discussion of future directions for research on and treatment issues in power and violence.