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Unaddressed trauma and domestic violence

On Behalf of | Dec 9, 2020 | Domestic Violence |

Perpetrators of domestic violence in Minnesota often experienced past trauma that was never resolved. Rarely do people form bad habits without first encountering influences that encourage the development of such behaviors. 

Reacting to pressure appropriately is significantly more challenging for people who experience persistent trauma throughout their life, especially during their childhood. 

Impact of trauma

Trauma can impact people in a variety of ways including their ability to process emotions, react to triggers and maintain a realistic perspective of the situations around them. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, complex trauma impacts a person’s learning, ability to develop and maintain relationships, physical health and behavioral habits among other things. 

In an interesting statistic, experts recommend that the lifetime loss associated with a 12-month span of child maltreatment is nearly $125 billion. When serious trauma infiltrates every aspect of a child’s development throughout their adolescent years and into adulthood, he or she could lose out on educational opportunities, development of fulfilling relationships and a successful career. 

Contribution to violence

People who experience trauma that goes unaddressed often lack the resources to get help. As development continues, people can form unhealthy and dangerous responses to emotional situations but have no idea that there are other ways to react. According to Psychology Today, unaddressed trauma is one of the top five reasons why people abuse people they care about. 

With a skewed perception of the right way to act when faced with conflict, people may have an exponentially higher reactivity to situations. Trauma therapy can help people relearn critical elements of emotional response. Used in conjunction with other remedial therapies, people accused of domestic violence may experience change and healing. 

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