Domestic Violence Through "Runaway Love" & "Independence Day"

Both Independence Day and Runaway Love are about domestic violence and emotional neglect.

Unlike Runaway Love, Independence Day’s message is about a mother who decides to set herself and her child free from painful days. This happens right after the Crisis Phase in the Cycle of Violence (2019). Why doesn't she escape from the fire? This is because she might feel guilty toward her child or she knew she couldn't be emotionally stable enough after the escape. According to the “battered woman syndrome" addressed by the book It Could Happen to Anyone (2014), a woman who involves in domestic violence is more likely to have “behaviors brought on by victimizations, learned helplessness behavior, and self-destructive coping behaviors" (p. 162). Based on this section of the book, we can be more empathetic to her decision. Since this domestic violence is long-term, it has shaped her tolerance and coping mechanism in a negative way. Also, she might feel stressful to explain things to her daughter after she kills her dad. This pressure might strengthen her decision somehow.

Runaway Love includes different stories with a similar background as domestic violence. In the video, a child tries to tell her mother that she is sexually abused by her stepfather. However, her mother doesn't believe her. Shouldn't the mother trust her daughter? To explain this, let's consider the Power and Control circle (n.d.). The stepfather might use emotional abuse to make the mother feel useless and doubtful of herself, which makes her unable to judge him. It might also because of the Clam/Honey Phase in the Cycle of Violence (2019). She has been comforted by her husband with sweet talk, loving messages that she completely believes in him. One more reason is that she might be abandoned by her previous husband, which strengthens her love and trust for the present one. Similar to other mothers in the video, she is left no choice but emotionally and physically neglects her child.

All the mothers in both videos can't leave because she believes that the man would change (LaViolette, Barnett, 2014, p. 40).

Eurus Thach.

_______________________

References:

Barnett, O. W., & LaViolette, A. D. (1993). It could happen to anyone: why battered women stay. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage.

Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs. (n.d.). Power and Control. Retrieved from https://www.theduluthmodel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/PowerandControl.pdf. 

Walker, L. (1979). Cycle of Violence, The Battered Woman. Retrieved from https://www.shelterforhelpinemergency.org/get-help/cycle-violence. 

[Martina McBride]. (2010, Mar 8). Martina McBride - Independence Day [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VPpAZ9_qAw.

[Ludacris]. (2010, Jan 14). Ludacris ft. Mary J. Blige - Runaway Love (Official Video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISvMS6s41vY.