Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Erika Paredes
The family system is a theory that was introduced by Dr. Murray Bowen. Dr. Murray
Bowen had mentioned that individuals. That was not capable of being understood and had to
be isolated based on the family emotions. Family system theory includes any martial conflicts,
emotional, dysfunctions and impairment. In a family system in order for the relationship to
stay together in a marriage or relationships with children everybody needs to work together. In
this theory children suffer from abuse, neglect, trauma, emotional and physical mental health.
Children in this theory are the ones that have to go through this tough time especially when
they see conflicts that arise in their home. That includes the child seeking for help either at
My topic is based on the family system theory is domestic violence. The reason I am
focusing on this topic is, because I would like to know the outcome on the children that witness
domestic violence while growing up. Especially to what concerns us as teachers or futures
teacher we have to look for. The reason is, because children don’t know how to ask for help and
speak up for themselves. Just for the reason that I see it as the age were the children are more
scared to speak for them and the person being abused. Relating it to Bowen’s basic concepts as
the nuclear family that describes four relationship patterns. Were in a relationship a family has
to regulate anxiety, martial conflict, and emotional distance. All which affect a family
development.
Which, it relates to the first level in Bowen’s family system theory that is the levels of
differentiation in families. Bowen had developed a scale that would measure a person self-
thinking. The way a person thinks, feels and acts affects the children as they observe how a
FAMILY SYSTEM THEORY 3
person acts. Domestic violence doesn’t only affect families mentally or physically, but they also
end up in the streets living with their children. Children in a domestic violence home can affect
children’s emotional and cognitive development, social functioning and the ability to learn,
moral development and the ability to have a negotiable intimate relationship later on in life
Victims of family violence that are not physically assaulted they could suffer from social
and mental health problems (Osofkly 1995:Edleson 199a). The triangle concept on Bowen’s
system reflects a three-person relationship. When tension starts to arise in a conflict it could
easily shift from one person to a three person. When the amount of triangles start to build it
can stabilize the spreading of tension. That’s how it works in a relationship were children are
around. Which, I could relate it to one of my students that mentions how the parents fight at
home, but she hears them from the room. However, once the big brother walks into the
parent’s room they are capable of stop the conflict. It shows how even when parents have
As a preschool teacher we try to inform the children in a clear way for them to
understand that it’s not appropriate for others to lay a hand on them. As a preschool teacher
we usually have siblings in our classroom as Murray explained in his concept of sibling position.
Were siblings who grow in the same position have common characteristics. I have a situation
like that were one of the siblings the oldest one in aggressive at home and at school Which,
now the youngest sibling is being more clingy towards the teacher asking for hugs and wanting
to give kisses. The reason being is because parents are going through a divorce and not having
the father at home they’re not getting the attention they need.
FAMILY SYSTEM THEORY 4
Murray Bowen had the opportunity to make an emotional system that gives the
freedom to individuals with a less sensitive way when they are caught in a difficult situation.
Especially towards families who are in a domestic home. The families when attending therapy,
counseling or any type of help they follow concept that help them get through the violence.
Bowen’s societal emotional process is within a family that helps the family as a progressive and
regressive period. It compares and contracts with the emotional cut off were people who have
emotional issues tend to cutoff others from their lives. That happens in a domestic violence
home were the children who witness violence in the home they feel as if others will harm them.
That affects the children emotions and social skills. As Bowen describes his theory the family
system is to help individuals increase the capability to have a better emotional contact with
“The more good experiences a baby has in a relationship the more chances there is for
more connections to be made, not just emotionally, but also neurologically.”(Thomson Salo and
Paul, 2006, p.3) Bowen made his theory very understandable to process. A family goes through
an emotional process and the way its handled is the way the family functions. These concepts
don’t always fit well with the families’ expectations or needs. Especially when families have
gone through a domestic violence situation and have to attend counseling all together. Any
family member can give that motivation that can alter the family to an emotional process if
they are willing to work together. Many times that’s that one person is the child. That’s why
families who have differences need to find different strategies to fix their misunderstandings.
The family system theory by Murray Bowen needs to be put out their to the public. That way
families could be informed about the concepts that could probably work for them one day.
FAMILY SYSTEM THEORY 5
References
Brown, J. (1988). Bowen Family Systems Theory and Practice: Illustration and Critique. nature,
97, 98.
Murray Bowen, M.D. and The Nine Concepts in Family Systems Theory. (2013, September 12).
Retrieved February 06, 2017, from https://yourmindfulcompass.com/dr-bowen/
Tomison, A. M. (2000). Exploring family violence: links between child maltreatment and
domestic violence.