Battered Women Syndrome-FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

Name Institution Course Lecturer Date Battered Women Syndrome Purpose: The purpose of this research is to allow the student reflect on the collaborative role between psychology and law. Lenore Walker a great psychologist and prominent feminist academia, defined battered women syndrome as a set of distinct psychological and behavioral symptoms resulting from prolonged exposure to situations of intimate partner violence (Walker 136). According Walker’s hypothesis, the abuse of spouses generally occurs in cycles that are characterized by different degrees of severity. Walker explains that in the first stage (tension building), the victim is exposed to verbal and emotional abuse and physical violence is very minimal. As away of responding to this abuse, the victim tries to mollify the techniques used by the abuser that have been effective previous. Walker gives the second stage as ‘discharge of tension’ which will automatically lead to a third stage of ‘loving contrition’. In this stage the batterer demonstrates conciliatory behaviors and tries to convince the victim of their purposes to change. Walker’s exposure of the issue made BWS to become a common way of justifying criminal conduct of women charged with the murder of their husbands. But, the ideas only enjoy success in some clinical circles and legal jurisdiction, BWS was never empirically confirmed by scientific research as a bona fide condition. Because of this, BWS has not enjoyed great support from psychologists who practice clinical and forensic psychology (Walker 138). The battered women syndrome was originally used to help women in their struggle for equality in the legal system, but this has changed as the effect is now two way traffic. It is through the use of law that battered women syndrome situations can be dealt with effectively in the society (Bickenbach 280). This work will explore how the families are enacting the law in solving the battered women syndrome and how the situation is psychological viewed even when the matter is taken to court. It will focus on how the psychological views about the situation determine the decision made in the court or how it influences the country laws. This study will therefore give insights into the workings of Walker that view the battered women syndrome as a psychological issue, but without forgetting how the Canadian law is implemented to deal with the situation to get the effective solution (Bickenbach 280). Carrying out this study in this particular way will help the students to reflect on the collaborative role between the law and psychology Background Society awareness of the battered women syndrome has increased over the last two decades. People are aware of the domestic and family awareness and what should be done incase it occurs. This increased awareness has led to substantial legal reforms to assist the victims of battered women syndrome. This includes the victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. A great deal of controversies and confusion surround the term battered women syndrome i.e. how the term is used and the basis on which it claims legal attention. When explaining the behavioral and cognitive patterns of battered women, the battered women syndrome achieves legitimacy in psychological and legal cycles unprecedented for theories of its kind. To obtain this information, the study will be conducted in a team of six students who will visits different families; this will include three boys and three girls. In their visits the spouses will be asked if they get involve in domestic violence and how they solve, also what leads to their domestic violence. Another task will be to attend court hearings about domestic violence cases; to find out how the cases are solved by application of law and how the psychological witnesses contributes to the decision made by the court. Each day will be start with a brief meeting of 10-20 minutes to ensure that the members knows what they are going to do and how to obtain the relevant information. Scope The task given to the members are tough and proper observation will be required during this period to ensure that the correct thing is being done i.e. proper spouses are conducted. Participant observation for a period of one month will be enough to gather the required information. The team will have at least attended five court hearings in different legislation courts across the country. The team will spend another one month to identify different families in different regions who have engaged in domestic violence. The interviews with different forensic psychologists will not be scheduled, but it will be fixed in the schedule when the need for it arises. Theoretical Framework To carry out the study effectively, cognitive and behavioral perspective on battered women syndrome will be used. Walter identifies different reasons/behaviors that make families to eng...