As risk factors multiply, so do chances of violence. Previous incidence of domestic violence is the highest risk factor for future violence. Homes with two more factors listed below show twice as much violence as those with none. Male has blue-collar occupation, if employed Male did not graduate from high school Male is between 18 and 30 years of age Male or female use severe violence toward children in the home Total family income is below the poverty line Women who have been abused as children, are unemployed, less educated, pregnant, or are poor are at greater risk for being abused. A major family risk factor for both genders is experiencing or observing violence in one's family as a child.
Men are more likely to enact as adults the violence they have observed or experienced as children.
One theory suggests this is because men receive more reinforcement for being aggressive and violent in our society. Risk factors noted in other studies include low self-esteem, poor communication and assertiveness skills, and male moodiness, alcohol dependence, denial, sense of powerlessness and feeling the need to dominate and control women. Acceptance of violence in society is another risk factor. We are still recovering from the effects of social policies that justified violence against women. Though women may be as violent as men in the home, women are much more likely to suffer serious consequences.