Burning Bed Theories
Spousal Abuse Theories -- Walker's Cycle Theory & Learned Helplessness Theory
'The reasons why Mickey Hughes pounded on Francine Hughes repeatedly in many instances and in many locations can be examined by looking at theories of spousal abuse. There is no one exact theory would appear to explain Mickey's violent outbursts, but there are several theories that offer reasonable explanations.
One theory found in the book Stopping Domestic Violence: How a Community Can Prevent Spousal Abuse is "Walker's cycle theory of violence." This theory posits that violence against women (a spouse or an intimate partner) occurs in three stages: Stage one, is the building of tension; stage two, is the trigger that sets off the violent incident; and stage three, is the "honeymoon phase" (Jenkins, et al., 2001, p. 47).
In Francine's case the building of tension was near constant. There are myriad passages and sections of The Burning Bed that reflect the tension she experienced. For example, when she left Mickey and went to live in her mother's house temporarily, Mickey called her mother's house repeatedly and threatened to kill himself if he couldn't have her back (to beat on some more). Finally Francine took the phone off the hook so she wouldn't have to hear his wild ravings any more, but "The house was filled with a sense of siege" (154). In the morning Francine "…felt sick with indecision…[and] wild with worry over the children" (154).
After Mickey agreed to stop drinking, Francine tried hard to be patient and nurse him but Mickey soon quit his rehab from alcohol and stage two was on its way...
If someone is mentally weak in any way, such as those who would be eligible for the insanity plea, sending them to prison would be very dangerous indeed, for they would be more likely to be influenced into being worse criminals. Additionally, those with disabilities, physical or mental, are even more likely than the general population to the raped and sexually abused behind bars. Evidence shows that one out
Hinkley was obsessed with the movie Taxi Driver, in which the main character -- a drifter like himself -- saves a teenage prostitute from her pimp through violence. Before his assassination attempt, Hinkley wrote a letter to Foster detailing how he was going to attempt to kill the president to win her attention (he had already sent her poems and love letters). Hinkley refused to cooperate with his defense attorneys
The Insanity Defense: Exploring Legal and Ethical Dimensions Introduction The insanity defense is a controversial legal strategy that allows individuals accused of committing a crime to claim that they were not mentally capable of understanding the nature of their actions or distinguishing right from wrong at the time of the offense. This defense is predicated on the belief that individuals suffering from severe mental illness or disorder should not be held criminally
If the Texas legislature would consider the addition of a volitional provision, no matter what form they might choose, would mark a substantial improvement to what presently exists. Such addition would represent a modernization in attitude and would allow the law in Texas to comport more closely with the prevailing societal views on mental health. Those with severe mental health issues deserve the opportunity of having their conditions treated. Lacking
Stu Dents Charges The author of this report has been asked to revisit the case of Stu Dents and the litany of crimes he is alleged to have committed against Uma Opee and in general. There is indeed a laundry list of issues to be seen and charges when it comes to Stu Dents and they will be listed out within this report. Each crime that applies will be listed and
For example, there is currently a case in Florida were a 50-year-old woman shot and killed her teenage son and daughter. She said she did it because they were "mouthy" to her and she was tired of it. There is no word yet on whether she will plead insanity, but there is evidence that she purchased a gun days before the shooting occurred (Brennan, 2011). That could block her
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now