DISTORTIONS OF ANGER

Adult children of violence
witnessed anger in the extreme.
They are taught how to rage
by the raging adult.

Some learn how to rage and
bully to avoid being
hurt by others.

Others become afraid of
expressing their anger
because of the extremes of
the rages they witnessed.

Adult children may distort
their anger into other
feelings such as depression,
self-loathing, or failure
for having failed to save
or protect the victim
and stop the batterer.

Adult children of violence
may harbor unexpressed anger
at the abused parent for
failing to protect them
or a loved sibling from
a beating; or for ignoring
their pain, be it physical
or emotional, during
battering incidents.

May be angry at the abused
parent for that parent's
passivity when attacked and/or
failure to leave the abuse.

Adult children may learn how
to repress or "stonewall"
anger from the abused parent.

The child may also be angry with
the abused parent for not getting
angry and standing up for self.

The adult child may "take on"
the anger which the abused parent
should have expressed.

The adult child of violence
does not witness possitive
ways to disagree or
resolve conflicts.

The adult child may become angry
with themselves if they were or
are passive or too fearful to
confront the behavior of the
batterer.

Anger turned inward
can be distorted by:

Not trusting one's judgement
~or~
Not trusting one's power
to act, to say no,
or to walk away from
abusive situations.

~by Barbara Corry
All rights reserved
under Copy Right Laws

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