Could There Be a Link Between Bullied as a Child and Domestic Violence?

Posted on: January 27th, 2021 by Dod Law

Domestic violence is a severe crime, but few domestic violence defendants set out to become destructive or belligerent. A simple disagreement may lead to anger and then to violence. Often, the outburst doesn’t come from hate but rather an uncontrolled impulse. After the altercation, sense catches up to the individual, and they may feel remorse and experience self-loathing, and may make promises to their partner that things will change.

If it’s not a premeditated act of violence, where does domestic violence come from? There may actually be a link between being bullied as a child and experiencing domestic violence as an adult. Similarly, there may be a connection between bullies and people accused of domestic violence. If you’re facing domestic violence charges, you should contact a domestic violence defense attorney immediately.

Bullied Children Often Become Bullies

A concerning factor of bullying is its cyclical nature. It often starts with a child who was abused or neglected at home turning to violence toward their classmates. According to the Ditch the Label Annual Bullying Report in 2016, bullying victims are up to twice as likely to eventually bully someone else. The recent emergence of cyberbullying seems to be making matters worse as well.

Links Between Bullies and Domestic Violence Defendants

There are several commonalities between bullies and those who engage in domestic violence. A common stereotype is that violence only encompasses physical altercations. However, domestic violence also consists of intimidation, emotional abuse, or isolation.

In California, you can be charged with domestic violence without actually hitting your partner. Under Penal Code 422, you can be arrested for threatening to harm or kill someone, whether verbally, non-verbally, or in writing.

Intimidation

Bullies often intimidate their victims by merely looking or gesturing at them or displaying weapons. Domestic violence attackers often use similar tactics, and they may also destroy personal property or even abuse pets since they often live with the victim.

Emotional Abuse

Domestic violence defendants try to put their victims down by calling them names or making them feel bad about themselves. Similarly, bullies often make their victims feel inferior to them or scream in their face.

Isolation

Bullies and domestic abusers may both use isolation to hurt their victims, albeit in different ways. Bullies may try to steal friends away, while domestic violence defendants may try to control their partner’s actions and restrict who they can interact with. In many domestic violence situations, victims are discouraged or forbidden from having friends or seeing their families. This may be more common in situations where the couple has moved far from the victim’s relatives.

Physical Abuse

One of the most common factors in these cases is violence toward someone else, such as punching, pushing, or kicking victims. Physical abuse that occurs between intimate partners and/or relatives may be charged as domestic battery under PC 243(e)(1).

How to Break the Cycle Between Being Bullied and Engaging in Domestic Violence

After engaging in a violent act such as domestic violence, you have to take responsibility for your actions. Being abused as a child, being bullied, or bullying others is not an excuse for aggressive and violent behavior. But if you recognize those factors that lead to your aggression, you have a starting place to break the cycle and the link between being bullied and engaging in domestic violence. Some ways you can break the cycle are:

• Seeking professional help from a therapist or psychiatrist
• Attending anger management classes
• Going to group therapy

While you’re on a long road to regaining trust from the ones you’ve hurt, these are the initial steps you should take.

Contact a California Domestic Violence Defense Attorney Today

If you’re facing a charge of domestic violence, you must seek legal representation immediately. It’s likely your accuser has already spoken to law enforcement, and state prosecution may be creating an aggressive case against you.

Attorney Dod of Dod Law has more than 17 years of experience representing individuals accused of criminal offenses, such as domestic violence. He’s determined to obtain the best results possible for all his clients.

Call (619) 814-5110 or complete an online contact form to schedule a free consultation.