Breaking Down the Social Learning of Domestic Violence

The purpose of this study was to identify reasons domestic violence occurs within intimate relationships. Methods: The target group was female victims and male offenders. The offenders group consisted of 25 men from a batterer’s intervention group. The victims group composed of 9 women from Center Against Spouse Abuse (CASA) intervention group. Results: Domestic violence occurred at a higher rate in intimate relationships where either the victim or offender has been exposed to prior domestic violence. A higher percentage of victimized women were in a lower economic class than male offenders. Conclusion: Domestic violence perpetuates the future cycle of violence. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (IJPBS), Volume 3, Number 1, Spring and Summer 2009:62-66 .