Possible Anthropological Causes for Domestic Abuse

Along with the psychological and the social causes of domestic violence and abuseabuse within intimate relationships may increase a male's reproductive success and guarantee a child's paternity. Domestic violence research indicates that a woman is most at risk for fatal physical abuse and homicide when they make the decision to escape an abusive relationship. At this point, the female is no longer beneficial to the reproductive success of the perpetrator, and has the potential to maximize the reproductive fitness of another male. Domestic violence research also suggests that infants are extremely susceptible to abuse and infanticide when the infant's mother has entered into a relationship with a male that is not the child's biological father. The mother's boyfriend or the child's step father may harm the child in order to increase his own reproductive fitness. If the infant survives, the child's mother, as well as the new male, will be required to invest valuable time and resources into the care of the child. Because this child is not the new male's child, the new male will be helping to increase the reproductive success of the child's father if the male continues to invest resources in the child. By committing infanticide, the female will now have the available resources in order to rear a child in her current relationship. Domestic violence research supplies interesting support for some of these evolutionary theories of domestic violence and abuse.