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The Trap of Reactive Abuse: When Victims Become Perpetrators in the Eyes of Others

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: One of the most psychologically devastating aspects of domestic abuse is the phenomenon of the reactive abuse dynamic where victims respond to prolonged mistreatment with behaviors that can then be characterized as abusive themselves. This mechanism serves as both a trap for victims and a powerful tool for abusers to shift blame, maintain control, and evade accountability. For male victims of domestic violence, reactive abuse presents particularly complex challenges, as it intersects with cultural expectations about masculine behavior and institutional biases that already make their victimization difficult to recognize (Bancroft, 2002; Herman, 2015).

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17244417

Author: Mark, Chris

Language: English

Topic: Intimate Partner and Family Violence

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Gender equality

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7084405511

FWCI:

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