Discussion of “Violence in the Family as a Disorder of the Attachment and Caregiving Systems”

Dr. Bowlby's paper on “Violence in the Family as a Disorder of the Attachment and Caregiving Systems” has many stimulating concepts that should be discussed at length. I will primarily focus on the area of violence. In reflecting on my varying experience gathered in the past 20 years of studying and evaluating individuals prone to violence, I have found it clinically useful to consider violence as an expression of feelings of powerlessness. This awareness that violence is a maladaptive response reflecting a disorder of power has proven clinically useful in the evaluation, treatment, prevention, and reduction of violence in violence-prone individuals who utilize violence as the primary solution to any problem.

I first became aware of the relationship between the expression of violence and powerlessness when I served as a psychiatric consultant to a residential center for court-referred youngsters between the ages of 8 and 15 who had exhibited serious aggressive assaultive behavior at home, at school, or in the community. In examining these youngsters, I customarily asked them the following question: “If you had the power to change the world, what would you do with it?” Almost all these youngsters who had repeated patterns of violent assaultive behavior answered this question in a similar fashion. The repeated theme of their response was: “If I had the power to change the world, I would make Russia and America be at peace, no war. I would make everyone rich and safe; everyone healthy and young.” Very few used this imaginary power to get even with others or even fantasy violent behavior.

The relationship between feeling powerless and violent behavior was