Personal Situation: Attribution
The personal situation I would like to share and elaborate on involves domestic violence that occurred during my last marriage. I was married three times and have four children. Each time I married, I thought I could change my husband to be the person I wanted him to be. I know from education and experience that is incorrect. My last marriage my husband nearly killed me. I will elaborate relative to the assignment my experience how attribution played a vital part in my flawed sense of outlook.
Attribution is our effort to understand the causes behind others’ behavior and on some occasions behind our behavior as well (Baron, 2006). I was raped at age seven by one of my high school age relatives. From seven years old until 17 years old, I was sexually victimized by several more relatives. I never told my mother what happened to me because I thought she knew and also the shame behind the abuse. The reason I thought my mother was aware was due to my high school age cousin conveying to me my mom sent him to baby sit me after school. I was 30 years old when I finally told my mom what occurred to me. She never sent him to babysit me.
I met and married my first husband at age 21. My first husband drank alcohol and used drugs excessively. I divorced my first husband and went into the Army. In the Army I met and married my second husband. He and I had a daughter where he proceeded to abuse my oldest daughter from my first marriage and broke his own daughters arm. I divorced him. I waited a few years and met and married my third husband who beat me regularly. My third husband broke my ribs, gave me a concussion, and killed a fetus when I was 12 weeks pregnant during a domestic violence incident. I have been happily divorced for almost eight wonderful years now.
A study was conducted from women in San Antonio, Boston and Chicago. The data suggest that women who have been physically or sexually abused are...