ABSTRACT
The most common explanation for the persistence of the phenomenon in the society is that each generation learns to be violent by being a member of a violent family. Researchers have also consistently found that family stress and a lack of warmth and sensitivity within the present family are factors that contribute to the perpetuation of violence. Working with explosive, violent families requires the therapist to keep firmly in mind four basic principles: first do no harm; create a therapy of experience; develop positive regard between family members; and deal with both the family and the broader context. The great physiologist Walter Cannon coined the concept of the wisdom of the body to explain the homeostatic mechanisms of the human organism. Joseph Carroll found that mediating factors for transgenerational violence included a high degree of physical punishment that modeled violent behavior, combined with either a lack of warmth or a high degree of stress within the family.
