What is the cycle of violence?
The cycle of violence is the four phases an abuser continually cycles through. It begins with tension building, where there may be minor instances of abuse, but mostly the victim feels like he or she is walking on egg shells. Then, it moves on to the actual event, or full-out abuse. Next, it moves to the making-up phase, where the abuser apologizes, swears it will never happen again, and often makes excuses that blame the victim. And, finally, the calm phase, where the abuser acts as though nothing has happened. These cycles very rarely cease. If domestic violence is going on, more often than not it will not only continue, but it will also only get worse. 5.
