Editing Cycle of abuse (section)

{{Short description|Social cycle theory explaining patterns of behavior in an abusive relationship}}
{{About|the cycle of violence within one person's pattern of abuse|a broader pattern of violence and intergenerational cycle of violence|Cycle of violence}}

[[Image:Cycle of Abuse.png|thumb|250x250px|The four phases of the cycle of abuse]]
The '''cycle of abuse''' is a [[social cycle theory]] developed in 1979 by [[Lenore E. Walker]] to explain patterns of behavior in an [[abusive relationship]]. The phrase is also used more generally to describe any set of conditions which perpetuate abusive and [[Dysfunctional family|dysfunctional relationships]], such as abusive child rearing practices which tend to get passed down. Walker used the term more narrowly, to describe the cycling patterns of calm, violence, and reconciliation within an abusive relationship. Critics suggest the theory was based on inadequate research criteria, and cannot therefore be generalized upon.
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