1 in 3 women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point during their lives. More than 32 million Americans are affected by domestic violence each year. The increasing number of women being victims of domestic violence has been cast in the shadow over the years. It’s difficult for the women in the relationship to realize they need to end the relationship.
In the article “Does it Make Sense to Slap a Hysterical Person?” Mel Gibson admitted to slapping the mother of his child, Oksana Grigorieva. She was holding their baby, and he said he was concerned for the child’s safety. He wanted to “bring her back to reality.” He believed Oksana suffered from hysteria…which is his reasoning for the hit.
Psychologists do not prefer to use the word hysteria because it can be falsely diagnosed. Gibson’s argument about hitting his hysterical ex-wife was a bad decision on his part; a slap would only amplify the hysteria. If he truly believed they were in danger, he could have called 911 to deal with the emergency.
In the 19th century, psychologists would slap patients, douse them with water, or even suffocate them to bring them back to reality. However, this type of therapy is no longer used. That’s why hysteria is hard to diagnose today—researchers don’t know what causes it.
Because Gibson lives in the Hollywood lifestyle, it’s not surprising that he would use this technique; however, that does not give him any reason for his actions. There are many types of spousal abuse including: verbal abuse, hitting, and of course slapping. The police could have been called to insure the safety of his child, and if he felt they were in danger, slapping Oksana could have worsened the situation.
If you feel yourself in danger, the correct way to deal with it would be assessing the situation, acting calmly, talking it out, reasoning, and at the last resort, reporting it to the authorities. Never try to take it into your own hands. Letting your temper get the best of you will only make the situation worse.
Gibson should have never stooped to the level of spousal abuse. There is no excuse for it…no matter how in danger he felt. There were other ways to handle to situation.