In the previous article, we analyzed bullying from the mimetic theory. We managed to identify the school bullying as part of a circle of violence that arises from mimetic phenomenon in which we find ourselves immersed, which explains countless human behaviors.
Now, based on René Girard’s mimetic theory, human desires are conceived as impulses or motivations whose roots do not arise internally, but are essentially derived, that is, their nature is external to the desiring subject.
Violence in the family environment: causes and effects
To exemplify the above we can briefly mention the conflict situations themselves in mythical stories, such as that of the founding of Rome (the struggle between Romulus and Remus) or that of the Genesis (the deadly rivalry between Cain and Abel), where we can find that competitiveness not so much to get what the other has, but to become the other, to usurp their identity, in which we see an autonomy and dominance that one lacks. (let’s call it the ‘desire to be other’).
It is in this process of appropriation that This desire to subdue, dominate or even destroy comes into play actions that are reproduced in all social areas.
The drive for domination: a psychoanalytic approach to the phenomenon of violence
Following this line of thought we can warn that if education is the reflection of society and vice versa, the problem of school violence is a cancer that afflicts not only educational actors, but the entire society. Having already analyzed the negative behaviors that characterize bullying, let’s take a step back to have a panoramic view that allows us to study another of the components that make up this conflict. Looking beyond the school, We find the family, the fundamental nucleus of society It is the elemental support, basis of the social structure, which refers to the systematic formation of correlation between individuals directly and indirectly linked within a society.
Considering the latter, in Mexico there is a popular saying: education is sucked with milk , meaning that the development of people’s intellectual and moral capacities begins at home, while this is true for better or worse, it is also a condemnation. But what are our children nursing at home?
Most research studies the effects that domestic violence, but not in all its aspects and dimensions, since they focus mainly on attacks that are directly directed towards minors following the line of father/mother-son/daughter relationship. However, analyzing the relationship between the different forms of aggression, abuse or neglect in families could reveal relevant data for the study of domestic violence and its consequences, so according to research carried out by the Department of Psychology of the University of Arizona, supported by the National Center of Child Abuse and Neglect, Children who witness marital/family violence (whether seen or heard) suffer as much as those who are direct victims of violence from the consideration that the consequences derived from it are the same.
The child who lives in a violent family environment
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, violence among children and adolescents tends to develop mainly in an environment where the minor is in particularly stressful conditions and situations, especially those related to the family, among some examples. We can mention single parenthood, the breakdown or instability of a marriage, the unemployment of parents – which in turn causes a low level of family income – as well as different aspects of parenting that can contribute to violent behavior between children. children.
Being a father/mother is a complex task, no one is born knowing how to be a father and this can manifest itself through inappropriate control (lack of supervision, authority and responsibility of children), very strict discipline (disciplinary laxity and incoherence), dissent between parents, child rejection and limited participation and/or lack of interest in the child’s activities, lack of communication and inconsistency in parental behavior models.
The psychological effects of domestic violence on children
Then, violence being an accumulation of uncertainty and frustrations from which it is impossible for the minor to locate among his capacities (patterns of social behavior) the socially appropriate and necessary means to cope, will seek to reduce tension through crisis behaviors, demonstrating different mental and emotional imbalances in their behavior such as distraction, low self-esteem, sleep disorders, sense of guilt and aggression against peers, family members and other people’s property.
Today, children are exposed to endemic violence from an earlier age compared to a few decades ago. According to WHO global statistics, in 2011 alone there were 250,000 homicides among young people between 10 and 29 years of age
Regarding sexual violence, an international study reports that between 3 and 24% of women had their first sexual experience out of obligation. Finally, a study carried out in 40 countries shows that exposure to violence and harassment affects both boys (8.6-45.2%) and girls (4.8-45.8%), without mention that 15% of children between 1st and 8th grade revealed that they had been the subject of bullying or harassment “more than one or two occasions” during the six weeks prior to the survey.
Although it is true that recommendations from different organizations and programs are already being carried out internationally and within each nation, It is necessary to emphasize the importance of eradicating violence from the home
