Final answer:
Most individuals in recurrently violent relationships spend the majority of their time in the tension-building phase of the IPV cycle, which often escalates to abuse and is followed by a temporary honeymoon phase. Women, particularly in certain age groups and socioeconomic statuses, are at higher risk.
Step-by-step explanation:
Individuals in relationships with recurrent violence spend most of their time in the tension-building phase. The cycle of intimate partner violence (IPV) typically begins with this phase, where conflict and stress escalate, causing fear and a need for the victim to placate the abuser. This is followed by the acute battering incident, where the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse occurs. Finally, the honeymoon phase concludes the cycle, where the abuser may apologize, minimize the abuse, or make promises to change. The period of calm and contrition, however, is often temporary before the tension starts to build again.
Women, especially those aged twenty to twenty-four, are at a higher risk of experiencing nonfatal abuse (Catalano 2007). Rates of abuse are also higher among individuals who are separated or cohabitating compared to married couples and are influenced by socioeconomic factors. Furthermore, IPV can start as emotional abuse and progress to other forms of violence, impacting employment, mental health, and leading potentially to lifelong victimization (Greenman & Matsuda, 2016).