Cycles of Violence

Aggressor Cycle (Acting Out) Victim Cycle (Acting In)

Shock, injury, fear,

denial

Realizationof loss – panic,

anxiety

Suppressionof grief and

fears

Anger, ragespiritual

questions, loss of meaning

Survivor guilt,shame and humiliation

Fantasiesof revenge,

need for justice, safety

Experiencing unmet needs for safety and

justice – shame, humiliation,

fear

Attacking in the name of self-defense,

justice or honor

Developing good vs. evil

narrative

Respondingto social and

culturalpressures,

pride

Decidingto pursue

own needs, evenat expense of others

Viewingviolence asredemptive

Dehumanizing the “other”

Seeing self/group as

victims, embracing "us" vs. "them"

identity

Powerless,helpless feelings

Re-experiencingevents, intrusive

thoughts, avoiding reminders,

hyper/hypo-arousal

Traumaticevent(s);

acts of violence

© Carolyn Yoder and the STAR Team at Eastern Mennonite University.Based in part on the writings of Olga Botcharova, Peter Levine, Vamik Volkan and Walter Wink.

Physiologicalresponses - fight,

flight, freeze

Creating and sustaining unjust

structure and system

Trembling, crying, heat,

cold

Domesticviolence

Childabuse

Blamingothers

Bullying

Lawlessness

Repetitive violence/war

Physicalailments

Depression

Workaholism

Silence,constricted emotions

Internalizedoppression

Self-abuse, addictions,

intergenerationaltrauma

Learnedhelplessness,

fatalism

Suicide

Sexual harm