Is domestic violence a personal choice?

[Guest guest]

Hi CJ:

Thanks for the article: Affective Deprivation Disorder: Does it Constitute a

Relational Disorder and the book titled: ithymic Parenting: the Impacts on

Children. I am changing the subject heading as I have a question for the group.

I am taking a class on human sexuality and I love it. We have our 2nd exam this

Wednesday and the teacher gave us cards and asked us to write an exam question.

We then played this dumb game and rated the questions. We then discussed the top

four that will be on the exam. My question rated 2nd. Here it is: “Does anger

management work with offenders of domestic violence? Why or why not?” It is my

understanding that most courts mandate anger management when it is really an

issue about “control " .

The teacher insisted that violence is a “personal choice”. A man that holds it

together on the job or in the community and targets his partner or children at

home is choosing this behavior, unless there is a mental illness involved, which

might shed some light on his behavior, but does not excuse it.

Organizations like ASAN have denounced any association with violence and AS and

have alluded to the fact that they see AS/Autism as a cultural or a difference.

Domestic violence has been a factor in our community probably at the same or

similar rate in any other culture. If one subscribes to the notion that bad

behavior is learned and can be replaced with good behavior, does the domestic

violence we see in our community fall under the same umbrella? Why or why not?

For the sake of the argument, let’s define domestic violence to mean emotional,

verbal, physical, economical, isolation or using the children or any other

leverage as means to control their partner.

I ask this question only to get a better understanding, as I am seeking my

Bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Science.,

I look forward to any feedback.

Thank you and Best Regards as always.