Since we just finished taking a test, I decided that it would not really be beneficial to write about something we have already done so I decided to research and write about a correlation that I have always been wondering about.
Is it true that those who were abused tend to end up being the abusers and if so why? This is a similar question in regards to the nature-nurture debate. Are you born an abuser, or does it develop based on nurture; based on experience?
There definitely are cases in which people have medical conditions in which they are more likely to become abusers; however, in most of the cases I found, the abusers say that it is primarily because of nurture and experience. The obvious reason is because those who have been abused think that it is not fair that only they were abused so they take it out on other people. Also, it is because they have been around abuse all of their life so they think that abuse is the norm.
A way to test this is by getting a group of people who have been abused and get a group of people who have not been abused and observe the way hey act towards their kids. Most likely, the group of people who have been abused will abuse their children a lot more.
Good post, Akiva. I'd like to add that there are more questions that you can ask to help make this experiment more efficient. For instance, is one's environment the ONLY thing that shapes their behavior, or can other factors- i.e. addiction, mental disorders- lead to somebody becoming an abusive person? I feel that the more questions you ask, the clearer your results will be.
ReplyDeleteBeing an avid Law and Order: Special Victims Unit fan I am truly fascinated by this blog post. I see cases like this so many times in the various, gripping episodes. I don't know the statistics, but it only makes sense for one to be abusive if they had been abused in their life. Even when they know it's wrong, something about growing up that way impulsively leads them to lash out against inferiors. This could even be an example of psycho dynamic psychology. Past events from these people's lives slowly come out of their sub conscious once they are placed in a similar situation as their father was when he beat him.
ReplyDeleteI'm digging the post. Very innovative.
I was wondering about this topic as well when we discussed it in class. I think that one who is abused as a child has a better chance of abusing his kids when he grows up. The reason I believe this is because a lot of kids like to mimick their parents style of parenting even if it was not beneficial to them. Thats how they were brought up, so that is how they will bring up their kids. I like this post, very thought-provoking.
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