COPING STRATEGIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

COPING STRATEGIES - Essay Example A woman in a violent relationship may engage in active measures to cope with violent attacks from the husband. For instance, the woman may engage in provocative behavior with the aim of controlling the time and location of violence (Schewe, 2002). A woman in a violent relationship may also be involved in passive acts of coping with violence to protect herself, her children and the marriage. Individuals in gender-based violent relationships may also cope with the violence in their relationships by applying a number of cognitive coping strategies. In this case, the victim in the relationship constantly reassures themselves that they are â€Å"okay† by focusing on more unfortunate individuals encountering worse situations (Oleary & Maiuro, 2001). Through cognitive responses, the victim may also be compelled to cope with the violent situations by focusing on the rewards of the relationship as opposed to the costs. Women may also remain in violent relationship with hope and belief that the will â€Å"save† their man and change them to be better persons. Women who cope in violent situations with such beliefs are often those who perceive themselves as competent in many areas of life (Cory & Mcandless-Davis, 2001). They opt to cope with violent and abusive partners as they perceive leaving would be abandonment of the helpless, needy and dependent partner/husband. Individuals cope with violence due to a number of reasons. Studies by scholars on gender-based violence highlight a number of reasons why women in violent relationships choose to stay and cope with the violence. Women in violent relationships may experience learned helplessness and opt to stay with their violent partners. Such victims over time learn to perceive themselves as powerless and functionally helpless in the violent situations. Women who cope with violence due to such reasons never have the hope of stopping the abuse and improving the relationship but rather conform to the violent